New Affordable Housing Development To Open In Peekskill

PEEKSKILL, NY — A $51 million, all-electric affordable housing development will bring 82 affordable apartments to Westchester County.

Governor Kathy Hochul said announced Monday the completion of 645 Main in Peekskill.

She said the development at 645 Main St. marks the next step in making Westchester County and all of the state more livable more more affordable.

“By adding diverse, energy-efficient housing options in thriving and transit-friendly cities like Peekskill,” Hochul said, “we are tackling New York’s housing shortage head on and expanding the possibilities for every family who wants to call New York home.”

The development, which will be known as 645 Main, furthers the city’s goal of increasing affordable housing options as part of its $10 million New York State Downtown Revitalization Initiative award it received in 2019.

The new apartment complex will have 82 apartments affordable to households earning between 40 and 80 percent of the Area Median Income and a 140-space parking garage, all of which was constructed on a two-acre remediated brownfield site.

Officials said there are 18 one-bedroom apartments, 50 two-bedroom apartments and 14 three-bedroom apartments. The building has frontage on both Main Street and Central Avenue.

It was designed to meet the requirements of the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority’s Low-rise Residential New Construction program and was also designed and certified by the U.S. Green Building Council under LEED for Homes Gold.

Sustainable features include a rooftop photovoltaic solar array, high-performance building envelope, high-performance heating and cooling conditioning systems and low-flow plumbing fixtures.

The parking garage features a landscaped rooftop courtyard with an underground stormwater infiltration system that retains surface water onsite to reduce the burden on the municipal system. It also has 30 EV charging stations.

Additional residential amenities include a community room leading to the rooftop courtyard, quiet and active lounges, a fitness center, a laundry room and an onsite management office.

The building is a short walk from the Peekskill Metro-North Station.

The developers are the Housing Action Council and Wilder Balter Partners Inc. Financing for 645 main included $8.9 million in permanent tax-exempt bonds, $12.1 million in federal Low-Income Housing Tax Credits and $12.3 million in subsidy from New York State Homes and Community Renewal.

The construction fulfilled the requirements of the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation's successful Brownfield Cleanup Program, which resulted in $6 million in tax credits issued by the New York State Department of Tax and Finance. NYSERDA provided $171,990 through the NY Sun Multifamily Affordable Housing Incentive program and is expected to provide an additional $69,200 through Low-rise Residential New Construction Program. Westchester County provided $5.7 million from the Housing Implementation Fund and $2.3 million from the New Homes Land Acquisition Fund.

Peekskill Mahor Vivian McKenzie said that 645 Main completely changes the way Peekskill develops affordable housing.

She said William Balter of WBP Development and his team partnered with the Peekskill and the state to provide a truly inclusive mixed-income experience.

“Longtime community supporters, Mr. Balter’s mother urged her son to create affordable housing in Peekskill,” McKenzie said. “It is a remarkable and is a worthy legacy to what a good partnership can create.”