WHITE PLAINS CITIZENETREPORTER SETS RECORD VISITS FOR YEAR 7,017,658 VISITS! 2,098,003 VISITORS MADE 6 VISITS A DAY EVERY DAY. 63,330 UNIQUE VISITORS MADE 133,730 VISITS IN DECEMBER. WPCNR AVERAGED 17,284 VISITORS A WEEK, VISITING 31,270 TIMES.

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WPCNR MAIN STREET JOURNAL. From Johny Nelson, New York State Department of Labor, White Plains. (Edited) September 15, 2009:  There were 2,200 persons officially unemployed in White Plains of the 31,400 White Plains workforce,  at the end of September giving the city a 7% unemployment rate among residents. That is up from the city rate of 6.8% in August. The city has see sawed from 6.1% unemployed in January to 7% in September approaching its highest level of the year of 7.1%(in June). To see the trends for the city, go to http://www.labor.state.ny.us/workforceindustrydata/laus.asp

Westchester County, according to the New York State Department of Labor showed 36,500 residents unemployed out of a work forceof 492,500, an employment rate of 7.4%, also approach the June highpoint of unemployed 7.5%. To see the County trend go to http://www.labor.state.ny.us/workforceindustrydata/laus.asp

The Regional economy continues to weaken as evidenced by the ongoing deterioration in the job market. Private sector employment declined by 2.1 percent as the area shed close to 16,000 jobs. The region’s private sector employment continued its downward spiral, but this month’s job numbers showed slight improvement. Albeit small,  it is still welcoming news, considering how bleak the job market has been in recents months.

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WPCNR CAMPAIGN 2009.  October 13, 2009: WPCNR has learned from informed sources that oral arguments will be heard at the New York State Appellate Court, Second Department in Brooklyn on the Board of Elections-Glen Hockley case in which the Westchester County Board of Elections contended that Mr. Hockley should be removed from the Mayoral ballot in White Plains November 3 due to his failure to file a Certificate of Acceptance as required by the Board of Elections law.

Glen Hockley in closing statement at the Council of Neighborhood Associations Mayoral Debate Tuesday evening. The debates this week may be rendered irrelevant, mute or moot after the Appellate Court hears the Board of Election challenge to his right to be on the ballot due to failure to file a Certificate of Acceptance of his own candidacy. The decision may not come until one week before the election (October 27), given that the Appellate court would have to rule shortly after the October 20 hearing.

Previously, New York State Supreme Court Judge Francis Nicolai ruled the Board of Elections should reinstate Hockley on the ballot because, in Judge Nicolai’s opinion, Hockley by acquired some half the signatures on his positions himself, he had showed he wanted to run for the Mayoral position. Judge Nicolai also observed in his decision that the text of the Certificate of Acceptance postcard sent candidates only asks the candidates to advise of they are declining the nomination to run. The Board of Elections is contesting that ruling by appealing the Nicolai decision to the Appellate Court.

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WPCNR PHOTOGRAPHS OF THE DAY. By the WPCNR Roving Photographer. October 11,2009: The brisk northwest wind made the Hudson River a  sailor’s paradise Sunday afternoon. A modern sightseeing craft and a reminder of the past shared the historic waterway by the Tappan Zee Bridge.

Excursion Craft berthed at Tarrytown wharf turns to head up river this afternoon opposite the Tarrytown Marina.

Three Masted Schooner — reminiscent of Captain Kidd off Captain Kidd’s rock Sunday afternoon.

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WPCNR MARKETPLACE. From Cushman &  Wakefield, the Office Realty Specialist. October 9, 2009 (Edited): In the White Plains Central Business District (CBD), direct asking rents declined in the third quarter ended September 30,registering $32.35 psf, on par with the $32.32 psf last quarter but down more than $2.00 psf from the $34.66 psf one year ago.  The White Plains Non-CBD direct asking rents have remained steady over the last year, averaging $32.22 psf, on par with $32.28 psf last quarter and the $32.16 psf one year ago, according to a news release from Cushman & Wakefield.

Its third quarter 2009 report for the Westchester County commercial real estate market, showing a continued downward trend across the county, but not significantly down.  Top drawer leasing activity of the most attractive office space (Class A), however, decreased significantly this quarter — totaling approximately 160,654 square feet (sf), down from 254,060 sf last quarter and 429,720 square feet last year at this time.  

A total of 195,684 sf of space was added to the market inventory this quarter, a 52% decrease over the 408,040 sf added last quarter.  Of that space, only 37,495 sf is sublease space, virtually all of which (31,443 sf) came from Pernod Ricard at 777 Westchester Avenue in White Plains.  Sublease space, however, represents more than 42% of the available space that’s been added to the market since this time last year. 

