Elizabeth, New Jersey
New Jersey publishes Elizabeth's whole tax list, with values, deed book and page and sale prices, as open data but with every owner's name stripped under Daniel's Law, so who owns an Elizabeth building is read one deed at a time from the Union County Clerk's free land-records index.
9 buildings · 7 with an owner established · 14 sources · 5 tier B · 4 tier A · prepared 2026-11-01
Can you find out who owns it?
New Jersey records title by deed. Elizabeth's deeds are filed with the Union County Clerk, whose free online index covers land records from 1 June 1977 and can be searched by name, date range, book and page or instrument number, naming grantor and grantee. The State's tax list (MOD-IV) is published as open data with each parcel's assessed value, the tax-bill mailing address, deed book, page and date and the sale price, but the State says its 'OWNER_NAME field is redacted per Daniel's Law for public web access', and it is blank on every Elizabeth row. The deed index is therefore the only free route to an owner's name.
Is ownership public?Public, but one paid search at a time
Cost of one title searchOwner of record: free, one deed at a time, from the Union County Clerk's online land-records index (records from 1 June 1977; search by name, date range, book/page or instrument number; up to 150 searches an hour and 500 a day). Certified copies cost $8.00 for the first page plus $2.00 for each additional page. The enum has no 'free per search' value: the search costs nothing, but there is no bulk channel for owner names
Bulk ownership dataNone with names. NJOGIS 'Parcels and MOD-IV Composite of NJ' gives all 19,700 Elizabeth parcels (19,577 on the tax list) with class, value, tax-bill address, deed book/page/date (to Dec 2024) and sale price, but OWNER_NAME is blank for every Elizabeth row
Sale pricesEvery sale, with its address
1
The marquee buildings
The towers that set the tone of the core, and who holds them. A price is the price a document states, on the date it states — not an estimate of what the building is worth now.
| Building | Use | Owner | Owner type | Last price paid |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elizabeth-Port Authority Marine Terminal (Port Elizabeth) Bounded by Newark Bay, McLester St and North Ave East; block 837 lots 18, 18.01, 41, 44 and others |
Industrial | Port Authority of New York and New Jersey The tax list carries eight 'MARINE TERMINAL' lots, all public property (class 15C) billed to 225 Park Avenue South, New York, assessed $1.46B together; the largest, lot 44 'bounded by Newark Bay', states 961.127 acres at $961.1M. The deed index (s5) shows the deed the roll cites for lot 18 (book 5489 p.228, recorded 7 Mar 2005) running from the City of Elizabeth to the Port Authority; the roll gives its consideration as $21.0M. The Port Authority's 2025 report (s7) says Maher Terminals, its lessee, spans about 450 acres in Elizabeth, with a lease extended to Sept 2063 and a $700M upfront payment. Roll plus deed, so tier B. |
Government | $21.0M 2005-03 Lot 18 only (801-881 McLester St rear, 95.2 acres): City of Elizabeth to the Port Authority, sale price on the tax list B |
| Newark Liberty International Airport (Elizabeth portion) Block 839 lot 1, 'Newark Airport' |
Civic | Not established the register is open, but this building was not matched The tax list puts 789.45 acres of the airport inside Elizabeth: class 15F, facility 'AIRPORT', assessed $954.3M (land $789.5M), billed to the Port Authority at 225 Park Avenue South, New York, with no deed book or page. The deed index (s5) names the Port Authority as grantee on at least 100 Union County deeds since 1978, including from Continental Airlines (Oct 1999), the NJ Turnpike Authority and Conrail, but none could be tied to this lot. In Newark the airport is City land leased to the Port Authority, so the bill alone does not establish title; left blank. |
Government | —A |
| The Mills at Jersey Gardens 581-683 Kapkowski Rd (block 837 lot 1) 1,309,390 sq ft |
