A former machine shop and drill-bit factory on Plain Avenue in New Rochelle is about to become something very different: a nonprofit-owned clubhouse where kids train, learn and play sports regardless of what their families can afford. Westchester Youth Sports Empowerment, known as WYSE, has acquired the 12,500-square-foot industrial building at 111 Plain Ave. for $4.5 million, with plans to open its first clubhouse there before the end of the year.
Westfair Business Journal reported that the property once served as a machine shop and drill-bit factory for Vernon Devices before WYSE stepped in to buy it. According to the New York Real Estate Journal, Ariel Property Advisors arranged the $4.5 million acquisition, with founding partner Victor Sozio leading the deal and director Remi Mandell also taking part. Sozio, who also serves on the WYSE board of directors, said the clubhouse will give young athletes from every economic background a place to train, learn, grow and belong, per the outlet. Steve Kane represented the seller in the transaction, the Journal reported.
There is some discrepancy in how the property's size and price per square foot have been reported. A transaction summary from traded.co lists the sale as $4.5 million for 12,500 square feet, or $360 per square foot, but the same source elsewhere calculates the deal at roughly $452 per square foot based on a published figure of 9,950 square feet for 2026. The outlet's report describes the property as a 12,500-square-foot industrial site.
Rooftop Training Space and Site Upgrades
New Rochelle's Planning Board unanimously approved the clubhouse plans in July, according to the Journal. The redevelopment calls for converting the building's rooftop into a seasonal baseball training space designed for 22 children, per the report. The broader redevelopment will adapt the site for clubhouse use.
WYSE says it is now advancing architectural plans, permitting and construction preparations for the site, with an opening targeted for later this year, subject to final permits, construction and campaign completion, the Journal reported. Evan List said the WYSE Clubhouse will be a permanent community asset serving Westchester families, according to the outlet, while Will Blodgett said the organization aims to make exceptional youth sports opportunities accessible to every child regardless of family income.
A Model WYSE Hopes to Replicate
WYSE describes the Plain Avenue project as its proving ground for a nonprofit-owned, best-in-class model, one the organization expects will lead to more clubhouses across Westchester and beyond, per the Journal. Nonprofit ownership, the group says, will keep the facility mission-driven, community-focused and dedicated to expanding access to youth sports rather than answering to outside investors.
To back that mission, WYSE's website describes the clubhouse as more than a sports facility — calling it a permanent investment in the future of Westchester's youth. The organization says it will provide scholarships, free clinics, subsidized programming and community partnerships to broaden access, and the Journal reports it also plans outreach initiatives alongside its regular offerings.
Baseball instruction will run through Westchester Giants, identified as the clubhouse's anchor baseball programming partner and described on WYSE's website as Westchester's premier travel baseball program. The Giants are expected to lead baseball instruction on-site while supporting broader athletic development and community involvement, according to the Journal's report.
WYSE was founded on March 9, 2024, according to the organization's own site. The Plain Avenue property marks its inaugural facility in New Rochelle, positioning the nonprofit as a new player in a broader wave of investment in youth sports infrastructure. WYSE's project is aimed at expanding access to youth sports.
