Ossining, Peekskill Historic Railroad Buildings Available to Rent
MTA Metro-North Railroad is seeking commercial tenants for the 19th century station buildings it owns in Ossining and Peekskill as well as in Port Chester and Tarrytown.
The four buildings are unique; each is centrally located in densely inhabited villages and each has recently undergone physical improvements to increase its attractiveness to potential businesses.
“These properties represent a tremendous opportunity for creative entrepreneurs whether for a restaurant, a florist, whatever,” said Metro-North President Howard Permut. “In addition to the built-in commuter market, these stations are located in vibrant, lively villages. Having these buildings open all day would be a boon for both our customers and village residents.”
In all four stations, Metro-North will reserve for itself and its customers’ use, on a non-exclusive basis, a portion of the building including a waiting room, bathrooms, and access to platforms.
The MTA seeks tenants with retail or commercial uses that are compatible with the continued use by passengers of the waiting rooms and bathrooms, which to some extent may be reconfigured or relocated.
One requirement the MTA has for a potential tenant is that they are willing to make coffee. Port Chester, Ossining and Tarrytown currently have coffee concessions, and Peekskill had one until about a year ago. Because the railroad wants to provide this amenity to its customers, it will require tenants to provide morning coffee service a minimum of Monday through Friday from 6 – 11 a.m. In addition, the party operating the coffee service will be responsible for opening the waiting room portion of the station building each morning to the public at 6 a.m.
Because the buildings may require capital improvements, Metro-North may, in the course of negotiating terms of the leases, agree to help defray the tenant’s cost, if any, of installing utilities or other building upgrades.
Peekskill Station, built in 1874, is a one-story, 7,395-square-foot building, including the basement. In addition, there is an outdoor plaza of 1,630 square feet next to the building. The station has an excellent Hudson River waterfront location with close access to Route 9 and the Bear Mountain Parkway.
Included in the lease are eight short-term parking spaces in front of the station building. Additionally, the City of Peekskill plans to convert the row of parking to the north of the station to short-term meters, so that they are available for customers of the business in the station building.
Ossining is a 1910, one-story, brick building, which is above the railroad and fronting the road that crosses over the tracks. The Haverstraw-Ossining Ferry landing is paces away.
There is about 1,150 square feet of interior space plus a storage room just north of the existing concession area. The former ticket office could be part of the retail space and tables and chairs could be placed on the walkways that surround the station building. There is no dedicated parking for the retail use.
The Port Chester Station, on the New Haven Line, is a one-story, 5,632-square-foot building, constructed in 1890. It is surrounded by a Metro-North commuter parking lot and the railroad will dedicate a number of parking spaces to the tenant, depending on the proposed use.
The neighborhood is a highly visible downtown location easily accessible to I-95, I-287 and Route 1. Major retailers include Costco, Bed Bath & Beyond, Super Stop & Shop and Marshall’s.
Tarrytown Station is a one-story, masonry building with 3,319 square feet on the ground floor and 523 square feet of loft office space. Built in 1890, it was designed by Shepley, Rutan and Coolidge. The building is in a rapidly developing area of Tarrytown across from the newly constructed Village Hall and near Hudson Harbor, a new commercial and residential development.
Metro-North has recently completed a $3 million rehabilitation of the Tarrytown Station building, including a new slate roof, new windows, new drainage and new, expanded sidewalks. The remaining portions of the station area (platforms, overpasses, elevators, etc.) are currently being replaced as part of a $40 million project.
The requests for proposals are available http://mta.info/mta/realestate/retail_leasing.html The availability will be advertised beginning July 10. Proposals are due August 5 and can be submitted to Royal Properties, Inc., of Bronxville, NY.
Adam has worked in the local news industry for the past two decades in Westchester County and the broader Hudson Valley. Read more from Adam’s author bio here.