Simone Development and NYC School Construction Authority Sign Long-Term Lease to Create Bronx STEAM Center at Hutchinson Metro Center Atrium
New 54,245-SF Center Marks Major Public-Private Investment in Career-Connected Learning, Expanding Bronx Students’ Access to Healthcare-Related Opportunities
Bronx, NY – June 12, 2026 – Simone Development Companies announced that the New York City Construction Authority (SCA) has signed a long-term lease to establish the new Bronx STEAM Center in 54,245 square feet across two floors at the Hutchinson Metro Center Atrium, a three-story, 361,857 square-foot mixed-use property located at 1776 Eastchester Road in the Bronx. The new lease marks a major public-private investment in career-connected education for Bronx students, significantly expanding access to hands-on learning, industry-aligned training, and healthcare related career pathways in one of the city’s most important hubs for healthcare, education, business, and innovation.
STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) schools integrate interdisciplinary, hands-on learning to foster creativity, problem-solving, and real-world application. A cohort of 11th and 12th graders from selected Bronx partner high schools spend at least half of their day in a work immersive environment after choosing one of the specific pathways housed within the STEAM Center. In partnership with Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx STEAM has initially launched offerings in high demand healthcare and technology pathways, including Certified Nursing Assistant, Cybersecurity, and Medical Assisting.
In addition to Montefiore Einstein’s partnership, the Bronx STEAM Center’s placement at the Hutchinson Metro Center opens the possibility for synergies with many organizations among the more than 80 leading healthcare providers, businesses, government agencies, and educational institutions at the campus. Students will gain direct exposure to the industries and employers shaping the borough’s future.
“Bringing the Bronx STEAM Center to the Hutchinson Metro Center is incredibly meaningful not only for participating students and for our campus, but for the borough as a whole,” said Joe Simone, President of Simone Development Companies. “This transformative project is more than a new educational facility. It reflects the power of public-private collaboration to create long-term opportunities in the Bronx. It will deliver a modern, flexible learning environment designed to prepare students for careers in healthcare, technology, engineering, design, and the applied arts. We are especially proud to partner with our long-time tenant Montefiore Einstein to help bring the first-ever healthcare-focused career pathway to the Bronx STEAM Center as we support these ongoing initiatives shaping the next generation of NYC thinkers and creators.”
“The Bronx STEAM Center represents the kind of future focused learning our students deserve. This center creates a bridge between rigorous academics and meaningful careers, while anchoring long term opportunities for young people and families in the Bronx,” said New York City Public Schools Chancellor Kamar Samuels. “The center highlights the importance of having a dedicated space for student centered, hands on experiences in an innovative model, and I look forward to seeing it open the door to college and career opportunities and lifelong success.”
“CEI is proud to serve as the lead community partner of the Bronx STEAM Center — and to stand alongside Montefiore Einstein, Simone Development, and the extraordinary leadership of Principal Maha Hasen and her team in bringing this vision to life,” said Dr. Meisha Porter, Visiting Senior Fellow, Center for Educational Innovation. “Through this partnership, CEI will bring its expertise, relationships, and citywide platform to bear in support of the Center’s growth — connecting students to industry, strengthening resource development, and helping build the ecosystem of partners this work demands. The Bronx is primed — and its young people deserve infrastructure that matches their ambition. The Bronx STEAM Center is exactly that, and we are honored to help develop it.”
Simone Development’s in-house leasing and legal teams, along with outside counsel from Adler & Stachenfeld LLP, negotiated the transaction directly with the SCA. While the permanent space is under development, programming is currently operating at a temporary site within Mercy University’s Bronx campus at 1200 Waters Place at the Hutchinson Metro Center, serving 100 students from 10 Bronx high schools. The new center will significantly expand capacity and allow Bronx STEAM to serve over 700 students from partner high schools across the borough. The space will feature industry aligned classrooms, labs, and makerspaces designed to support interdisciplinary STEAM learning and real world applications.
