Developers counter slow season with incentives

As business slows down for developers, some are trying to lure residents with over-the-top amenities and incentives. At the Ludlow, the 243-unit building at 188 Ludlow Street on the Lower East Side, which is about 50 percent occupied after five months, incentives include a month of free rent, no brokerage fee, free moving services and a year of free storage space. Developer Jerry Gottesman, chairman of Edison Properties, has taken advantage of owning Manhattan Mini Storage. For a two-bedroom apartment on a high floor, the incentives package could save a renter almost $19,000.