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Guinan's Country Store Will be Converted to Offices
Plans for café deemed not financially viable
by Mike Turton
The Garrison building dubbed "The Little Chapel on the River" will have a second life but it will not include Irish music on the first Thursday after the full moon, morning coffee on the way to the train or beer and conversation after work. Guinan's Country Store and Pub closed at the end of January, 2008. After opening in 1959 and it served for almost fifty years as deli, news stand, pub and unofficial community center for people in the Garrison area.
Del Karlen, President of the Garrison Station Plaza Inc. (GSP) that owns the building, indicated that a decision has been made to convert the building for use as business offices. GSP had advertised for proposals for the redevelopment of the building earlier this year. While about a dozen people requested copies of the detailed proposal guidelines, only four proposals were submitted. Two called for using the building as a café and two outlined plans to create offices.
"We had no set goal. We were open to all ideas. It was a business decision," Karlen said. He indicated that while no formal agreement has been signed with the proponents of creating office space, the GSP Board decided that a café was not viable "despite the developer's optimism." Karlen said that the final development plan could possibly incorporate both office proposals. He preferred to not yet name the two local businesses that had submitted the office proposals
In June, a petition that garnered hundreds of signatures was submitted to the GSP Board, asking them to consider a use for the building that would serve the Garrison area in a manner similar to Guinan's Country Store. Karlen said that he read every comment on the petition. "We very seriously considered the idea," he said. "The board is made up of local residents and we knew there were very strong emotions involved. But we just didn't think it (a café) was viable," he said.
Karlen explained that while GSP is a "for profit" corporation it has never paid its officers nor paid any dividends. Instead, revenue from building rentals has been reinvested in the property. GSP owns six other buildings in addition to the former Guinan's store. Metro North Railroad also leases property from GSP for its Garrison station. The Garrison Landing Association, a not-for-profit organization owns the Depot Theatre, the marina and part of the waterfront park.
Garrison resident Mary Ellen Yannitelli submitted one of the café proposals rejected by the GSP board. Yannitelli was a long-time patron of Guinan's and featured prominently in Gwendolyn Bounds' book "Little Chapel on the River" which chronicled the history of the Guinan family and their store. "I understand their concern over the business being viable. But the start-up costs were offered to me - that's how passionate people in the community are about that place" she said. Yannitelli said that when the GSP board had also requested a $130,000 letter of credit to back her proposal, "Someone from Oklahoma who had only been to Guinan's once said he would arrange it for me within a week - and not to let that stop me. I think they (the board) knew a long time ago that it would never be a café. It's really unfortunate. We're a river community yet there is so little commercial space on the riverfront," she concluded.
There is no set schedule for redevelopment of the building. Referring to the ongoing economic crisis Karlen said, "One of the issues is when banks will be lending money. Renovation will cost a lot and we don't have that kind of cash," he said. Karlen indicated that an apartment might also be added to the building's top floor. The building has been gutted and new insulation, plumbing and electrical wiring will be added. GSP is working with an architect to develop detailed plans.
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