Outlying Suburbs Don't Expect Much Trade Center-Related Activity

GOSHEN, NY-As part of the services being offered by New York State, economic development officials from counties in the Mid Hudson Valley area have been compiling lists of available office space in their respective markets for possible use by companies affected by the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center on Sept. 11.

However, officials with some of these Hudson River Valley counties tell GlobeSt.com that while they have given these lists to officials with Empire State Development Corp., they are not expecting many takers in the short term. In fact, most agreed that a majority of the World Trade Center related business relocations will center on the New Jersey, Connecticut and Westchester County markets.

David Dirks, president and chief executive officer of the Orange County Partnership based in Goshen, says that to date he is not aware of any former World Trade Center firms studying any properties in Orange County. He notes that in the short term it is not anticipated that any major transactions in relation to the disaster will take place in Orange County. However, Dirks said, “One anticipates, at least in terms of Orange County, that as time goes on some of the small or medium-sized firms will be looking for space in the Hudson Valley.”Ronald W. Coan, president and chief executive officer of the Dutchess County Economic Development Corp., in Poughkeepsie agrees with Dirks’ short and long term assessments. Coan stresses that Dutchess County, except for providing information about possible suitable sites for affected New York City firms, will not actively market the county to these companies in light of the disaster. “We are not going to try to take any undue advantage of the tragedy,” he says.