Awarding Empire City Casino by MGM Resorts a full-scale commercial license has been a top legislative priority of the Business Council of Westchester (BCW) for the last several years. New York State will award the 3 remaining commercial casino licenses by December 31st, and the field is highly competitive. What was once seen as a natural progression for Empire City is now a long shot. We need to engage right now or the significant revenues expected from this company will be lost and taxpayers and business owners will be left to fill the revenue gap. Right now, local Community Advisory […]

BCW Member Iona University proudly celebrated its newly renovated dining hall and student union with a ribbon cutting ceremony held Wednesday, marking a major milestone in its ongoing commitment to elevating the student experience. The 20,000-square-foot, two-story transformation of the LaPenta Student Union reflects a vibrant vision of campus life, one that fosters connection, curiosity and community. “We are excited to provide our students with this state-of-the-art dining facility at the center of campus,” said Seamus Carey, Ph.D., president of Iona University. “In addition to being aesthetically beautiful, it will facilitate cordial interactions among students, which will deepen the sense […]

Congratulations to BCW Member Lightbridge Academy child-care center franchise that recently celebrated the grand opening of its newest location at 26 Legion Drive in Valhalla. The center is the newest of the more than 160 that the company operates or are in development. The franchisees are Vivian and Mark Mathias, who already own a Scarsdale location. Lightbridge Academy of Valhalla provides exceptional early childhood education programs for children aged six weeks to pre-Kindergarten, designed to support busy working families. “Our mission at Lightbridge Academy is to create a warm, welcoming space where children feel secure, inspired, and excited to learn,” […]

BCW Member Pace University announced this week the appointment of Ajay Khorana, Ph.D., as Dean of the Lubin School of Business and professor of finance, effective September 1, 2025. Pace President Marvin Krislov praised Khorana’s impressive background in global finance, commitment to student and institutional success, and ability to bridge industry and academia. “Ajay Khorana is a transformational leader who brings both real-world experience and academic depth to Pace,” said President Krislov. “His global perspective and strategic vision will enhance Lubin’s programs and reputation and expand opportunities for our students and faculty, especially here in Lower Manhattan where our campus is just […]

In what is encouraging news for developing renewable energy, three new battery energy systems have come online in Westchester County.  Calibrant, the company which owns and operates battery energy storage systems (BESS) in Hawthorne, Yorktown, and Ossining, said the systems are connected with Con Edison’s electric grid and are already producing economic benefits under New York state’s Value of Distributed Energy Resources (VDER) program, also known as Value Stack. VDER credits are used to offset utility bills Calibrant’s BESS sites in Westchester use lithium-ion battery storage modules to store electricity until it is needed by the grid. The BESS in […]

As Westchester County’s largest business membership organization that focuses on economic development and advocacy, the BCW has been a long-time advocate of obtaining a full gaming license for Empire City Casino by MGM Resorts. BCW Executive Vice President and COO John Ravitz provided testimony supporting the full gaming license at a meeting held Monday in Yonkers by the Community Advisory Council. He began by stating that obtaining a full-gaming license for Empire City by MGM Resorts has been and will continue to be the top legislative priority for the BCW. He noted that Empire City by MGM Resorts has already […]