– Ginsburg Development Companies (GDC) and Haverstraw village officials today celebrated the completion of the final phase of the new Haverstraw Waterfront Promenade Park, a half-mile long village park adjacent to GDC’s Harbors-at-Haverstraw residential development.

Martin Ginsburg, Principal of GDC, turned over a symbolic key to Haverstraw Village Mayor Michael Kohut in a ceremony at the waterfront park. GDC agreed to build a park for the village as part of the Harbors-at-Haverstraw project. Development cost of the new park was $4.5 million.

A new and final permanent sculpture for the park was also dedicated at the event. Named “The Sentinel,” the 34-foot tall red and blue steel sculpture features 7-foot wide steel discs and is topped by a brass sphere. The sculpture was designed by Mr. Ginsburg, GDC Chief Architect Leoncio Torres and sculpture fabricator Mike Fasciano.

The new sculpture joins two other concrete and steel sculptures by renowned sculptor Peter Lundberg and Swedish sculptor Claes Hake. In addition to the new park, the Harbors development also features the Esperanza Fountain, a lagoon with kayak launch and a bridge over the lagoon.

“Today marks another milestone for this innovative development that has transformed a former industrial property into a thriving residential community with spectacular views of the Hudson River. We are particularly pleased to complete this new promenade park where everyone can enjoy the beauty and grandeur of the Hudson as well as world-class sculpture,” said Mr. Ginsburg.

“The Village of Haverstraw welcomes the addition of this portion of Harbors’ Promenade,” said Haverstraw Mayor Michael Kohut. “It completes a picturesque vista on the Hudson shoreline unmatched on either side of the river and moves the promise of miles of public waterfront access closer to reality. I invite all the public to enjoy this park and its access to the beautiful Hudson River.”

“The completion of the Haverstraw Waterfront Promenade Park is a great addition to historic Haverstraw, where the views of the Hudson River are unprecedented and where such a beautiful waterfront park promotes our community throughout the region,” said Haverstraw Town Supervisor Howard T. Phillips, Jr.

The completion of the Haverstraw Waterfront Promenade Park closely follows the grand opening last month of Riverside at Harbors-at-Haverstraw, a new resort-style luxury rental apartment residence located directly on the banks of the Hudson River. Riverside, which is the next phase of Harbors-at-Haverstraw, features 106 spaciously designed studio, 1-, 2- and 3-bedroom apartments.

Creating attractive public spaces with monumental sculpture along the Hudson River has become a hallmark of Mr. Ginsburg’s developments. Last month, GDC installed
a towering 42-foot tall sculpture by Peter Lundberg at Harbor Square, a new luxury rental complex that GDC is building on the Ossining waterfront. The sculpture is the centerpiece of a new waterfront park and promenade that GDC is building as part of the Harbor Square complex. Dedication of the new park and promenade is scheduled for September.

Mr. Ginsburg, who has long been an advocate of promoting tourism along the Hudson River, envisions a sculpture trail along other rivertown waterfronts from New York City to Albany and combining with Dia Art Foundation in Beacon and Storm King Art Center in New Windsor to create the largest outdoor museum in the world.

GDC, which last year launched its GDC Rentals brand of luxury rentals, currently has three other resort-style luxury rental projects under construction in the Hudson Valley. They include Harbor Square, a 188-unit luxury rental development on the Ossining waterfront; River Tides at Greystone, a 330-unit luxury rental complex overlooking the Hudson in Yonkers; and The Lofts on Saw Mill River, 66 loft-style rental apartments in the Village of Hastings-on-Hudson. GDC recently announced plans to transform the former St. Mary’s Convent property in Peekskill into a resort-style tourist destination that would feature a spa, inn, restaurant, 177 luxury apartments and 20 townhomes as well as 50 acres of woodlands and trails to Fort Hill Park. In Yonkers, GDC has unveiled plans for a 55-unit luxury apartment building in the Greystone neighborhood of Yonkers.

For more information about GDC Rentals, please visit www.gdcrentals.com.

