A baseball and softball training facility will soon occupy part of the former Ocean State Job Lot building on Boston Post Road in Orange.
In a deal recorded July 24, Orange-based Tessa Marie Holdings LLC and principals Michael V. Moras and Wayne Moras Jr., bought the 29,750-square-foot building at 401 Boston Post Road for $4.1 million.
The seller was New Haven-based OSJ of Orange LLC, and principals Marc Perlman, Alan Perlman and Steve Aronow.
Ocean State Job Lot relocated its operations to 53 Boston Post Road, in Orange, earlier this year.
The Grind Baseball, which is operated by Michael Moras, will be renting 17,000 square feet of the building from Tessa Marie for its operations, which hosts 30 AAU teams for lessons, conditioning and clinics.
Moras said the new location is nearly three times larger than The Grind’s current 6,000-square-foot space at 83 Boston Post Road. The Grind has been at that location since opening 11 years ago, and owners have been looking for a larger space.
Moras said the Ocean State building was a perfect fit due to its high ceilings and open floor plan, and is still located in Orange, where he preferred to stay.
He is aiming for an October opening after renovations at the new location, and could take on more employees in addition to The Grind’s current 15 full- and part-time workers.
The other 11,000 square feet of space will likely be rented to a pickleball operation, Moras said.Â
The building dates back to 1945, and used to be a CompUSA site, then Ocean State Job Lot store. The property has an appraised value of $2.9 million.
