Deals and deeds

Biotech firm plans Westchester move

The Westchester County Industrial Development Agency has agreed to back a small Connecticut biotechnology company in the planned move of its headquarters from Stamford to Elmsford in early June.

Affina Biotechnologies Inc., a 2-year-old company that specializes in fee-for-service measurements of biological reagents for pharmaceutical and biotech clients, expects to  lease 2,200 square feet of flex space at 5 Westchester Plaza, a 20,000-square-foot building in Mack-Cali Realty Corp.”™s Cross Westchester Executive Park. Currently with three employees, the company projects it will grow to 10 employees within five years.

Alexander Vinitsky, founding president of Affina, said the move to Westchester will position the company within New York”™s biotech industry cluster in the lower Hudson Valley. “Basically, BioHud Valley is a new and growing hub. We want to be part of that,” he said. “I think this New York area is going to grow.”

The IDA board recently agreed to negotiate a lease arrangement that would exempt Affina from an estimated $16,500 in sales taxes on purchases of furniture, fixtures and special equipment, estimated at $265,000, for the Elmsford office.

Mack-Cali tenants renew

Mack-Cali Realty Corp. closed four lease renewals at its Westchester office properties in the first quarter of this year. The New Jersey-based company leased 227,003 square feet of office and office-flex space in the quarter in Westchester and Rockland counties and Fairfield County, Conn.

In Hawthorne, BTX Technologies Inc., a manufacturer and distributor of video, audio, and data systems integration products, signed a 23,060-square-foot lease renewal at 5 Skyline Drive. The 124,022-square-foot office/flex building in Mack-Cali”™s Mid-Westchester Executive Park is 96 percent leased.

Al Gutierrez and Ian Ceppos, of CB Richard Ellis, represented the tenant in the transaction. Mack-Cali was represented in-house by Ivan Abry, senior director of leasing.

Also in Cross Westchester Executive Park, tenant ADT Security Services, a global electronic security company, signed an 18,000-square-foot lease renewal at 125 Clearbrook Road. The 33,000-square-foot office/flex property is fully leased.

Paul Jacobs of CB Richard Ellis represented the tenant in the deal, and Abry represented Mack-Cali.

Another Elmsford tenant, Vie de France Yamazaki Inc., a national food service bakery and bakery and café operator, signed a 24,678-square-foot lease renewal at 525 Executive Boulevard. The 61,700-square-foot office/flex building in Cross Westchester Executive Park is fully leased.

Mack”‘Cali was represented in-house by leasing associate Danielle Rollins.

In Yonkers, the U.S. Postal Service signed a 17,600-square-foot lease renewal at 7 Odell Plaza, a 42,600-square-foot office/flex building in South Westchester Executive Park.

Mack-Cali was represented in-house by Carol McGuire, senior director of leasing.

Mamaroneck building sold

A 14,000-square-foot office building at 141 Halstead Ave. in Mamaroneck sold last month for $2.05 million. The asking price was $2.4 million.

Located across from the village”™s Metro-North Railroad station, the building is fully leased.

Eric S. Goldschmidt, senior partner at Goldschmidt & Associates in Scarsdale, represented the sellers, Roy Stillman and 141 Halstead L.L.C. Robert Priest, of Real Estate Investment Advisors L.L.C., represented the buyer, an affiliate of Gerson Property L.L.C. in Queens.

Scarsdale office leases

Goldschmidt also closed two lease deals totaling 3,209 square feet of office space at 2 Overhill Road in Scarsdale.

Prima Capital, an investment adviser to the wealth management and retirement industries, expanded its second-floor space in the building. Signing a new lease at 2 Overhill Road, physicians Ira and Marilyn Sutton relocated their practice from New Rochelle.

The Suttons were represented by Alan Zuckerman, president of Alan Zuckerman Real Estate in New Rochelle.

Goldschmidt, exclusive leasing agent for the property, said he expects the building to be near full occupancy by this year”™s third quarter.

Arc renews in Peekskill

Arc of Westchester, the nonprofit agency serving developmentally disabled children and adults, signed a lease renewal for 3,313 square feet of space at 2 John Walsh Boulevard in Peekskill.

Carl Silbergleit, executive director of the NAI Friedland Realty Inc. office division, represented both the tenant and the landlord, Singer Properties, in the transaction.