Retail | NJ Metromall Urban Renewal, Inc. (Simon Property Group) 100% fee (Simon 10-K) The tax list gives the mall lot 98.41 acres, assessed $162.6M as land, under an 'in-lieu tax payment' (PILOT), billed to PO Box 6120, Indianapolis. The deed the roll cites (book 6305 p.2264, recorded 18 Jan 2019) runs from NJ Metromall Urban Renewal to PSE&G (s5). Simon's 2025 10-K (s6) lists the mall as fee-owned, 100%, acquired 2015, 1,309,390 sq ft, carried at $1.02B gross; its hotels are 'owned by a third party'. Six more PILOT lots on the site bill to Simon's addresses, among them one deeded to Glimcher JG Urban Renewal Inc (2016). Entity-to-Simon tie rests on the bill and filing: tier B. |
REIT | —B |
| Union County Courthouse 2-42 Elizabethtown Plaza (block 338 lot 1) |
Civic | County of Union Public property (class 15C), facility 'COURT HOUSE', 1.7 acres, assessed $316.5M. The County's administration building across the plaza (1-49 Elizabethtown Plaza, 'ADMINISTRATIVE BLDG.') is assessed $300.4M. Ten parcels bill to Elizabethtown Plaza, $623.7M together. The County is named as grantee in the deed index (s5), e.g. 921 Elizabeth Ave, bought March 2023 for $6.37M (roll). Tier B: the roll gives class and facility, not the holder's name. |
Government | —B |
| Elizabeth City Hall 42-60 Winfield Scott Plaza (block 318 lot 3) |
Civic | City of Elizabeth Public property (class 15C), building 'CITY HALL', 2.1 acres, assessed $42.3M, billed to 50 Winfield Scott Plaza, the address the City gives for itself (s8). The police headquarters at 1141-1197 East Grand St ($59.3M) and the main library at 1-21 South Broad St ($28.5M) bill to the same address. |
Government | —B |
| Joint Meeting of Essex and Union Counties wastewater treatment plant 529-615 South First St (block 744 lot 2) |
Civic | Not established the register is open, but this building was not matched The highest assessment in Elizabeth after the marine terminal and airport lots: class 15C, facility 'SEWERAGE DISPOSAL', 28.4 acres, assessed $735.2M (improvements $677.6M), billed to 500 South First St. The deed index (s5) names the Joint Meeting of Essex and Union Counties as grantee on deeds from 1985 onward, including two 2001 deeds exchanged with the City of Elizabeth, but none could be matched to this lot, and the Joint Meeting's own site was not read (robots redirect cross-host). The holder is therefore left blank. |
Government | —A |
| Elizabeth High School campus (Schools #82 and #83) 600-616 Pearl St (block 472 lot 1) |
Institutional | Elizabeth Board of Education (Elizabeth Public Schools) Public school property (class 15A), 'SCHOOLS #82-#83 HIGH SCHOOL', 11.4 acres, assessed $447.4M, billed to 500 North Broad St, the district's own address (s9). It is the most valuable school lot in the city; the district's 44 parcels billed there total $1.37B. |
Government | —B |
| Trinitas Regional Medical Center (Williamson Street campus) 635-663 East Jersey St (block 636 lot 1) |
Institutional | Elizabeth General Medical Center Class 15F (exempt), 'HOSPITAL', 1.7 acres, assessed $56.8M, billed to 225 Williamson St. The deed the roll cites (book 3627 p.657, recorded 31 Jan 1990) runs from Alexian Brothers of Elizabeth Inc to Elizabeth General Medical Center (s5); the roll gives $17,169,353. 29 parcels bill to 225 Williamson St ($89.0M). The index also names Trinitas Healthcare Corporation as grantee on five deeds from Mother Xavier Corporation in Jan 2000; whether the 1990 grantee's title has since passed to Trinitas was not established. |
Institution | $17,169,353 1990-01 Sale price on the tax list for the deed of record; the same deed covers 632-662 Broadway A |
| IKEA Elizabeth 1000 IKEA Dr (block 837 lot 35) |
Retail | IKEA Development Urban Renewal L.P. Class 4A, 'WAREHOUSE' building class, 21.2 acres, assessed $60.1M, billed to 420 Alan Wood Rd, Conshohocken PA. The deed the roll cites (book 5017 p.193, recorded 29 Aug 2000) runs from IKEA Development Urban Renewal Inc to IKEA Development Urban Renewal L.P. (s5). Nine parcels bill to the Conshohocken address, 73.2 acres, $93.3M. The neighbouring 'AFI industrial park' lot, 1 IKEA Dr, is Port Authority land ($69.6M). |
Private company | —A |
2
The core land
The most valuable ground in the city, and what the public record says about it.
