Westchester Partnership sponsors Peekskill Economic Development Day.

In an effort to spur development in Northern Westchester's only urban center, the Westchester Partnership for Economic Development (WPED) recently brought together real estate developers, commercial brokers, members of the Westchester business community and Westchester County and Peekskill officials for the first Peekskill Economic Development Day.

The group toured the most viable development sites in Peekskill and exchanged ideas and information that could inject new life into the city's revitalization efforts.

The tour was a follow-up to a WPED Board of Directors meeting and tour held in Peekskill in July. The Peekskill Economic Development Day represented the second time the Westchester Partnership for Economic Development had organized such an event; the first one took place this summer in Yonkers. Both are part of the Partnership's ongoing campaign to help the county's major urban centers strengthen their economic development efforts.

More than 150 real estate developers and commercial brokers were invited to meet with county and city officials and tour major development sites along Peekskill's waterfront and in its downtown business district. Also included were recent single-family and townhouse developments.

Robert W. Elliott, Westchester County Director for Economic Development, said "Peekskill embodies both the resources of a small community and a larger urban area that does a wonderful job to attract artists and high-tech media business, but there is a great deal more to this city, Peekskill has room for a variety of industries and will ultimately develop a much broader business base."

"Just as the previous tour of Yonkers opened the eyes of many people in the economic and real estate development fields - and generated some very Viable ideas - so too were these individuals impressed by the variety of potential sites in Peekskill," Elliott said.

Like many other urban areas, Peekskill has been focusing on revitalizing its downtown to spur business growth in recent years. The fastest growing city in Westchester County, Peekskill is aggressively promoting several major development sites, including the following.

Peekskill Landing: The City of Peekskill Common Council has entered into a partnership with The Scenic Hudson Land Trust, Inc., and acquired for public use an 8.1-acre parcel of neglected, former industrial riverfront land. The proposed Peekskill Landing Plan includes an extension of the City's Riverfront Green Park to the north, as well as developing a tourism center revolving around a marine history theme.

Charles Point Industrial Park: The Peekskill Industrial Development Agency is seeking a developer of this last remaining potential development site within the park. A 1.25-acre parcel with riverfront view, this site can accommodate a building of approximately 20,000 square feet for research, development and office uses.

Lower South Street/Louisa Street Sites: Strategically situated at the entranceway to the successful Charles Point Industrial Park and with excellent access to Route 9, this 5.75-acre city-owned site currently houses Peekskill's public works garage. With plans underway to relocate the garage, this site can accommodate a building of approximately 75,000 square feet for business, professional and research offices. A 20,000 square-foot garage, located across the street, will also become available.

15-27 South Division Street/Hermax Building: The Peekskill Industrial Development Agency is seeking a purchaser/user for these two buildings which are adjacent to each other in the heart of the Peekskill Downtown Artist District. The buildings total 21,000 square feet, of which 17,000 square feet is available for retail and restaurant Use. The remaining space, located on the upper floor of the Hermax building, is divided into fully tenanted artist studios.

ARTLOFTS: The ARTLOFTS Project is an artist condominium project that is about will begin construction this month. This project will provide new construction of 27 live/work lofts and is the first construction of its type in New York State in this century. In 1991, the Common Council created the Peekskill Artists District to utilize formerly vacant spaces (many on the upper floors of stores in the downtown business district) and make them available for lease to artists. The program has been so successful that new construction is now necessary to provide ownership opportunities for artists wishing to live in Peekskill.

Workers Compensation Board Office Building: This building is an adaptive reuse project undertaken by the city to convert a vacant 32,000 square-foot department store in the heart of downtown into a viable state-of-the-art office building. A long-term lease has been signed with the New York State Department of General Services, and the space will be used as a branch office for New York State Workers Compensation. The rehabilitation of the building is nearly complete, and occupancy is expected this month.

"This tour puts on display some of the most attractive areas for development in Westchester County, and showcases Peekskill as a city of vision with unlimited potential for businesses and families," said Peekskill Mayor Frances Gibbs. "Peekskill is the fastest growing city in the county and the only city in Northern Westchester."

After the tour, Mayor Gibbs hosted a lunch at Crystal Bay for potential investors, city and county officials, and WPED board members.

Earlier this year, the WPED unveiled a strategic plan to work with the mayors and municipal officials of Westchester's five urban cities Mount - Vernon, New Rochelle, Peekskill, White Plains and Yonkers - to support their economic development efforts.

"The Partnership's job is to assist the urban areas in any way we can," said WPED Chairman William M. Mooney, Jr. "We are trying to bring developers to the locations that want development and have the infrastructure to support it. Peekskill clearly has both; they're really trying to forge ahead with their economic development initiatives."

"Well-situated at the foot of the Hudson Highlands on the river, Peekskill is one of the premiere development spots on the East Coast," Mooney added.

The Westchester Partnership for Economic Development is a public/private not-for-profit organization, the mission of which is to retain existing businesses and to attract new businesses to Westchester.