Mercy College Signs Long-Term Commitment for Bronx Campus

NEW YORK—Simone Development Companies has signed a long-term lease renewal with Mercy College for 125,522 square feet of classroom, administrative and amenities space at 1200 Waters Place in the Bronx, renewing the institution’s commitment to the borough and the Hutchinson Metro Center, which they helped anchor more than 20 years ago. The transaction was announced on May 11.

James MacDonald, vice president of leasing at Simone Metro Properties, assisted by Sean Heneghan, assistant general counsel, represented the owners in the lease negotiations. Bill Cuddy and Greg Maurer-Hollaender of CBRE represented Mercy College in the renewal.

“Mercy’s lease renewal with Simone Development Companies for its Bronx Campus demonstrates the College’s confidence in the site to provide the best possible environment for our deserving students, staff and faculty,” said Mercy College President Tim Hall. “The Mercy College Bronx Campus will continue to offer state-of-the-art facilities and academic programs that lead to in-demand jobs. It will also position Mercy to continue to evolve to meet the workforce and educational trends of the future and strengthen the College’s impact in the Bronx community.”

The Mercy College Bronx Campus at the Hutchinson Metro Center provides a vibrant, diverse student population with the opportunity to achieve their academic and professional goals in a dynamic and modern learning environment. The undergraduate and graduate degree and certificate programs offered at the Bronx Campus prepare students for in-demand careers so that they are hired soon after graduation.

Degree programs include nursing, childhood education, community health, gerontology, data analytics, health services management, criminal justice, cybersecurity and finance, among many others. State-of-the-art facilities, such as fully-equipped health and science labs and anatomage tables provide maximized opportunities for learning, while student-centered spaces such as the Veterans Lounge facilitate students’ positive assimilation to college. A landscaped courtyard offers a serene setting for study and reflection in an otherwise bustling, New York City-borough. Partnerships between the Campus and Bronx community organizations and businesses have resulted in extensive and rewarding internship, clinical and volunteer opportunities, many of which are conveniently located for Mercy Bronx students.

“More than 20 years ago, Mercy College was instrumental in the development of 1200 Waters Place and the success of Simone Development’s Hutchinson Metro Center, transforming an underutilized, obsolete state hospital site that was closed off to the public into a vital part of the Northeast Bronx community,” said Joe Simone, President of Simone Development. “Today we are extremely gratified that Mercy has chosen to renew their commitment to our borough and our expanding development.”

In 2003, Mercy College became the second anchor tenant to commit to 1200 Waters Place, a three-story, 433,286 square-foot new development that at the time was the first Class-A office building developed in the Bronx in more than a decade. The current center is a 1.4-million-square-foot mixed-use campus of office, medical, retail, hospitality and academic space. The Hutchinson Metro Center is currently home to over 80 leading businesses, healthcare and educational institutions, and federal, state and city agencies, employing over 8,000 people and welcoming more than 5,000 daily visitors.

In addition to Mercy College, other major tenants at 1200 Waters Place include The New Jewish Home, New York City Housing Authority, the Administration of Children’s Services, and a major federal agency.