About Ginsburg Development Companies
Founded in 1964 by principal Martin Ginsburg, Ginsburg Development Companies (GDC) is a premier residential developer in the northern suburbs of New York City. With 50 years of experience and market leadership, GDC has built many of the region’s most successful and prestigious luxury developments, many with a Hudson River and/or transit-friendly focus, including Harbors at Haverstraw, Livingston Ridge in Dobbs Ferry, Ichabod’s Landing in Sleepy Hollow, Mystic Pointe in Ossining, Marbury Corners in Pelham and Christie Place in Scarsdale. GDC’s developments have won numerous design and community planning awards. In addition, GDC owns and manages a portfolio of commercial properties, located primarily in Westchester County, NY.

Rental Units Would Meet Guidelines of Westchester County Housing Settlement
With U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development

CHAPPAQUA, NY (July 24, 2015) — A proposal to create up to 32 units of affordable housing in the iconic former Reader’s Digest headquarters building at Chappaqua Crossing in the Town of New Castle has been submitted to the Town Board by Summit Greenfield Partners, the owners of the 120-acre campus.

A petition was submitted to the town this week that seeks to amend the Office District zoning regulations to allow for residential use of the upper two floors of the centerpiece four-story Georgian-style, cupola-topped Reader’s Digest building which opened in 1939. The petition also seeks a corresponding adjustment to a previously approved plan for residential development on the property.

The affordable rental housing will comply with the guidelines set forth in the settlement agreement between Westchester County and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, and county officials have expressed their support for the proposal. It will include a mix of studio, one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments.

The 111-unit residential layout on the 30 acres of the site that was approved in 2011 will be adjusted to show all 91 market-rate units as fee-simple townhomes, while the 20 affordable apartments that had been planned for that site will be included in the Cupola Building along with an additional 12 affordable apartments.

“We believe this is a unique opportunity to create high-quality affordable housing in a distinctive setting,” said Felix Charney, President of Summit Development, a Summit/Greenfield partner. “We are very pleased to be able to adaptively re-use office space in this classic building while providing much- needed affordable housing.”

With the zoning in place for 120,000-square-feet of retail space at Chappaqua Crossing that is now in the final stages of review by the town, Chappaqua Crossing will provide future residents with direct access to shopping. Chappaqua Crossing will also offer regular shuttle service to the Chappaqua MetroNorth train station, as well as proximity to schools and other services.

In addition to the future retail uses, Chappaqua Crossing also includes [more than 450,000] [500,000] square feet of office space that currently includes a mix of tenants including North Westchester Hospital and the Mount Kisco Medical Group, thereby offering opportunities to work as well as live on the beautifully landscaped campus-like property that overlooks the Saw Mill River Parkway and the wooded hills beyond.
“After many years of review, the future of this signature property is at last coming together,” Charney noted. “Once again, the site will be the valuable asset for the town and its residents as it was in its heyday as a corporate center, while offering so much more.”

More than two dozen commercial brokers from some of the region’s leading real estate firms on Wednesday joined Yonkers Mayor Mike Spano for a tour of some of the city’s most unique and exciting office spaces.

The trolley tour showcased renovated industrial space, lofts and modern buildings that are affordably priced and appealing to entrepreneurs, start-ups and companies targeting a growing workforce of Millennials. The tour included stops at iPark Lofts, Alexander Smith Carpet Mills, 66 and 86 Main Street, among several others.

It concluded with a reception at Peter Kelly’s Xaviars X2O on the Hudson where Mayor Spano highlighted Yonkers’ great assets, notably restaurants, new rental housing, spectacular views of the Hudson and quick and easy access to Manhattan.

“Whether it’s high-tech, biotech, the arts, healthcare or start-ups, we have incredible space available right here in Yonkers – at a fraction of the cost of New York City and elsewhere in the region,” said Mayor Spano. “Yonkers truly is the best-kept secret in the Metropolitan area and our office space is ideal for smart tenants looking for great space.”

The tour showcased fantastic office properties with high ceilings, original hardwood floors, spectacular Hudson River views and lots of potential. Many of these properties offer businesses a creative and appealing office environment that is affordable, accessible and modern, the mayor noted.

View a photo gallery of spaces and check out pictures from the tour on the Generation Yonkers Facebook page.

The trolley tour complements other exciting efforts recently launched by the Generation Yonkers campaign, notably a series of videos that take viewers on virtual tour of some of the truly unique buildings and loft spaces available throughout Yonkers. Called Space Invaders, the segments showcase many of the buildings highlighted in the tour.

