In the first, in the '60s, he helped Hartz Mountain buy its first 750 acres in the Meadowlands, which the developer turned into Harmon Cove and proved to corporate America that the unused swamps of Northern NJ comprised a powerful commercial engine. In the second, he engineered the acquisition by the Visceglia family of the closed Raritan Arsenal in Edison. Today, it's known as Raritan Center, the largest industrial park in the state and the catalyst for industrial development all across Central New Jersey. As an active commercial developer, he was involved with numerous projects, including Fox Hill Industrial Park in Parsippany, NJ.

David T. Houston died at the age of 91 in Hilton Head, SC, his home since 1979. Born in Scotland, he grew up in Maplewood, NJ and lived most of his life in Short Hills, NJ. He was a licensed engineer with a degree from MIT, and he was a lawyer with a degree from New Jersey Law College, now Rutgers University Law School.

Early in World War II, he and his father were part of a group of realtors from the Northeast who helped the Department of War find unused factories for war production. That group was the genesis for SIOR (then called the Society of Industrial Realtors). After the war, he became president of the family business, the David T. Houston Co., based in Newark, holding that position until 1979 when son David T. Houston, Jr. took over. The firm is now called Colliers Houston.

Honors have been many. He was named realtor of the year in 1972 by the Newark Board of Realtors, and served as president of that group. He held many offices with the state and national offices of SIR and its successor SIOR, and received numerous national awards from the organization.

David T. Houston is survived by his wife Anne, son David, daughters Anne and Cynthia and five grandchildren.

Instant Insights /

David Houston, Garden State Real Estate Pioneer, Dies

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