Simone Development Signs Fastenal Company To Long-term Lease at 1448 Ferris Place in the Bronx, NY
BRONX, NY (July 25, 2023) – Simone Development Companies announced that the largest fastener distributor in North America, Fastenal Company, has signed a 7,100-square-foot, long-term warehouse lease at 1448 Ferris Place in the Bronx, NY.
Josh Gopan, Vice President of Leasing at Simone Development, along with Jeremy Schwartz, Director of Leasing at Simone Development, and in-house counsel Patrick Doyle, represented ownership, while Fastenal Company was repped by Mathew Diana of DY Realty.
“We are thrilled to welcome Fastenal Company to 1448 Ferris Place, an ideally located warehouse space in the Westchester Square neighborhood of the Bronx,” said Mr. Gopan. “As the property’s exclusive tenant, Fastenal will benefit from its exceptional features and convenient access to multiple transporation options.”
The street-level property spans 7,100 square feet and underwent renovations in 2015. 1448 Ferris Place enjoys close proximity to the #6 train and the Hutchinson River Parkway, offering direct access to the city and the tri-state area.
Simone Development Maintenance Tech Jose Aguilar Wins BOMA Westchester 2023 Unsung Heroes Award
YONKERS, NY (July 12, 2023) – Simone Development Companies is proud to announce that Jose Aguilar, a maintenance technician at the firm’s Boyce Thompson Center mixed-use medical and retail development in Yonkers, NY, has been awarded the BOMA Westchester “Unsung Hero” award for his dedication and service to tenants and visitors.
Pictured L to R are BOMA Westchester President Scott Tangredi, Director of Construction at Reckson, award winner Jose Aguilar and Giovanni Puerta, Commercial Property Manager at Simone Development.
“Jose consistently goes above and beyond to ensure the satisfaction of our tenants and seamless operation of our Boyce Thompson Center,” said Joe Simone, president of Simone Development. “Jose’s positive attitude, exceptional teamwork, and his willingness to take on any challenge have made him an invaluable member of our team.”
The award was presented recently during BOMA Westchester’s 31st Annual Hall of Honors Awards dinner in Tarrytown, NY. In accepting the award, Mr. Aguilar recalled a chance meeting with the late Joseph Kelleher, a long-term Simone Development senior executive who was playing a guitar gig at a restaurant where he was working. The pair immediately hit it off and Joe offered Jose a maintenance position at the then newly opened Boyce Thompson Center. When Jose questioned his qualifications for the position, Kelleher replied “Can you screw in a light bulb? If so, we can teach you the rest.”
“What I like most about my job is helping people, both with the tenant’s needs and their customers,” Mr. Aguilar said, recalling his ongoing relationship with an elderly woman who visits a medical tenant and is afraid to ride elevators alone. Jose made it a point to learn her schedule and now always meets her during appointment days to ride the elevator with her.
“Jose is a testament to our company’s ongoing devotion to the businesses who call our properties home and the people they in turn serve,” said Mr. Simone. “We are extremely proud of him, his dedication and all the service and maintenance professionals that make Simone Development stand out in the world of commercial real estate.”
BOMA Westchester is the county’s leading professional organization dedicated to meeting the needs of building owners, property managers and allied professionals and tradespeople. BOMA Westchester is an affiliate of BOMA International — the oldest and largest association of the office building industry, with over 100 federated associations in the United States and around the world. The 17,000-plus members of BOMA International own or manage more than 9 billion square feet of commercial properties in North America and abroad.
Simone Development Signs Lease with Kamco Supply Corp. for More Than 57,544 SF at 1200 Zerega Ave. in Bronx, New York
BRONX, NY (June 26, 2023) – Simone Development Companies has announced that building materials distributor Kamco Supply Corp. has signed a long-term lease for 57,544 square feet of warehouse space and 55,224 SF of land at 1200 Zerega Ave. in the Bronx for the storage and distribution of building materials.
