A ribbon cutting for the new Fleischmann Pier may be a week away but that isn’t stopping Peekskill residents and visitors from taking in the sights ahead of schedule.
For over a decade part of the original pier built in 1938 was left dilapidated and blocked off to visitors. But in 2022 reconstruction and improvements for the pier and the adjoining Charles Point Park began and this past August the pier was reopened.
The renovated facility includes a pier to accommodate larger vessels, two transient docks, an ADA kayak launch, an ADA complaint pathway with benches and a viewing device, restrooms, and an expanded parking lot.
This Rosh Hashanah saw several residents and visitors alike sharing in the views of the Hudson River, fishing, and birdwatching. One of those residents, John Weiglein, told the Herald he thought all of the landscape had really improved.
“It’s very nice,” Weiglein said yesterday. “It’s open, it’s not too busy, nice and calm down here. It’s just a nice way to see the water, across the river, the bridge.”
One resident, Frank, said he has been going to the pier for the past 20 years and was impressed with the new pier.
“I think they did a great job,” he said. “It’s a beautiful view of the mountains, the Bear Mountain Bridge. We just saw the coast guard ship go by. They did a great job.”
These views were shared by Jeanette, another resident with Frank, who said they are considering fishing at the pier now.
“It’s beautiful just to even sit,” she said. “The Hudson is so beautiful. And the way they built this bridge, the way it curves in, and you see the whole beauty of it, it’s amazing.”
Alan Kravitz, vice-chairperson of the Peekskill Industrial Development Corporation, told the Herald he was happy because he believed the bridge was a foot higher. This, said the member of the Industrial Development Agency, will allow for the anticipated rise in the Hudson River and let it remain for another 30 years.
“We’ve been coming here since 2008 and you couldn’t get to the end of it because it was barred off,” Kravitz said. “It was falling apart. It was a mess. Actually when the pilings were going in, the person who put (them) in phoned me. And he said, what height should I make? And I said, whatever they told you, make it one foot higher. I think he did.”
The new pier wasn’t just visited just by those in the area. Visitors included Olenyk Yelena and Alexander Shumskiy, two fishers from Brooklyn enjoying the Jewish new year holiday, as well as Shannon Dorsey, a woman from Maryland traveling for work.
“I’m selling a job around here and I looked up a scenic view,” Dorsey said. “This is beautiful. I already showed multiple friends and they said how nice and beautifully kept everything is. We have a lot of fishermen back in Maryland, and I’ve shown them this aspect right here of the floating dock and they love that. It’s beautiful. They did a very, very good job.”
The grand re-opening of Fleischmann Pier and Charles Point Park will be from noon to 3 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 13 with a rain date of Oct. 27. In addition to the ribbon cutting, there will be food trucks, live music, boat tours, a children’s scavenger hunt, commemorative souvenirs while supplies last.
