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AGENDA
POWER POINTS
POWER POINTS
OUR SPACE
A new shared-workplace center in Rye offers city style and suburban convenience.
IF YOU’RE SCHLEPPING TO AND
from a business center, you’re part of the Mad Men work environment, according to John Arenas, CEO of Serendipity Labs (serendipitylabs.com),
a network of shared workspaces with locations
in Chicago and Manhattan, which opened a new location in Rye this past November. “It’s not your father’s way of working,” says Arenas of the com- pany’s brand of co-working space.
Trying to separate itself from that old-school,
Mad Men way of working, while also staying away
from the ultra-communal “hipster vibe” found,
according to Arenas, in other co-working spaces, Serendipity Labs asked professionals what elements would be most important to them if they could create the perfect workplace. High on that
list was spacious design, quiet spaces to help facilitate focused thought, and reliability of technology. They then collaborated with Steelcase, a leading workplace research and design firm, to create that dream workspace. As a result, Serendipity offers the best of both worlds—large spaces ideal for collaborative projects, what
it calls its “Ideation Studio,” and more intimate spaces for those needing a little more privacy, like its “Enclaves” and “Private Retreats.” Members also have secure access to the Internet and, optionally, phones.
Besides those amenities, Serendipity offers memberships ranging from $49 to $499 and up per month, giving individuals virtually unlim- ited access to their workspace of choice or simply allowing them to host meetings from time to time, depending upon their needs.
And while Rye may not be a metropolis like Chicago or Manhattan, Arenas, a Rye resident himself, saw the city as a prime location to expand Serendipity. “Rye is ideal because we can locate a Lab within walking distance of a Metro-North train station,”
says Arenas, who also notes Rye’s dense professional population
as a reason for choosing the location. Another added value was
the chance for Arenas to readapt an abandoned car dealership for another use. “We’re glad to breathe new life into an old commercial property,” he says.
Coffee Break With...
Melvina Carter
President and CEO
Yonkers Industrial Development Agency
The Yonkers Industrial
Development Agency (IDA) has, among all other municipali- ties in Westchester with an IDA, the highest number of jobs cre- ated, one of the lowest rates of cost-per-job-created, and the highest net tax exemptions. It’s also noted for being one of the most active IDAs in the entire state of New York. Furthermore, the IDA’s crown jewel, Westchester’s Ridge Hill—one of the largest IDA-backed projects in the state—has brought nearly $1 billion in investments and 3,200 permanent jobs to Yonkers.
We caught up with Melvina Carter—who has been with the Yonkers IDA since 2005 and last April was appointed president and CEO—over coffee (“with cream and sugar”) to discuss the IDA’s impact on the city.
What, specifically, is the Yonkers IDA doing to attract new busi- nesses to Yonkers and further Yonkers’ economic growth?
We have a two-pronged ap- proach. First, we promote the ad- vantages of Yonkers as a location. Second, we offer specific finan- cial incentives for a business to come here, or expand if they are already here. Working with Mayor Mike Spano, we are stepping up our efforts to promote Yonkers. We are planning a regional mar- keting campaign in 2013 and are working with the Westchester County Association on an April 24, 2013, city showcase for devel- opers and investors.
In addition to Ridge Hill, are there any other huge develop- ments the IDA is eyeing, or, per- haps, already in the works? Ridge Hill has exceeded my expectations in every way. The development has introduced a host of new retailers to Yonkers and is sure to be a regional at- traction with the anticipated opening of Legoland Discovery Center in the spring. Another project involves Cross County
Shopping Center, which is cur- rently under renovation. We have just announced the development of a new hotel there. Empire
City Casino at Yonkers Raceway continues to expand and enhance its entertainment experience
and is now the second biggest revenue producer in the state. Yonkers IDA expects to assist with future plans at that site as well. In August, the IDA gave initial approvals for Yonkers Rising. This project will transform the downtown by redeveloping five properties there and adding forty live/work lofts and over seventeen thousand square feet of cafés, restaurants, and retail shopping.
How is the IDA ensuring that these developments benefit lo- cal businesses and citizens?
All applicants are asked to dis- close the amount of local labor that will be utilized during the construction period. It is impera- tive that the IDA facilitates the inclusion of residents of Yonkers and Westchester County as a whole. We are looking to move to a more structured policy to re- quire a local component so there is a clear ongoing economic ben- efit for the local businesses and residents.
What are you doing to pre- vent companies from leaving Yonkers?
—Scott Simone
The IDA tries to identify compa- nies that we can help before they make plans to move somewhere else. We know other states—and countries—are trying to lure our businesses. That’s why I provide a detailed explanation of the financial assistance available to retain businesses in Yonkers. If you look at the growing number of proposals for development, especially in the downtown and along the waterfront, it’s clear that investors are seeing Yonkers as a good location for business and residential investment.
As CEO, what are your plans to help further the IDA’s impact in the future?
We have a lot of projects in the pipeline. Since my appointment in April, I’ve increased the coordina- tion with the Yonkers Department of Planning and Development to move those along. I like projects that are planned, but I like them better when they are finished. We’re also taking a closer look at the size of property tax abate- ments to make sure they balance the interests of developers with those of the city’s other taxpay- ers. Finally, we’re in the process of implementing requirements so that developers who get incen- tives make a strong commitment to hire local residents during con- struction and that they patronize local businesses.
—SS
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