March 2006 - The Lightstone Group continues to experience major growth, with acquisitions that have totaled more than $2 billion in two years, including entry to the office sector with the acquisition of Prime Group Realty Trust for nearly $900 million. Its newest initiative is Lightstone Value Plus Real Estate Investment Trust Inc., a non-traded public REIT that targets residential and commercial properties. The Lightstone Group was founded in 1988 and oversees a portfolio of more than 20,000 residential units, plus office, industrial and retail properties totaling 27 million square feet in 28 states and Puerto Rico. Headquartered in Lakewood, NJ it employs more than 1,000 professionals in offices in Illinois, New York, Maryland, Virginia and California.