MTA Completes Transfer of Ardsley-on-Hudson Train Station—But With Strings Attached

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

January 31, 2024

By Barrett Seaman–

For those concerned about the future of the Ardsley-on-Hudson train station, now in the hands of Yonkers developer John-Michael DeGennaro, January 11^th provided both bad news and good news.

The bad news is that the MTA, which owned the building and the property surrounding it, finally completed transfer of ownership to DeGennaro’s Ardsley Train Station Inc. by signing a “Quitclaim Deed,” giving the new owner control. What’s bad about that, say those concerned about the present and future condition of a property, is that in the nine years DeGennaro has leased the property from the MTA, he has done next to nothing to maintain it.

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The good news, according to Irvington resident and attorney Chet Kerr, who has monitored the negotiations between the railroad and the developer, is that the Quitclaim Deed contains specific conditions and requirements of the new owner that should serve to protect a building that is eligible for recognition by the state and the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

“These provisions,” Kerr wrote in a letter to the Irvington Administrator and Building Inspector, “provide the Village with powerful tools to ensure that the new owner of the Ardsley Train Station and its successors take the required steps to maintain, preserve, and protect the Ardsley Train Station for the benefit of the residents of the Village of Irvington.”

First, because the station house was part of a larger piece of property, a portion of which is still owned by the MTA, Kerr says it must be subdivided, subjecting DeGennaro to taxes and regulatory requirements from which the railroad was exempted. That means that the new owner must apply to the village Planning Board for approval. Furthermore, DeGennaro will have to apply for a Special Permit for whatever purpose he intends for the building.

Finally, and perhaps most important for local preservationists and neighbors, the new owner is required to “maintain and preserve the interior and the exterior features in the building that qualify it for inclusion in the State and National Registers of Historic Places” and make no material changes without prior approval from those agencies.

These and other stipulations are spelled out in detail in the Quitclaim Deed that DeGennaro, as well as officials from the MTA agreed to in writing. However, it is up to the Village of Irvington to enforce them. “The Village is aware of the deed restrictions,” says Village Administrator Larry Schopfer, “and will make decisions about them based on the facts and circumstances as they develop. We look forward to working productively with the new owner to ensure compliance with the deed and applicable Irvington regulations.”

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