RPW Shells Out $14.75M For Two Platinum Mile Office Buildings
Rye Brook-based RPW Group recently paid $14.75 million for two large office building at 925-1025 Westchester Avenue in White Plains. The buildings, which are 65-percent leased, were formerly owned by Normandy Real Estate Partners. United States Commercial Real Estate Services, CBRE, and the online commercial real estate marketplace Ten-X brokered the deal. The deal is part of a greater overhaul we recently covered that is currently taking place along the Platinum Mile.
Above: Attendee Nezi Cereb, Michael Welling of Westchester Biotech Project, and keynote speaker Dr. Nir Barzilai, Director, Institute for Aging Research at Albert Einstein College of Medicine and a founding member of CohBar. Below: Kristin Schneeman, Director of Programs at FasterCures; Antonio Molina, Founder and CEO of GenCo Pharma; Karine Kleinhouse, Divisional Vice President at Pluristem Therapeutics; and Amy Weinberg, medical scientist at Gilead Scientists.] Photos by Benjamin Hochfelder
Westchester Welcomes International Biotech Boom With Forward-Thinking Symposium
A notable group of scientists, physicians, executives, and entrepreneurs attended the Innovation in Research 2018 symposium on June 12 at Purchase College, SUNY. The event was presented by the Westchester Biotech Project (WBP) and was held to provide professionals with an opportunity to share research and breakthroughs. Dr. Nir Barzalai, the symposium’s keynote speaker and a worldwide expert on aging, spoke during the proceedings. Antonio Malina-Pachon, the founder and CEO of GenCo Pharma, as well as a scientist and entrepreneur working on solutions for rare diseases and cancer, advocated for the construction of a rare disease hub in Westchester. Karine Kleinhause, MD, Divisional Vice President of Pluristem Therapeutics, noted during her remarks that the use of placental cells in therapy can aid in patients’ treatment and rehabilitation. And Stephen Dahmer, MD, chief medical officer at Vireo Health, noted that medical marijuana can serve as a substitute to opioids. WBP is working to help take Westchester’s biotech industry to the next level, and will host another event on July 18, a Rare Disease Symposium at Iona College.
White Plains Mall Redevelopment Proposal Adds Co-Working Space
Street Works in Port Chester recently presented an updated Hamilton Green proposal that would replace White Plains Mall with apartments, a food hall, co-working space, and an area open to the public. Street Works drafted the plan in conjunction with the mall’s ownership, WP Mall Realty LLC. The conceptual plans were first presented to the city in November 2016. The updated plan calls for 860 apartments, 956 parking spaces, 85,000 sq. ft. of retail and restaurant space, and 40,000 sq. ft. of publicly accessible open space. “Westchester’s business community applauds the proposal to incorporate 27,000 sq. ft. of co-working space into the redevelopment plans for White Plains Mall. The co-working model supports Westchester’s continued economic growth as it helps attract business leaders, entrepreneurs, and young professionals,” says William M. Mooney Jr., President and CEO of the Westchester County Association.
Green Business Partnership Honors Seven Westchester Businesses
The Green Business Partnership, a program of the Business Council of Westchester partnering with both Westchester County and Green Team Spirit LLC, honored seven worthy organizations at the 8th Annual Green Business Partnership Awards on June 12 at Factoria at Charles Point in Peekskill. Recipients included The Greenburgh Nature Center (pictured above), Yonkers Tennis Center, White Plains Linen, Pell Wealth Partners, Arc of Westchester, Teatown Lake Reservation, and Birdie’s Auto Spa.
Photo by Toshi Tasaki
TAP Is Awarded $100,000 From JPMorgan Chase To Mentor Small Businesses
The Acceleration Project (TAP), a consultation firm in Scarsdale, has been granted $100,000 from JPMorgan Chase to provide a foundation for TAP’s efforts to offer superior business advice to small businesses, entrepreneurs, municipalities, and nonprofits. TAP was previously recognized by 914INC. during last year’s Small Business Awards. The grant will be used to fund TAP’s building efforts, empowering the firm to increase their services into contemporary markets. JP Morgan Chase’s investment is part of their $150 million Small Business Forward program to support women, minority, and veteran entrepreneurs to expand and flourish. “These funds will enable us to continue to serve small businesses, with an emphasis on those owned by women and minorities, and to provide them with the technical assistance they need to take their businesses to the next level,” says TAP CEO Jane Veron.
PepsiCo Chairman and CEO to Accept Global Leadership Laureate Award at BCW¹s Annual Dinner
Indra K. Nooyi, Chairman & CEO of PepsiCo, will be accepting the Westchester Global Leadership Laureate Award from the Business Council of Westchester during its Annual Fall Dinner. The event is scheduled for October 22 and the cocktail reception begins at 5:30 pm proceeded by the program from 7 to 9 pm. The details to register are posted on thebcw.org. “Chairman and CEO Indra K. Nooyi, one of the top corporate leaders in the world, as our featured speaker at the BCW’s Annual Dinner this year,” says Marsha Gordon, President and CEO of the Business Council of Westchester. The BCW’s Annual Fall Dinner has a sustained tradition of featuring distinguished guest speakers, previously welcoming Hillary Rodham Clinton.
Local Political Leaders Celebrate Job Placement Milestone for Federally Funded Workforce Program
Westchester County Executive George Latimer, Congresswoman Nita Lowey, and the Westchester County Association (WCA) recently celebrated the 300th person to receive employment with the Jobs Waiting program. Maribel Valencia-Barajas, who currently has a job at Westchester Neurological Consultants in Yonkers, completed her Jobs Waiting readiness boot camp in the summer of 2017. Congresswoman Nita Lowey, who was fundamental in securing the grant for Westchester and six other surrounding counties, congratulated Maribel and Jobs Waiting. “Workforce development is the foundation of economic growth,” adds William M. Mooney Jr., President and CEO of WCA. “By reactivating unemployed individuals for careers in the region’s fastest-growing sectors, the Jobs Waiting Program transforms need — on both sides of the employee/employer equation — into economic opportunity.
Scarsdale Community Celebrates Country Bank’s 30-Year Anniversary
Local business leaders and community members descended upon Country Bank’s Scarsdale location on June 14 for their Ribbon Cutting Rededication Ceremony. The event was held in part to honor the Murphy family, who ran the bank for 30 years. Leading politicians including Scarsdale Mayor Dan Hochvert and Tuckahoe Mayor Steve Ecklong attended the ribbon cutting. Founded in 1988, County Bank is an FDIC-insured, full-service commercial bank offering products and services for commercial banking, lending customers, small business customers, and individual customers.