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CE Touts Transit-Oriented Development, Public-Private Partnerships and Bristles Over Indian Point’s Closure

April 2017

A Conversation with Westchester County Executive Robert Astorino WHITE PLAINS—As Westchester County enters the second quarter of 2017, the commercial and residential real estate markets are robust as businesses and new residents invest in the county. The county’s biotech and healthcare industries are driving economic growth and creating new jobs in their respective sectors, as…

Hudson Valley Home Sales Rise, Inventory Falls in First Quarter

April 2017

WHITE PLAINS— High sales rates, a sharp decline in inventory, and an uneven pattern of price increases across the region marked 2017’s first quarter entry to the real estate market recovery of the past five years, according to the recently released “2017 First Quarter Residential Real Estate Sales Report for Westchester, Putnam, Rockland and Orange…

Astorino’s Plan to Sue State Over Indian Point Closure Appears Short Circuited

April 2017

BUCHANAN—Westchester County Executive Robert Astorino is seeking permission from the Westchester County Board of Legislators to file an Article 78 proceeding to require New York State to conduct an environmental review of the impacts of the Indian Point closure deal with Entergy Corp. At press time, however, it appears the county executive may not be…

$1.2B Bioscience Project Clears Major Regulatory Hurdle

April 2017

WHITE PLAINS—In what county officials say is the largest public-private partnership in Westchester County history, County Executive Robert P. Astorino and Board of Legislators Chairman Michael Kaplowitz announced the approval of the $1.2-billion Westchester Bioscience & Technology Center project on 80 acres of vacant land in Valhalla. The two county leaders staged a press conference…

Rockland County’s Codes Initiative Now Targets Multifamily Properties

March 2017

HAVERSTRAW—Rockland County Executive Ed Day has a simple but stern warning to landlords who operate illegal apartment units: “We are coming to get you and when we find you it is not going to be a simple matter of a $250 fine. The fine is going to be significant.” As part of a multifaceted codes…

White Plains to Move Forward With Train Station Initiative

March 2017

WHITE PLAINS—White Plains Mayor Thomas Roach says the city will soon be issuing a solicitation for interested developers on plans to develop what will likely be highly sought after city-owned property around the White Plains Metro North train station. Mayor Roach, who was the guest speaker at the March 23rd meeting of the Hudson Gateway…

Court Dismisses Rye Playland Lawsuit; $60M Public-Private Partnership Begins

March 2017

WHITE PLAINS—In what Westchester County officials describe as an “across the board victory,” New York State Supreme Court Justice Gretchen Walsh has dismissed the City of Rye’s court case against Westchester County’s plans to revitalize the storied Rye Playland amusement park. County officials stated on Tuesday (March 21) that the ruling allows the county to…

Multifamily Boom Takes Hold in NYC Suburbs

March 2017

TARRYTOWN—The suburbs surrounding New York City, including Westchester County, are now in the throes of a multifamily development boom as major investors flock to downtown districts in White Plains, New Rochelle, Yonkers and Mount Vernon to build transit-oriented communities. A panel of real estate investors at an event staged by The Business Council of Westchester…

Gov. Cuomo Forms Task Force as Hearings Convene on Indian Point Closure

March 2017

ALBANY—Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced the formation of an Indian Point Closure Task Force the same day as a joint meeting of committees of the State Assembly and Senate convened on the business and economic impacts the planned closure of the nuclear facility in Buchanan might have on the state and local economies. The newly formed…

HGAR President Launches New ‘Tea With the President’ Initiative

March 2017

WHITE PLAINS—In the first of its kind outreach to the general membership, HGAR President Dorothy Botsoe has launched her “Tea with the President” program at HGAR’s White Plains, Goshen and West Nyack offices. HGAR President Botsoe, who was installed as 2017 HGAR President in January, developed the idea as a way to encourage more participation…

LEGISLATIVE AFFAIRS: The Time to Fight for the Mortgage Interest Deduction is Now

February 2017

Reform of the Tax Code is important, but must not eliminate the tax benefits of homeownership. Since its inception over a century ago, the U.S. income tax system has recognized the positive effects of homeownership for families, communities, and society by granting certain tax benefits to homeowners. The result has been a home-owning society that…

Yonkers Renews its $2 Billion ‘Rebuild Yonkers Schools’ Campaign

February 2017

YONKERS—After securing a partial victory last year in its efforts to have New York State finance most of its planned $2-billion capital program for the Yonkers school district, Yonkers Mayor Mike Spano re-launched the “Rebuild Yonkers Schools” campaign to secure more favorable terms from the State Legislature. Last year, Yonkers was successful in its first…

Real Estate Execs Push for New Condo Assessments in Ossining

February 2017

OSSINING—Three Westchester County real estate professionals are leading a citizens group called the “Ossining Committee for Fair Taxation” that is looking to have the Town of Ossining, which recently undertook a town-wide property reassessment, ensure that condominiums in the town are assessed at full value, the same as single-family residences and commercial properties. The trio…

Project Profile: $500M Bellefield at Historic Hyde Park to Harness Region’s Burgeoning Food and Beverage Sector

February 2017

Real Estate In-Depth recently sat down with Mike Oates, managing partner of Bellefield Development Partners, to discuss the firm’s proposed $500-million Bellefield at Historic Hyde Park development, a mixed-use, multi-phased project that hopes to take advantage of and in turn enhance the Hudson Valley’s growing food and beverage industry. The development project is located on…

County, Feds at Odds Over Housing Monitor

February 2017

WHITE PLAINS—While Westchester County Executive Robert Astorino has been hopeful that with the change in administration in Washington, DC, would perhaps foster better relations between the county, the U.S. Justice Department and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, initial indications reveal the relationship between at least some the parties remains frosty. Astorino has…

Merlin Entertainments Proposes Major Road Project to Help Secure Legoland Approval

February 2017

GOSHEN—Merlin Entertainments, the developer of the proposed $500-million LEGOLAND New York project here, has taken a bold step to mitigate one of the major issues tied to the project’s approval. The firm announced on Monday plans to relocate and reconfigure Exit 125 of Route 17 to help alleviate traffic on local roads. The multi-million dollar…

SPOTLIGHT ON: Rey Hollingsworth Falu

February 2017

Branding That's Never Out of Style Standing out from the crowd can always be a challenge for Realtors, but Rey Hollingsworth Falu has definitely found something that leaves an instant impact on almost everyone he meets—his bow ties! The Broker/Owner of Hollingsworth Real Estate Group in White Plains wears them just about all of the…

In-Depth Focus on Fitness: A Realtor’s Guide to Health and Fitness

February 2017

There is absolutely no denying that real estate sales can be bad for your health, but it doesn’t have to be. Yes, we as real estate agents spend hours at a time on the road, in and out of homes and never experience the same day twice. With such an unpredictable schedule, it’s easy to…

Commercial Brokers Bullish on Hudson Valley Market in 2017

January 2017

WHITE PLAINS—A record crowd of more than 120 real estate professionals were on hand to hear a rather upbeat view of the Hudson Valley commercial real estate market this year at the Hudson Gateway Association of Realtors’ Commercial Investment Division’s Annual Commercial Broker’s Roundtable held at the HGAR offices in White Plains. CID President John…

Hudson Valley Home Sales Soared 12.5% in 2016

January 2017

WHITE PLAINS—As the new year begins, the Hudson Valley home sales market seems to be running on close to all cylinders with strong sales in Westchester, Rockland, Orange and Putnam counties. All indications are that the region’s economic fundamentals will continue to fuel activity and perhaps spark even higher price appreciation in some markets in…