Rod Azar joins Hinerfeld

May 27th, 2010
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Mr. Azar joined the Hinerfeld team in early 2010, and will seek to grow the firm’s institutional real estate brokerage business on both a local and regional scale.  He will also focus on private equity fundraising, principal investments and consulting assignments.

Previously, Mr. Azar was an investment banker with JPMorgan in New York City for over 15 years, where he developed an extensive background and understanding of both corporate finance and commercial real estate.  Over the course of his career, Mr. Azar has executed over $35 billion in real estate mergers & acquisition assignments, and has raised over $30 billion in real estate debt and equity capital.

Mr. Azar was most recently a Managing Director within JPMorgan’s Commercial Mortgage-Backed Securities (“CMBS”) group, where he headed a team of professionals who originated commercial loans from the firm’s real estate investment banking clients.  During his three years heading this unit, Mr. Azar and his team successfully originated over $15 billion of fixed and floating-rate commercial loans, which were then either securitized or sold privately by the firm.

Prior to joining the CMBS group, Mr. Azar worked for nearly 12 years within JPMorgan’s Real Estate, Lodging & Gaming Investment Banking group.  During this period, he covered a large number of the firm’s institutional real estate clients, and was responsible for executing the full spectrum of investment banking products including mergers & acquisitions, property sales, mortgage placements, sale-leasebacks, syndicated loans, investment grade bonds, private equity placements, etc.

Prior to joining JPMorgan, Mr. Azar worked in the commercial real estate leasing division of Milstein Properties in New York City.

Mr. Azar is a graduate of Columbia University where he earned a bachelor’s degree in Political Science, and participated in both NCAA track & field and football.  He currently lives in Clarks Summit, PA with his wife Megan and their two young sons, Rodman and Adrian.  Mr. Azar is also a football and track & field coach at Tunkhannock Area High School.

Cognetti begins second term as BSRE chair

March 4th, 2010

John Cognetti of Scranton has been elected to serve a second term as chair of the board of directors of Business Services for Real Estate (BSRE), the for-profit subsidiary of the PA Association of REALTORS® (PAR).

John Cognetti

John T. Cognetti

BSRE was formed by PAR in 1999 primarily for the purpose of selling PAR Standard Forms. Over the past several years, BSRE has expanded to include additional product and service offerings designed to produce non-dues revenue for PAR. Recently, BSRE has expanded its business to include EasyStreet Insurance Services, a licensed brokerage offering professionals insurance coverage from well-respected companies.

The BSRE Board of Directors recently met to discuss how the board may be internally restructured and to address ways to better serve PAR members. The board also heard a report that EasyStreet Insurance Services is already managing more than $400,000 in annualized premiums, including PAR’s employee insurance plan.

“BSRE continues to explore services to provide resources REALTORS® need to do business,” said Henry Lerner, Esq., BSRE’s chief operating officer.

Other directors for 2010 include: Jules Falcone, Media; Bob Hay, Stroudsburg; Sally Heimbrook, Beaver; Frank Jacovini, Philadelphia; Ted Laskowski, Quakertown; Guy Matteo, Newtown Square; Michael McGee, West Chester; Patrice Merzanis, Lemoyne; Teresa Wygle, Meadville and Gary Yost, Wyomissing

HCRE Mission Statement

February 12th, 2010
  •  We are in the commercial real estate business offering sale, leasing and consulting services.
  • We are qualified, competent and capable professionals with a passion for excellence. We use our expertise and our market knowledge to serve our clients. Our guiding principle is the “golden rule.” 
  • We adhere to the code of ethics of the national association of realtors and provide the highest level of fairness, honesty and integrity.
  • We strive to be the preferred source for commercial real estate solutions in Northeast Pennsylvania.
  • We afford our employees and associates the opportunity for personal growth.

POWER! Scranton celebrates holiday season

January 18th, 2010

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POWER! (Proffesionals Organized and Working to Enrich the Region) Scranton recently gathered at Pennstar Bank inside The Mall at Steamtown to celebrate the holiday season. From left are, Heather Ryder, Assistant Branch Manager, Melissa Rosiecki, Business Banking Officer, and Jessica Warholic, Retail Branh Managment Trainee, all to Pennstar Bank

POWER_2

More then 60 POWER! members gathered at the event where monetary and toy donations were collected. The Marines were present to accept the donations from POWER! members. From left are, Cpl. Jose L. Pepin, Daniel and Michele LaMagna and Cpl. Joshua Anderson.

