BEARDSLEY ZOO PLANS CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION

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BEARDSLEY ZOO PLANS CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION
AWARD
                                                                                                                                                           WINNING
                                                                                                                                                            EDITORIAL

                                                                     INCLUDING THE HUDSON VALLEY
  JANUARY 24, 2022
  VOL. 58, No. 4                                                                                                                                               westfaironline.com

                            BEARDSLEY ZOO
                     PLANS CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION
BY JUSTIN MCGOWN                       and education center as well as an   the stately grounds designed by     based around the park’s green-        day and night. Back in the day,
jmcgown@westfairinc.coma               economic driver for Bridgeport.      Frederick Law Olmstead, the         house.                                a trip to the zoo was a treat for

C
                                           Even before Beardsley Zoo,       landscape architect who created        Over the course of a century,      children but the emphasis was
          onnecticut’s Beardsley       the city’s Beardsley Park was        New York City’s Central Park. The   much has changed. Zoo Director        not education.
          Zoo celebrates its 100-      known for sightings of exotic ani-   chance to glimpse an elephant       Gregg Dancho noted that the               “We would come up here
          year anniversary in 2022,    mals. P.T. Barnum’s famous circus    or giraffe began drawing crowds,    wide pathways through the zoo         and just let the kids run around,
marking a major evolution from a       was headquartered in the city, and   and by 1922 Parks Commissioner      were originally active city streets   get the energies out,” Dancho
small collection of exotic birds and   the animal handlers would take       Wesley F. Hayes convinced the       and cars could park right next to     recalled. “There was no real edu-
retired circus animals to a learning   their charges for walks through      city to establish a permanent zoo   caged animals at any hour of the
                                                                                                                                                                 » BEARDSLEY ZOO      7

                        Israeli developer proposes 25-story 250-unit apartment building in Yonkers
BY PETER KATZ                          a 25-story mixed-use building        established a track record in       NY LLC, a Kew Gardens-based           lies within a downtown district
Pkatz@westfairinc.com                  with 250 residential units in        Yonkers with its development        developer but was not built. The      rezoned for mixed uses and

S
                                       Yonkers.                             work at the Monarch at Ridge        building was planned to be 15         a high concentration of com-
       ubsidiaries of Azorim               The subsidiaries are Miroza      Hill apartment complex.             stories tall with an 1,850-square-    mercial, residential and insti-
       Investment, Development         Tower LLC and 5660 BVISTA                The new proposal from           foot eating and drinking estab-       tutional developments with
       & Construction Co. Ltd.,        LLC, which own the proper-           Azorim follows a previously-ap-     lishment on the ground floor.         ground-floor commercial uses
which Dun & Bradstreet charac-         ties to be used for the project      proved proposal from a differ-      The Business Journal reported         to activate the street-level envi-
terizes as one of Israel’s largest     that have street addresses of        ent developer. In 2017, a 156-      at the time, “The roughly half-       ronment.”
and most stable real estate com-       44 Hudson St. and 56-60 Buena        unit apartment complex was          acre property at the corner of            Attorney David Steinmetz
panies, are proposing to build         Vista Ave. Azorim already has        proposed by Hudson Holdings         Hudson and Hawthorne streets                            » YONKERS     6
BEARDSLEY ZOO PLANS CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION
Businesses face rising levels of shoplifting
BY PHIL HALL                                                                                                                 suspects.
Phall@westfairinc.com                                                                                                             “What's helpful for us is being

A
                                                                                                                             a good witness attention to detail,”        We don’t create gimmicks
           ccording to a new survey                                                                                          he said. “A description of what they           to enrich ourselves;
           published by Business.org,                                                                                        were wearing, did they flee in a              we enrich our readers
           89% of small business own-                                                                                        vehicle — the more information we          with news about where they
ers identified as the victims of shop-                                                                                       have, the better because, obviously,              live and work.
lifting during 2021.                                                                                                         we're getting there most of the time
      Most of the small business                                                                                             after the fact.”
owners polled for the survey are                                                                                                  Vaspasiano advocated for busi-                 MAIN OFFICE TELEPHONE
dealing with shoplifters focused on                                                                                          nesses to install the most up-to-date                    914-694-3600
smaller-value items preference for                                                                                           cameras and surveillance systems                          OFFICE FAX
smaller-value items that can be eas-                                                                                         both inside and outside of a busi-                       914-694-3699
                                                                                                                                                                                    EDITORIAL EMAIL
ily concealed on the way to the exit,      Photo by Morning Calm Weekly News / Flickr Creative Commons.                      ness.
                                                                                                                                                                                  Phall@westfairinc.com
such as food and drink, clothing                                                                                                  “We don't run into a lot of plac-
                                                                                                                                                                                        WRITE TO
and cosmetics, although the sur-           may still be happening, but what's        groceries.                              es that don't have it these days, but               4 Smith Avenue, Suite #2
vey found small business owners            more prevalent in retail — and has            The Business.org survey also        a lot of places can benefit from an                  Mount Kisco, NY 10549
were also being robbed of money            been a trend that's been taking           noted that only slightly more than      upgrade,” he said.
and electronics. One-quarter of            place for at least the last 10 years or   half of the small businesses victim-         Vaspasiano expressed surprise
the survey’s respondents said they         so — is what we refer to as organized     ized by these crimes file a police      that the California-style of retail                         Publisher
have dealt customers with stolen           retail crime. It's two or more peo-       report. Phelan insisted that percent-   crime hasn’t taken root in this                            Dee DelBello
credit cards and 21% had custom-           ple working in conjunction to steal       age should be much higher.              region, although he recalled a bur-                   Executive Co-Publisher
ers doing double-duty by steal dis-        merchandise from retailers, and               “We want to make sure we have       glary during the midst of the Covid                         Dan Viteri
                                                                                                                                                                                    Associate Publisher
tracting cashiers with a legitimate        that has been the biggest concern         good lines of communication with        pandemic when five people broke
                                                                                                                                                                                        Anne Jordan
purchase while simultaneously              that the industry faces.”                 local law enforcement,” he said.        into a pharmacy and ran off with
stealing items.                                Phelan noted the wave of              “There was a time in retail in which    merchandise, adding that more
      What can businesses do to            smash-and-grab crimes that impact-        retailers expected that there was       crimes of that nature could occur
protect themselves from shoplift-          ed Los Angeles and San Francisco          going to be a certain amount of         in the near future.
                                                                                                                                                                                          NEWS
ers? Tim Phelan, president of the          last fall, with organized mobs ran-       shoplifting, but we're way beyond            “I think it's probably coming,”                Fairfield Bureau Chief
Connecticut Retail Merchants               sacking upscale store, as the most        that now. With these organized          he warned. “One of the reasons I            & Senior Enterprise Editor • Phil Hall
Associations, believed the first thing     extreme examples of these orga-           retail groups, we have to take every-   think it'll happen is because now            Copy and Video Editor • Peter Katz
to do is change the terminology            nized crime rings.                        thing as seriously as possible.”        that everybody has masks on, it                 Senior Reporter • Bill Heltzel
                                                                                                                                                                                        Reporters
related to the crime.                          “Something similar to that                Detective Anthony Vaspasiano        makes it extremely difficult to iden-    Georgette Gouveia, Peter Katz, Justin McGown
      “We in the retail industry no lon-   that took place in Oxford during          of the Fairfield Police Department’s    tify these suspects. And that kind of        Assistant Editor • Bridget McCusker
ger refer to it as simply shoplifting,”    the holiday season at a grocery           Criminal Investigation, stated          flash mob mentality is overwhelm-            Research Coordinator • Luis Flores
Phelan explained. “Shoplifting has         store,” Phelan said, referring to a       that law enforcement has a bet-         ing to these businesses. I think
a connotation in which somebody            November inncident involving four         ter chance of apprehending those        that's what's giving these people
                                                                                                                                                                                      ART & PRODUCTION
just comes in, opens up their coats,       people robbing a supermarket by           involved in retail larceny by having    power to get away with these sorts                        Creative Director
gets a CD in it and walks out. That        wheeling out carts full of purloined      the most in-depth reporting of the      of actions."                                                  Dan Viteri
                                                                                                                                                                                       Graphic Designer
                                                                                                                                                                                        Sarafina Pavlak