Elizabeth's most valuable ground is public: the seaport, the airport and the sewer works. Among taxable parcels, the mall and port-side warehouse land lead. Figures from the 2025 tax list in the NJOGIS composite (s1).
Highest assessed parcel$961.1M
Block 837 lot 44, the marine terminal lot 'bounded by Newark Bay', 961.127 acres, billed to the Port Authority (s1).
Highest assessed taxable parcels$162.6M
The Mills at Jersey Gardens lot ($162,612,300, PILOT) and Hartz Elizabeth's 63-265 Bay Ave ($162,567,300) (s1).
Tax list total$23.89B
19,577 parcels; taxable $15.56B, exempt (class 15) $8.34B across 1,073 parcels (s1).
Land benchmark$1.0M per acre
The port and airport lots are valued at exactly $1,000,000 per stated acre (e.g. the airport, 789.45 acres, land $789,450,000). Typical residential (class 2) parcel assessed $469,800 (median of 15,259); median 2024 residential sale price $567,500 (484 sales on the roll) (s1).
3
Who owns the town
At this scale the significant owner is rarely a trust or a fund: it is one or two local holding companies, a family in its second or third generation, and often the land around the town rather than the buildings in it.
With owner names stripped from the published tax list, Elizabeth's large holders are counted by the address their tax bills go to, and named where a recorded deed or the holder's own page ties that address to them. Public bodies dominate: 1,073 of the 19,577 tax-list parcels are exempt (class 15), assessed at $8.34B of the $23.89B total. The Port Authority alone is billed for $2.94B and some 2,231 stated acres, the seaport and the Elizabeth part of Newark airport. Acreage counts only parcels where the roll states acres.
| Name | Type | Parcels and assessed value billed to the address, tax list (deeds to Dec 2024) |
|---|---|---|
| Port Authority of New York and New Jersey Every parcel billed to 225 Park Avenue South, New York: 8 marine-terminal lots ($1.46B), the airport lot (789.45 acres, $954.3M), 33 'vehicle bridge' lots, riparian grants, the AFI industrial park and vacant land. The deed index names the Port Authority as grantee on at least 100 Union County deeds since 1978 (s5), including lot 18 from the City in 2005. Whether the airport lot is held in fee or leased is not established (see marquee). |
Government | 69 parcels, $2.94B, ~2,231 stated acresB |
| Elizabeth Board of Education All class 15A school property billed to 500 North Broad St, the district's address (s9). The high-school campus on Pearl St is $447.4M; Schools #6, #1/#9 and #4 are each $77-83M. |
Government | 44 parcels, $1.37BB |
| County of Union Courthouse ($316.5M) and administration building ($300.4M) bill to their own Elizabethtown Plaza addresses; the deed index names the County as grantee of 921 Elizabeth Ave in 2023 (s5). County parks such as Mattano Park bill elsewhere and are not counted here. |
Government | 10 parcels, $623.7M (Elizabethtown Plaza bills)B |
| City of Elizabeth Parcels billed to 50 Winfield Scott Plaza (the City's address, s8) and its abbreviations: City Hall, police HQ, library, parking authority building, Green Acres parks, riparian strips on the bay, recreation centres and vacant and tax-foreclosed lots. 239 are class 15C. |
Government | 241 parcels, $590.5MB |
| Housing Authority of the City of Elizabeth Parcels billed to 688 Maple Ave, Elizabeth, including Portside Commons II ($112.5M), the Cherry St public housing lot labelled 'HOUSING AUTH.' ($44.5M) and Mravlag Manor ($43.0M). The deed index names the Housing Authority of the City of Elizabeth as grantee from 1977 to 2020 (s5). The Authority's own site did not answer, so the address tie rests on the roll's labels: tier B. |
Government | 29 parcels, $340.3MB |
