WCA, Peekskill serve as tour guides for investors

The Westchester County Association partnered with the city of Peekskill to provide a tour of several sites in Peekskill that are available for economic development.

The Blueprint for Westchester event gave 100 real estate professionals, investors, developers, site selectors, bankers and lawyers the chance to visit potential commercial and residential development parcels including Peekskill”™s waterfront and some historical sites.

Peekskill mayor Mary Foster, planning director Michael Welti and economic development consultant Jim Pinto served as tour guides. Tour buses departed from Paramount Hudson Valley Theater and traveled through downtown Peekskill”™s business district. Some of the properties featured on the tour were the former White Plains Linen complex on Highland Avenue and the nearly 12-acre parcel on Corporate Drive and Central Avenue, which sits between Peekskill”™s waterfront and downtown areas.

Bill Mooney, president, Westchester County Association; Mayor Mary Foster, Peekskill; and Marissa Brett, executive director, Economic Development, Westchester County Association.

Guests toured the Riverfront Green where city planners presented Peekskill”™s vision to develop its three-mile shoreline. The group then made a pit stop at Peekskill”™s Homestyle Desserts Bakery. The last stops were made along John Walsh Boulevard and Lower South Street, home to White Plains Linen and BASF Corp.

Foster shared her vision for the city at the luncheon following the tour. She said Peekskill is becoming a “cultural hub,” with space for literary and performance arts, museums and entertainment venues. The city also has unique shops and restaurants, she said, from a custom window restorer and an oboe maker to a craftsman who makes handcrafted smoking pipes.

“We are ready to attract developments that make sense for Peekskill ”“ a mix of businesses that creates jobs, maximizes land use and helps our economy thrive,” Foster said.

With six investors interested in starting their businesses in Peekskill, the city plans to continue a downtown revitalization, said Jason Angell, executive director of Peekskill”™s Business Improvement District

The Blueprint for Westchester launched in 2011 to spur economic development in Westchester and has hosted one international showcase and three local showcases in Yonkers, White Plains and New Rochelle.