A Monthly Retrospective of Linda Puglisi’s 30 Years as Town of Cortlandt Supervisor
Cortlandt has approximately 200 small businesses. As Supervisor, I have attended many ribbon cuttings over the years, welcoming new businesses, from hair salons, restaurants, and medical offices, to insurance businesses, realtor offices, and many more.
Our largest taxpayer and employer was always Indian Point, with its two nuclear plants owned by Entergy Corp. These plants, in Cortlandt’s Village of Buchanan, will be permanently closed this month, and will be dismantled and decommissioned by a new company for as many as several decades. Only about one–third of 900 Indian Points jobs will remain and significantly reduced revenue will result.
Want to hear more from Linda? Listen to RiverTalk’s two-part conversation with Supervisor Puglisi HERE
Due to this closure and the challenges it brings, the Town is seeking new businesses, with the help of an economic consultant, to help offset the loss of revenue. We work closely with the Village, the Hendrick Hudson School District, which will be greatly affected, and with residents on our local task forces.
During the past 30 years, there was a large expansion of our major shopping mall, Cortlandt Town Center, on Route 6, which we call Cortlandt Boulevard. The mall doubled in size, brought additional tax revenue, many new jobs and exciting new stores, restaurants and a movie theater (still opened today). That took place in the late 1990s.
More recently, across from the Center, a smaller but lovely shopping mall opened, Cortlandt Crossing, with a clock tower that I wanted for aesthetic purposes. Again, more jobs resulted, along with new revenue and more shopping options for our residents.
While some stores recently have closed in these centers, I am in constant communication with the mall owners, who tell me new stores and restaurants will fill the vacancies soon.
We have worked with local contractors, builders, and developers to build new housing areas (apartments, affordable units, condos, townhouses and subdivisions), which add to our growth as well.
I lobbied Metro North for a state–of–the–art Cortlandt train station, which opened in 2000, improving the commute to New York City for our residents and business owners.
Being only one hour from Manhattan is important to a company or a business looking to locate in Cortlandt. Along with our economic consultant, board members, and staff, I am optimistic about the many exciting possibilities for our future economic growth.
To elevate our identity, the Town has adopted a new brand, “Where Life Works,” to convey the highly desirable quality of life within our borders that attracts new residents and businesses.
Each spring, we host a month-long campaign themed “Shop &Dine,” to showcase our many commercial offerings. Incentives, such as discounts, are given out to encourage patronizing small businesses. It is a lot of fun! However, I like to say that supporting our business community is what we should be doing every month and every day of the year.
Our expanded NewYork–Presbyterian Hudson Valley Hospital has enhanced the community with advanced medical services and jobs of all kinds. We’ve also welcomed expanded nursing homes and soon will have a Senior Living Complex in Town. All add to our overall economic and service–oriented story.
I couldn’t be prouder of our economic growth during my 30 years as Town Supervisor. We have a vibrant and healthy economy, and we have assisted our smaller businesses navigate the pandemic by giving them information and expert guidance.