| Norfolk Southern Corp Railroad (class 5A/5B) and other parcels billed to 650 West Peachtree St NW, Atlanta, Norfolk Southern's address on EDGAR (s10). A further 58 railroad parcels (160.8 stated acres, $10.3M) bill to 3 Commercial Place, Norfolk VA, and 51 parcels (31 exempt, 13 railroad) to Six Penn Center, Philadelphia; neither address was tied to a named holder. |
Public company | 41 parcels, $38.6M, 34.9 stated acresB |
| Trinitas Regional Medical Center group (Elizabeth General Medical Center; Trinitas Healthcare Corporation) Parcels billed to 225 Williamson St, 24 of them exempt (15F). The main hospital lot's deed of record (1990) names Elizabeth General Medical Center; Trinitas Healthcare Corporation is grantee on deeds from Mother Xavier Corporation (2000) (s5). |
Institution | 29 parcels, $89.0MB |
| Union County College Billed to 10 Cherry St, Elizabeth and 1033 Springfield Ave, Cranford; the roll labels them 'UCC KELLOG BLDNG' ($60.8M) and 'UNION COUNTY COLLEGE' ($50.6M, bought 1989 for $2.0M per the roll). |
Government | 4 parcels, $112.9MA |
| State of New Jersey Billed to the State House, Trenton: vacant land behind Kapkowski Rd ($39.4M, 16.3 acres) and a maintenance building on North Ave East. A further 23 public parcels ($71.6M) bill to 581 Main St, Woodbridge, which was not tied to a named body. |
Government | 12 parcels, $69.1M, 30.4 stated acresA |
| Public Service Electric and Gas Company Billed to 80 Park Plaza, Newark, PSE&G's address on EDGAR (s13); the largest is 530-614 Trenton Ave (9.29 acres, $25.5M). The deed index shows PSE&G taking a deed from NJ Metromall Urban Renewal in 2019 (s5). |
Public company | 9 parcels, $63.8M, 16.2 stated acresB |
| ETG Acquisition Corp (Elizabethtown Gas) Billed to 1 South Jersey Plaza, Folsom NJ. The deeds the roll cites (book 6273, recorded 10 July 2018) run from Pivotal Utility Holdings, NUI Corporation and Elizabethtown Gas Light Company to ETG Acquisition Corp (s5); the roll gives $11.3M for the 24.19-acre Third Ave works. |
Private company | 4 parcels, $56.4M, 25.4 stated acresA |
| US General Services Administration The post office at 300-318 North Broad St, billed to 'General Services Dept, Washington DC'. |
Government | 1 parcel, $49.4MA |
5
Who builds the houses
New-home building in this market: the volume, and the firms behind it. Ownership of a builder matters as much as its volume — a private-equity platform and a family firm behave differently.
Elizabeth is built out, and new housing comes as mid-rise rental apartments on single lots. Census permits (s12) show 92 units in 2021, 181 in 2022, 133 in 2023, 119 in 2024 and 336 in 2025, of which 295 were in three buildings of five or more units. Builders are taken as the owner of record of each new building (tax list's year built plus the deed the roll cites), grouped by tax-bill address; all are local single-purpose LLCs, not national builders. Individuals named on deeds are left out.
| Name | Type | Apartments built since 2012 (tax list) |
|---|---|---|
| Grand at Penn LLC, Grand at Westfield LLC, Engel Gardens LLC, Grand Real Estate Holdings LLC, Engel Investments LLC Apartment buildings billed to two Elizabeth addresses: 694-702 Pennsylvania Ave (86 units, 2024, site bought from a church in 2019 for $2.1M), 648-658 Westfield Ave (32, 2018), 618-630 Westfield Ave (30, 2017), 318-324 West Grand St (22, 2014) and 1213-1217 Fairmount Ave (14, 2015). Grantees from the deeds the roll cites (s5). |
Private company | 5 buildings, 184 units (2014-2024)A |
| Grand LLC, 313 West Jersey LLC, 198 Pemberton LLC, 613 South Broad St LLC Billed to one Edison office address: 79-91 West Jersey St (106 apartments and a store, 2018), 313-319 West Jersey St (36, 2015), 333-413 Westfield Ave (33, 2014), 613-619 South Broad St (24, 2013). Grantees from the deeds the roll cites (s5). |
Private company | 4 buildings, 199 units (2013-2018)A |
6
Commercial landlords
The commercial side, counted separately from housing: who holds the office, retail and industrial floor area.
