The MTA Metro-North Railroad is seeking tenants for four century-old station buildings it owns in Westchester.
The buildings, in Port Chester, Peekskill, Ossining and Tarrytown, have been gradually phased out of use as fewer people wait for trains in stations or require the in-station ticket counters. Currently three are occupied only by a morning coffee stand, and the fourth, in Peekskill, is vacant.
The locations would be ideal for restaurants, said MTA spokeswoman Marjorie Anders, adding that multiple vendors could fit into any of the buildings. The MTA is requiring that any lessee maintain a portion of the building for restrooms and a waiting room for railroad customers, in addition to making coffee available on weekdays from at least 6 a.m. until 11 a.m.
“We”™re trying to maximize the utility of these buildings,” Anders said. “We think that it would blend very well with a restaurant in particular. Maybe by now the economy has turned around a little bit that these are more attractive now than the first time we offered them.”
She said that the railroad last made the buildings available to be leased several years ago and that since then there have been a number of renovations to the structures.
“Since then we have made pretty significant capital investments in the buildings,” Anders said. However, the railroad said the buildings may require further capital improvements and Metro-North may agree to help defray the tenant”™s cost of installing utilities or other building upgrades.
The Peekskill station building, built in 1874, is a one-story, 7,395-square-foot structure that also includes an outdoor plaza of 1,630 square feet.
The Port Chester building was constructed in 1890 and amounts to 5,632 square feet.
The Tarrytown building was also built in 1890, and includes 3,319 square feet on the ground floor and 523 square feet of office space.
The Ossining building is the smallest, at 1,150 square feet, and was constructed in 1910.
The railroad has been working in concert with each of the towns to ensure the transfer of the buildings proceeds smoothly, Angers said.
“I think everyone would like to see the railroad stations be open longer than they are and have a more vibrant usage so we”™re hoping it”™ll work.”
MTA to develop Harrison station
On July 8, the MTA released a request for proposals for a transit-oriented development at its Harrison station as it seeks to replace three surface parking lots with a mixed-use development that combines retail space, residential units and a parking garage.
The site to be developed is roughly 3.3 acres, allowing for a number of possibilities, MTA spokeswoman Marjorie Anders said.
“It would be good for the railroad (and) it certainly would be good for the village because it would extend the downtown and basically make it more vibrant,” she said. “All the real estate in Westchester is more valuable the closer you are to the train station, so we think that this is a workable concept.”
