The city of Peekskill and the nonprofit Scenic Hudson Inc. recently broke ground on a $3.6 million project at Peekskill Landing, a vacant site adjacent to the Riverfront Green Park and the city’s Metro-North train station.
Peekskill Mayor Mary F. Foster said this is the beginning of a “multi-year, multi-phase waterfront revitalization,” which is a “major milestone” for the city.
“Historically, Peekskill’s riverfront was alive with industrial and commercial activity, and now we have the opportunity to bring it back to life for residents and visitors with tourism and new business,” Foster said in a written statement.
Scenic Hudson, a nonprofit whose mission is to protect and restore the Hudson River and Hudson Valley, purchased the Peekskill Landing property from a developer in 1998 with plans to transform the former industrial site into a public park that brings economic benefits.
Peekskill officials have been working with New York state government leaders to secure funding for the waterfront redevelopment project since 1998. In 2010, the state’s Department of Environmental Conservation provided a $1.1 million grant to fund extensive cleanup and restoration of the shoreline on Peekskill Landing. The state’s economic development agency contributed $2.2 million, the state’s Department of State funded $450,000, the state’s Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation donated $400,000 and the City of Peekskill provided $583,000.
“The state’s investment in Peekskill is part of our mission to bolster the tourism industry and create jobs and economic growth in the Hudson Valley,” said Aimee Vargas, mid-Hudson regional director at Empire State Development, in a written statement.
Vargas added that Peekskill’s waterfront revitalization effort will attract more visitors to the area and highlight the “importance of parks and recreational facilities as economic engines in New York state.”
The Scenic Hudson Park project at Peekskill Landing calls for the construction of a boardwalk along the city’s Hudson River shoreline, a pedestrian footbridge, docks for kayaks and small watercraft, a gazebo and trellis and multi-use trailways for outdoor activities.
