John Verni and Chris Verni, partners in Verco Properties LLC, will celebrate the re-opening of the historic Mamaroneck Train Station after an extensive restoration with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Wednesday, March 28th at 5PM. The Verni Brothers acquired the building from the MTA and converted the long-neglected station into space for a restaurant on the ground level and professional offices on a new second level.
The Club Car, a restaurant and lounge that is the vision of Brian MacMenamin, formerly of MacMenamin’s Grill, the Larchmont Oyster House, and the Post Road Ale House, and his wife, Fatima, is now open for business on the ground floor. The new second level will be the new home of Verco Properties LLC, the real estate firm owned and operated by the Verni family, as well as space for additional professional offices.
The station was originally constructed in 1888, but had fallen into disrepair, especially when tickets started to be sold from electronic kiosks on the train platform. Verco Properties purchased the building from the MTA and then engaged Stephen Tilly Architects, a Westchester-based architectural firm noted for their work in historical restoration, to design the improvements to the Richardson Romanesque station building. Suburban Construction Inc., based in Armonk, was the construction manager for the project.
John Verni, an attorney and a principal in Verco Properties LLC, stated, “We are excited that we were able to bring the station back to life. It is very satisfying to see our vision of an adaptive reuse of this historically significant building become a reality. We received a lot of positive feedback from the community as the project progressed and we are sure the people of Mamaroneck and the Sound Shore will be please with this grand restoration”.
Several elements of the historic building were incorporated into the design of the building. For example, the building featured an original fireplace that was stripped of generations of paint and the restored to the original wood finish beneath; the large palladium windows with multi-colored period glass were completely refurbished; and the old ticket counters were incorporated into the design of the new bar. On the new second floor, the original wood trusses and wooden-slated roof elements were preserved by insulating the replacement roofing from the outside, enhancing the energy efficiency and aesthetics of the roofing system.
The Verni Brothers purchased the building from the MTA in 2008 and then presented their plans to the Mamaroneck land use boards for approval. John added, “The Village Board and other Mamaroneck land use boards as well as the MTA have been very supportive of our vision to restore the station and offered several suggestions to improve the project that were incorporated into the plan including several “green solutions”. The project features several green elements including extensive use of reclaimed materials from the site; energy efficient radiant heat flooring; new storm water systems to catch runoff; and “green roofing” on the old railroad tunnels to absorb storm water and add to energy efficiency.
Chris Verni, a Larchmont resident and a principal in Verco Properties, stated, “While we renovate many buildings, it was very gratifying to restore such an important building right here at home. The Sound Shore is a wonderful place to live and raise a family and by saving this building we are pleased to be giving something important back to our community”.
A ribbon-cutting is planned for Wednesday, March 28th at 5:00PM at the Mamaroneck Station building. Mayor Norman Rosenblum and other Mamaroneck Village officials will be in attendance. Refreshments will be served outside Club Car immediately after the ceremony.
The public is welcome to attend and tour the newly restored train station building.