POWER_Detter

 

Networking at the event from left are, Jonathan Kalasinski, Assistant Manage, Sandone Tire Car Care Centers; Julie Ropoach, corporate sales, Woodlands Inn & Resort; and Michael Detter, Senior Associate, Hinerfeld Commercial Real Estate.

Beacon Summit at Scranton, LLC makes first purchase at Mt. Pleasant, breaks ground

January 4th, 2010

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Representatives from LIFE/SLIBCO, The City of Scranton, Lackawanna County and Beacon Summit at Scranton, LLC gathered to break ground on the Mount Pleasant Medical & Professional Building. Beacon Summit at Scranton, LLC purchased the 3,26

acre lot from Scranton Lackawanna lndustrial Building Company (SLIBCO) in October with plans to build a professional office building.

Beacon is an elite real estate development partnership that has been established since 1990. The principals of Beacon have designed, developed and managed over 1.5 million square feet throughout New Jersey, New York and are now making their mark in Pennsylvania with the first purchase at Mount Pleasant Corporate Center was on Friday, October 9, 2009.

Beacon_MtPleasant2Mayor Christopher Doherty, Lackawanna County commissioners Corey D. O’Brien and Michael J. Washo, Austin J. Burke of The Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce and Vincent Visceglia of Beacon Summit at Scranton, LLC all gave remarks celebrating the commencement of construction on the 30,000 square foot, two story medical/professional services building. Space in the building will be divisible from 1,200 square feet to 30,000 square feet; the project has an expected completion date of fall2010.

“We are extremely pleased with our local team, architect Michelle Dempsey, engineer Tom Skibinski and real estate broker Mike Detter,” Vincent Visceglia, partner, Beacon Summit at Scranton, LLC commented during the morning’s ceremony. “The approved 30,000 square foot building we break ground on today is one of many new developments

in this city and county and we appreciate the opportunity to contribute to such a meaningful revitalization.”

Beacon Summit at Scranton is the first development within the Mount Pleasant Corporate Center, a 23 acre tract of land that SLIBCO purchased in March 2008 from Keystone Concrete Block Supply. The Corporate Center is a $7 million dollar project that SLIBCO expects will result in the development of over 210,000 square feet of buildings and the creation of 1,000 jobs. The park will consist of five lots ranging from 1.7 to 9.5 acres available for commercial and office development.

“SLIBCO’s investment in the future of Scranton provides the quality office setting that leading firms demand for their clients and their employees. This gateway to our city is being transformed into a beautiful, productive setting of which we can all be proud” stated Austin Burke, executive vice president, SLIBCO.

HINERFELD COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE AGENT APPOINTED TO PAR’S COMMERCIAL INDUSTRIAL AND INVESTMENT COMMITTEE

December 22nd, 2009

 Ellen M. Raineri, Ph.D., from Hinerfeld Commercial Real Estate has been appointed to the PA Association of Realtor’s (PAR) state wide “Commercial Industrial & Investment Committee” (CI&I). This group seeks to further the interest of commercial, industrial and investment properties through educational conferences, seminars, research, and clinics on the subjects of developing, selling, leasing, managing, or exchanging commercial, industrial and investment properties. Raineri attended the Fall business committee meeting in Harrisburg. Raineri recently completed her last brokers course as well as her last CCIM course so she is looking forward to interacting with others who have similar interests in various commercial and investment matters. John T. Cognetti, Broker of Hinerfeld Commercial Real Estate, is pleased with this recent appointment stating that “we are very honored our company has the privilege to have representation on such an important committee that has continuously been instrumental in effecting change in the commercial real estate industry.”

 About Hinerfeld Commercial Real Estate.

Hinerfeld Commercial Real Estate (www.hinerfeldcommercial.com) has been in operation since 1934 and specializes in industrial, retail, office, land, and investment properties. Headquartered in Scranton, PA, the company services owners, tenants, developers, and investors in Northeast PA. Individual memberships include the Industrial Real Estate Brokers Association of Metropolitan New York, the Society of Industrial and Office Realtors (SIOR), Commercial Investment Network (CCIM), Warehousing Education and Research Council (WERC), and Northeast PA Logistics Club.

