Hudson Valley Region, May 2019

FIRM EXPANSIONS AND CONTRACTIONS

Hudson Valley Region

May 2019

New York State Department of Labor
Division of Research and Statistics
120 Bloomingdale Road, Room 218
White Plains, NY 10605
914-997-8798

This briefing provides information on firm-specific hiring and layoff announcements in the Hudson Valley. The information in this report is derived from press releases, newspapers, business journals, newsletters and other public sources. It does not include all expansions and contractions in the region – only those for which public information has been obtained. An attempt is made to present only current information – events that have recently occurred or will occur in the near future.

BUSINESS EXPANSIONS FOR THE HUDSON VALLEY REGION

Dutchess County
The Arlington School District’s recently approved $216 million budget has a provision that calls for hiring an “English as a New Language” teacher and four elementary school teachers. The 2019-2020 budget represents a 2.99 percent increase over this year’s plan.

The former Beacon Correctional Facility in the city of Beacon will be redeveloped into a food, farming, sports, education, hospitality and recreational facility. Empire State Development selected Urban Green Food’s proposal to redevelop the former minimum-security prison for women into a commercial kitchen, a 103-room hotel, restaurant and event space, landscape design and nursery business, community gardens, athletic fields, classrooms for job training, and maker space for local artisans. The facility had been closed since 2013. The $62 million project is expected to create 295 temporary construction jobs and 150 to 250 permanent jobs.

Simon Property Group, the owner and operator of Woodbury Common Premium Outlets, recently announced plans for a major expansion to its outdoor mall. The expansion would add 165,000 sq. ft. of retail space, two 120-room hotels, a spa facility, 37,000 sq. ft. of restaurant space and an additional 2,140 parking spaces in a new five-level parking garage. The expansion will add about 1,000 jobs to its existing workforce of 5,000 employees. According to a report from AKRF, Inc., a leading environmental, planning and engineering consulting firm, the expansion will also add approximately 400 indirect and induced jobs and more than 1,600 construction jobs over the two-year project.

Orange County
Purchase-based Valley Agriceuticals announced that the construction of its medical marijuana manufacturing facility is back on track and expanding. The project, which will be completed in two phases, was delayed because it initially lacked a state license and faced a lawsuit from existing medical marijuana makers. Phase 1, valued at $2.5 million to $3 million, is scheduled to begin operation in August 2019. It will feature a 6,500 sq. ft. production building and a 14,000 sq. ft. greenhouse. Phase2, valued at $15 million to $20 million, will feature a 100,000 sq. ft. building, including a 60,000 sq. ft. greenhouse and a 40,000 sq. ft. production space. The second phase of the project does not yet have a completion date. Valley Agriceuticals expects to employ 50 to 100 employees for the entire project. The medical marijuana manufacturer already operates a dispensary in Bardonia, in Rockland County, and in New Hartford, in Oneida County.

Putnam County
Nothing to report.

Rockland County
Nothing to report.

Sullivan County
The Kartrite Hotel and Indoor Waterpark, adjacent to the Resorts World Catskills Casino, recently celebrated its grand-opening. The $200 million resort facility hired about 400 people for its opening. The resort, the largest of its kind in New York State, offers a four-season indoor waterpark and a 324-suite luxury hotel, as well as other amenities including a 200-seat restaurant with an outdoor patio and a lower level 250-seat family buffet restaurant. The 2-acre waterpark has 11 water attractions, featuring an adventure river, surf ride, teenager activity pool, children’s area, and seven major water slides.

Ulster County
Nothing to report.

Westchester County
Southern Land Company, a Tennessee-based developer, announced plans to tear down the iconic YMCA building on Mamaroneck Avenue in White Plains and replace it with an apartment complex. The proposal calls for the construction of an eight-story multifamily building that will house 12 studio apartments, 97 one-bedroom, 52 two-bedroom and 12 three-bedroom units. A 2,101 sq. ft. retail space is also included in the proposal, in addition to a parking garage with 265 spaces. No job numbers were announced.

BUSINESS CONTRACTIONS FOR THE HUDSON VALLEY REGION

Dutchess County
Pizza Hut recently closed its store in the Town of Poughkeepsie. The Poughkeepsie location was the company’s last store in Dutchess County. No job numbers were announced.

Orange County
CVS, the nation’s largest pharmacy chain recently announced plans to close 46 stores, including two locations in New York. The NY stores are located at 123 Windermere Avenue, in Greenwood Lake and 812 Forest Avenue, in Staten Island.

Geritrex, L.L.C., a manufacturer of over-the-counter pharmaceuticals, filed a WARN notice with the NYS Department of Labor on May 21, 2019 in anticipation of a mass layoff. The company will lay off 56 employees at its office in Middletown. The separation will begin on August 18, 2019. The affected employees are not represented by a union.

Putnam County
Nothing to report.

Rockland County
Nothing to report.

Sullivan County
Nothing to report.

Ulster County
Nothing to report.

Westchester County
Dressbarn, the women’s clothing retailer, recently announced plans to close all 650 of its stores. The company had been in business for nearly 60 years. Parent company Ascena Retail Group plans to focus on its more profitable brands, such as Ann Taylor and Lane Bryant. The company did not indicate when the stores are expected to shut down. Dressbarn operates about a dozen stores in the region.

Party City, a Westchester-based party supplies retailer, recently announced plans to close 45 stores in 2019. The closures are expected to take place throughout the year. The company has about 900 retail stores, including franchise stores, that operate in North American under the names Party City and Halloween City. The company has 10 locations in the region. The store closures will allow the company to focus on its most profitable locations. Party City has not yet announced which stores are slated for closure.

STRIKES AND LABOR DISPUTES

Rockland County and the CSEA reached a five-year contract that provides two lump sum payments and three years of pay raises. The new contract calls for an $800 lump sum payment for 2017, with no money added to base salaries; $1,500 lump sum payment for 2018, with no money added to base salaries; 2 percent raise on an employee’s base salary for 2019; 3 percent raise on an employee’s base salary, effective August 1, 2020 and 3 percent raise on an employee’s base salary, effective August 21, 2021. CSEA is the county’s largest employee union.