Vacant Mamaroneck Train Station to Have New Restaurant By Year's End

In 2008, when Bronx-based Verco Properties bought the Mamaroneck train station for $1.25 million. The two principals in the firm, John and Chris Verni, envisioned turning the abandoned structure into an upscale restaurant and commercial space.

That vision came closer to reality last week when the company signed a lease with Brian MacMenamin, owner of Post Road Ale House in New Rochelle, which opened in 2009. He plans to open a restaurant called The Club Car when the building is ready, some time before the end of this year, said John.

The deal is so recent, that MacMenamin said he is not yet ready to speak with the press and declined to comment. He is the former owner of Don Coqui-MacMenamin’s Grill in New Rochelle, which shut down under Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2008. He also formerly owned the Larchmont Avenue Oyster House.

“This restaurant will serve high-end American cuisine and will be a destination for the village,” said John, who lives in New Rochelle. His brother, Chris, lives in Larchmont.

Built in 1888, the train station is the second oldest station house on the New Haven line. The station was closed in 2007 by Metro-North in preparation to be sold.

The construction has incorporated several green features, including the use of reclaimed lumber from the ceiling that will be used for wainscoting in the restaurant. The roof will be insulated with special panels that will “preserve the old look inside and provide insulation outside,” said John.

The floors will emit radiant heat and the ceilings will be dropped from 20 feet to 16 feet to make the space more heat-efficient. The design will also catch rainwater and deal with runoff. At the moment, water pours down gutters and runs across the parking lot.

Verco Properties will move their offices from Woodlawn in the Bronx to a 2,000 square foot loft on the second floor of the space. They will also carve a 2,500 square foot commercial space from the second floor.

“It’s an exciting space with roof trusses, an open floor plan and glass partitions between walls,” said John. The restaurant will take up 4,400 square feet on the ground floor.

The project has taken awhile, due to delays getting approvals. “They take longer than we thought, but we’re moving along slowly," said John. “This is a high-end adaptive reuse and the village deserves a better train station.”