Milestones

Edward St. John and Leroy Merritt construct their first building at Stafford Business Center in Baltimore, Maryland. The 16,200 square foot brick flex/R&D building marks the beginning of a four-year business partnership between the two men.

Edward St. John independently organizes as Maryland Industrial Enterprises (MIE), amicably parting ways with his former business partner, Leroy Merritt. They evenly divide their portfolio of properties, and both go on to build successful commercial real estate companies.

Maryland Industrial Enterprises constructs its first building at Columbia Center, a 130,000 square foot bulk/warehouse building located in Columbia, Maryland.

Maryland Industrial Enterprises expands into Colorado, and opens its first regional office in Golden, a former gold rush town at the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, just outside of Denver.

Maryland Industrial Enterprises expands into Wisconsin, opening its second regional office in Hartland, located in Waukesha County, a suburb of Milwaukee.

Maryland Industrial Enterprises expands business to Northern Virginia and Central Maryland with a third regional office in Frederick, serving the greater Washington, D.C. area.

Maryland Industrial Enterprises expands to Louisiana with a fourth regional office in Gonzales, located in in Ascension Parish between New Orleans and Baton Rouge.

Maryland Industrial Enterprises purchases Maryland Science and Technology Center, later renamed Melford Town Center. The 466-acre mixed-use community is located between Annapolis, Maryland and Washington, D.C. in in Bowie, Maryland.

Maryland Industrial Enterprises is renamed to St. John Properties, and relocates its corporate headquarters to Windsor Corporate Park in Windsor Mill, Maryland.

St. John Properties secures development rights to 413-acres at The Government and Technology Enterprise (The GATE) within Aberdeen Proving Ground. The GATE is located inside the main entrance way to Aberdeen Proving Ground, a U.S. Army facility that employs more than 7,500 civilians and 5,000 military personnel.

St. John Properties partners with Greenebaum Enterprises to construct 1.5 million square feet of flex/R&D and Class ‘A’ office space at the Maple Lawn mixed-use community in Fulton, Maryland.

St. John Properties acquires Harrisburg Mall in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. The 1 million square foot regional mall is anchored by Bass Pro Shops, and is the largest enclosed shopping center in the Harrisburg area.

St. John Properties launches a new Gaming Division with Boomtown Hotel and Casino in Reno, Nevada. The facility features a hotel with 318 guest rooms and suites, and a casino with 39,630 square feet of gaming.

St. John Properties expands to Utah with a fifth regional office, located in Utah County near Salt Lake City in Pleasant Grove, Utah.

St. John Properties breaks ground on new residential development phase at Greenleigh, the 1,000-acre business community in Middle River, Maryland.

St. John Properties breaks ground on its first six-story Class ‘A’ office building, Grove Tower. The 190,000 square foot building is located within the Valley Grove mixed-use community in Pleasant Grove, Utah.

NAIOP, the Commercial Real Estate Development Association, selects St. John Properties as the National Developer of the Year – the association’s highest honor. St. John Properties is the first company in the NAIOP Maryland chapter to receive this award since its inception, and only the second commercial real estate firm headquartered in Maryland to be recognized.

The U.S. Green Building Council ranks St. John Properties as the top LEED developer in Maryland, Virginia and Washington, D.C., and in the top five nationwide. Explore our LEED certified buildings.

St. John Properties reaches milestone of 20 million square feet of commercial real estate developed across the country, and celebrates by announcing a $10 million bonus distributed based on tenure to all 198 of its employees, with the average employee receiving $50,000.

St. John Properties celebrates 50 Years in the commercial real estate industry. Our success is based on a commitment to our clients and communities, superior customer service, achievements in green building, and our top-rated workplace culture. This drive for success will continue over the next 50 years, and beyond.

St. John Properties expands to central Texas with a seventh regional office in Austin, Texas.

St. John Properties expands to North Carolina with a eighth regional office in Raleigh, North Carolina.

St. John Properties expands to Florida with a ninth regional office in Tampa, Florida.

St. John Properties expands with a tenth regional office in Charlotte, North Carolina.

St. John Properties expands with an eleventh regional office in Dallas, Texas.