Both the in-person tour and videos draw on Yonkers’ assets: It is just 25 minutes by train to Grand Central Terminal and is accessible to major highways, roadways and bridges, four major airports and public transportation. With its fabulous restaurants, entertainment, shopping and parks, the city is targeting a new generation of business leaders who are looking for quality space at an affordable price and appreciate the great quality of life that Yonkers has to offer. Also notable is that Yonkers was recently named the “Hippest Town” in the Hudson Valley by popular vote on The Journal News’ website LoHud.com.

The Generation Yonkers campaign, which was developed last year, builds on the momentum of many new businesses and exciting development happening throughout the and speaks to Millennials or Generation Y, loosely defined as those born between 1983 and the early 2000’s that represent the next big wave of the nation’s workforce.

Be part of Generation Yonkers. To learn more, call 1-844-GenY-Now, or visit GenerationYonkers.com.

The new initiative will broaden and expand healthcare delivery across the NewYork-Presbyterian continuum of care

NY, NEW YORK (July 16, 2015) — NewYork-Presbyterian has launched a new physician enterprise with the NewYork-Presbyterian Medical Groups (NYPMG) to increase access to primary care, NewYork-Presbyterian’s leading healthcare services and world-renowned specialists. In collaboration with ColumbiaDoctors and Weill Cornell Physicians, the new physician enterprise will offer coordinated care delivery throughout the region with an initial focus on Westchester, Queens and Brooklyn.

“The NewYork-Presbyterian Medical Groups are engaged in a major initiative to bring NewYork-Presbyterian’s distinguished and celebrated patient-centered care directly to communities,” said Dr. Laura L. Forese, president, NewYork-Presbyterian Healthcare System, “NYPMG will be clinically integrated through state-of-the-art technology with ColumbiaDoctors and Weill Cornell Physicians to facilitate patient access to world-class care.”
Patients will experience enhanced service through the use of advanced technology that will enable same-day appointments at physician practices and access to medical records online 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

“The NewYork-Presbyterian Medical Groups are designed to suit the needs of our patients, physicians and surrounding communities,” said Dr. Michael Nochomovitz, senior vice president and chief clinical integration and network development officer of the NewYork-Presbyterian Healthcare System. “We are creating a national model for healthcare delivery in the most unique healthcare market in the nation.”
The NewYork-Presbyterian Medical Groups will initially include providers in Lawrence Medical Associates, Westchester Medical Practice and New York Queens Medicine and Surgery which will be renamed NewYork-Presbyterian Medical Group/Westchester, NewYork-Presbyterian Medical Group/Hudson Valley and NewYork-Presbyterian Medical Group/Queens, respectively.

NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital:
NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, based in New York City, is one of the nation’s largest and most comprehensive hospitals and a leading provider of inpatient, ambulatory and preventive care in all areas of medicine. With some 2,600 beds and more than 6,700 affiliated physicians and almost 22,000 employees, NewYork-Presbyterian had more than 2 million visits in 2014, including some 14,000 infant deliveries and more than 262,000 emergency department visits. NewYork-Presbyterian comprises six campuses: NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center, NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia University Medical Center, NewYork-Presbyterian/Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital, NewYork-Presbyterian/The Allen Hospital, NewYork-Presbyterian/Westchester Division and NewYork-Presbyterian/Lower Manhattan Hospital. The hospital is also closely affiliated with NewYork-Presbyterian/Hudson Valley Hospital, NewYork-Presbyterian/Lawrence Hospital and NewYork-Presbyterian/Queens. NewYork-Presbyterian is the #1 hospital in the New York metropolitan area, according to U.S. News & World Report, and consistently named to the magazine’s Honor Roll of best hospitals in the nation. Affiliated with two world-renowned medical schools, Weill Cornell Medical College and Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, NewYork-Presbyterian is committed to excellence in patient care, research, education and community service. For more information, visit www.nyp.org.

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YONKERS, NY – (June 1, 2015) — The City of Yonkers today was declared the “Hippest Town” in the Hudson Valley by popular vote on The Journal News’ website LoHud.com. Yonkers beat out seven other towns and cities over the last month, taking the title by winning over Peekskill in the final round.

In celebrating the win, Mayor Mike Spano today joined residents and business leaders at a local restaurant, Rory Dolans, for the announcement.