                  Westchester Elections Commissioner                                                                                                                              ADVERTISING SALES

                   Reginald LaFayette dies at age 69                                                                                                                            Manager • Anne Jordan
                                                                                                                                                                        Metro Sales & Custom Publishing Director
                                                                                                                                                                                     Barbara Hanlon
BY PETER KATZ                                                                                                                                                          Marketing & Events Director • Fatime Muriqi
                                                                                     were both young men in Mount            around the state would marvel at              Marketing Partner • Marcia Pflug
Pkatz@westfairinc.com                                                                Vernon — where we both first            the close working relationship -          Events Sales & Development • Marcia Pflug

W
                                                                                     became active in the communi-           and yes the close friendship — that
             estchester      County                                                  ty. We shared meals, advice and         Reggie and I shared over the past
                                                                                                                                                                               AUDIENCE DEVELOPMENT
             Board of Elections                                                      even coached a little league team       13 years.
                                                                                                                                                                             Manager • Daniella Volpacchio
             Commissioner Reginald                                                   together."                                  “Commissioner            Reggie           Research Assistant • Sarah Kimmer
LaFayette died Saturday at age 69.                                                       Latimer described news of           LaFayette will be remembered as
    There are two elections com-                                                     LaFayette's death as seeming to         a true gentleman in an often rough-                     ADMINISTRATION
missioners in Westchester, one                                                       be "surreal."                           and-tumble business," Colety said.                   Contracted CFO Services
                                                                                                                                                                                 Adornetto & Company L.L.C.
representing the Republicans                                                             "Tomorrow we go forward and         "In an era of intense partisanship,
and the other representing the                                                       we carry on and remember his            Reggie had close friends in all polit-     Westchester County Business Journal (USPS# 7100)
                                                                                                                                                                        Fairfield County Business Journal (USPS# 5830) is
Democrats. LaFayette was the                                                         legacy of working for voting rights,    ical parties who mourn this loss           published Weekly, 52 times a year by Westfair Commu-
                                                                                                                                                                        nications, Inc., 701 Westchester Ave., White
Democrat commissioner. In addi-                                                      diversity and equal opportunity         today. His legacy is undeniable. For       Plains, NY 10604. Periodicals Postage rates
                                                                                                                                                                        paid at White Plains, NY, USA 10610.
tion, for about 15 years until 2020,       Reginald LaFayette                        for all in government," Latimer         those of us who knew Reggie best           POSTMASTER: Send address changes to:
LaFayette served as chairman of                                                      said. "I grieve with his children,      and worked with him everyday,              Westchester County Business Journal and
                                                                                                                                                                        Fairfield County Business Journal:
the Westchester Democratic Party.          had a long and distinguished              his many friends and colleagues.”       your political stripe did not matter       by Westfair Communications, Inc.,
                                                                                                                                                                        701 Westchester Ave, White Plains, NY 10604.
He most recently was chairman              career as a public servant. He was            LaFayette’s Republican coun-        — we all valued his wise counsel,          Annual subscription $60; $2.50 per issue
of the Mount Vernon Democratic             politically brilliant, and it is with-    terpart at the Board of Elections,      years of experience and devotion           More than 40 percent of the
                                                                                                                                                                        Business Journal is printed on recycled newsprint.
City Committee.                            out doubt that no person did more         Douglas Colety, said, “It was my        to his work ensuring free and fair         © 2022 Westfair Communications Inc. All rights reserved.
    Westchester County Executive           to bring diversity to city and coun-      honor to work with Commissioner         elections for all of Westchester.”         Reproduction in whole or in part without written permis-
                                                                                                                                                                        sion is prohibited.
George Latimer issued a statement          ty government than Reggie.                LaFayette, not only as a fellow             The cause of LaFayette’s death
                                                                                                                                                                       A MEMBER OF
saying, in part, "The entire County            “He was insightful and tem-           election commissioner, but also         was not immediately disclosed.
of Westchester mourns the death            pered; he was my friend for near-         as a fellow party leader. Many of       Funeral arrangements were to be
of Reginald A. LaFayette. Reggie           ly 50 years starting when we              our fellow election commissioners       announced.

 2           JANUARY 24, 2022              FCBJ           WCBJ
BEARDSLEY ZOO PLANS CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION
Norwalk's Grist Mill Village site at the center of a lawsuit
BY JUSTIN MCGOWN
jmcgown@westfairinc.com

B         uilding C of the Grist Mill Village devel-
          opment on Glover Avenue in Norwalk
          is the subject of a lawsuit filed in the
Stamford Judicial District between a contrac-
tor and the owner for up to $500,000, includ-
ing damages over nonpayment and breach of
contract.
     The complaint filed by QSR Steel Corp.
LLC on Jan. 15, 2021, called for the foreclosure
of a mechanic’s lien on the structure. The
original complaint named 170 Glover Avenue
LLC as the defendant. The defendant is reg-
istered with the same agents and address as
Building and Land Technology LLC (BLT),
who own and operate The Curb, a luxury
apartment complex aimed at young profes-
sionals with studio apartments starting at
$1,860 per month.
     Located at the top of the Route 7
Connector within walking distance of the
Merritt 7 train station undergoing a major
upgrade, the location is in high demand for
its proximity to transportation and offices
along the Route 7 corridor. Building C, which
is still under construction, is part of The Curb.
     QSR Steel is a Hartford-based company
that specializes in structural steel for con-
struction and provides miscellaneous metals            Photo by Justin McGown.
services. According to the complaint, QSR              numerous lawsuits over the past few years. In
and BLT agreed to a contract in June 2020              fact, both QSR and BLT are engaged in other
with QSR overseeing continued construc-                ongoing litigation with each other. Another
tion on Building C. QSR alleges that between           series of suits and countersuits between
Aug. 10, 2020, and November of the same                the two companies involving unpaid work
                                                                                                          of companies not taking advantage of tax credits and
year it provided works and services worth              conducted at 900 Pacific St. in downtown           incentives?
$494,767.50 but received no payment.                   Stamford at a section of the Harbor Point
     The complaint stated the interest                 development.                                        Our team designs specialized retirement plans for business owners
accrued on the unpaid amount in the months                 The Pacific Street case, also filed in the      completely funded from little known tax credits and incentives most
between the alleged nonpayment and the fil-            Stamford Judicial District, has a similar time                           CPAs don't know about.
ing along with the damages sought are cause            frame but differs in that some payment was
to round up the total to half-a-million dollars,       received by QSR, $273,065.62 of $561,771.89.
plus attorney’s fees.                                  The counterclaim follows along almost the
     In their counterclaim, BLT alleged that           exact same lines, citing poor performance
                                                                                                          Norton Advisory Group has over 35 years of
the work performed by QSR or its subcontrac-           and the costs of rectifying the alleged failures   experience helping business owners with:
tors was “supplied in a negligent, defective,          justifying the short payment and covering
incomplete, unworkmanlike and untimely                 BLT’s resulting attorney’s fees.                       Retirement Planning
manner.” BLT asserted it had incurred dam-                 A representative of BLT said that due to
ages because of either the quality of the work         the pending litigation no comment could                Buy-Sell and Succession Planning
or lack of progress.                                   be provided. QSR Steel did not respond to a
     Both parties have been involved in                request for comment.                                   Estate Planning and More

                                NEWS
                                                                                                          To see if your business is owed money from these
                                                                                                          federal, state and local tax credits and incentives...

