Press Release Headlines

Simone Development Companies Signs LA Fitness to 43,000 SF Lease for Fitness Center at Metro Center Atrium

Bronx's Leading Mixed-Use Commercial Property to Offer Unmatched Amenities and Newly-Constructed Class A Office Space For Medical and Business Clients

NEW YORK, Sept. 25, 2012 /PRNewswire/ — Simone Development Companies announced today that LA Fitness, one of the nation's leading fitness center operators, has leased 43,000 square feet of space at Metro Center Atrium, Simone Development's new mixed-use project.  Metro Center Atrium is a 370,000-square-foot office, retail and hotel complex that Simone Development Companies is constructing as the latest phase of its 42-acre, multi-building Hutchinson Metro Center campus.

LA Fitness will open its new state-of-the-art fitness center – one of its first in a non-suburban location – in November 2013, providing a high-end facility in keeping with Metro Center Atrium's stature as the Bronx's new magnet commercial property.  Earlier this month, Marriott agreed to open a Residence Inn-branded hotel at Metro Center Atrium.

"With LA Fitness on board, and Marriott committed a few weeks ago, Metro Center Atrium has quickly taken shape as the Bronx's leading mixed-use property, offering the best package of amenities in its market," said Joseph Simone, President of Simone Development.  "We are off to a fast start and anticipate tremendous demand for the remaining Class A office, medical, and retail space, particularly given the strong performance of previous phases of our development at Hutchinson Metro Center.  These are exciting times for the Bronx and we're very proud to be a major contributor to the economic renaissance underway in the Borough."

Located within Simone Development's highly successful Hutchinson Metro Center complex in the Pelham Bay section of the Bronx, Metro Center Atrium features three floors of Class A office and medical space, as well as further retail and restaurant opportunities.  The architecturally distinctive building will feature a spectacular glass atrium and lobby and is set in a beautifully landscaped suburban-style campus setting.  Abundant parking is provided on-site with more than 1,100 spaces.  Approximately 212,000 square feet of office and medical space is available for lease.  For leasing information, call (718) 518-8600.

"Metro Center Atrium has already attracted national-level companies like Marriott and LA Fitness, and we expect that this project will continue to draw high-caliber office, medical, and retail users," said James MacDonald, director of leasing for Hutchinson Metro Center.  "Among other things, Simone Development's ongoing expansion of Hutchinson Metro Center provides medical and business tenants with flexibility for their future plans because we can readily accommodate their growth needs within the Simone Development portfolio.  Also, we're offering stellar design quality and modern space, and an incredibly central location with easy access to five major hospitals, three airports, and a host of transportation arteries."

Conveniently located off the Hutchinson River Parkway, Metro Center Atrium is easily accessible to major highways, bridges and airports.  Manhattan is less than 20 minutes away and Westchester County is 10 minutes away.  LaGuardia, JFK, and Westchester County airports are less than 30 minutes from the site.

The Metro Center Atrium is also less than a mile from five major hospitals – Montefiore Medical Center, Calvary Hospital, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Jacobi Medical Center and Westchester Square Medical Center – making it an ideal location for medical practices and healthcare companies.

For retail tenants, the Metro Center Atrium provides a tremendous market of potential customers, with over 4,000 people working at the Hutchinson Metro Center.  Another 800 employees are expected to be added to the area with the completion of New York City's 911 Call Center on a site directly north of the Hutchinson Metro Center.

Metro Center Atrium is another chapter in the continuing success story of the Hutchinson Metro Center.  The 42-acre suburban-style campus offers the finest Class A office space and a host of first-class amenities never before offered in this market.  Existing amenities include the full-service Metro Café and Tower Cafe, fitness center, state-of-the-art teleconferencing center, on-site child care facility, attended gatehouse with 24/7 security, landscaped courtyards with gardens and seating/dining areas, full service bank branch, on-site executive car wash and detailing center, dry cleaners, sundry shop and ATM.  The complex also offers abundant free parking and a complimentary shuttle service to nearby subway lines.

1200 Waters Place, the 460,000-square-foot first phase of Hutchinson Metro Center, was fully leased in less than two years.  The next phase of the project, known as Tower One (1250 Waters Place), features 280,000 square feet of Class A space on nine floors, with four floors of covered parking.  The building is fully leased and occupied by a prestigious roster of tenants that includes Montefiore Orthopaedic Surgery, CenterLight Healthcare, Westchester Square Physical Therapy and numerous medical, dental and law practices.  An additional 280,000-square-foot tower, known as Tower Two, is planned for construction adjacent to 1250 Waters Place.  The announcement of a major tenant for Tower Two is expected shortly.

The success of the Hutchinson Metro Center is providing a major boost to the Bronx economy, creating thousands of new jobs and serving as a catalyst for growth in the surrounding area.  In addition to the New York City 911 Call Center, other major projects underway in the surrounding neighborhood include expansions by the New York State Office of Mental Health, Montefiore Medical Center, Jacobi Hospital Center and Einstein Medical Center.

About Simone Development Companies

Simone Development Companies is a full-service real estate investment company specializing in the acquisition and development of office, retail, industrial and residential properties in the New York tri-state area.  Headquartered in the Bronx, the privately held company owns and manages more than 5 million square feet of property in the Bronx, Westchester County, Queens, Long Island and Connecticut.  The company's portfolio includes more than 100 properties and ranges from multi-building office parks to retail and industrial space.

The company's largest and most successful development is the 42-acre Hutchinson Metro Center office complex located directly off the Hutchinson River Parkway in the Pelham Bay section of the Bronx.  The first two phases of the complex (1200 Waters Place and 1250 Waters Place), which comprise nearly 750,000 square feet of Class A office and medical space, are fully leased.  Two additional phases totaling 650,000 square feet (the 370,000-square-foot Metro Center Atrium and 280,000-square-foot Tower Two, adjacent to 1250 Waters Place), are currently under development.

Company: Simone Development Companies
Email: Eric Waters (Email)
Telephone: 212-741-2977
Website: www.simonedevelopment.com
Contact: Great Ink Communications, Ltd