“We always knew Yonkers was the hippest town and the place to be,” said Mayor Spano. “Yonkers has everything from our beautiful waterfront and bustling business districts, to an emerging arts community and growing population of Millennials, to our top-notch shopping and dining. LoHud’s poll reconfirmed what so many in the Hudson Valley and beyond have known for years: Yonkers is the place to live, work and play.”

In recent weeks, The Journal News, through its website, www.lohud.com, held the online voting competition and bracketed readers top choices into eight towns and cities, Those were whittled down into four Elite Eight pairings, which gave way to two Final Four brackets. Voters eventually chose their top two towns – the City of Peekskill and the City of Yonkers.

The two mayors held a friendly wager whereby the runner-up would foot the bill at the other mayor’s local restaurant of choice.

“Congratulations to Mayor Catalina and Peekskill for the friendly competition,” added Mayor Spano. “I look forward to calling in our wager and showing what so many people in the Hudson Valley believe and voted for. I’m excited for our trip to Empire City Casino and 5-star restaurant, X20’s.”

In LoHud’s story declaring Yonkers the winner, the news website characterized the victory as “just another feather in the cap of this newly revitalized powerhouse city, which in recent years has invested heavily in the arts, riverfront development and a stronger, safer, hipper downtown business district. (Campaigns) like Generation Yonkers have reached out to the growing Millennial demographic, ensuring Yonkers’ future growth as these young professionals build their lives in the lower Hudson Valley.”

Business owners who have invested in the city were ecstatic with the win and said it shows how great the city is as a destination.
“We are a beautiful city rooted in a rich history and our current growth doesn’t leave that foundation behind,” said John Rubbo, BrewEO of Yonkers Brewing Co. located in Yonkers downtown and waterfront area. “The city offers an array of dining, entertainment, shopping, and more. The Waterfront alone offers a culinary journey from American to Italian to Cuban, dance and arts studios, luxury apartments and of course their very own brewery. To be in competition with places like Peekskill, Nyack, Dobbs Ferry and others is really an honor. Westchester County has so much to offer and being able to showcase our cities like this is important!”
“Yonkers is a suburban community with an urban vitality,” added Peter X. Kelly of X2O Xaviars on the Hudson, “and I am proud to be part of its diversity.”

Yonkers, just 30 minutes by train to Grand Central Station, is New York’s fourth largest city. With fabulous restaurants and entertainment and an enviable location in the New York Metropolitan area, the city is attracting a new generation of business leaders who value an exceptional quality of life and affordable, flexible and accessible commercial office space and lofts for rent in Yonkers.

The Generation Yonkers campaign, which was developed last year, builds on the momentum of many new businesses and exciting development happening throughout the city — particularly along its scenic Hudson River waterfront. It speaks to Millennials or Generation Y, loosely defined as those born between 1983 and the early 2000’s that represent the next big wave of the nation’s workforce.

Be part of Generation Yonkers. To learn more, call 1-844-GenY-Now, or visit GenerationYonkers.com.

Media Contacts:
Christina Gilmartin
Communications Director, Office of the Mayor
City Hall: 914-377-6208
Cell: 914-512-4017
Christina.gilmartin@yonkersny.gov

Jerry McKinstry
Thompson & Bender
(914) 762-1900
Jerry@thompson-bender.com

The National Endowment for the Arts has awarded ArtsWestchester a $35,000 grant to support an exhibition that will explore notions of gender and femininity.

In winning the prestigious award, ArtsWestchester is among 1,023 organizations receiving grants that are supporting exhibitions and promoting opportunities for people in communities across America to experience the arts and exercise their creativity.

ArtsWestchester’s planned exhibition is called SHE: Deconstructing Female Identity. It will feature new and commissioned work created by Westchester and Hudson Valley artists who address ideas of gender and femininity in the 21st century. The exhibition will showcase emerging artists alongside those with established careers, including Laurel Colvin Garcia, Debbie Han, Rebecca Mushtare, Mari Ogihara, Kathy Ruttenberg, Tricia Wright, Nancy Davidson, Marcy B. Freedman and Barbara Segal.

A planned opening is set for March 2016 during Women’s History Month at ArtsWestchester’s gallery in the ArtsExchange building, 31 Mamaroneck Avenue, in White Plains.

“Femininity and gender thread all aspects of society and culture, and what better way to explore those issues than through the arts,” said Janet Langsam, CEO of ArtsWestchester. “We’re grateful to the National Endowment for the Arts and our federal representatives for supporting such an important and worthwhile exhibition.”