Elizabeth's commercial ground is port-side logistics: the warehouse belt between the Turnpike, the airport and the bay, much of it under PILOT (payment-in-lieu-of-tax) urban-renewal entities. Holdings are summed by tax-bill address and named from the deed the roll cites. Most owners are single-asset LLCs whose parents are not stated in any record opened; they are named as the deeds name them.
| Name | Type | Parcels, assessed value, stated acres (tax list) |
|---|---|---|
| Elberon Development Co LLC and Vestal Development Co LLC The largest private holding in the city, billed to 633 Division St, Elizabeth: warehouses and PILOT land along York St and Dowd Ave, e.g. 501-649 York St ($56.5M) and 732-752 Dowd Ave ($47.7M). The deeds the roll cites name Elberon Development Co LLC (2011) and Vestal Development Co LLC (2005, $584,453) as grantees (s5); who controls them is not stated. |
Private company | 29 parcels, $475.2M, 121 stated acresA |
| Entities billed to 60 State St, Suite 2200, Boston (PAC Urban Renewal North Avenue II LLC; Tri-Port Distribution Center LLC; AMB Portview Commerce Center LLC) Warehouse and PILOT land on North Ave East, Kapkowski Rd and Dowd Ave, including 2-90 North Ave East (51.6 acres, $97.2M). Deeds cited by the roll (s5): PAC Urban Renewal North Avenue II LLC (2018, from PAC Urban Renewal North Avenue I LLC and Catellus Urban Renewal North Avenue II LLC); Tri-Port Distribution Center LLC (2004); AMB Portview Commerce Center LLC (2010, $6.55M, the 13.4-acre FedEx warehouse). The common parent is not stated. |
Private company | 8 parcels, $351.7M, 133.1 stated acresA |
| Simon Property Group (NJ Metromall Urban Renewal, Inc.; Glimcher JG Urban Renewal Inc) The Mills at Jersey Gardens and its outparcels, all PILOT, billed to Simon's PO Box 6120 and 225 West Washington St, Indianapolis (s11). The 10-K (s6) holds the mall in fee, 100%, acquired 2015. |
REIT | 7 parcels, $183.9M, 109.7 stated acres; 1,309,390 sq ftB |
| Hartz Elizabeth Inc 63-265 Bay Ave (class 4B industrial), billed to 400 Plaza Drive, Secaucus. The deed the roll cites (book 3708 p.63, recorded 27 Feb 1991) runs from the Port Authority to Hartz Elizabeth Inc; the roll gives $253,155. The second-highest assessed taxable parcel in Elizabeth. |
Private company | 1 parcel, $162.6M, 19 acresA |
| Kapkowski Road LLC 104-142 North Ave East, billed to Atlanta. Deed of record recorded 18 Mar 2005 (book 5491 p.731), consideration $10.0M on the roll (s5). |
Private company | 1 parcel, $113.6M, 16.6 acresA |
| Wakefern Food Corp 487-529 Division St (19.95 acres, $61.5M) and York St lots, billed to Edison. Deed of record 1989 to Wakefern Food Corp (s5). |
Private company | 3 parcels, $71.3M, 21.2 stated acresA |
| EV Slater LLC 315-325 First St (class 4B), billed to Miami. Deed recorded 7 Oct 2021 (book 6433 p.2864); the roll gives $34,542,766 (s5). |
Private company | 1 parcel, $70.5M, 8.2 acresA |
?
Looked for and not found
Claims this page would have made if a source could be opened. They are left out rather than guessed.
- Whether the Port Authority holds the Elizabeth part of Newark Liberty airport (789.45 acres) in fee or under lease from a city; the roll bills it to the Port Authority but no deed was matched to the lot.
- Who holds the Joint Meeting wastewater plant lot (529-615 South First St, $735.2M); the Joint Meeting of Essex and Union Counties is the likely holder from its deeds, but no deed matched the lot and its site was not read.
- Which bodies the billing addresses 581 Main St, Woodbridge (23 public parcels, $71.6M), Six Penn Center, Philadelphia (51 parcels) and 3 Commercial Place, Norfolk (58 railroad parcels) belong to.
- Parent companies of the single-asset LLCs: Elberon/Vestal Development, the 60 State St Boston entities, Kapkowski Road LLC, EV Slater LLC, the Grand/Engel and Edison apartment LLCs.
