44°
On Wednesday, the Westchester County Association, as part of its Blueprint for Westchester program, hosted a bus tour of the city, with real estate professionals, developers, site selectors and lawyers.
The tour allowed people to see some of the investment opportunities the city has to offer as Mike Welti, the director of planning, and Mayor Mary Foster, led people on the bus tour.
"We are thrilled to have you all here," Foster said.
Welty said North Division St. in downtown Peekskill has become a Restaurant Row, with restaurants like Division Street Grill thriving in the area.
"It's become a wonderful place to be," Welti, who took over in May. "This part of the city has really grown."
Other parts of the city have been named opportunity areas by the state to help impoverished people develop jobs and build up the community. The city has also applied for various grants to encourage economic development.
"There are a lot of young families restoring homes in Peekskill," Foster said. "Many Latino families are moving into the city."
The tour also highlighted the city's live-work space for artists that have brought a new diversity to Peekskill. The Lincoln Depot Museum is also in the works, spotlighting a visit and speech Abraham Lincoln made to the city in 1861.
The city has also been making good use of its waterfront, with the flourshing Peekskill Brewery and Yellow Brick Road cafe.
The yellow brick road in the "Wizard of Oz" is based on L. Frank Baum's time at Peekskill Military Academy. When he asked for directions to school, he was told to follow the yellow brick road.
"We have a nice little hub here," Foster said. "People get off the train, go to Peekskill Brewery and then get back on the train to go to Garrison or Cold Spring."
A restaurant run by Steve Cross, who runs the Striped Bass in Tarrytown and The Cabin in Greenburgh, is in the works at the Peekskill train station.
"We have a vision of creating transit oriented development," Foster said. "We wish landowners would move forward."
Click here to follow Daily Voice Tarrytown-SleepyHollow and receive free news updates.
