NEW YORK, November 13, 2012 – Muss Development LLC has signed the Federal Emergency Management Agency to a 200,000-square-foot lease at Forest Hills Tower to serve as the agency’s New York City headquarters over the next several months, with the option for short-term lease extensions.

FEMA will utilize space on ten full floors solely for administrative offices. There will be no on-site access to the general public.

In close proximity to airports and key population centers, with easy access to all five boroughs, Nassau, Suffolk, Westchester county and Connecticut, the Class-A tower is located at 118-35 Queens Boulevard in Forest Hills, Queens.

Reflecting FEMA’s urgent need to establish a conveniently situated base of operations for overseeing its broad scope of federal emergency-related activities in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, Muss and the agency closed the transaction within a 48-hour period.

Jason Muss, Principal of Muss Development, noted that the short-term lease with FEMA will not impact ongoing discussions for the space with other potential tenants, who understand the temporary nature of this unique and critical requirement.

“Throughout our company’s history, Muss Development has maintained a commitment to civic responsibility,” Muss said. “Forest Hills Tower is a superb Class-A venue that perfectly suits FEMA for extending its critical reach throughout our area affected by the hurricane. We are proud to have been able to act swiftly to meet their needs.”

FEMA coordinates the federal government’s role in preparing for, preventing, mitigating the effects of, responding to, and recovering from all domestic disasters, whether natural or man-made, including acts of terror.

Ken Siegel, of Jones Lang LaSalle, represented Muss Development and the United States General Services Administration — acting on behalf of FEMA — was represented by Mark Greenspan of the CBRE Group.

Centrally located in the heart of Queens, Forest Hills Tower provides outstanding highway and mass transit access with the E and F subways at the building’s front door. The building stands 17 minutes from midtown Manhattan, 20 minutes from downtown Brooklyn, 11 minutes from JFK International Airport, and 11 minutes from LaGuardia Airport .

Muss Development is in the process of implementing a large-scale capital improvement program at the tower to provide Class-A systems and services to tenants and to reinforce the building’s preeminent market position.

In addition, Muss Development has made available approximately 40,000 square feet of space across its portfolio in Staten Island and Queens for use by displaced businesses in conjunction with the New York City Economic Development Corporation’s (NYCEDC) Business Capacity Exchange. The space is situated in approximately 20 locations consisting of both office and retail space stretching from St. George to Eltingville in Staten Island and in Forest Hills.

About Muss Development
With more than 100 years of ongoing business excellence in New York City, Muss Development is the largest development company in the Boroughs of New York City, with more than 10 million square feet of commercial, residential, industrial and retail property developed. For more information, visit www.muss.com.