Simone Development Companies Diversifies Shopping Centers To Suit Contemporary Consumers
Securing experiential and service-oriented tenants is key to maintaining vibrant shopping centers in the e-commerce era, said Joseph Simone of Simone Development Companies.
“As big-box retailers shrink their footprints or close locations, shopping center owners are increasingly challenged to identify experiences and personal services that can bring more foot traffic to retail destinations,” said Joe Simone, President of Simone Development Companies. “Across the country, we’re seeing the rise of health clubs, experiential retail and urgent care at shopping centers.”
In New Rochelle, N.Y., LA Fitness recently opened a 36,000-square-foot gym in a strip shopping center owned by Simone Development Companies and G&S Investors. LA Fitness now occupies the majority of a two-story, free-standing structure at 75 Nardozzi Place. The health club is adjacent to a cluster of 30 beauty and personal service businesses housed within My Salon Suite of New Rochelle and destination retail like PXG Westchester, a golf franchise whose amenities include interactive swing simulators and a practice putting green.
According to data from the retail-analytics firm Creditntell, a retailer located in a shopping center with a health club receives about 2.5 percent more monthly visits compared with a similar retailer in a shopping center with no fitness tenant.
The presence of an LA Fitness as an anchor at another Simone Development property at 262 Boston Post Road in Port Chester, N.Y., helped to attract new businesses. Nothing Bundt Cakes, Nailed It Spa and European Wax Center recently opened at that revitalized location.
“We recognize the value that fitness businesses bring to shopping centers, particularly in terms of early-morning and evening foot traffic,” said Joanna Simone, Principal and President of Leasing and Property Management Operations at Simone Development Companies. “Some prospective tenants specifically seek shopping centers with health clubs because their services align with the healthy lifestyles promoted by the gyms.”
Simone Development Companies is a full-service real estate investment company specializing in the acquisition and development of healthcare, mixed-use, office, industrial, retail, and residential properties. Headquartered at the Hutchinson Metro Center, it boasts a portfolio of over 7 million square feet throughout the Bronx, Manhattan, Queens, Long Island, Westchester County, Orange and Fairfield Counties and New Jersey. With services spanning acquisition, development, construction, finance, asset management, accounting, leasing and property management, Simone Development Companies is set apart by its vertically integrated management team, long-term asset ownership and its pursuit of visionary development.
LA Fitness Opens New Rochelle Location at Simone Development and G&S Investors’ 75 Nardozzi Place
NEW ROCHELLE, NY – MAY 3, 2023 – Simone Development Companies and G&S Investors are pleased to announce the opening of the LA Fitness® gym at their co-developed 75 Nardozzi Place property in New Rochelle, NY. The new 36,000+ square-foot gym is conveniently situated off Main Street, just south of Exit 15 on I-95 and in close proximity to the Hutchinson River Parkway.
We were gratified to hear that the completion and opening of this LA Fitness have been highly anticipated by the New Rochelle and surrounding Westchester communities. We appreciate the enthusiastic reception the residents here have given our clubs and our employees,” said Paul Newman, Executive Vice President of LA Fitness. “LA Fitness continues to increase its presence by focusing on the one lifelong benefit valued by everyone: good health.”
The new state-of-the-art facility expects to employ 40 people ranging from part-time group fitness instructors to full-time club staff. The club features: a 25-yard three lane lap pool, a whirlpool spa, spacious locker rooms with showers and saunas, a group exercise studio, and a separate multi-tiered indoor cycling room. These amenities complement a full array of equipment, including over a hundred pieces of the latest generation cardio equipment with individual viewing screens, selectorized circuit training, and free weight areas. Members can participate in a variety of group fitness classes seven days a week including Zumba®, indoor cycling, and yoga at no additional charge, and many find that they enjoy group classes not only for the fitness benefit they provide but also as a means for social connection. Personal training services are also available for an additional fee.
“Simone Development is once again thrilled to collaborate with LA Fitness in the site selection and build-out of their latest state-of-the-art sports club,” said Patricia Simone, president of Simone Management Group. “The new 75 Nardozzi location marks the third LA Fitness center to be added to our company’s portfolio in Westchester and the Bronx, joining existing locations at the Post Road Plaza in Port Chester, NY and the Hutchinson Metro Center in the Bronx, NY.”
The new health club at 75 Nardozzi Place is part of a two-story, free-standing structure developed by Simone Development and G&S Investors and completed in 2021. LA Fitness will occupy the majority of the second floor, which currently has a prime 3,000 square-foot space available for complimentary retail, health-related service or other use. A New Rochelle Department of Public Works facility is located on the first floor of the property. The location is adjacent to several popular retailers including Costco, Home Depot, CVS, Bank of America, and Land Rover & Jaguar, as well as Simone Development’s neighboring 80 Nardozzi Place, home to the new Parsons Xtreme Golf (PXG) center, My Salon Suite and Ashley Furniture Home Store.
About Simone Development Companies
Simone Development Companies is a full-service real estate investment company specializing in the acquisition and development of healthcare, mixed-use, office, industrial, retail and residential properties. Headquartered at the Hutchinson Metro Center in the Bronx, it boasts a portfolio of over 7 million square feet throughout the Bronx, Manhattan, Queens, Long Island, Westchester County, Orange and Fairfield Counties and New Jersey. With services spanning acquisition, development, construction, finance, asset management, accounting, leasing and property management, Simone Development Companies is set apart by its vertically integrated management team, long-term asset ownership and its pursuit of visionary development.
Joseph Simone of Simone Development Says Greenway to Enhance New York City’s Expanding Bike Lane Network
Bronx, N.Y. (May 1, 2023)—New York City’s expansion of the Harlem River Greenway will complement Simone Development Companies’ decision to build a greenway on its undeveloped property, said president Joseph Simone.
“Public greenways with dedicated bicycle paths will help private property owners develop new facilities for the growing life-sciences sector whose employees demand alternative modes of transportation,” said Joe Simone, president of Simone Development Companies.
On April 18, New York City launched a series of public-engagement sessions to plan the Harlem River Greenway expansion into the Bronx. The proposed seven-mile route will connect Randall’s Island at the southern tip of the Bronx to Van Cortlandt Park in the north, with a critical north-south bike commuting corridor.
Greenways are expanding throughout New York City, particularly in areas targeted for new development. At the Manhattanville Factory District in West Harlem, the construction of a three-block pedestrian greenway along buildings containing wet labs and offices provides the emerging innovation corridor with an attractive amenity for tenants and their employees.
Simone Development Companies is pursuing a similar strategy at its Hutchinson Metro Center in the Bronx. The Hutchinson Metro Center’s undeveloped southern section will include lawns, seating areas and a greenway through the center of the development. The complex already has a health club, hotel and bicycle trails running along the Hutchinson River Parkway.
“We’ve heard from employers that outdoor amenities like bike trails or landscaped plazas are becoming increasingly important to the top talent that they seek. Simone Development Companies is focused on designing optimal outdoor environments for its Hutchinson Metro Center expansion to accommodate this focus on public spaces,” said Megan Guy, Simone Development Companies’ senior vice president of development.
Simone Development Companies is a full-service real estate investment company specializing in the acquisition and development of healthcare, mixed-use, office, industrial, retail, and residential properties. Headquartered at the Hutchinson Metro Center, it boasts a portfolio of over 7 million square feet throughout the Bronx, Manhattan, Queens, Long Island, Westchester County, Orange and Fairfield Counties and New Jersey. With services spanning acquisition, development, construction, finance, asset management, accounting, leasing and property management, Simone Development Companies is set apart by its vertically integrated management team, long-term asset ownership and its pursuit of visionary development.