Rye Town Hires Realtor to Help Sell Town Hall

This is a summary of updates from the June 18 Town Board meeting that Rye Town volunteer media coordinator Dick Hubert has submitted to the media.

Town of Rye officials have hired a New York Commercial Realty Group to help them find a buyer for Rye Town Hall and look for office space to rent in the event the building is sold.

Town officials believe that the 65-year-old building at 10 Pearl Street, Port Chester, might be worth $1.5 to $2 million. 

Currently, town operations occupy less than half of the large, three-story building but only about 5,000 square feet or less is needed, not counting  court facilities.

“The biggest space hurdle is the courts,” said Councilwoman Christina Collins, who is leading the real estate search. Currently, the Town Courts use the Town meeting room as a courtroom and has judicial offices and a prisoner-holding pen on the third floor.

Supervisor Joe Carvin explained that the sale of the building and its parking lot across the street would put it back on the village tax rolls, a benefit for Town residents.

 “Ten Pearl Street is an antiquated facility that has a Capital Improvement price tag well over $1 million dollars,” Deputy Supervisor Bill Villanova said. “While it has been manageable, residents doing business with the town may be better served at a facility that is more easily accessed by our residents. A move to a facility like the Port Chester Village Hall at 222 Grace Church Street would be sensible decision given the other government offices that are there (Port Chester, NYS Assembly and NYS Senate).”

Carvin noted at least three potential office buildings to which the Town could move: 800 Westchester Avenue in Rye Brook, Gateway Office Center in Port Chester, and the Port Chester Village Hall.