                                NOON
                                  Sign up now at                                                                         45 Rockefeller Pl. Ste. 2000 New York, NY
                                westfaironline.com                                                                  (212) 574-7943 • www.nortonadvisorygroup.com

                                                                                                                                    FCBJ        WCBJ          JANUARY 24, 2022   3
BEARDSLEY ZOO PLANS CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION
CLICK HERE
                                                                                                                                                                                             FOR VIDEO

Budget Director Mujica, left, and Gov. Hochul at budget presentation Jan. 18, 2022.                     Hochul describes what's in new budget, Jan. 18, 2022.

                             Reaction to proposed $216.3B state budget;
                                   businesses promised new help
BY BRIDGET MCCUSKER
AND PETER KATZ                               by pass-through entities with less       shore wind infrastructure.                set aside for the state’s Regional     local leaders to also take a strong

T
                                             than $1.5 million in income earned            The Business Council of              Economic Development Councils          look at the regulatory and local
         he New York State Executive         within New York state. Mujica esti-      Westchester (BCW) also expressed          and community revitalization proj-     land use barriers that still ham-
         Budget for Fiscal Year (FY)         mates that 195,000 small business-       its approval for aspects of the bud-      ects.                                  per building the housing we need,”
         2023 was unveiled Jan. 18           es would be helped.                      get, including the authorization               The BCW voiced its disappoint-    said Timothy Foley, CEO and exec-
by Gov. Kathy Hochul and Budget                   The new budget extends aid for      for the state to provide up to three      ment, however, that the budget did     utive vice president of the Building
Director Robert Mujica Jr., and totals       theaters and music venues in New         additional casino licenses statewide,     not include any regulatory reform      and Realty Institute on behalf of
$216.3 billion, an increase of $3.4          York City. The value of the program      including the Downstate region.           measures, a key advocacy area          the Welcome Home Westchester
billion from the current estimate of         is doubled from $100 million to               “A full-gaming license for           for the group, to combat what it       campaign. “That will ensure that
what will be spent in FY 2022.               $200 million to provide one-time         Empire City has been the Business         describes as overly aggressive         Westchester's working families
     The budget calls for a surplus          aid to eligible productions and revi-    Council of Westchester's top leg-         enforcement of newly enacted           benefit from this level of invest-
for the year of $6.4 billion. The            talize tourism in the city.              islative priority for the last four       government regulations, especial-      ment, rather than see it flow to
state’s general cash fund balance is              Infrastructure updates include      years and in recent months, we            ly for small businesses with fewer     communities where it is easier to
expected to shrink by $2.9 billion           a new $32 billion Department of          have consistently urged the gover-        resources to ensure compliance.        build accessory dwelling units,
under the new budget.                        Transportation capital plan over the     nor and legislature to get this done           “We will continue to urge the     transit-oriented development, and
     Hochul and Mujica spoke                 next five years, $500 million for pro-   this year,” said BCW Executive Vice       governor and the legislature to look   other ways of filling our housing
about the budget at the statehouse           moting wind power, $500 million for      President John Ravitz. “This is a         at the BCW’s regulatory reform rec-    shortage."
in Albany. Mujica is a holdover              clean water infrastructure and $1.6      crucial step for the long-term eco-       ommendations and include them               The budget provides for the
from the Cuomo administration.               billion to provide affordable broad-     nomic health of both Westchester          in the budget,” Ravitz said.           state to pay a bonus to frontline
     Small businesses would be eli-          band access across the state.            and the Bronx, and we will careful-            The budget also included          health care workers of up to
gible for a new tax relief program                The budget accelerates the          ly monitor the progress in getting        a new five-year, $25 billion com-      $3,000. It’s to help with recruit-
targeting Covid-related expenses.            phase-in of lower income tax rates       these licenses approved.”                 prehensive housing plan to cre-        ment and retention of qualified
The program provides up to $250              for the middle class. The incremen-           The budget took note of the          ate and preserve 100,000 afford-       frontline health care workers and
million in additional relief to small        tal cuts began in 2018 and were          start of mobile sports betting in the     able homes and electrify another       direct support professionals. The
businesses with the total figure put         scheduled to fully phase in by           state. It reported that four opera-       50,000, for which the “Welcome         amount of the bonus will be based
at $1 billion.                               2025. The lower tax rates will now       tors, Caesars, DraftKings, FanDuel        Home Westchester” campaign             on hours worked and length of
     Eligible Covid-related capital          be fully phased in by 2023, which        and Rush Street Interactive, began        voiced its approval, saying that       time in service.
investments include, but are not             decreases state tax receipts by $162     operations on Jan. 8, 2022, after         housing is much-needed across               “Our state is in a strong finan-
limited to, costs associated with            million in FY 2023.                      having receiving approval from the        the state.                             cial position due to a combination
expanding space to accommodate                    Westchester County Executive        State Gaming Commission. On the                The campaign is overseen by       of factors, increased tax receipts,
social distancing, HVAC equip-               George Latimer praised Hochul’s          first weekend, they took in $150          the Building and Realty Institute      a thriving stock market and an
ment, expenses related to out-               leadership in the budget propos-         million in bets. More than 650,000        and combines the input of build-       influx of federal aid through the
door space expansions, as well as            al, particularly for its $900 million    unique player accounts were uti-          ing and development companies          American Rescue Plan and the
machinery and equipment to facil-            in child care stabilization grants,      lized. The budget book noted that         with economic leaders like the         Infrastructure Act, some of which
itate contactless sales.                     which will cover operational costs       BetMGM, under common owner-               Westchester County Association         have already been received, some
     An element providing limited            for 15,000 child care providers          ship with the Empire City Casino          and Nonprofit Westchester, aca-        with more still to come,” Hochul
income tax relief to small business-         statewide and which Latimer              in Yonkers, started operations on         demic leaders studying housing         said. “As we assess the risks, we
es was introduced in the budget. It          described as urgently needed, and        Jan. 17.                                  and community organizations            do have concerns about long-term
allows qualifying businesses to sub-         transportation and road improve-              Along with approval for fund-        focused on housing, homelessness       economic erosion caused by the
tract up to 15% of their net business        ments. Latimer also recognized           ing toward the health care system,        and assistance.                        pandemic and the impact of infla-
income or farm income from the               the importance of the $4 billion         tax relief, transportation and child           “(It) could very well be a        tion and even, hate to say it, but
amount they have to report to the            to be invested as part of the Clean      care, the BCW also voiced support         game-changer for high-cost,            possible resurgence of Covid. We
state for tax purposes. The current          Water, Clean Air and Green Jobs          for the governor’s $1.5 billion pro-      high-tax communities within            just can't predict the future. But I
subtraction is capped at 5%. The             Environmental Bond Act, along            posal to expand SUNY and CUNY             Westchester. We encourage the          want to share with New Yorkers
benefit is expanded to be usable             with the funding set aside for off-      teaching staff and the $1 billion         Governor, the legislature, and         that we are prepared.”