The NEA awarded a total of $74.3 million in this round of funding; it’s the second major funding announcement made by the organization in 2015.

“The NEA is committed to advancing learning, fueling creativity, and celebrating the arts in cities and towns across the United States,” NEA Chairman Jane Chu said. “Funding these new projects like the one from ArtsWestchester represents an investment in both local communities and our nation’s creative vitality.”

Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., and Rep. Nita Lowey, D-Harrision, are avid supporters of the arts and ArtsWestchester, the largest, private, not-for-profit arts council in New York State, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year.

“Investments in the arts help bolster creativity and showcase our community’s talent and I am glad these funds will support local artists through ArtsWestchester,” said Senator Gillibrand. “The new exhibit will showcase the works of both emerging and established artists, and I hope their talents will inspire creativity in all who visit the exhibit.”

“The arts are an important part of our regional identity,” said Rep. Lowey. “I’m pleased these federal investments will help ArtsWestchester support local artists who are telling amazing stories that enrich the Lower Hudson Valley. As Ranking Member of the House Appropriations Committee, I will continue to support funding for the National Endowment for the Arts.”

For more information on projects included in the NEA grant announcement, visit www.arts.gov. To learn more about ArtsWestchester, visit www.artswestchester.org. To join the Twitter conversation about this announcement, please use #NEASpring2015.

Yonkers has its share of stars — Ella Fitzgerald, Jon Voight, Steven Tyler, DMX, Mary J. Blige and Lady Gaga (depending on who you listen to.)

The list is long and actually pretty cool when you think about who has come from the City of Gracious Living, or The Y-O as some of my contemporaries call it.

But for my money, it’s the lesser known folks that make Yonkers the place that is: a genuine mix of city, suburban, hip and happening — a city on the move.

 That’s the underlying message of our Generation Yonkers campaign. It builds on the momentum of many new businesses (like Yonkers Brewery, Alamo Draft House and others) and exciting development happening throughout the city — particularly along the scenic Hudson River waterfront.

The campaign speaks to Millennials, or Generation Y, loosely defined as those born between 1983 and the early 2000’s that represent the next big wave of the nation’s workforce and the group that  –priced out of places like Brooklyn and Hoboken — likes what they’re seeing in Yonkers.

It respects the city’s history, and looks to its future.

To that point, nearly 25 percent of The Business Council of Westchester’s Rising Stars winners work, live or are affiliated with Yonkers. The winners come from a variety of backgrounds and represent the diversity and breadth of the city’s economy and its workforce. Media, medical, public safety, brewing, technology and education to name a few.

The Yonkers winners are:
• Amit Rajani, CEO, General Dentist, Yonkers Avenue Dental
• John Rubbo, Founder and “Brew-EO,” Yonkers Brewing Company
• John White III, Firefighter, City of Yonkers Fire Department
• Jaime McGill, Executive Director, Yonkers Industrial Development Agency
• Richard Giacovas, Producer/on air talent, News 12
• Donvil Collins, Founder & President, VeeKast
• Christopher Phillips Senior Vice President, Product Platform and Technology, Mindspark Interactive.
• Jamell Scott, Dean of Scholars and Families/Athletic Director Amani Public Charter School.
• Jennifer Bannan, Director of Marketing and Advertising for Thompson & Bender, the marketing, advertising and communications firm that created the Generation Yonkers campaign.

Mayor Mike Spano recently congratulated the winners for the honors — and understands they are a good representation of the GenY campaign.
“We’ve always known that Yonkers has great people and great businesses, so I’m pleased to see many of our current and future leaders recognized for their contributions,” Mayor Spano said. “Yonkers is a great city to live and work and that’s clear from our Rising Stars winners.”

The Business Council of Westchester’s Rising Stars program is modeled after the national business recognition program “Forty under Forty” and Rising Stars is specifically designed to recognize individuals under the age of 40 who exemplify leadership, foresight and a vision for the future of Westchester County. Winners were selected based on professional and/or entrepreneurial accomplishments, demonstrated leadership qualities and professional and/or business affiliations.

It’s no surprise to me that Yonkers is well represented among the 40 winners. The city is attracting many Rising Stars. Be part of it at @Generation Yonkers.