Westchester & Fairfield Cheat Sheet: Plans for regional MLS unveiled, CT legislators propose competitive bidding bill for casino development … & more

Westchester and Long Island brokers to partner on regional listing service
The Hudson Gateway Association of Realtors and the Long Island Board of Realtors are exploring a partnership in a metro area multiple listings service. Although sources say the talks are preliminary, the two groups, which have a combined 36,000 agents, say they plan to combine their listing systems and hope to eventually cover the entire New York area, including New York City. The Long Island group’s MLS currently has around 21,000 listings, and the Westchester group has 13,000. Richard Haggerty, HGAR’s CEO, said the planned MLS will be “offering a different type of service” from the Real Estate Board of New York, which syndicated its residential listings service this summer. [TRD]

With MGM’s Bridgeport casino in play, CT legislators propose competitive bidding bill
A bill proposed by legislators who represent Bridgeport, where MGM has proposed a massive waterfront gaming project, wants to open a competitive bidding process for casino development in Connecticut and, in the process, scrap an existing license obtained by the native American tribes behind Foxwoods and Mohegan Sun for a new casino in East Windsor. The Mashantucket Pequot and Mohegan tribes are the state’s exclusive gaming operators under current law. “The process will let every developer with an interest — whether it is MGM or the tribes or anyone else — give it their best shot,” said Rep. Chris Rosario, D-Bridgeport, in a press release. A similar push stalled in the legislature last year. [Hartford Courant]

Finance bigwig lists Greenwich estate once owned by Mel Gibson for $22.5M
Newbury Partners finance executive Richard Lichter is selling his Greenwich mansion for $22.5 million, which would be a $1.5 million loss on what he paid Mel Gibson for it in 2010. The 75-acre estate is known as Old Mill Farm — though during Gibson’s 15-year ownership of the property the Australian actor called it Wayne Manor, a reference to the fictional home occupied by Batman’s Bruce Wayne. The 15,800 square-foot main house has eight bedrooms, 14 full bathrooms, dual chefs kitchens and a movie theater. The manicured grounds boast a Cotswold-style stone cottage, stables, a tennis court and pool — not to mention an outdoor chess set. [WSJ]

Mount Vernon approves zoning changes for multifamily development at four sites
Developers of four properties in Mount Vernon have been told they can build multifamily apartments after the Mount Vernon Zoning Board of Appeals rezoned the sites, LoHud reported. Included in the approvals are a 44-unit complex at 16 East Broad Street, the site of the former Fleetwood Animal Hospital, and a six-story luxury-rental building at 135 North High Street, a former church. [LoHud]

Owners of Port Chester office building want property rezoned for self-storage development
The owners of One Gateway Plaza in Port Chester are asking the village board to rezone the property so it can be sold and redeveloped as a self-storage facility. The 38,000-square-foot building has a 60 percent vacancy rate, and its owners believe that “as a commercial office building, [it] is no longer a viable investment,” according to the company’s lawyer John Colangelo. The property is listed for sale at $7 million and has been on the market since 2016. [Lohud]

Westerberg joins Marcus & Millichap in Stamford, Cid joins Houlihan Lawrence Commercial Group in Rye Brook
Steven Cid joined Houlihan Lawrence Commercial Group in Rye Brook and will work on off-market deals with developers and investors, the company announced. Cid had previously been a senior vice president with both Corcoran and Douglas Elliman focusing on luxury residential and commercial real estate in New York City. Stephen Westerberg was named a first vice president of investments at Marcus & Millichap’s Stamford office and will focus on investment sales in Westchester and Connecticut. Westerberg has lead the investment divisions at Newmark Knight Frank and Colliers International. [FBJ | WBJ]