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.
Mercy College Signs Long-Term Commitment to Bronx Campus at Simone Development’s Hutchinson Metro Center
Original Anchor Tenant at Borough’s Most Successful Commercial Development Extends Lease
BRONX, NY (May 11, 2023) – Simone Development Companies has signed a long-term lease renewal with Mercy College for 125,522 square feet of classroom, administrative and amenities space at 1200 Waters Place in the Bronx, renewing the institution’s commitment to the borough and the Hutchinson Metro Center, which they helped anchor more than 20 years ago.
James MacDonald, vice president of leasing at Simone Metro Properties, assisted by Sean Heneghan, assistant general counsel, represented the owners in the lease negotiations. Bill Cuddy and Greg Maurer-Hollaender of CBRE represented Mercy College in the renewal.
“Mercy’s lease renewal with Simone Development Companies for its Bronx Campus demonstrates the College’s confidence in the site to provide the best possible environment for our deserving students, staff and faculty,” said Mercy College President Tim Hall. “The Mercy College Bronx Campus will continue to offer state-of-the-art facilities and academic programs that lead to in-demand jobs. It will also position Mercy to continue to evolve to meet the workforce and educational trends of the future and strengthen the College’s impact in the Bronx community.”
The Mercy College Bronx Campus at the Hutchinson Metro Center provides a vibrant, diverse student population the opportunity to achieve their academic and professional goals in a dynamic and modern learning environment. The undergraduate and graduate degree and ceritifcate programs offered at the Bronx Campus prepare students for in-demand careers, so that they are hired soon after graduation.
Degree programs include nursing, childhood education, community health, gerontology, data analytics, health services management, criminal justice, cybersecurity and finance, among many others. State-of-the-art facilities, such as fully-equipped health and science labs and anatomage tables provide maximized opportunities for learning, while student-centered spaces such as the Veterans Lounge facilitate students’ positive assilimiation to college. A landscaped courtyard offers a serene setting for study and reflection in an otherwise bustling, New York City-borough. Partnerships between the Campus and Bronx community organizations and businesses have resulted in extensive and rewarding internship, clinical and volunteer opportunities, many of which are conveniently located for Mercy Bronx students.
“More than 20 years ago, Mercy College was instrumental in the development of 1200 Waters Place and the success of Simone Development’s Hutchinson Metro Center, transforming an underutilized, obsolete state hospital site that was closed off to the public into a vital part of the Northeast Bronx community,” said Joe Simone, president of Simone Development. “Today we are extremely gratified that Mercy has chosen to renew their commitment to our borough and our expanding development.”
In 2003, Mercy College became the second anchor tenant to commit to 1200 Waters Place, a three story, 433,286 square-foot new development that at the time was the first Class A office building developed in the Bronx in more than a decade. During the next 20 years, the 42-acre Hutchinson Metro Center became the most successful commercial development project in the history of the Bronx. The current center is a 1.4-million-square-foot mixed-use campus of office, medical, retail, hospitality and academic space. The Hutchinson Metro Center is currently home to over 80 leading businesses, healthcare and educational institutions, and federal, state and city agencies, employing over 8,000 people and welcoming more than 5,000 daily visitors.
In addition to Mercy College, other major tenants at 1200 Waters Place include The New Jewish Home, New York City Housing Authority, the Administration of Children’s Services, and a major federal agency.
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.
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.
New York’s award of $13.5 million for carbon-neutral housing is motivating builders to embrace sustainable technologies, said Joseph Simone of Simone Development Companies
Bronx, N.Y. (April 5, 2023)—New York’s March 21 award of $13.5 million for low-carbon residential projects is motivating builders of affordable housing to incorporate the latest sustainable technologies, said Joseph Simone of Simone Development Companies.
“New affordable housing complexes often emphasize amenities like fitness and community rooms, but it is equally as important that builders consider the cost feasibility of climate-friendly measures like low-flow plumbing, LED light fixtures and geothermal heat pumps as electricity and natural gas prices rise,” said Joe Simone, president of Simone Development Companies.
Climate-friendly affordable housing made news on March 21 when New York Gov. Kathy Hochul announced the winners in the third round of the Buildings of Excellence Competition for the design, construction and operation of clean, resilient, and low-carbon or carbon neutral multifamily buildings. The competition supports New York’s goals to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 85 percent by 2050.
In New Rochelle, N.Y., Simone Development Companies and Stagg Group are building West View Apartments, a 186-unit affordable housing development for families whose income is at or below 60% of the area median income.
West View Apartments’ design embraces the spirit of the Buildings of Excellence Competition with sustainability measures that include compliance with Enterprise Green Community and Energy Star MFNC (multifamily new construction) standards, low-flow plumbing fixtures, LED light fixtures with motion sensors, dark-sky-compliant exterior light fixtures and the use of paint and sealants with low volatile organic compound emissions.
New Rochelle is in the midst of a transit-oriented development boom that has 25 significant downtown projects either completed or under construction. Simone Development Companies’ and Stagg Group’s West View Apartments tower will deliver a complex with all-affordable units to this dynamic residential market.
“We are proud to offer New Rochelle a lower-cost and amenity-rich residential opportunity that upholds the highest environmental standards while looking no different from the surrounding luxury towers. This building proves that climate-smart affordable housing is doable with careful planning,” said Megan Guy, senior vice president of development 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 says that Housing is Critical for New Life Science Sites
Bronx, N.Y. (March 21, 2023)—New life science campuses are incorporating more housing to satisfy knowledge workers’ demand for live, work, play communities, said Joseph Simone of Simone Development Companies.
“Life scientists and tech workers increasingly expect communities where walking or biking to work are viable options. These employee preferences are leading developers of mixed-use healthcare and life science projects to incorporate more workforce housing into their plans,” said Joe Simone, president of Simone Development Companies.
The latest example of this mix is New York developer RXR’s plan for a $3 billion community in North Carolina’s Research Triangle. RXR has proposed building 750,000 square feet for life-science research, logistics and education. A housing component includes 1,100 single-family homes and 1,000 rental apartments.
RXR called the development site in Apex, N.C., a “superstar region” with strong education and healthcare systems that are magnets for knowledge workers in search of a superior quality of life.
Access to housing is essential for the growing health tech sectors nationwide. At the March 7 Life Sciences Forum in Worcester, Mass., the president of Lykan Bioscience said that his region’s high housing costs hindered his company’s growth and recruitment.
In the Bronx, Simone Development Companies’ Hutchinson Metro Center is a 42-acre, mixed-use campus planning a 33-acre expansion that may include life science labs, medical offices, housing, and destination retail. Around the Hutchinson Metro Center, New York City’s planners envision up to 6,000 new housing units to support the growth of employers in this job center populated by hospitals, the Albert Einstein College of Medicine and affiliated healthcare businesses.
“Life science and healthcare executives have clearly linked the availability of quality workforce housing to their growth. Simone Development Companies is studying the feasibility of workforce housing opportunities for our Hutchinson Metro Center expansion to enhance our future tenants’ recruitment efforts,” said Joanna Simone, principal and president of leasing and property management operations 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.