St. Francis of Assisi Kitchen Honors Volunteers

December 13th, 2009

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St. Francis of Assisi Kitchen recently honored its volunteers who help prepare and serve the daily free meal to to area needy. The kitchen board of directors hosted an appreciation dinner for the volunteers and board members served the meal. The event featured a full-course menu, entertainment, gifts and prizes. From left are, seated, Gloria and John Dee, Pat Dalton, Walter and Lilliam Dever; standing, Pat and Ann Lavelle, Jon Johns, Avi Ruzi, Joan Halle, Dorthy Ruzi, Blanche Tomaselli, Jerry Johns; and Judy Cosgrove, board member.

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Enjoying dinner are, from left are, seated, Suzanne Druffner, Verna Burke, Vera Hughes, Stella Darcy and Richard Calomino; standing, Dr. Jospeh Kelly, Board President; Monsignor Joseph P. Kelly, Director; and Lisa Davis, board member.

John Cognetti at St. Francis Kitchen

Also enjoying the event are, from left, seated, Mary Ann Preskin, Ellen Dorse, Rose Ann Twosend and Andy Semprat; standing, Barbara Green; John Cognetti, board member; Peggy Howley and Ed Katusak.

Mount Pleasant Office Space Available

December 4th, 2009

Hinerfeld Commercial Real Estate recently broke ground on the Mount Pleasant Medical and Professional Center at Seventh Avenue and West Linden Street in Scranton.

The 30,800 square-foot state-of-the-art medical and professional office building features great accessibility with abundant free on-site parking. It’s located less than five minutes from local hospitals and equity partnerships are available.

Right now, Hinerfeld can offer:

  • Aggressive rents;
  • Landlord to provide turn-key build-out of space;
  • Space planning to custom design your suite;
  • We’ll pay half of your Mercantile Tax for the original lease term; and
  • One month of free rent for each year of the original lease term.

Mike Detter Earns Associate Broker

November 1st, 2009

Mike Detter has completed all requirements for and has been licensed as an associate broker with the firm, including completing 240 hours of education, passing of a comprehensive examination, and experience based on transaction activity. Associate brokers also are allowed to manage branch offices and properties and engage in real estate consulting. He has been with the company for five years, after moving to the area in 2004, and received a Bachelor of Science in accounting from Penn State University. A Leadership Lackawanna alumnus of 2006-07, he was selected as one of the Top 20 under 40 business professionals in Northeast Pennsylvania for 2007 and specializes in the sale and leasing of offices.

Beacon Medical Real Estate buys lot in Mount Pleasant Corporate Center

October 17th, 2009

SCRANTON – Beacon Medical Real Estate has purchased a 3.26-acre lot in the Mount Pleasant Corporate Center for a two-story, 30,000-square-foot office building.

Mt. Pleasant Medical and Professional CenterThe Scranton-Lackawanna Industrial Building Co., which is the development arm of the Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce, sold the lot to the Linden, N.J.-based Beacon for $792,000.

The chamber argued unsuccessfully before the Scranton School Board during the summer to garner Keystone Opportunity Zone status for the business park, which would have given developers a 10-year real estate and state tax forbearance. The park is on Linden Street, the former site of the Keystone Block Co.

In the end, the draw of the Commonwealth Medical College outweighed the economic hit from losing the tax incentive, said Beacon partner Daniel Siegel.

“We had this property under contract, and we were extremely disappointed,” Mr. Siegel said. “But we think there is a need for a facility like this in Scranton. So we have to work harder.”

The medical school will prompt an expansion in the medical sector and demand for high-quality office space, Mr. Siegel said. The building will be all-steel construction, brick clad, with a porte-cochere, gurney-sized elevators, energy-efficient windows and mechanicals, and about 130 parking spaces. The groundbreaking will be in November, and the building will be ready for occupancy by the spring of 2011, Mr. Siegel said.

Beacon has been involved with the development of 1.5 million square feet of space in New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Tenants can receive a share of equity in the property, becoming partial owners of the building.

Chamber President Austin Burke said he’s grateful Beacon stuck with the project, but said the lack of economic incentives to offer prospective employers will mean that it will take longer to fill the other four or five lots at the business park.

“We will be successful in bringing in new employers, but it will take longer,” he said.