GOSHEN—Three former officials with the Orange County Industrial Development Agency paid nearly $1.27 million in restitution to the agency as part of plea agreements that afforded them no jail time for their acts of corruption. Vincent Cozzolino, Laurie Villasuso and Edward Diana were sentenced on Friday before Judge Robert Prisco in Orange County Court. Cozzolino,…
Read MoreWHITE PLAINS—The Business Council of Westchester’s Economic Recovery Task Force has issued a number of far-reaching recommendations to Westchester County on how to spend approximately $188 million in federal funding from the American Rescue Plan to help foster economic development and continued recovery from the coronavirus. The report issued on Sept. 8 included hundreds of…
Read MoreALBANY—Gov. Kathy Hochul signed into law on Sept. 2 a new moratorium on COVID-related residential and commercial evictions for New York State which will be in effect until Jan. 15, 2022. The moratorium extension is now in the courts as a major landlord association has filed suit against the new law. Under the new law, all…
Read MoreWHITE PLAINS—As part of its new local workforce policy, the County of Westchester Industrial Development Agency has issued a Request for Proposal for the launch of a pre-apprenticeship program to help create construction careers for county residents and fill positions on IDA-induced development projects. This Pre-Apprenticeship Program will give participants training and exposure to the…
Read MoreWASHINGTON—In what can only be described as disheartening news for the already beleaguered hotel and hospitality industries, a survey indicates that many U.S. business travelers are scaling back travel plans amid rising COVID-19 cases. A new national survey conducted by Morning Consult on behalf of the American Hotel & Lodging Association found that 67% of…
Read MoreWHITE PLAINS—The Westchester County Industrial Development Agency this morning in a session that lasted less than 12 minutes, voted to grant incentives totaling $14.7 million to two major projects in Greenburgh and White Plains valued at a combined total of $755 million. The IDA Board unanimously (5-0) approved granting $7.7 million in sales tax incentives…
Read MoreWHITE PLAINS—A nearly five-acre development site on Post Road in White Plains has been acquired by the ever-expanding White Plains Hospital for $38 million. The deal for the former site of the Scholz car dealership at 77 W. Post Road was announced by commercial brokerage firm CBRE. The seller of the property is a partnership…
Read MoreNEW YORK—Manhattan’s office market showed clear signs of breaking out of the pandemic shutdown during the second quarter of 2021, as leasing activity increased on the strength of several large deals signed. Officials with commercial real estate brokerage firm Transwestern Real Estate Services note that while the market is not back to pre-pandemic levels, availability…
Read MoreHARRISON—Commercial RM Friedland reported recently the sale of two industrial/flex buildings in Stamford, CT on behalf of Robert Martin Company for a total of $20.5 million. The buyer of the properties was not disclosed. The buildings, 419 and 650 West Ave., are located in the Stamford Executive Park, where Elmsford, NY-based Robert Martin Company continues…
Read MorePURCHASE—Simone Development Companies and Fareri Associates have announced recently a total of 21,518 square feet of new leases at their Purchase Professional Park campus on Westchester Avenue. “We are very pleased to announce this latest round of leasing activity at Purchase Professional Park. Healthcare is the fastest growing industry sector in our region and Purchase…
Read MoreNEW YORK—Harbor Group International, LLC, a privately owned international real estate investment and management firm headquartered in Norfolk, VA, has entered into an agreement to acquire 51 W. 52nd St. in Midtown Manhattan for $760 million. Known as the “CBS Building” or “Black Rock,” this purchase marks the first sale since it opened in 1964.…
Read MoreALBANY—Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul in a press conference yesterday stressed that she will be ready to take over as the 57th governor of New York when she takes the oath of office later this month. Hochul, who is scheduled to take over as governor on Aug. 24, stressed, “I am ready for this,” and later…
Read MoreRYE BROOK—The Westchester County commercial market continues to show signs of strength with a rebound in office leasing while the demand for industrial/flex space remains strong and multi-family rents continue to make gains, according to the Houlihan Lawrence Second Quarter Commercial Market Report. Officials with Houlihan Lawrence Commercial note that the retail sector continues to…
Read MoreNEW YORK—The ownership of Empire City Casino in Yonkers is being acquired by New York City-based gaming, hospitality and entertainment REIT VICI Properties Inc. in a deal valued at $17.2 billion. VICI Properties reported that it had entered into a definitive agreement (Master Transaction Agreement) with MGM Growth Properties LLC and MGM Resorts International (MGM…
Read MoreALBANY—Several days after New York City issued the mandate, Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Wednesday announced that all New York State employees—about 130,000 people—will be required to get vaccinated for COVID-19 by Labor Day. The governor also announced that all patient-facing healthcare workers at state-run hospitals will be required to get vaccinated for COVID-19 by Labor…
Read MoreBOSTON—Boston Properties, Inc. reported on July 27 it had agreed to acquire 360 Park Ave. South, an existing 450,000 square foot, 20-story office property in the Midtown South submarket of Manhattan for $300 million. The property is currently fully leased to a single tenant who will be vacating in late 2021 providing BXP with the…
Read MoreHAMILTON, NJ—The value of commercial and multifamily starts in the top 20 metropolitan areas of the U.S. gained 12% during the first six months of 2021 relative to the first half of 2020, according to a report released on July 27 by Dodge Data & Analytics. Nationally, commercial and multifamily construction starts were 10% higher…
Read MoreWHITE PLAINS—Officials with Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc. told members of the Westchester County Industrial Development Agency this morning that it expects to come before the agency “very shortly” with a major new development project in the Town of Greenburgh. Although Regeneron representatives did not provide any details on the new project, its representations at the session…
Read MoreHAVERSTRAW—The Village of Haverstraw released a Request for Proposal on July 21 for the development of two waterfront parcels currently known as the Chair Factory and Damiani Properties. The village has owned these parcels for several years. This more than nine-acre combined parcel sits on a peninsula at the foot of Main Street at the…
Read MoreEditor’s Note: This column first appeared in RISmedia. As a small business owner and president of the National Association of Realtors (NAR), I want to set the record straight on misconceptions by some about the real estate industry. Commissions for real estate agents and brokers are negotiable. Always have been. Always will be. Let’s put…
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