The Hutchinson Metro Center's Tower One, a 280,000 s/f class A office building, is now 100% leased. Tower Two, a sister tower of 280,000 s/f of office space adjacent to Tower One, is expected to break ground this summer. "We are very pleased to announce this landmark event for the Hutchinson Metro Center. With the addition of a second office tower, we will have more than 1 million s/f of class A office space in one of the finest office locations in the entire New York metropolitan area," said Joseph Simone, president of Simone Development Cos., the owner and manager of the 42-acre complex. The leasing of Tower One is yet another chapter in the remarkable success story of the Hutchinson Metro Center, a former state-owned property that has been transformed into a vibrant and growing community of businesses, medical practices and government agencies employing over 4,000 people in the Bronx. The first phase of 460,000 s/f was fully leased in less than two years. The Hutchinson Metro Center has emerged as the premier location for the area's medical community attracting over 30 medical practices and healthcare related firms which currently occupy more than 250,000 s/f of space. Among the many medical practices and healthcare firms located at the complex are University Diagnostic Medical Imaging, ENT & Allergy Associates, New York Associates in Gastroenterology, Calvary Hospital, Beth Abraham Health Services Comprehensive Care Management, NY GI Center, Pelham Gardens Oral Surgery Associates and Westchester Sq. Physical Therapy. Last year, Montefiore Medical Center opened its Orthopaedic Specialties Department in Tower One occupying the entire 31,000 s/f 11th floor. The Hutchinson Metro Center offers many benefits for medical practices including custom-built medical suites, a suburban campus setting, abundant free parking and access to a large and growing patient base. The complex is less than a mile from five major medical institutions -- Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Montefiore Medical Center, Jacobi Medical Center, Westchester Sq. Medical Center and Calvary Hospital. "Our vision for the Hutchinson Metro Center was to capitalize on our close proximity to the major medical institution in the Bronx and provide a convenient and patient-friendly environment where medical practices could thrive. The fact that we have attracted such world-class medical institutions as Montefiore, Calvary and Beth Abraham reaffirms the Hutchinson Metro Center as the choice location for medical tenants in this region," said Simone. "We intend to build on our reputation as a hub for medical practices with the construction of Tower Two, which is already attracting significant interest from the nearby medical community," he added. Other major tenants at the Hutchinson Metro Center include Mercy College, Visiting Nurse Services of New York, New York City Housing Authority, Internal Revenue Service and dozens of other companies attracted to the convenient location and world-class amenities and services. Outstanding amenities at the Hutchinson Metro Center include Metro Café, Tower Café, fitness center, state-of-the-art teleconferencing center, on-site child care facility, attended gatehouse with 24/7 security, landscaped courtyards with gardens and seating/dining areas, full service branch of Hudson Valley Bank, full service pharmacy, nail salon, on-site executive car wash and detailing center, dry cleaners, sundry shop, ATM and complimentary shuttle service to nearby subway and even a shoe shine stand. "We've created a mini-city within a city, where businesses can grow and their employees have everything they need right at their fingertips, whether it's going to the bank, picking up a prescription or getting their car detailed," said Mr. Simone. The Hutchinson Metro Center also features one of the most convenient and central office locations in the tri-state region. Located directly off the Hutchinson River Parkway in the Pelham Bay section of the Bronx, the Hutchinson Metro Center is easily accessible to major highways, bridges and airports. Manhattan is less than 20 minutes away and Westchester County is 10 minutes away. LaGuardia and JFK airports are less than 30 minutes from the site. The success of the Hutchinson Metro Center has provided a major boost to the Bronx economy creating thousands of new jobs and serving as a catalyst for growth in the surrounding area. In addition to the New York City 911 Call Center, which is under construction on a site just north of the Hutchinson Metro Center, other major projects underway in the surrounding neighborhood include expansions by the New York State Office of Mental Health, Montefiore Medical Center, and Jacobi and Einstein medical centers. "We are very proud of the contribution that the Hutchinson Metro Center has made -- and will continue to make -- to the Bronx economy," said Simone whose company moved its headquarters to the borough last year. "The Bronx has it all - a great labor pool, easy access to highways and mass transit and a pro-business environment that encourages economic development. We see tremendous potential in this market and plan to be a major player here for many years to come." For leasing information about the Hutchinson Metro Center, please call (718) 518-8600 ext. 105. For more information, visit www.hutchmetrocenter.com