WHITE PLAINS-Officials with Simone Development Companies of New Rochelle say that they are close to signing a 50,000-sf lease at its Hutchinson Metro Center project in the Bronx and have just filed plans to build a new 48,000-sf office building in Westchester County.

YONKERS, NY-Representatives for Homes for America Holdings in Yonkers report the company will begin construction on the first speculative Class A office building in Westchester in more than a decade.

WHITE PLAINS-Fresh off several recent new hotel openings in New York City, Hollywood, Fla., and several in resort destinations overseas, Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide says that in the next two years the company will open 47 new hotels in major metropolitan locales around the world.

NEWBURGH-New York Governor George Pataki reports that the state has revised the boundaries of the Newburgh/Stewart Empire Zone in order to facilitate additional projects that will foster approximately $65 million in spending in Orange County.

WHITE PLAINS-Area commercial office property owners and brokers agree that Morgan Stanley's decision to buy the Chevron/Texaco property and the post-Sept. 11 trend towards decentralization will bring some New York City relocations to Westchester County later this year.

WHITE PLAINS-The New York Power Authority has begun a $3.5 million energy efficiency program at its 123 Main St. office property here that it says will cut its energy use in half.

DANBURY, CT-Urstadt Biddle Properties, Inc., reports it has completed the purchase of Airport Plaza Shopping Center here for about $7 million. The property sits across the street from the company's Danbury Square Shopping Center property.

CLARKSTOW-An entity of The Jack Parker Corp. of New York City has sold a vacant 12.9-acre parcel of land to the ownership of Airport Executive Park, according to Rockland Realty of Spring Valley, which brokered the deal.