 4           JANUARY 24, 2022                FCBJ           WCBJ
BEARDSLEY ZOO PLANS CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION
Hudson Steppe developer sues Ossining for building permit
BY BILL HELZEL
                                                                                                                  application with all the asso-                 permit be reinstated, in a letter to
Bheltzel@westfairinc.com                                                                                          ciated documents, plans, and                   Agostinelli, according to the petition, but

A
                                                                                                                  permit fees will be required ...               received no response.
         fter securing numerous govern-                                                                           if you are moving forward with                     Then, Kahan allegedly advised
         ment approvals for the long-de-                                                                          the proposed scope of work."                   Ossining Land to take up the issue to the
         layed Hudson Steppe housing                                                                                  The problem, according                     Village Code Board of Appeals, an entity
project in the village of Ossining, spend-                                                                        to the petition, is that work                  that the developer says does not exist.
ing more than $1.3 million on fees and                                                                            was being done by a subcon-                        Kahan said the building permit
back taxes, getting a building permit and                                                                         tractor, JDA Contracting Corp.,                was "effectively revoked," in a letter
starting site work, the village abruptly                                                                          Ossining, and not by ASF                       to the developer's attorney, Darius P.
stopped the project.                                                                                              Construction & Excavation Inc.,                Chafizadeh, White Plains, and was not
    Ossining Land LLC claims that an                                                                              the Cortlandt Manor contractor                 subject to renewal. Ossining Land would
inspector's decision to invalidate the                                                                            listed on the building permit.                 have to "start the process anew."
building permit was unlawful, and it                                                                                  Ossining Land argues                           The     developer      arg ues    that
petitioned Westchester Supreme Court                                                                              that the village code does not                 Agostinelli does not have the discre-
on Jan. 13 to compel the inspector to                                                                             require a subcontractor to                     tion to invalidate a permit where work
                                               Hudson Steppe project.
renew the permit.                                                                                                be listed on a building permit                  began before the six-month commence-
    If the permit is not reinstated, the       in an email that the building permit was                 application, and that the village acted                  ment deadline.
developer argues, the village could            "invalid and closed" because work had                    in bad faith by not holding a hearing to                     Ossining Land is asking the court to
also cancel several land-use approvals,        not commenced in time.                                   allow the developer to defend its actions.               set aside the building inspector's action
"jeopardizing the revitalization of the            The inspector said "a new permit                         The developer demanded that the                      and compel him to renew the permit.
dilapidated, run-down parcels of land
in the village's downtown that will pro-
vide much-needed housing (as well as
affordable housing) to the residents of
the village."
    Stuart E. Kahan, the village's corpo-
rate counsel, said the action by the build-
ing inspector "to revoke the building per-
mit was taken in accord with the village
code." He offered no additional comment
on the allegations, stating that the village
had not been served with the lawsuit.
    The 5.9-acre Hudson Steppe property
at 34 State St. was once home to a wall-
paper factory and offices, and it includes
the Smith-Robinson House, a mid-1800s
mansion that is on the village's register
of historic properties.
    The developer wants to erect three
buildings with 189 apartments on a slope
overlooking the Hudson River and to
renovate the mansion for use as offices.
    Ossining Land is affiliated with North
Hill Capital Management, Manhattan,
and is operated by Jonathan Kloos of

                                                               Managing Your Money in Retirement
Metropolis Realty Advisors.
    From 2004 through early 2021,
the architectural review board, histor-
ic preservation commission, planning
board, zoning board and village trustees                          Whether you are planning your retirement or currently enjoying the retired life, knowing
granted several land-use approvals for                               how best to manage your investments and retirement savings can be a challenge.
the project, according to the petition.
    The building permit was approved a                                                  The Trust Officers and Investment Managers of First County Advisors
year ago for construction estimated at
                                                                                  can help with the answers you need, including highly personalized solutions
$34.5 million. Work had to begin within
six months, by village code, or no later                                                                           that meet your retirement goals and plans.
than July 19.
    Ossining Land says that preparations                                                                                                       Learn more, or meet with our team.
such as stockpiling materials and fencing
began in early June. Excavation started                                                                                                                FirstCountyAdvisors.com
on July 16.                                            The Wealth Management Division of First County Bank                                                          203.462.4294
    On July 19, the deadline for beginning
the work, Kahan, the village attorney,               Investments in stocks, bonds, mutual funds or other marketable securities are not a deposit or other obligation and are not guaranteed by First County
exchanged emails with Kloos, acknowl-                Advisors, the Wealth Management Division of First County Bank; are not insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) or any other federal
edging that excavation had started,                  government agency; and are subject to investment risks, including possible loss of the principal invested. This is not an offer or recommendation of
                                                     particular investment products or services nor is it intended to provide specific financial, legal or tax advice. When First
according to the petition.                           County Bank is acting solely as a custodian of assets, First County Advisors does not provide investment advice, research,   NOT FDIC  May Lose Value
    But on Sept. 15, Building Inspector              or recommendations, or solicit transactions in connection with accommodation trades.                                         INSURED   No Bank Guarantee
Joseph Agostinelli notified the developer

