State Grant To Fund Design Of Peekskill 'Community HUB'

PEEKSKILL, NY — The city of Peekskill wants to create municipal space next to City Hall on Main Street and now can begin the design process thanks to funding from New York State.

State Senator Pete Harckham, D-South Salem, announced Monday that $50,000 of state funding was awarded to Peekskill for the design of its planned “Community HUB,” a campus of facilities adjacent to City Hall.

Harckham said the city is pushing forward with a number of important projects as part of its impressive and ongoing renaissance as an important economic driver in the Hudson Valley.

“This funding will help jumpstart an initiative to create municipal space that will serve residents and business owners,” he said.

The Community HUB project will design the adaptive reuse of the Hook and Ladder Firehouse, the city’s second oldest fire company, which was organized in 1831. Its building also dates to the 19th century.

Additionally, the HUB design will include reuse of ancillary buildings connected to the firehouse and the Peekskill Neighborhood Center across the street.

Ultimately, it is expected that the Community HUB will house a workforce development center geared toward training in the food services industry, a professional restaurant training facility, two kitchen areas dining spaces and an area for senior services.

Peekskill Mayor Vivian McKenzie expressed her thanks for the recognition of its efforts to create a gathering space for the entire community.

“This funding will be used to reimagine the space and design a community space that provides proper facilities for a multitude of programs,” she said, “whether they be for youth, health enthusiasts, new families, people in need of specific services or just community gathering spaces.”