The Family YMCA at Tarrytown has listed for sale the building it has occupied for 107 years at 62 Main St. and plans to move its programs to another location.
The nonprofit has retained the commercial real estate services firm RM Friedland to market the property and also represent it in the search for a new location. The 1.22-acre site is on the south side of Main St., about 2-1/2 blocks west of Route 9, also known as Broadway. The property has been listed for sale at $6,495,000. The building has approximately 41,537 square feet of space. Height varies from one to four stories. There is some on-site parking. The property has about 100 feet of frontage on Main Street.
Gerry Riera, CEO of The Family YMCA at Tarrytown told the Business Journal, “When a lot of people think of the Y, the first picture that pops into their mind is an old building and that has really overshadowed all the good work that we do within the facility and all of the staff. I”™ve been here for 16 years and about 30 of us have been here for over 15 years, so a lot of professionals have dedicated a good chunk of their lives to servicing this area.”
The organization”™s board of directors decided that doing all the renovations the building needs in order for the Y to stay there for the long-term is not financially feasible and the best thing to do was explore options to take advantage of the asset”™s value and find a new location.
In an announcement on its website, the board noted that the process “is part of a multi-year strategic plan and is likely to take several years to complete. During this time, we will maintain our programming at our current location.”
Among the programs at the Y are aquatics, day care, after-school care, theater, dance, exercise and fitness. The board said that it will go ahead with some repairs and upgrades that have been planned. The intent is to offer the same services when the Y moves to a new space.
Riera said that if a developer came up with a plan in which the Y could own or lease back a piece of a new development at the site they”™d consider it. “We”™re keeping an open mind to not only what our possibilities are but what could possibly be developed here.”
The Y also said it hopes to either develop a new affordable housing project for people living at its 62 Main St. building or relocate the residents to existing affordable housing. Riera said that the 48 rooms usually are fully occupied. The Y has been in contact with local and county officials about its housing program and is collaborating with the New York City-based NHP Foundation, a nonprofit real estate organization that works on preserving and creating affordable housing for low- and moderate-income families and seniors.
Riera told the Business Journal that one of the problems they”™ve faced is not having a complete story to tell Y members and the general public.
“Friedland is representing us on the sale and also on the relocation and they really can”™t relocate us until there”™s a sale pending. If we listed the property and didn”™t express to the community what our desire was, the rumor would be that we are closing. So, we felt it was really important to let people know even though we didn”™t have a complete story.”
Riera noted that developers often do not close on a property until they have received approvals and permits from local governments and that could take a year or two from the time a buyer is found.
In the meantime, it”™s business as usual at 62 Main St. “Over the summer we”™re making repairs to the studios on the lower level that were damaged in the spring by a pipe bursting so that dance and other classes can be held there,” Riera said. He also said that they”™ll be closing the pool in August to make repairs.
Riera said response from members to the sale and relocation plan has been mainly positive.
“It”™s a very bold step, but it”™s very exciting to move forward and to essentially relocate to a new facility where the focus can be on what we do.”