The overall Class-A space available in the county remained at 4.4 million sf (msf) in the third quarter, but increased by almost 13% from the more than the 3.9 msf available this time last year.  

Overall vacancies countywide for Class-A space registered at 20.5%, remaining on par with last quarter’s 20.6% and a substantial rise from the 18.3% vacancy rate of one year ago.  Direct space returned to market this quarter came primarily from WCI Communities (24,000 sf) at 115 Stevens Avenue, Valhalla, and Abitibi Consolidated (24,441) at 4 Gannett Drive, White Plains, which relocated out of state.

“While market conditions are still softening, they are more stable than many other markets around the country,” said Jim Fagan, senior managing director and head of Cushman & Wakefield’s Fairfield and Westchester County region.  “In the face of declining employment, Westchester County is able to persevere due to its diverse tenant base.”

Direct asking rents for Class-A space countywide at the close of the third quarter averaged $31.42 per square foot (psf), slightly higher from the $31.29 achieved last quarter, but down from $31.96 psf one year ago.  Although asking rents are stabilizing, taking rents have decreased by as much as 15% to 30% in the past 18 months and concessions, such as free rent and higher work allowances, continue to increase.

Mr. Fagan said, “The art of being a great landlord is more important than ever.  In a market where the number and size of the tenants are remaining the same or declining, those landlords that can differentiate themselves will succeed.” 

Two investment sales were executed this quarter: Ardsley Park (410 – 460 Saw Mill River Road), a six-building, 390,000-sf office/laboratory complex in Ardsley, NY, was sold by Purdue Pharma to OSI Pharmaceuticals for $27 million or $69/sf; and 399 Knollwood Road, a 152,030-sf office building in White Plains, NY, was sold by S.L. Green to RPW Group for $20.5 million or $140/sf.

Mr. Fagan added, “We expected 2009 to be a difficult year for investment sales, however, there is money out there,” said Mr. Fagan.  “Investors are sitting on the side lines waiting for the market to stabilize for them to feel comfortable enough to re-invest.”

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WPCNR POLICE GAZETTE. Continued Questions & Answers With Department of Public Safety Deputy Commissioner Daniel Jackson continues. October 6,2009 UPDATED October 7 1:15 A.M.: With the confirmation that the city hiring freeze long said to be in effect by the Mayor’s Office, has been lifted to staff up the Police and Fire Departments due to both departments being down 10 in each department (as provided for in the current 2009-10 budget), WPCNR forwarded obvious follow-up questions to Deputy Commissioner Jackson late Monday evening.

According to that interview conducted Monday with Jackson via e-mail,  it appears that the new work schedules the police and fire personnel have been working the last nine months: 12  consecutive hour tours for the police, and 24 consecutive hour tours for the fire fighters, have not succeeded in cutting down overtime as much as was expected. Commissioner Jackson attributes this to the staffs being down. The department also faces chronic personnel shortages every year.

Jackson stressed to WPCNR Tuesday evening in a clarification statement that the new schedules were not designed to “eliminate” overtime, as stated by WPCNR in the previous paragraph: Jackson stated in an e-mail:

WPCNR: Are there plans to hire the other 10 next year?

DEPUTY COMMISSIONER DANIEL JACKSON: We always attempt to maintain minimal vacancies. When we get too far behind, it impacts operations and overtime. It takes considerable time to train an officer and a firefighter which factors in (overtime expenses).  

WPCNR:  Are we always going to be potentially 10 firemen and 10 police short? How many police and fire do we lose next year?

JACKSON : There is a good portion of both bureaus that are eligible for retirement at any time. Its hard to predict who will retire at what point. We almost always operate with vacancies, generally 5-10 

WPCNR: Since the fire department is on the new extended 24 hour shift, why is there a personnel shortage?

JACKSON:  The 24 hour shift has definitely helped our staffing issues.

However we still have to put firefighters on the apparatus – no work chart will solve the problem of too few bodies. It is like baseball – you need a first baseman, 2nd baseman, etc. Doesn’t matter how short or long the game is.

WPCNR: Same question with the police who are on the 12-hour shift. These new shifts were sold as being ways to eliminate overtime.

JACKSON: That is incorrect, the nature of police and fire work is such that you can never “eliminate” overtime and we never represented that.

We stated that the shifts would greatly reduce some types of overtime, and they have.

However, our overtime budgets have been greatly reduced which makes maintaining adequate staffing levels even more important than previous years.  

WPCNR;Does Commissioner of Public Safety Straub have a statement on the new hires, and a justification of it?

JACKSON: My previous responses as well as the above represent the views of the department and the Commissioner.