Company History
Founded in 1928 in Manhattan, Rockefeller Group traces its roots to Rockefeller Center, a singular and visionary project that continues to inspire our nearly century-long commitment to the development of extraordinary properties and the creation of exceptional experiences.
1928
On December 6, 1928, John D. Rockefeller Jr. incorporates the Metropolitan Square Corporation (today Rockefeller Group).
1932
Construction workers raise a Christmas tree, starting what would become a famous annual tradition in Rockefeller Center.
1955
The last building in the original Rockefeller Center complex is completed, four years prior to its expansion across Avenue of the Americas. It receives universal acclaim as a masterpiece of uplifting urban design.
1959
The former Time & Life Building is completed, 1271 Avenue of the Americas, the first of five additions to Rockefeller Center to the west side of Sixth Avenue between 1959 and 2001.
1973
Rockefeller Group completes three more towers on the west side of Avenue of the Americas, nearly doubling the size of the original Center.
1978
Rockefeller Group expands to New Jersey to begin development of the International Trade Center, a 7-million-square-foot business park and pioneering foreign trade zone.
1979
Rockefeller Group Development Corp. is formed, expanding the company’s development business beyond New York City to projects in New Jersey, Detroit, Phoenix and Los Angeles.
1990
Mitsubishi Estate Co. Ltd. (MITEY) acquires a majority interest in Rockefeller Group, the start of a long-term partnership that has grown and endured for more than three decades.
2001
The development of 745 Seventh Avenue completes Rockefeller Center, with more than 21 interconnected buildings totaling approximately 20 million square feet.
2007
The company sells its controlling stake in global brokerage firm Cushman & Wakefield to Italy’s IFIL S.p.A., the investment arm of the Agnelli family. Rockefeller Group acquired C&W from RCA in 1976, and helped take it global.
2008
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs selects Rockefeller Group to build an 84,000-square-foot medical office building in San Diego, Calif.
2012
Rockefeller Group and Liv Communities form a joint venture to develop luxury multifamily rental communities in the rapidly growing Phoenix market, with more than 1,800 units developed to date.
2012
Rockefeller Group completes the BASF Building at The Green at Florham Park, the company’s premier mixed-use development in New Jersey. The building achieves LEED Platinum certification for core and shell, and interiors.
2014
Rockefeller Group begins the renovation of 1221 Avenue of the Americas, with its lobby and side-street plazas designed by MdeAS Architects. The removal of non-structural steel enables more natural light, and commissioned murals by Mark Bradford become a focal point.
2017
A joint venture of Rockefeller Group and Stiles completes the development and sale of Amaray Las Olas, a 30-story luxury apartment tower in downtown Fort Lauderdale, reshaping the skyline and introducing an amenity-rich lifestyle just one block from Las Olas Boulevard.
2018
Rockefeller Group expands to the Mid-Atlantic, opening its first office in Washington, D.C., following successful completed investments downtown and a 2017 joint venture with The Meridian Group to co-develop Boro Tower in Tysons, Va.
2019
Rockefeller Group Logistics Center in Piscataway, N.J., opens with only the second WELL-certified U.S. industrial building and the first in the world to achieve LEED Platinum and WELL Building certifications.
2019
Rockefeller Group substantially completes a $600 million redevelopment of 1271 Avenue of the Americas. Designed by Pei Cobb Freed & Partners, the redevelopment dramatically improves views and light with a new glass curtain wall and restoration of the landmarked lobby.
2021
Rockefeller Group opens Rose Hill, its first luxury residential tower in Manhattan. The 45-story, full-service condominium brings 123 residences and an exceptional suite of amenities to the historic NoMad neighborhood.