The property is now 60% leased, with 25,895 square feet of remaining available warehouse space and 12,895 SF of available office space, plus land for additional storage or parking. The property features six drive-in doors, four loading docks, 16.5’ ceiling heights, outdoor storage, ample parking, and a unique signage opportunity.
“Modern and spacious warehouse space is in high demand in the New York metro area, and 1200 Zerega Ave. is extremely attractive to users like Kamco due to the rare combination of warehouse space and available land that is centrally located with immediate access to major highways,” said Josh Gopan, Vice President of Leasing at Simone Development, who represented ownership in the lease negotiations, along with in-house counsel Patrick Doyle. Kamco Supply Corp. was repped by Mat Diana of DY Realty.
The nearly 100,000-square-foot prime warehouse and office property is close to the #6 subway line, multiple bus routes, the Hutchinson River Parkway, as well as the Bruckner and Cross Bronx expressways.
Kamco Supply Corp. is one of the largest and oldest privately owned commercial and residential building materials suppliers in the New York metro area, with multiple locations in New York and New Jersey. Their new location’s main customer entrance is located on the Gleason Ave. side of the property. Simone Development is marketing the remaining warehouse and office areas for lease in the highly sought after Zerega Industrial Park.
Life Science Forum Reveals How Computing Will Help Developers Convert Office Buildings To Research Labs
Advanced computing will facilitate the conversion of outdated office buildings into life science laboratories, said Joseph Simone of Simone Development Companies.
“Life science laboratories are becoming less reliant on Bunsen burners and faucets in favor of advanced computers. This ‘drying’ of wet labs means that owners of older office buildings or warehouses have new opportunities to reposition their properties for the medical research sector,” said Joe Simone, President of Simone Development Companies.
At the March 29 Crain’s New York Business Life Science Forum in New York City, Dr. Ayman El-Mohandes, Dean of the CUNY Graduate School of Public Health and Health Policy, said computers are dominating his institution’s lab spaces. El-Mohandes explained that equipment for cutting-edge research no longer requires a messy wet-lab environment, allowing for a greater flexibility of uses in office buildings near research centers and universities.
Hope Knight, Commissioner of Empire State Development, New York’s economic development agency, also spoke at the forum. Knight described New York’s $25 million investment in a pilot “Lab of the Future” in Midtown Manhattan that will rely on automation, artificial intelligence and machine learning to make the preclinical drug discovery process faster, fuel business growth and create more life science jobs. Knight noted that 10 percent of the nation’s cancer patients are in New York, which allows researchers to gather important data that can make New York a leader in the cell and gene therapy space.
“The exciting investments and advances discussed at the Crain’s Life Science Forum are a signal to healthcare real estate developers that we can successfully repurpose existing structures for the labs of the future,” said Danielle Contillo, Principal at 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, 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 Calls New York’s Workforce Development Essential for Life Sciences Real Estate Growth
New York’s planned investments in life science workforce training centers will help stimulate real estate development, said Joseph Simone of Simone Development Companies.
“New York is successfully attracting life science startups. The challenge now is to build talent pipelines to train the necessary workforce that will enable the state to achieve its employment goals,” said Joe Simone, President of Simone Development Companies. “State investments in the New York City regional workforce development plan ensure that growing life science companies seeking real estate in the tri-state area will find the right workers to fill new laboratories and facilities.”
The Long Island Investment Fund recently announced its intention to fund a life science workforce development training center. One of the fund’s goals is to supercharge the life sciences ecosystem in the region by developing workers with in-demand skills.
LifeSci NYC has a similar role in the five boroughs, and one target area is in the Bronx at the Montefiore-Einstein Accelerated Biotechnology Research Center (EMBARC), located across the street from Simone Development Companies’ Hutchinson Metro Center. EMBARC is a biomanufacturing operation focused on cell, gene, and antibody production. LifeSci NYC will invest $20 million to build a diverse pipeline of life sciences talent.