                                                                                                                                             FCBJ            WCBJ               JANUARY 24, 2022                5
BEARDSLEY ZOO PLANS CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION
1    Yonkers—
    of the White Plains-based firm Zarin
    & Steinmetz told the Yonkers Planning
    Board that when Azorim went before the
    city’s Zoning Board to request a 10-story
    height variance for the project, the city
    hired an economist who did a financial
    review of the proposal that did not get
    built.
        Zarin said that the economist realized
    that the 15-story project was never built
    because “the project was economically
    underwater, there was no return, and
    the expert report that the city received
    demonstrated that even at 25 stories with
    the 10 over the 15 our client is just mak-
    ing a rate of return that one would argue
    is acceptable.”
        Zarin said that Azorim initially want-
    ed to do a 27-story building with 267
    apartments but after hearing comments
    eliminated two stories and 17 units.
        The proposed tower would include
    a parking garage with 222 spaces. An
    additional 25 parking spaces would be
    located off-site at 56-60 Buena Vista
    Ave., an approximately 387-feet walk
    from the tower at 44 Hudson St. The
    entrance to the off-site lot would have a
    motorized gate, which residents would
    be able to operate using a Key FOB.
    The tower would be built on a 0.43-acre
    parcel at the corner of Hudson Street
    and Hawthorne Avenue in downtown
    Yonkers. The second parcel of 0.22-acres
    located on Buena Vista Avenue would be
    for the outdoor parking lot.
        There would be 1,699 square feet of
    ground floor retail space in the tower.
    Amenities for residents would include: a
    party room; a library; a conference room;
    a gym; two lounges; a rooftop garden;
    and a children’s playroom.
        “The project will be compatible
    with the neighborhood, as numerous
    multi-family structures are located with-
    in the immediate vicinity of the pro-
    posed tower, including along the north
    side of Hudson Street and the west side
    of Hawthorne Avenue. In addition, the
    proposed tower itself will not border
    on any residential or institutional uses,
    but is adjoined to the south and east by
    a commercial plaza,” Steinmetz had told
    planners.
        Steinmetz pointed out that the
    Zoning Board declared itself lead agency
    for conducting an environmental review
    of the project under SEQRA, the State
    Environmental Quality Review Act. The
    review included among other things a
    traffic study, study of shadows the build-
    ing would cast onto other properties and
    an economic study.                           Rendering of proposed building at 44 Hudson St., Yonkers, as seen from just above street level.
        Murat Mutlu of INOA Architecture         tower,” Mutlu said. He said there would                 and communication lines will be relocat-        water runoff and slowly release it.
    said that the parking garage would be        be parking entrances on both Hudson                     ed underground along the Hudson Street              Steinmetz said that rents on 25 of
    five stories above grade and two-and-        Street and Hawthorne Avenue.                            building frontage. Two or three utility poles   the apartments would be priced to fit
    one-half stories below grade.                    Mutlu pointed out that the proposed                 likely would be removed. To mitigate the        into the city’s affordable housing cat-
        “The above grade parking structure       building would not stand out because of                 increase in stormwater from the increase in     egory.
    is cladded with glass so that it blends in   its height because of other tall buildings              impervious surface at the site, a 2,250-gal-        The Planning Board could vote on
    with the rest of the building and doesn’t    in the area.                                            lon storage tank would be installed in the      whether to approve the project at its Feb.
    feel like a large parking garage under the       The existing above-grade power lines                basement of the building to hold the peak       9 meeting.

     6         JANUARY 24, 2022          FCBJ        WCBJ
BEARDSLEY ZOO PLANS CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION
1      Beardsley Zoo—
                                                                                                                                                  of animals and create a festive
                                                                                                                                                  nightscape. A formal gala will
                                                                                                                                                  be held, and Dancho said he
                                                                                                                                                  hopes to bring back the Beer
                                                                                                                                                  and Wine Safari in June after a
                                                                                                                                                  Covid-induced absence.
                                                                                                                                                      Other activities will
                                                                                                                                                  include a golf tournament,
                                                                                                                                                  projects revolving around
                                                                                                                                                  guest submitted photos, and
                                                                                                                                                  as yet unannounced activities
                                                                                                                                                  alongside the arrival of new
                                                                                                                                                  animals. The first of those
                                                                                                                                                  arrivals is a still unnamed
                                                                                                                                                  giant anteater born in 2021.
                                                                                                                                                  The Beardsley Zoo is polling
                                                                                                                                                  the public to help choose a
                                                                                                                                                  name for its latest addition
                                                                                                                                                  by submitting suggestions
                                                                                                                                                  online at beardsleyzoo.org/
                                                                                                                                                  anteater-naming.html.
    The Beardsley Zoo's new baby anteater hitches a ride on its mother's back. Contributed photo.

    cation, no conservation messaging going
    on. My parents brought us here because it

                                                                 AUCTION
    was the cheap place to take seven kids. It
    was free back then.
         “The single biggest change I see is
    how we perceive animals,” Dancho added,
    emphasizing the change in public percep-
    tion was led by new thinking in the field of
                                                                 BID DEADLINE: FEBRUARY 23
    zookeeping. “Now we’re trying to show how
    beautiful these animals are and how they
    connect with us.”
         Dancho explained that the animals are
    no longer simply considered attractions,
    but are seen as partners in efforts to edu-
    cate the public and key resources in help-
    ing maintain the genetic diversity of rare
    animals from around the world. As one of
    Connecticut’s three facilities accredited by
    the Association of Zoos and Aquariums —
    the Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk and
    Mystic Aquarium are the others — the
    Beardsley Zoo is held up to some of the
    highest standards of animal welfare and
    educational programming quality in the

                                                                    TWELVE MULTI-FAMILY PROPERTIES
    world.
         “We're not here simply to show off ani-
    mals,” Dancho said. “That's not why we're
    here. We're here to work with endangered                                                             NEW ROCHELLE, NY
    species. We're here to work to get people
    understand what the value of this is.”
         To help mark the occasion of the
                                                                                    30 UNITS SURROUNDING IONA COLLEGE
    Beardsley Zoo’s 100-year anniversary, the
    zoo held a design contest for University                                                        Annual Gross Income: $1,057,000
    of Bridgeport marketing and design stu-
    dents to create a temporary centennial logo,                                                       Excellent Investment Options
    which is one the first of a series of major                   Rent to Multi-Families, Student Population and/or Live and Rent Scenarios
    occasions celebrating not only the zoo and
    its animals but also its ties to the commu-
    nity.                                                                                              BUY ONE, SEVERAL OR ALL!
         A new bear habitat is set to open in
    2022, which will mark the return of bears                                                                 A&G Realty Brokerage, LLC
    to the Beardsley Zoo and a step forward
    on their master plan. It also represents the
    largest dollar figure for a single project
    in the zoo’s recent history, according to
    Dancho.
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         Come the fall, the zoo will be decorated                                                       www.agrep-sales.com/NewRochelle
    with lanterns that cast lights in the shapes

                                                                                                                                    FCBJ   WCBJ   JANUARY 24, 2022           7
BEARDSLEY ZOO PLANS CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION
Fairfield County's 2021 office market
                               recorded 23% increase in leasing activity
BY PHIL HALL                                                                                                                                          Within Fairfield County’s submarkets,
Phall@westfairinc.com                                                                                                                             the CBDs in Greenwich and Stamford
                                                                                                                                                  recorded the highest transaction levels,