- Whether title to the Trinitas hospital lot has passed from Elizabeth General Medical Center (1990 deed) to Trinitas Healthcare Corporation.
- Owners of the airport-area hotels: the roll's deeds name MCR Newark Airport LLC (1074-1126 Spring St, 2018, $13.3M), Statewide Realty Company (1156-1184 Spring St, 378 rooms), 901 Spring Street LLC (2011, $14.5M), San Pedro Inn L P (1128-1138 Spring St, 2015, $26.8M) and, at Jersey Gardens, Sunny Hotels LLC and others (Embassy Suites lot, 2016); the brand on each lot other than the roll's labels was not checked.
- Single-family and small-rental holders: 82 condo units at R 821-835 Jersey Ave bought as a block in 2021 ($9.75M on the roll) by Bella Vista Apartments LLC; 37 two- and three-family houses billed to one Succasunna, NJ address, deeded to per-property '... Investor LLC' entities. Neither parent is stated.
- PILOT agreements and redevelopment plans: the City's ordinances were not read.
§
Sources
- Parcels and MOD-IV Composite of NJ (Web Mercator), layer Cad_parcel_mod4: 19,700 Elizabeth parcels (PCL_MUN 2004), 19,577 carrying a tax-list class, with location, tax-bill mailing address, land/improvement/net value, stated acreage, deed book, page and date (latest Dec 2024) and sale price; OWNER_NAME blank on every Elizabeth row. Item record and feature service read 1 Nov 2026 — NJ Office of Information Technology, Office of GIS (NJOGIS), with Union County and the Division of Taxation · openA
- Union County Clerk's Office Public Land Records: index covers 'the Official Land Records of Union County, New Jersey from June 1, 1977 through October 28, 2026'; search by name, date range, book/page or instrument number — Union County Clerk · openA
- Public Land Records Terms of Use: 'You may perform up to 150 searches per hour and 500 searches per day' — Union County Clerk · openA
- Requesting Certified Copies of Documents: 'a certified copy at a cost of $8.00 for the first page plus $2.00 for each additional page' — Union County Clerk · openA
- Book & Page and Name searches of the deed index (document type Deed): grantor, grantee, instrument number and recording date for the deed book and page the tax list cites. Searched 1 Nov 2026 — Union County Clerk · openA
- Form 10-K for 2025, Item 2 Properties: 'Mills at Jersey Gardens, The NJ Elizabeth Fee 100.0% Acquired 2015', 1,309,390 sq ft, hotels on site marked '(14) Owned by a third party'; Schedule III gross carrying amount $1,023,404 thousand — Simon Property Group, Inc. (SEC EDGAR) · openA
- 2025 Annual Report: Maher Terminals 'spanning approximately 450 acres in Elizabeth, N.J.', 33-year lease extension through September 2063, Maher 'owned by Macquarie Infrastructure Partners'; upfront lease payment at Elizabeth Port Authority Marine Terminal of $700 million; Schedule F investment in the Elizabeth PAMT $855.5M at 31 Dec 2025 — The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey · openA
- City of Elizabeth home page: 'City of Elizabeth 50 Winfield Scott Plaza Elizabeth, NJ 07201' — City of Elizabeth · openA
- Elizabeth Public Schools home page: 'Elizabeth Public Schools District 500 North Broad Street Elizabeth NJ 07208' — Elizabeth Public Schools · openA
- EDGAR submissions record, Norfolk Southern Corp: business and mailing address 650 W Peachtree Street NW, Atlanta GA 30308 — US Securities and Exchange Commission · openA
- EDGAR submissions record, Simon Property Group Inc.: business address 225 West Washington Street, Indianapolis IN — US Securities and Exchange Commission · openA
- Building Permits Survey, annual place file 2025 (Northeast region): Elizabeth, NJ (place 21000), new privately-owned units by building type; 2021-2024 files read the same day — US Census Bureau · openA
- Item record, 'Parcels and MOD-IV Composite of NJ': 'The OWNER_NAME field is redacted per Daniel's Law for public web access'; item modified 18 Aug 2026 — NJOGIS (ArcGIS Online) · openA
- EDGAR submissions record, Public Service Electric & Gas Co: business address 80 Park Plaza, 9th Floor, Newark NJ 07102 — US Securities and Exchange Commission · openA