From left: Zehy Jereis, the Ridge Hill mall and Sandy Annabi

A federal court judge yesterday upheld the convictions of former Yonkers Councilmember Sandy Annabi and former Chairman of the Yonkers Republican Committee Zehy Jereis in a corruption case over the Ridge Hill mall and housing complex in Yonkers, the New York Times reported.

Annabi was convicted of taking $195,000 in bribes from Jereis to reverse her opposition to Forest City Ratner’s 91-acre development, as previously reported. Jereis testified that he gave Annabi gifts out of love, not as an attempt to influence her views. [more]

From left: Former Yonkers City Council member Sandy Annabi, Zehy Jereis, former chairman of the Yonkers Republican Committee, and the Ridge Hill complex

Former Yonkers City Council member Sandy Annabi and Zehy Jereis, former chairman of the Yonkers Republican Committee, were both found guilty today on all counts in a corruption case over the Ridge Hill luxury mall and housing complex project, the New York Times reported. [more]

From left: Former Yonkers Republican Party Chairman Zehy Jereis and Former Yonkers Council member Sandy Annabi

A Forest City Ratner executive testified the firm paid $5,000 per month to then-Yonkers Republican Party Chairman Zehy Jereis because he could swing a key vote to approve a $650 million Westchester mixed-use development, the New York Post reported.

Scott Cantone, the firm’s senior vice president for government affairs, took the stand in a Manhatttan federal court case on political corruption in Yonkers, to discuss accusations that former Yonkers Council member Sandy Annabi accepted more than $160,000 in bribes through Jereis. [more]

From left: Bruce Ratner, Zehy Jereis and Carl Kruger

Though not charged with any crimes, Bruce Ratner has found himself a prominent role in recent corruption cases involving Yonkers and Brooklyn politicians, a New York Times columnist said, thanks largely to his maneuvering for approval for two massive developments.

Ratner has hired a mix of former politicians, political consultants and lobbyists to obtain approval and funding for his Atlantic Yards project and a less-publicized, 81-acre luxury residential and retail complex he’s trying to build in Yonkers called Ridge Hill. [more]

Saks Fifth Avenue is pulling out of Forest City Enterprises’
controversial Ridge Hill real estate project in Westchester County,
raising further questions about the future of the $685 million
mixed-use complex.
Forest City announced yesterday that Saks pulled out as the anchor
tenant of the project, less than a year from signing a deal to develop
an 80,000-square-foot store at the Yonkers site, making it the chain’s
only store in Westchester County. Saks told The Real Deal that the
developer failed to meet a key provision of the deal.
“Saks Fifth Avenue had signed a letter of intent to be a part of the
Ridge Hill development, but Forest City was unable to secure our agreed
upon list of co-tenants for the development,” said Julia Bentley,
spokesperson for Saks…. [more]