F
                                                                                                                                                  accounting for 46% of all activity in Q4
        airfield County’s office prop-                                                                                                            and 41% for all of 2021.
        erty market closed 2021 on the                                                                                                                The Greenwich CBD topped its five-
        upswing, according to new data                                                                                                            year quarterly average by 81%, with
published by CBRE.                                                                                                                                92,000 square feet in Q4 and 340,000
    For the full year of 2021, the region’s                                                                                                       square feet for 2021. Financial services
leasing activity totaled 1.7 million square                                                                                                       tenants accounted for 79% of all of the
feet, up 23% from 2020 but 13% below the                                                                                                          Greenwich CBD’s leasing activity last
five-year annual average. For the fourth                                                                                                          year, up from 68% in 2020.
quarter of the year, activity totaled                                                                                                                 The Stamford CBD recorded 268,000
554,000 square feet, up 28% from the                                                                                                              square feet of leasing activity in Q4,
third quarter and 4% above the five-year                                                                                                          which was 39% better than its five-year
quarterly average. Q4 marked the second                                                                                                           quarterly average. For the full year, this
consecutive quarter for increased leas-                                                                                                           submarket totaled 653,000 square feet,
ing activity and the second-best quarter                                                                                                          up by 62% from 2020 but also 16% below
for this commercial real estate sector                                                                                                            its five-year annual average. Stamford’s
since the Covid-19 pandemic took root.                                                                                                            tenants were on the hunt for high-quality
    Sublease space leasing was also on                                                                                                            space, with Class A buildings accounting
the rise, accounting for 22% of all avail-                                                                                                        for 95% of the quarterly total and 90% of
able space during the quarter. This was a                                                                                                         the full year’s transactions.
100 basis points increase from the third                                                                                                              Elsewhere in Fairfield County, leas-
quarter.                                      A view of the Stamford CBD. Photo by JJBers / Flickr Creative Commons.                              ing activity was somewhat less vibrant.
    Q4 also saw the availability rate drop    Putnam Ave. in Greenwich.                               the pricing of high-quality office space    Central Fairfield recorded 69,000
for the second consecutive quarter — a 30          The largest lease renewals involved                above the leasing average, particularly     square feet in Q4 and 201,000 square
basis points decline to 25.9% — although      ONS’ 39,048-square-foot space at 5 High                 in the Stamford central business district   feet for the full year, a 39% year-over-year
that percentage was also close to the         Ridge Park in Stamford and Axiom                        (CBD).                                      decline. The Fairfield East submarket
historically high levels. The market saw      International Investors’ 35,024-square-                      Among the regional submarkets,         saw 135,000 square feet in 2021 activi-
281,000 square feet of positive absorp-       foot space at 33 Benedict Place in                      the Stamford CBD’s average asking rent      ty, down 20% year-over-year, while the
tion last year.                               Greenwich.                                              was down 3% from the previous quarter       Northern Fairfield submarket’s 2021 total
    During Q4, the largest transactions            Fairfield County’s overall ask-                    and down 4% from one year earlier. The      of 29,000 square feet represented an
were Philip Morris USA’s arrival into a       ing average rent in Q4 was $34.58 per                   Greenwich CBD’s rents were up 4% from       88% decline from 2020. The Eastern and
71,484-square-foot space at 677 Washington    square foot, down 3% from the previous                  Q3 to $94.66 per square foot, and this      Northern submarkets only generated
Blvd. in Stamford and Apollo Management       quarter and down 1% from Q4 2020.                       submarket’s average asking rent is now at   23,000 square feet and 9,000 square
LP’s 43,403-square-foot lease at 100 West     CBRE attributed the quarterly decline                   its highest level since Q4 2008.            feet for 2021, respectively.

        Newmark sees strength in Westchester office market
BY PETER KATZ                                                                                                                                     feet at 601 Midland Ave. in Rye became
Pkatz@westfairinc.com                                                                                                                             the top lease transaction for 2021. Just
                                                                                                                                                  behind it were TierPoint’s leasing of

T
                                                                                                                                                  167,270 square feet at 11 and 17 Skyline
        he office market in Westchester                                                                                                           Drive in Hawthorne and Amalgamated
        continued gaining strength in the                                                                                                         Life Insurance Company’s lease for
        fourth quarter of 2021 and closed                                                                                                         105,000 square feet at 333 Westchester
the year on a stable footing, according to                                                                                                        Ave. in White Plains.
a new report from the commercial real                                                                                                                 “The pandemic continued to bring
estate services firm Newmark.                                                                                                                     challenges to markets across the globe,
    The demand for space in Westchester                                                                                                           but also caused business leaders to
during the fourth quarter reached                                                                                                                 reimagine the workplace and adapt to
542,000 square feet, a high since the                                                                                                             a new wave of employees working on
Covid pandemic started. Westchester’s                                                                                                             a hybrid schedule both remotely and
total inventory of office space was                                                                                                               in-office,” Newmark said. “The economy
27,11,634 square feet and at the end of the                                                                                                       and property markets have proven their
year 25.14% remained available for lease.                                                                                                         resilience, though there are obstacles to
The 25.14% was slightly lower than the                                                                                                            navigate to continue to repurpose obso-
25.7% of space available in the third quar-   Newmark office asking rent chart, Q4 2021.                                                          lete assets.”
ter of last year and just below the 25.2%     asked in the fourth quarter of 2021 com-          and was consistent with the county’s                  Newmark noted that office availabili-
availability in the fourth quarter of 2020.   pared with $28.34 in the fourth quarter           annual average from 2015 to 2019.                 ty in White Plains was below that of the
    The average asking rent for               of 2020.                                             Newmark said that a lease in the               county as a whole with a 2.1% drop from
Westchester office space was been fairly          Newmark said that leasing activity            fourth quarter of last year by the New            the third quarter’s 21.2% availability to
stable, with $28.44 per square foot being     during 2021 totaled 2 million square feet         York Blood Center for 187,181 square              20% for the fourth quarter of 2021.

 8          JANUARY 24, 2022         FCBJ         WCBJ
BEARDSLEY ZOO PLANS CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION
CONTRIBUTING WRITER                                                                                                                                               | By Norman G. Grill

                                            Key business tax changes for 2021
BY NORMAN G. GRILL
                                                  certain dollar amount.                          in 2022, the maximum monthly limitation           but additional ones are likely to arise. Taxes

E
                                                       In 2022, these threshold amounts are       for transportation in a commuter highway          are complex and mistakes can be costly,
          very year brings changes to the         $170,050 for single and head of household       vehicle as well as any transit pass is $280.      and one should consider seeking professional
          federal tax codes and 2022 is no        filers and $340,100 for married taxpayers       The monthly limitation for qualified park-        advice on tax matters.)
          exception. Here is a checklist of key   filing joint returns.                           ing is $280.                                           Norm Grill, CPA, is managing partner of
changes to help you with compliance and                Research and Development Tax                                                                 Grill & Partners LLC, certified public accoun-
minimize your tax liability.                      Credit: Starting in 2018, businesses with            (This column is for information only and     tants and consultants to closely held com-
    Standard mileage rates: In 2022, the          less than $50 million in gross receipts can     should not be considered advice. This check-      panies and high-net-worth individuals, with
rate for business miles driven is 58.5 cents      use this credit to offset alternative mini-     list outlines important tax changes for 2022,     offices in Fairfield and Darien.
per mile, up 2.5 cents from the rate for          mum tax. Certain start-up businesses that
2021.                                             might not have any income tax liability
    Section 179 expensing: In 2022, the           will be able to offset payroll taxes with the
Section 179 expense deduction increases           credit as well.
to a maximum deduction of $1.08 million                Work Opportunity Tax Credit:
of the first $2.7 million of qualifying equip-    Extended through 2025, as per the
ment placed in service during the current         Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021,
tax year. This amount is indexed to inflation     the Work Opportunity Tax Credit is avail-
for tax years after 2018. The deduction was       able for employers who hire long-term
enhanced under the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act          unemployed individuals (unemployed for
to include improvements to nonresidential         27 weeks or more) and is generally equal
qualified real property such as roofs, fire       to 40% of the first $6,000 of wages paid to
protection, and alarm systems and secu-           a new hire.
rity systems, and heating, ventilation, and            Employee health insurance expens-
air-conditioning systems.                         es: For taxable years beginning in 2022, the
    Also worth noting is that costs associ-       dollar amount of average wages is $28,700
ated with the purchase of any sport utility       ($27,800 in 2021). This amount is used for
vehicle, treated as a Section 179 expense,        limiting the small employer health insur-
cannot exceed $27,000.                            ance credit and for determining who is an
    Bonus depreciation: Businesses are            eligible small employer for purposes of the
allowed to immediately deduct 100% of the         credit.
cost of eligible property placed in service            Business meals and entertainment
after Sept. 27, 2017, and before Jan. 1, 2023,    expenses: Taxpayers who incur food and
after which it will be phased downward            beverage expenses associated with oper-
over a four-year period: 80% in 2023, 60%         ating a trade or business are able to deduct
in 2024, 40% in 2025, 20% in 2026, and 0%         100% (50% for tax years 2018-2020) of these
in 2027 and years beyond.                         expenses for tax years 2021 and 2022, as
    Qualified business income deduc-              per the Consolidated Appropriations Act
tion: Eligible taxpayers are able to deduct       of 2021, as long as the meal is provided by
up to 20% of certain business income from         a restaurant.
qualified domestic businesses, as well as              Employer-provided transportation
certain dividends. To qualify for the deduc-      fringe benefits: If you provide transpor-
tion business income must not exceed a            tation fringe benefits to your employees

