NEW YORK—Former Westchester Deputy County Executive Kevin Plunkett left his office at the Westchester County Office Building in White Plains in January and has re-surfaced in the executive suite at Bronx-based Simone Development Companies. Simone Development announced on March 28 that Plunkett, who served as Deputy County Executive for two terms in Republican Robert Astorino’s…
Read MoreALBANY—A record number of members of the Hudson Gateway Association of Realtors traveled to the state capital on March 20 and joined Realtors from across the state to press the industry’s legislative agenda that includes advancing the implementation of a first-time home buyer’s savings account and transparency and disclosure in cooperative housing sales transactions statewide.…
Read MoreNEW YORK—Goggle Inc., a major tenant at the property, has acquired the Chelsea Market here from Atlanta-based Jamestown for $2.4 billion. Jamestown announced the closing of the transaction for the nearly 1.2 million square-foot complex on Tuesday. The former Nabisco factory occupies a full block bound by Ninth and Tenth avenues between 15th and 16th…
Read MoreWASHINGTON—Chief officials with the National Association of Realtors and the New York State Association of Realtors continue to point to low inventory levels as a continuing headwind for the residential sales market. The National Association of Realtors released home sales statistics for the month of February that showed a 3% sales volume increase nationally, however,…
Read MorePORT JERVIS—The New York State Department of Health has approved a Certificate of Need for a more than $40-million project at the Bon Secours Community Hospital here. Bon Secours parent Westchester Medical Center Health Network announced the state Department of Health approval on Wednesday. The new project at the border of Orange County and Pennsylvania…
Read MoreWAWAYANDA—The fallout from the corruption conviction of former Gov. Cuomo aide Joseph Percoco on Tuesday includes some officials from Orange County seeking an investigation or the outright revocation of permits granted for the $900-million CPV Valley Energy Center project here. Joseph Percoco, a former executive deputy secretary to Gov. Cuomo, was found guilty on Tuesday…
Read MoreNEW YORK—A coalition of business, political and environmental interests’ lobbying efforts to have the Coast Guard abandon a controversial plan to significantly expand anchorages up and down the Hudson River have borne fruit. The U.S. Coast Guard announced on Tuesday that the establishment of the anchorages was not one of the recommendations in its Hudson…
Read MorePOUGHKEEPSIE—The Hudson Gateway Association of Realtors, Inc. is co-sponsoring a groundbreaking conference with the Hudson Valley Economic Development Corp. entitled “Hudson Valley Visionaries: A Look into the Future of Commercial Real Estate” on Thursday, April 12th at the campus of Marist College in Poughkeepsie. The program will feature a panel of commercial real estate investors,…
Read MoreALBANY—A contingent of more than 40 members of the Hudson Gateway Association of Realtors are expected to travel to the state capital later this month to meet with state lawmakers and advocate for consumer and real estate industry reform legislation. The contingent will be led by Leah Caro and John Olivero, co-chairs of the HGAR…
Read MoreNEW ROCHELLE—In his State of the City address on March 1, New Rochelle Mayor Noam Bramson announced that one $200-million downtown high-rise project is moving forward, and also revealed for the first time another three major high-rise mixed-use high-rise developments for the downtown district. The four developments, when completed, will add well in excess of…
Read MoreNEW ROCHELLE—Another major mixed-use high-rise residential project is moving forward here. New Rochelle Mayor Noam Bramson announced at a business conference on Wednesday that RXR Realty will soon be presenting plans to the city for the long-anticipated development at Church and Division streets. Mayor Bramson and officials with RXR Realty, the master developer for the…
Read MoreNEW CITY—Rockland County Executive Ed Day is allowing the recently passed co-op purchase reform bill to become law, but has requested the County Legislature go further and enact a provision that would require cooperative boards provide a reason for an applicant’s denial. County Executive Day announced that he would leave the bill, sponsored by County…
Read MoreGOSHEN—The Orange County Partnership reports that it is leading a coalition that includes the Orange County Citizens Foundation and the Sullivan County Partnership for Economic Development in trying to have New York State fund necessary traffic improvements on Route 17 to alleviate congestion and facilitate economic development and growth. The three organizations are promoting an…
Read MoreWASHINGTON—The National Association of Realtors reported on Feb. 21 that existing-home sales slumped for the second consecutive month in January and experienced their largest decline on an annual basis in more than three years. All major regions saw monthly and annual sales declines last month, NAR stated. Total existing-home sales, which are completed transactions that…
Read MoreNEW YORK—The tremendous success of international air service by Norwegian Airlines at Stewart International Airport in Orange County has prompted the Port Authority to expand services at the airport based in New Windsor in Orange County. Stewart International Airport will undergo a major expansion with the addition of a $30-million permanent U.S. Customs inspection area…
Read MoreNEW YORK—JPMorgan Chase announced plans on Feb. 21 to build a new 2.5-million-square-foot headquarters building at the site of its current headquarters location at 270 Park Ave. in Midtown Manhattan. The plan, if approved, would be the first major project to be developed under the city’s Midtown East Rezoning plan that was approved last year.…
Read MoreSCARSDALE—Compass, a real estate technology company, announced today it has agreed to acquire Platinum Drive Realty, a growing real estate brokerage headquartered in Scarsdale. The acquisition comes on the heels of a recent $450-million investment in Compass by the Softbank Vision Fund and an expansion initiative to the Chicago, Dallas and San Diego markets. With…
Read MoreWASHINGTON—Despite weakening optimism from non-homeowners at the end of last year that now is a good time to buy, an overwhelming majority said they do want to own a home in the future and believe homeownership is part of their American Dream. That is according to new consumer survey data released recently by the National…
Read MoreWASHINGTON—The National Association of Realtors reported on Feb. 9, shortly after President Donald Trump signed the federal budget deal, that the agreement includes a number of benefits for the real estate industry, including a temporary extension of federal flood insurance and the extension of NAR-backed tax provisions that range from debt forgiveness relief, mortgage insurance…
Read MoreMONTICELLO—The more than 40-year gamble by Sullivan County to bring casino gaming to the former storied Borscht Belt came to a successful conclusion with the opening of the $1.2-billion Resorts World Catskills casino resort here today. The casino opening, which was a few weeks ahead of schedule, saw thousands of guests flock to the expansive…
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