The Bronx STEAM Center is the NYC Department of Education’s second of this kind. The first to open was the Brooklyn STEAM Center in 2017, located at the Brooklyn Navy Yard. The Brooklyn STEAM Center now serves 600 students across 12 career pathways including cybersecurity, HVAC, video production, manufacturing, and culinary arts. The Bronx STEAM Center was among seven new schools that opened citywide for the 2025–2026 school year, with the goal of bringing a STEAM Center to every borough and expanding access to world-class education, accelerated learning, and career pathways for thousands more students.
About Simone Development Companies
Simone Development Companies is a privately owned, full-service real estate investment firm specializing in the acquisition, development, and management of healthcare, mixed-use, retail, office, industrial, and residential properties. The company’s reach extends across New York City and its suburbs including Long Island, Westchester County, Orange and Fairfield Counties and New Jersey.
Over nearly five decades, this third-generation, family-owned business has built a portfolio exceeding 7 million square feet. The organization’s vertically integrated team manages every stage of the project lifecycle, from finance and construction to leasing and property management. Simone Development Companies is set apart by this comprehensive approach, a commitment to long-term asset ownership, and a proven track record of transforming vacant and underutilized sites into vibrant developments that elevate communities.
Learn more at https://simonedevelopment.com/
Simone Development signs four long-term lease renewals across 12,629 s/f at Metro Center Atrium
Bronx, NY Simone Development Companies has completed the signing of four long-term lease renewals totaling 12,629 s/f of medical office and retail space at the Metro Center Atrium at 1776 Eastchester Rd. within the company’s Hutchinson Metro Center campus.
Simone Development’s in-house leasing and legal teams negotiated renewals for long-time tenants Dunkin’, Parkchester Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery Associates, Ophthalmologist Dr. Eric Wolf, MD, and Hanger Clinic. Hanger Clinic was represented by Geoff Waddell from Tenant Services Group.
“The Atrium at the Hutchinson Metro Center continues to attract and retain leading medical and retail tenants from around the region, and we are extremely proud of the confidence these latest renewals reflect,” said Joe Simone, president of Simone Development Companies. “The property offers some the finest medical office and retail space available with abundant parking and amenities in a central, transit-friendly location.”
Parkchester Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery Associates practice a full scope of oral and maxillofacial procedures with expertise ranging from corrective jaw surgery to wisdom tooth removal. Dr. Moore, who runs the practice, is a board certified oral and maxillofacial surgeon with nearly 30 years of experience. The practice renewed its lease of 3,131 s/f.
Dr. Eric Wolf, MD is board certified in Ophthalmology with special expertise in corneal diseases and intraocular lens implantation, with affiliations to 15 hospitals. A repeat winner of multiple patients’ choice awards and Compassionate Doctor recognitions, the practice renewing its 2,850 s/f lease.
Hanger Clinic is a top provider of orthotic and prosthetic (O&P) care and products and services in the country and is part of the Hanger, Inc. ecosystem of diversified companies. Rooted in clinical research, excellence, and innovation, its board-certified clinicians provide customized solutions for all ages designed to increase the mobility and function of each person they serve. They will continue to support patients in their 4,989 s/f space.
Dunkin’ renewed its ground floor retail lease for 1,659 s/f. They’ve also completed a “Next Generation” store remodel with new technologies including new tap systems and modern layout and design elements meant to optimize the customer experience.
Simone Development’s Hutchinson Metro Center Atrium is a 361,857 s/f mixed-use complex with three floors of Class A office and medical space, national and local retailers including Chipotle, LA Fitness, and A-Z Nutrition, and a 125-room Residence Inn by Marriott. The property features a remarkable glass atrium and lobby, as well as more than 1,100 onsite parking spaces as well as convenient access to major highways and public transportation options.