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                                                                                                                                  FCBJ            WCBJ           JANUARY 24, 2022              9
BEARDSLEY ZOO PLANS CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION
Southport lawyer bicycles the 10,000-mile                                                                                             M A K IN
                                  in MS research fundraiser                                                                                                I M PA C         G AN

BY PHIL HALL
                                                                                                                                                                               T
                                                                                                                                                                            2 02
                                                                                                                                                                                   2
Phall@westfairinc.com

O        n New Year’s Eve, Mark Carey
         completed the final 15 miles of
         the 10,000-mile of his solo bicy-
cle ride that began on Jan. 10, 2021, with
the goal of raising awareness and dona-
tions for multiple sclerosis research.
    “For the curious, 10,000 miles is
roughly three trips across the United
States from Point Arena, California, the
westernmost point of the U.S., to West
Quoddy Head, Maine, the easternmost
point of the U.S.,” said Carey, who is       diagnosed with MS before we got mar-           a year prior to the beginning of the       and by the end of the year he amassed
the owner of Carey of Associates PC a        ried and has been dealing with it since,”      pandemic about some fellow who had         more than $16,000 in donations.
Southport-based law firm specializing        he said, adding that at the start of 2021      ridden the 10,000 miles in Brooklyn and        “According to the National MS
in employment discrimination litiga-         his wife saw a news article about prog-        Queens.” While he participated in MS       Society, I ranked seventh overall in
tion.                                        ress being made on a vaccine to prevent        fundraising rides before, he decided to    the individual fundraising category for
    Carey stated his bicycling routes        the further spread of MS in a body.            push himself further.                      2021,” he said.
were “typically all around Fairfield             “To hear news like that, it's like solv-      “I contacted the National MS Society        For 2022, Carey is doing an encore
County,” with three-fourths of his mile-     ing cancer,” he said. “But I was like, ‘What   on January 10 and set up an individual     fundraising ride, with the goal of ped-
age accumulated on the open road and         can I do? I'm only a lawyer — I represent      DIY fundraiser, which I didn't know they   aling 15,000 miles through Dec. 31. He
the remaining miles clocked in during        people who have MS. But there's nothing        had,” he said. “They set up a Facebook     added that he hoped other people would
inclement weather on a trainer bike in       I physically do.’”                             page landing page and I would just redi-   follow his example by using sports activ-
his garage and on a Peloton exercise             Carey recalled being inspired to pur-      rect all my social media to that.”         ities to fundraise for medical research.
bike.                                        sue this accomplishment when he read              Carey updated his social media fol-         “If people can do that, that would be
    “About 30 years ago, my wife was         “an article in the Wall Street Journal         lowers throughout 2021 on his progress,    inspiring,” he said.

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 10         JANUARY 24, 2022         FCBJ       WCBJ
Real estate’s rebound examined in HGAR event
BY PETER KATZ                                                               school reopening for in-person learn-
Pkatz@westfairinc.com                                                       ing.

N
                                                                                “If you wanted your child to stay in
          ew York’s resilience and the                                      school in New York you needed to move
          rebound in the real estate market                                 back to the city,” Tracey said. “Suddenly
          in the city as well as throughout                                 you were going to be working from home
the Hudson Valley came under scrutiny                                       with kids going back to school and you
during a webinar produced by the Hudson                                     needed something bigger, larger. Your
Gateway Association of Realtors (HGAR)                                      concept of what it meant to live in a New
in the series “Getting the Deal Done.”                                      York City apartment and the space you
     HGAR’s CEO Richard Haggerty                                            needed changed dramatically.”
said, “We rounded out last year with                                            Tracey said that at Citi they see the
record-breaking numbers. The post-                                          Federal Reserve tightening interest rates
Covid surge and recovery continued                                          in small steps through 2024 to control
well into 2021. Comparing 2021 resi-                                        inflation, which will result in mortgage
dential sales to 2019 residential sales,        Richard Haggerty.           rate increases. She said the bank sees
Westchester was up 19%, Putnam                                              10-year adjustable rate mortgages at
County 10.6%, Rockland 19%, Orange                                          around 2.1% by the end of the year. She
11%, Dutchess 20%, Suffolk almost 12%.                                      said the bank does not see mortgage
Interestingly, Queens and the Bronx                                         rates going into the 6, 7 and 8% range.
had just an incredible rebound: Queens                                          Joe Rand, chief creative officer of
65.7%, 2021 over 2020, and Bronx 61%                                        Howard Hanna-Rand Realty and exec-
from 2020.”                                                                 utive director of Broker Public Portal
     Haggerty reported that there was                                       said, “In a time when people see infla-
some softening of the market in the                                         tion coming, real estate is generally a
fourth quarter of 2021.                                                     good hedge on inf lation. That should
     “I really expected that to happen,                                     help the market overall.”
quite frankly, because we just couldn’t                                         Rand said that rather than focusing
maintain that frenzied pace. I think what                                   on interest rates, people need to pay
we really saw in the fourth quarter of                                      attention to the actual cost of carrying
2021 was a return to the seasonality                                        a home in terms of dollars spent each
of the market that we lost in 2019,”                                        month.
Haggerty said. “In 2019, we knew that the                                       “Right now, in real dollar terms, the
market totally closed down for all intents      Jonathan Miller.            monthly payments to buy a home in the
and purposes in the second quarter,                                         Hudson Valley and Northern New Jersey
came roaring back in terms of showings                                      are … as low as they’ve been anytime
and accepted offers in the third quarter                                    and much lower than the mid-2000s and
and that led to a ton of closings in the                                    much lower than the mid-80s because
fourth quarter.”                                                            the rates have been so low,” Rand said.
     Haggerty said that people should not                                   “Now rates creep up. That’s going to take
be misled by the fourth quarter 2021                                        away a little bit of that and the fact is
softness.                                                                   prices have gone up.”
     “I’m very bullish as we go into 2022,"                                     Miller said that the residential rental
Haggerty said.                                                              market recovery is following the level of
     Jonathan Miller of Manhattan-based                                     office reopenings.
real estate appraisers and consultants                                          “All those central business districts
Miller Samuel Inc., said, “Westchester                                      are going to enjoy greater tenancy
and counties north of the city just were                                    because ultimately if I have to come in a
rocket ships as I described it in terms                                     couple of days a week versus five days a
of activity and Manhattan was asleep.                                       week at home maybe I’ll live closer to the
The city now is the outlier in the sense        Marissa Tracey.             office,” Miller said.
that they still haven’t caught up to what                                       Tracey said that financial services
happened in the surrounding counties                                        companies want to see their employees
and I think we’re going to see that in the                                  in the office.
first half of 2022; heavy, heavy volume                                         “I don’t think it’s a one day a week.
continuing, bidding wars rising, all that                                   I think three days a week may be the
intensity.”                                                                 new normal,” Tracey said. “Some people
     Miller said that the suburbs have a                                    may be able to get two, some people it
problem that the city doesn’t have.                                         may be four, but I think that at the sort
     “The city … it has more to sell,” Miller                               of studio/one-bedroom purchase price
said. “The characteristic for the suburbs                                   and the rental market you’re going to see
and you could argue for most of the                                         increased demand there because … the
country is that inventory is not just low,                                  younger people, the 30s and under, who
it is insanely low.”                                                        now need to be in the office are going
     Marissa Tracey, director and glob-                                     to need a place to live and for those two
al private banker at Citi Private Bank,                                     days a week when they are working from
said that the demand for residential real                                   home they want a nice place to live and
estate in Manhattan was driven in part in                                   they’re willing to spend more money on
the second and third quarters of 2021 by        Joe Rand.                   that.”

