New York State Senator Pete Harckham announced today that $50,000 of state funding has been awarded to the City of Peekskill for the design of its planned “Community HUB,” a campus of facilities adjacent to City Hall on Main Street.
“The City of Peekskill is pushing forward with a number of important projects as part of its impressive and ongoing renaissance as an important economic driver here in the Hudson Valley,” said Harckham. “This funding will help jumpstart an initiative to create municipal space that will serve residents and business owners. I am honored to be able to continue partnering with Mayor McKenzie and other Peekskill officials as they work toward boosting job creation and the local economy.”
The Peekskill “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.
The state funding announced by Harckham is part of a recent awarding of $57 million to support 238 different projects across New York State through the Regional Economic Development Council (REDC) initiative. Round XIII of the REDC funding included Empire State Development grants, one of which Peekskill received, and Excelsior Jobs Program tax credits; both are made available on a continuous and competitive basis to support immediate needs of communities. Over $46 million of this state funding is going toward supporting impactful projects that align with regional strategic goals.
Peekskill Mayor Vivian McKenzie said, “The City is very thankful for the support and recognition of its efforts to concretize its ‘Community Hub’ as a campus of programmed community classes, programs, food and gathering space for the entire community. Integral to this Community Hub are the facilities located at the Youth Bureau building and the Neighborhood Center. This funding will be used to re-imagine the space and design a community space that provides proper facilities for a multitude of programs, whether they be for youth, health enthusiasts, new families, people in need of specific services or just community gathering spaces. We thank the State for this important funding from Empire State Development.”
