(rshsdepot) Heathcote (Scarsdale), NY

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From today's Journal News.
 
Bernie Wagenblast
 
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
 
 
Scarsdale station, once part of "Westchester's Forgotten  Railway," on the 
auction block

By _CANDICE FERRETTE_ (mailto:CFERRETT_@_LOHUD.COM) 
THE JOURNAL  NEWS


(Original publication: April 24, 2007)
 
SCARSDALE — Standing at an intersection called "Five Corners," it's hard to  
imagine there were once not enough commuters in this bustling village to 
support  a state-of-the-art railroad. 
It's true. 
The year was 1937 when the New York, Westchester & Boston Railway went  
defunct in part because the elite communities north of Manhattan did not develop  
fast enough. 
With sleek green cars and plush, spacious interiors, 43 bridges, 23 tunnels  
and a 3,940-foot subway tunnel, the NYW&B railway was ahead of its time. And  
the stations were called "one of the most attractive group of railway stations 
 in the country," according to the Electric Railway Journal. 
Now, Scarsdale's former Heathcote station is for sale and the opportunity to  
own one of the few relics of "Westchester's Forgotten Railroad," will go to 
the  highest bidder willing to preserve its history. 
The Italianate-style, stucco station building, built in 1912 at Wilmot and  
Heathcote Road, is one of the most prominent structures in the village. It was  
the only commercial building at the time and is the reason for the business  
district around it. 
"You can show a picture of this building to anyone who grew up in Scarsdale  
in the last 95 years and they would immediately recognize where that is," said 
 Andy Bass, a village resident who called on the village to preserve the  
historical architecture of the former train station. "They might not know the  
history of the building, but they'll certainly know where it is." 
Unlike Bass, a train and history enthusiast, most residents know the  
triangularly shaped property at 300 Heathcote Road as home to the Scarsdale  
Volunteer Ambulance Corps. The corps, which has occupied the building for more  than 
25 years, is expected to move into a new building up the road in May.  
Scarsdale trustees see no other government use and are soliciting proposals for  the 
purchase of the property. The deadline is Thursday. 
"The site lends itself to all different types of uses," said Dan Sarnoff,  
assistant to the village manager, who is collecting the proposals. "It's a nice  
opportunity for anyone who is interested in preservation. You're definitely 
not  going to find any buildings like this one." 
Although some of the old tiles are now damaged and the building has been  
renovated to fit an ambulance inside, the most recent visual survey prepared in  
February by Jan Hird Pokorny Associates, a Manhattan-based architectural firm, 
 called the building "eminently worthy of preservation." 
As a result, village officials are going to write into the deed a covenant  
requiring any new owner to save the main building and the key existing design  
elements such as the building's arched windows, the red terra cotta tiles and  
the classic trim. 
The building is not registered on the state or federal historic registers,  
but any new owner of the building may be eligible for the New York State  
Historic Preservation Tax Credit and is eligible for a federal tax credit value  up 
to $100,000 for commercial properties, according to the official "Request for 
 Proposal." 
A 1997 engineer's report says that the building is in "good condition." The  
village would not disclose the dollar amount of the building's most recent  
appraisal, but local commercial real estate agents like Eric Goldschmidt are  
guessing that the property will fetch "top dollar." 
"It's a premier location," said Goldschmidt who owns the Scarsdale-based  
agency Goldschmidt & Associates. "The property is at the crossroads of all  the 
major roads in the village. It's just an outstanding area and I'm sure  they'll 
be no shortage of potential buyers once people find out about it." 
The average rent for a commercial property in Scarsdale is $50 to $60 per  
square foot, Goldschmidt said. 
Parking and access to the building, however, are issues. Making the potential 
 buyer preserve the historical character may also reduce the potential 
buyers'  market, Goldschmidt said. 
Not if the potential buyer is as loyal a follower of the old NYW&B  railway 
as those on eBay. The online auction site shows that interest in the old  
commuter railway can often reach "manic proportions," Bass said. 
Electric train and railroad buffs have been known to bid on timetables,  
tickets and photos. A postcard depicting a scene "Near Heathcote" sold on eBay  
earlier this year for $111.50. 
To be sure, Bass said, it will be interesting to see the next use for the  
former Heathcote station. 
"One could argue that the NYW&B has a more loyal following today, nearly  70 
years after its demise, than it did at any time during its lifespan," he  said.




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End of RSHSDepot Digest V1 #1534
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The Railroad Station Historical Society maintains a database of existing
railroad structures at: http://www.rrshs.org