As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 12, 1997

                            Registration No. 33-41408



                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             Washington, D.C. 20549
                               ------------------

                         POST-EFFECTIVE AMENDMENT NO. 1
                                       TO
                                    FORM S-8
                             REGISTRATION STATEMENT
                                      UNDER
                           THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933
                               ------------------

                              HRE Properties, Inc.
             (Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in its Charter)



                                                                           
             Maryland                          6798                      04-2458042*
   (State or Other Jurisdiction    (Primary Standard Industrial       (I.R.S. Employer
of Incorporation or Organization)    Classification Code Number)   Identification Number)


                               321 Railroad Avenue
                          Greenwich, Connecticut 06830
                                  203-863-8200
    (Address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code,
                  of registrant's principal executive offices)
                               ------------------

                               Charles J. Urstadt
                      Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
                              HRE Properties, Inc.
                               321 Railroad Avenue
                          Greenwich, Connecticut 06830
                                  203-863-8200

 (Name, address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code,
                             of agent for service)
                               ------------------

                                 With copies to:

                              Thomas J. Drago, Esq.
                                Coudert Brothers
                           1114 Avenue of the Americas
                             New York, NY 10036-7703

                               ------------------

* I.R.S. Employer  Identification  Number of HRE Properties,  the predecessor to
the registrant prior to the Reorganization  described in Registration  Statement
No. 333-19113-01.







                                EXPLANATORY NOTE

         Effective March 12, 1997, HRE Properties,  Inc., a Maryland corporation
(the "Corporation") became the successor issuer to the common shares (the "Trust
Common Shares") of HRE Properties, a Massachusetts business trust (the "Trust").
On that date,  the Trust merged with and into the  Corporation  (the  "Merger"),
each issued and  outstanding  Trust Common Share was converted into one share of
common stock of the Corporation, the separate existence of the Trust ceased, and
the Corporation became the surviving entity in the Merger,  succeeding to all of
the  rights,  powers,  and  property  of  the  Trust  and  assuming  all  of the
liabilities, debts and obligations of the Trust.

         Pursuant to Rule 414(d) under the  Securities  Act of 1933,  as amended
(the "Act"),  the  Corporation,  as the  successor  issuer to the Trust,  hereby
adopts the  Trust's  Registration  Statement  on Form S-8  (Commission  File No.
33-41408) as its own Registration  Statement for all purposes of the Act and the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.

         This  Post-Effective  Amendment No. 1 hereby  incorporates by reference
the Joint Proxy  Statement/Prospectus of the Trust and the Corporation contained
in  Registration  Statement  No.  333-19113,  as  amended,  which sets forth the
additional  information  necessary  to  reflect  any  material  changes  made in
connection with or resulting from the Merger.







                                   SIGNATURES

         Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended,
the  registrant  has duly  caused  this  Post-Effective  Amendment  No. 1 to the
Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned,  thereunto
duly  authorized,  in the City of Greenwich,  State of  Connecticut on March 12,
1997.

                                        HRE PROPERTIES, INC.                   
                                                                               
                                        By:       /s/ Charles J. Urstadt 
                                                  ------------------------------
                                                  Charles J. Urstadt,          
                                                  Chairman of the Board        
                                                  and Chief Executive Officer  
                                        
         Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended,
this  Post-Effective  Amendment  No. 1 to the  Registration  Statement  has been
signed by the following persons in the capacities and on the dates indicated.


/s/ Charles J. Urstadt                                      March 12, 1997  
- ----------------------------------------------                              
Charles J. Urstadt                                                          
Chairman of the Board and                                                   
Chief Executive Officer                                                     
                                                                            
                                                                            
/s/ James R. Moore                                          March 12, 1997  
- ----------------------------------------------                              
James R. Moore                                                              
Executive Vice President - Chief                                            
Financial Officer                                                           
                                                                            
                                                                            
/s/ E. Virgil Conway                                        March 12, 1997  
- ----------------------------------------------                              
E. Virgil Conway                                                            
Director                                                                    
                                                                            
                                                                            
/s/ Robert R. Douglass                                      March 12, 1997  
- ----------------------------------------------                              
Robert R. Douglass                                                          
Director                                                                    
                                                                            
                                                                            
/s/ Peter Herrick                                           March 12, 1997  
- ----------------------------------------------
Peter Herrick                                                               
Director                                                                    
                                                                            
                                                                            
/s/ George H.C. Lawrence                                    March 12, 1997  
- ----------------------------------------------                              
George H.C. Lawrence                                                        
Director                                                                    
                                                                            
                                                                            
/s/ Paul D. Paganucci                                       March 12, 1997  
- ----------------------------------------------                              
Paul D. Paganucci                                                           
Director                                                                    
                                                                            
                                                                            
/s/ James O. York                                           March 12, 1997  
- ----------------------------------------------              
James O. York
Director






                                                          INDEX TO EXHIBITS




Exhibits.


                                                                                                   
5.1         Form of opinion of Miles & Stockbridge, a professional corporation                            Filed Herewith
            (including consent).

23.1        Consent of Arthur Andersen LLP.                                                               Filed Herewith

23.2        Consent of Miles & Stockbridge, a professional corporation (included in                       Filed Herewith
            Exhibit 5.1).