Simone Development Companies has anticipated growth in Morris Park’s biotech talent pool by planning for a live-work-play environment at the Hutchinson Metro Center, a mixed-use medical-office complex where future construction may include life science labs, housing, and destination retail catering to the employees of companies that grow out of EMBARC. This emerging innovation hub will be connected to New York City’s life sciences network by Metro-North’s future Morris Park train station, which will provide quick access to Penn Station in Manhattan.
“Since 2018, biotech research and development companies have increased employment by more than 8,000 people in the New York City metro area, an almost 20 percent increase. “Industry leaders say this growth will continue, and our Hutchinson Metro Center is well positioned to meet the increased demand for real estate that can accommodate life science facilities and workers,” 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.
Construction and Leasing Executives Join Simone Development Compaines
BRONX, NY (January 9, 2023) – Simone Development Companies has appointed two real estate industry veterans to senior positions in its construction and leasing departments.
Roger Merriman is Simone Development’s new Senior Vice President of Construction and Jeremy Schwartz is Director of Leasing. These executives possess years of experience in the real estate industry and have worked with leading real estate companies in the tristate area.
“Roger and Jeremy bring impressive backgrounds and skills to the Simone team in the realms of construction management, leasing, property marketing, underwriting and property portfolio management,” said Joseph Simone, President of Simone Development Companies. “Both of these individuals will help us strategically position ourselves for future growth as we build our operational capacity and scalability.”
Prior to joining Simone Development, Merriman served as Vice President of Construction at SL Green Realty Corp., where he managed a team of professionals, consultants, and contractors on construction projects for the largest commercial real estate portfolio in New York City.
Schwartz formerly worked as Assistant Vice President of Leasing at Urstadt Biddle Properties, where he successfully transacted on more than 300,000 square feet of space. He also managed the leasing and marketing of over 1,500,000 square feet of grocery-anchored shopping centers and office buildings throughout the tristate area.
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, 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.
1200 Zerega Avenue
1200 Zerega Avenue
Bronx, NY
1200 Zerega Avenue is a 95,649-square-foot, flex building consisting of drive-in doors, loading docks and over 31,000 SF of land. The building offers modern warehouse space flanked by overhead doors, allowing easy access from Ellis and Gleason Avenues. The location offers convenient access to the subway, multiple bus routes, the Hutchinson River Parkway and Bruckner and Cross Bronx expressways. With high demand for warehouse flex space in the New York Metro area, 1200 Zerega Avenue is an extremely attractive option due to its rare combination of warehouse space, office space, and available land that is centrally located with immediate access to major highways.
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Joseph Simone, President of Simone Development Says Attractive Place-Making is Essential to Life-Science Development
BRONX, NY (February 2022) — Simone Development Companies.Landscaping, urban design and public amenities are essential elements in successful life-sciences development, said Joseph Simone of Simone Development Companies.
“As we’ve seen at the emerging Manhattanville Factory District in West Harlem, the construction of a three-block pedestrian greenway along buildings containing wet labs and offices will enhance this innovation corridor, making it more attractive to tenants and their employees,” said Joseph Simone, president of Simone Development Companies.
West Harlem’s growth is fueled by Columbia University’s and the Manhattanville Factory District’s expansion into the formerly industrial neighborhood, transforming it into an educational and technological hub. The Manhattanville area lies north of 125th Street and east of Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Boulevard.
“Outdoor people habitats are important to technology and life-sciences companies because they employ knowledge workers who must be inspired to achieve breakthroughs,” said Joseph Simone. “These employees’ ah-ha moments can happen on a bike trail, in a flower garden or a beautifully designed public plaza.”
Published renderings for the Manhattanville Factory District greenway include trees, public seating and lawns that invite picnics or sunbathing. Simone Development Companies is pursuing a similar strategy at its Hutchinson Metro Center in the Bronx. The Hutchinson Metro Center’s proposed South Campus will include ball fields, 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.
“Our proposed South Campus incorporates the latest thinking in public-space design,” said Joseph Simone. “We believe our landscaped and recreational areas will be must-have amenities for the medical technology and life-sciences firms that this complex will attract.”