                                                                    FCBJ   WCBJ         JANUARY 24, 2022           11
Clarapath trailblazes
                    tin automating laboratory pathology processes
BY BRIDGET MCCUSKER
bmccusker@westfairinc.com

A         lthough you have likely used their
          services throughout your life either
          directly or indirectly, you may have
never heard of histotechnicians or histotech-
nologists, who prepare tissue specimens
for examination by clinicians, surgeons or
researchers. Their work allows biopsied tis-
sue processed in pathology laboratories to be
identified, whether it be a tumor, an abnormal-
ity or healthy tissue.
     Just as demand for many health care
careers is increasing, though, so is the demand
for histotechnology experts. According to
an article published by the National Society
for Histotechnology’s blog, shortages in the
industry have reached a critical status, driven
largely by an aging workforce and increase
in retirement rates, along with a declining
number of clinical education programs. The
education issue has been reinforced by the
Covid-19 pandemic, wherein students have
had more difficulty accessing clinical rounds.
As a result of all of this, there are not enough
qualified individuals to fill current vacancies.
     A Westchester medical technology and          Clarapath’s SectionStar.
robotics company, Clarapath, is hoping to
address this problem, however, through their       changed from then (2014) to now. Back then,       finalized and has undergone several pilot
automated laboratory tools. The SectionStar,       the average age of a histotechnician was          programs in clinical settings like Northwell
Clarapath’s device, is a machine that mimics       probably about 50 years old … Today the           Health, but has no official customers yet.
a human histotechnician.                           average age of the workforce is 59. Then          Its Series B round of funding brought in $16
     Originally, Clarapath was conceived as a      Covid hit, and you’ve heard and read in the       million, from sources like The 4100 Group,
spinoff of Dr. Partha Mitra’s research at Cold     news that clinicians are overworked, and          East Post Road Ventures (the investment arm
Spring Harbor Labs, a biomedical research          people are exhausted. COVID has just put a        of White Plains Hospital), Epiphron Capital,
and education facility located in Long Isand.      serious dent in things, and people are now        Northwell Ventures, P5 Health Ventures and
Mitra’s research concerned neuroanatomy,           exiting the workforce at a much higher rate.      other organizations. That most recent fund-
and thus necessitated brain tissue samples,             "So you have no one actually filling the     ing round brings Clarapath’s total raised to
numbering in the hundreds of thousands. His        funnel of talent while people are leaving, and    $39 million.
lab used a manual histopathological method         you've got an increase in demand for test-             According to Feinstein, the new funding           Clarapath President and CEO Eric Feinstein.
called the “tape-transfer method,” in which        ing. We have a fundamental problem where          will be used to support Clarapath as it plans
brain tissue is cut into micrometer-thin sec-      the demand for tests is going up and we have      to expand rapidly, in terms of products and            important. And obviously people are the
tions, transferred to a piece of tape, and then    a supply of talent going down. So if you don't    services, mergers and acquisitions, work-              most important asset — it's impossible if we
transported to glass slides for examination.       have enough people to, again, process tissue,     force and even physical space. The company             didn't have a very, very robust workforce.”
     According to Clarapath’s president and        you've got a really big problem — it's a public   plans to expand its corporate headquarters                  Feinstein is confident that the technology
CEO Eric Feinstein, this process, called micro-    health problem.”                                  presence on Skyline Drive in Hawthorne by              will reach across both clinical and nonclinical
tomy, is the only step in tissue processing that        Clarapath’s automation and cutting-edge      building out a new facility for on-site integra-       settings to meet a long-overdue need.
has not yet been automated. Seeing this need,      robotics have the potential to transform          tion and fabrication.                                       “This is the entire premise of what we're
Mitra, who remains with Clarapath as a mem-        the industry. Histotechnical processes have            Feinstein also said that the company’s            doing here — to provide a new standard in
ber of its board of directors, was inspired to     always required human expertise and con-          location in Westchester allows it to sit at the        laboratories … to become ubiquitous in every
create a fully automated microtomy system,         trol, but the company’s technology has been       cross section of multiple industry hot spots —         hospital laboratory, as well as research and
which we know now as the SectionStar. The          through roughly eight years of development        precision manufacturing in upstate New York,           pharmaceutical," he said. "You'd hope that
SectionStar makes the process scalable, miti-      to mimic all the necessary skills of the human    Connecticut and Western Massachusetts,                 there's something better than what exists
gating delays and costs, and allows for more       hand, eyes and brain in the process, packag-      pharmaceutical firms in New Jersey and tech-           — that's the frightening thing here. To most
precise results.                                   ing nine steps into one device. Automation        nology and software in Manhattan.                      people, you know, pathology and laboratory
     Feinstein said the tape-transfer method,      also reduces the risk of mistakes in medical           “So we kind of blend in here … We bring           medicine is like a redheaded stepchild that
the unique way of cutting the tissue and           procedures like biopsies that rely on these       all of those disciplines together. Most orga-          no one wants to talk to. It’s sitting in the
putting it back together, was the genesis of       processes.                                        nizations don't have all of them under one             basement of a hospital, it’s in the dungeon.
Clarapath.                                              The technology is not just for clinical      roof, particularly at a company of this size.          It doesn't matter where you go. There are
     “There was a very pragmatic sort of prob-     markets, for patients of hospitals, clinics and   We also bring all of the pharma companies              always capital constraints and yet, it is the
lem, which is that we don't have enough            medical centers, but also for nonclinical set-    and customers as well as clinical customers.           crux of practicing medicine. And you would
people to cut the tissue. What do we do?”          tings in which cell and tissue samples are        So with Northwell and White Plains Hospital,           think that all of these things are fully auto-
Feinstein said. “So let's create a machine to      necessary, like drug and toxicology devel-        and New York Medical College, we happen to             mated, with no issues. The reality is that this
automate it. Little did the original founder       opment, pharmaceutical firms and contract         be sitting in a lot of clinical sites. It's bringing   particular area of pathology, and this is not
and everyone else know at the time that            research organizations.                           all of that together under one roof. The labor         an exaggeration, hasn't changed in over a
there was a severe labor shortage. A lot's              The SectionStar device is currently being    force, and the ecosystem around it, is very            hundred years.”

 12         JANUARY 24, 2022              FCBJ         WCBJ
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