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.

2023-04-05T11:33:39-04:00April 5, 2023|
Read More

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.

2023-03-21T10:40:16-04:00March 21, 2023|
Read More

Joseph Simone says New York City’s land-use initiatives will deliver more housing and jobs

New York City’s plans to update neighborhood land uses will help businesses, create more housing, and promote sustainability, said Joseph Simone of Simone Development Companies.

“New York City’s ambitious plans for reducing greenhouse gas emissions include creating new job districts and allowing taller apartment buildings near train stations to reduce single-passenger car use. This policy will improve New Yorkers’ connections to new employment districts emerging near mass transit facilities,” said Joe Simone, President of Simone Development Companies.

The modernization of New York City’s land use rules is part of Mayor Eric Adams’ goal to build 500,000 new homes over the next decade. Under the mayor’s “Build Everywhere” initiative, up to 6,000 new housing units will be built in the East Bronx by 2027 near four new Metro-North Railroad stations also expected to open that same year. The Build Everywhere push in the East Bronx is projected to create 10,000 jobs near the new train stations, allowing workers to sustainably commute by public transportation.

One of the East Bronx neighborhoods targeted by the Build Everywhere initiative is Morris Park, already home to a large job center due to the presence of hospitals, the Albert Einstein College of Medicine and affiliated healthcare businesses. Simone Development Companies’ Hutchinson Metro Center represents a significant portion of the area’s employment numbers, and it sits next to the future Morris Park Train Station.

The Hutchinson Metro Center is a 42-acre, mixed-use campus planning a 33-acre expansion that may include life science labs, medical offices, and destination retail, among other uses.

“Simone Development Companies supports New York City’s effort to increase the quantity and quality of workforce housing, which is critical for the hospitals in Morris Park and for employers considering locating in our campus or anywhere in the region,” said Patricia Simone, principal and president of Simone Management Group.

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.

2023-03-01T10:41:27-05:00March 1, 2023|
Read More

New York City’s quest for more life science labs will spur biotech building, says developer Joe Simone

Joe Simone Bronx, N.Y. (February 16, 2023)—New York City’s aggressive push to build 10 million square feet of new life sciences laboratories will create new development opportunities, said Joseph Simone of Simone Development Companies.

“New York City announced in January that it will invest $20 million for the creation of a biotech hub at the Brooklyn Navy Yard, which is the latest in a series of investments throughout the outer boroughs that will bring development and new jobs to neighborhoods primed for revitalization,” said Joe Simone, president of Simone Development Companies.

New York City’s investment at the Brooklyn Navy Yard and other locations outside of Manhattan reflects a shift to neighborhood-based economic development. In the Bronx neighborhood of Morris Park, New York City has deployed this strategy by investing in an innovation lab for early-stage life science startups at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, which sits across the street from Simone Development Companies’ Hutchinson Metro Center.

“We want it in Morris Park, where there is a new rezoning around…Jacobi (Medical Center) and Albert Einstein and a real opportunity to create good-paying jobs closer to where people live,” said Andrew Kimball, president and CEO of the New York City Economic Development Corporation, in a recent appearance on Spectrum News NY1’s “Inside City Hall” program.

The rezoning of parts of Morris Park near a future Metro-North train station allows for greater housing density, laboratories and other land uses that promote the growth of biotech hubs.

Simone Development Companies envisions life sciences and residential components to its Hutchinson Metro Center. A 33-acre expansion to the existing 42-acre Hutchinson Metro Center campus will sit next to the future Metro-North train station, providing easy access to Manhattan and other life science hubs.

“New York City has invested in life sciences for about 25 years, allowing the region to compete with Boston and the San Francisco Bay Area in terms of creating new jobs and attracting companies. Simone Development Companies wants to help New York City officials achieve their transformational goals for the Morris Park neighborhood of the Bronx,” said Danielle Contillo, a 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.

2023-02-16T11:52:42-05:00February 16, 2023|
Read More

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.

2023-02-02T09:34:36-05:00February 2, 2023|
Read More
Toggle Sliding Bar Area

  • Business

  • Year

  • Category

  • Clear All
Go to Top