Company works with Boy Scouts to permanently protect 94-acre site on Staten Island from development
NEW YORK, NY – September 7, 2011 – (RealEstateRama) — Jones Lang LaSalle represented the Greater New York Councils, Boy Scouts of America, in an agreement with The Trust for Public Land to permanently protect the William H. Pouch Scout Camp on Staten Island. The GNYC entered into an agreement with TPL that will result in the preservation of 94 acres from development through a two-phase plan that includes the purchase of a large portion of the site.
The GNYC was represented by William Bingham, senior vice president, with Jones Lang LaSalle’s Capital Markets group, along with Raymond Quartararo, international director, John Ryan, managing director, and Edward DiTolla, senior vice president.
“This agreement allows scouting activities to continue at William H. Pouch Scout Camp while also providing the public access to this incredible resource through a reservation system,” says Quartararo. “Permanent protection would provide financial resources to help secure the future of New York City scouting as well as benefit the entire community.”
“Jones Lang LaSalle has provided the Greater New York Councils, Boy Scouts of America with the expertise, hands-on project management and negotiation skills that have made this agreement with The Trust for Public Land possible,” said Charles E. Rosser, scout executive and chief executive officer with the Greater New York Councils, Boy Scouts of America. “It is exactly the first-class service and personal touch from top management down we expected when JLL was selected to assist us with this project, and what is needed now to bring it to a successful close.”
The preservation of the William H. Pouch Scout Camp, also known as Pouch Camp, is contingent upon achieving funding for the conservation effort. TPL will work with private donors as well as federal, state, regional and local public agencies and authorities to secure the necessary funding.
The preservation project will be completed in two phases, with the first phase slated for completion in the summer of 2012. Under the first part of the plan, TPL will protect the most used part of Pouch Camp with a perpetual conservation easement. GNYC will continue to use this 40+-acre portion of the camp for scouting activities as it does today.
The second phase of the agreement calls for the outright purchase of 51 acres of Pouch Camp for permanent conservation. If TPL secures the required funds, the second stage of the preservation effort is expected to be completed in the summer of 2013. GNYC will retain use of the cabins and trails on this portion of the camp through a management agreement, and will also retain the Camporee Field, which comprises approximately 20 acres.
Pouch Camp has been an important resource of Scouting in Staten Island for over 60 years and is a critical holding within the 2,500-acre Staten Island Greenbelt. It has been a priority for conservation since at least the mid-1980s. It is a recreational destination, an environmental education hot spot, and has important habitat and water resources. Throughout its history, Pouch Camp has been managed and maintained in the spirit of protecting these resources. This agreement further allows the Boy Scouts to make Pouch Camp an enduring ecological and public resource, with permanent restrictions for development of the property, managed by entities dedicated to its preservation.
Jones Lang LaSalle is a leader in the New York tri-state commercial real estate market, with more than 1,700 of the most recognized industry experts offering brokerage, capital markets, facilities management, consulting, and project and development services. In 2010, the New York tri-state team completed approximately 17 million square feet in lease transactions, completed capital markets transactions valued at $861 million, managed projects valued at more than $5.8 billion, and oversaw a property and facilities management portfolio of 83.5 million square feet.
About Jones Lang LaSalle
Jones Lang LaSalle (NYSE:JLL) is a financial and professional services firm specializing in real estate. The firm offers integrated services delivered by expert teams worldwide to clients seeking increased value by owning, occupying or investing in real estate. With 2010 global revenue of more than $2.9 billion, Jones Lang LaSalle serves clients in 70 countries from more than 1,000 locations worldwide, including 200 corporate offices. The firm is an industry leader in property and corporate facility management services, with a portfolio of approximately 1.8 billion square feet worldwide. LaSalle Investment Management, the company’s investment management business, is one of the world’s largest and most diverse in real estate with $45.3 billion of assets under management. For further information, please visit our website, www.joneslanglasalle.com.
Contact:
George Shea, Mark Faris
Company: Shea Communications
Phone: +1-212-627-5766
Email: mfaris (at) sheacommunications (dot) com