March of Dimes Westchester/Fairfield Real Estate Awards Breakfast Honors Susan Fox and Mark Stagg
March of Dimes Westchester/Fairfield Real Estate Awards Breakfast Honors Susan Fox and Mark Stagg
Event Breaks Fundraising Record
(Westchester, NY) November 14, 2025 – March of Dimes NY/NJ Market, the leading organization fighting for the health of all moms and babies, honored Susan Fox, President & CEO of White Plains Hospital and Regional Senior Vice President for the Hudson Valley, Montefiore Einstein, received the Martin S. Berger Lifetime Achievement Award which was presented by Joseph Simone, President of Simone Development Companies who is a past recipient of the award.
Mark Stagg, Founder & President of Stagg Group, received the prestigious March of Dimes Real Estate Award. The award was presented by Adolfo Carrion Jr., Deputy Mayor of New York City for Housing and Economic Development and Workforce. The 2025 Westchester/Fairfield Real Estate Awards Breakfast was held on Thursday, November 13, 2025, at Brae Burn Country Club in Purchase, NY.
The event brought together leaders from the real estate and construction industries to celebrate those making an incredible impact on their communities while supporting the mission of March of Dimes – fighting for the health of all moms and babies. The 38th annual breakfast drew nearly 500 attendees and raised over $1.3 million, a new record, to support March of Dimes research, programs, and advocacy that improve maternal and infant health outcomes.
Susan Fox has been recognized as one of Westchester County’s most influential executives and a visionary leader in healthcare transformation. Over the past decade, she has led White Plains Hospital through a period of extraordinary growth, forging strategic partnerships, recruiting top clinical talent, and expanding access to care across the Hudson Valley. Under her leadership, the hospital has become a tertiary care hub for Montefiore Health System and a regional leader in advanced healthcare delivery.
“It is an honor to be recognized by the March of Dimes. For more than 25 years, the March of Dimes and White Plains Hospital have partnered to advance maternal and infant health, and we are so grateful for their research and support which continues to help make the lifesaving work in our NICU possible,” said Fox. “I would also like to congratulate Mark Stagg on receiving the Real Estate Award, and thank him for his tireless work within our community.”
Mark Stagg has been creating homes for nearly 30 years. Through his leadership of the Stagg Group, he has built more than 5,000 market rate and affordable housing units, with more than 3,000 additional units in the pipeline. His projects, including The Riverdale Tower in the Bronx, West View Apartments in New Rochelle, and Whitlock Point in the Bronx, reflect his unwavering commitment to providing high-quality, affordable housing for working families. His philanthropy extends beyond his business, supporting community causes such as Thanksgiving food drives, Camp Bronx, and the continued expansion of White Plains Hospital.
“On behalf of Stagg Group and my family, we are humbled to be recognized for our work in the real estate community and for our support of the March of Dimes,” said Stagg. “We also want to congratulate Susan Fox and thank all of the sponsors for their support of the important work that the March of Dimes does to improve health conditions for all mothers and infant children.”
The Westchester/Fairfield Real Estate Awards Breakfast was emceed by News 12 Network’s Emmy Award-winning Anchor/Host/Reporter Tara Rosenblum and co-chaired by Patricia Valenti, Executive Managing Director for Newmark, and Don
Bucci, Managing Director for JLL. “It is my honor and privilege to serve as co-chair of the March of Dimes Westchester/Fairfield Real Estate Awards Breakfast and to
have the opportunity to support the important mission of ensuring babies have the best possible start,” said Valenti.
This year’s event sponsors include the Kylie and Louis R. Cappelli Foundation, Stagg Group and White Plains Hospital, along with many other corporate and community supporters.
About March of Dimes
March of Dimes leads the fight for the health of all moms and babies. We support research, lead programs and provide education and advocacy so that every baby can have the best possible start. Building on a successful 80-year legacy of impact and innovation, we empower every mom and every family. Visit marchofdimes.org or nacersano.org for more information. Visit shareyourstory.org for comfort and support. Find us on Facebook and follow us on Instagram and Twitter.