Don’t Let The MTA’s Neglect Destroy The Ardsley-on-Hudson Train Station

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The Gilded Age version (left) and the sad state of the present Ardsley Train Station

December 14, 2023

Unfortunately, it appears that the MTA continues to work diligently to abandon their ownership of the Ardsley-on-Hudson Station in careless disregard for its historic status and elegant architecture. And to make matters worse, this property has not been properly maintained, so its dilapidation depresses the property’s re-sale potential. Everyone should visit this property to bear witness.

So in summary, we are witnessing a public state agency substantially, if not irreparably harm a historic building through neglect and now work to sell away this building to a tenant the MTA worked to evict. Additionally, Irvington taxpayers will incur financial costs because this building will require hours of staff time in oversight, historic restriction compliance, inspections, and lower village board reviews and hearings.

If one analyzed the adaptive re-use of the 90+ rail stations on the Hudson, Harlem, New Haven and NJ Transit Lines there would be little precedent for the mistreatment of this unique property. So many stations are preserved having useful lives in retail, serving as warm waiting rooms or being preserved pending a positive use.

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It is important to note that the MTA is the owner of this station, having inherited it from the bankruptcy proceedings of the New York Central Railroad in the 1970’s. One is reminded of the famous Colin Powell Iraq expression known as the “Pottery Barn Rule,” which states that “If you broke it, you bought it”. And in this case the MTA has “broken” or significantly depreciated this building’s potential for a positive re-use. Therefore, ownership should remain with the MTA or there should be a good faith effort to develop sustainable usage.

On a positive note, the Ardsley Station currently has a rent generating tenant in the US Postal Service. And Mercy College once explored the concept of using part of the station as a coffee café. So there are potentials to explore. But it is important to note that the costs of maintaining rail stations often exceed retail rental revenues so it is not realistic for any public agency to think that simply floating an RFP will attract John Beresford Tipton. Any RFP has to possess realistic financial ROI value which this property does not have. Preservation requires a far more substantive effort.

Terry Masterson

Amherst, MA

The writer is a former Deputy Mayor of Irvington

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