The saddest thing in life is people with sight, but without vision. – Helen Keller

By any measure, 2024 was a year of challenges for Peekskill.

Generations of families call Peekskill home. New residents continue to arrive from around the world, bringing new energy to the community. There is a vitality in the downtown featuring a lively restaurant scene and the revived Paramount Theater, bringing visitors to town.

The natural beauty of the Hudson River Valley is easy to take for granted, until a breathtaking scenic view catches the eye coming down Hudson Avenue or strolling on the Riverwalk on a sultry warm summer day.

These are strengths to build upon. The people, the natural beauty, the energy are all tools to create a Peekskill we all wish for ourselves and our fellow residents.

But in 2024, little progress was made in making some of these visions come true. Our sitting city judge was forced to step aside after a state investigation revealed unacceptable behavior on his part over many years.

Two of our Common Council members fell under the cloud of suspicion for their behavior, one facing criminal charges and another accused of unethical behavior. The combination of Peekskill police, county, state and federal law enforcement took members of Brooklyn drug gangs and their Peekskill dealers off our streets, but the battle against crime and drug dealing here continues.

While one new affordable apartment building opened on Main Street in late 2023, other development efforts have not come to fruition. The former Karta property on Lower South Street remains empty as the developer continues to revise his plans.

Proposals for townhouses behind the Hat Factory and off of Frost Lane remain in limbo. Another project on Broad and Howard streets seems stalled with potential ground contamination problems. A huge victory for the city that would come with development of the railroad station neighborhood by the Ginsburg Company is no longer in sight. A redevelopment of the former RAL building on North Division Street remains unapproved more than two years after being first proposed.

There is no one reason that all these projects didn’t move forward in 2024. In many cases, higher costs of land, labor, environmental rules and financing are components. 

But has the city government done everything in its power to make these proposals reality? Is Peekskill seen as friendly to those who want to build, or do we have a reputation as the place where “things never get done?” Can the approval process be streamlined so developers don’t go through years of repetitive hearings without gaining the authority to build?

Two market rate apartment buildings will provide the needed mix of income levels that will complement the affordable housing projects. Park Place Tower on Broad Street is off to a good start with their leasing efforts and a spring opening of the Grove Street building promises to bring more higher income residents. These show what is possible, for if we don’t raise the spending power here the downtown will stay populated with dollar stores and convenience shops. 

Development can also bring increased property tax revenues. Without more tax money coming in, property owners will continue to see their tax bills rise above the 2 percent tax cap for years to come. 

Observers of Peekskill over the past few decades share a common perception that our city has potential that never seems to be realized. There is a strain of saying ‘no’ that reflexively colors every discussion, that tries to stop progress in the name of preserving a status quo that needs to change.

The downtown continues to suffer from the “toos” – too many empty buildings, too much trash in the streets and too few attractions to draw visitors.

Now in 2025 another opportunity has arrived. There are millions of dollars in state financial aid on the table right now at City Hall. That money has to be used wisely by city planners, supported by the Common Council, that will build the infrastructure Peekskill needs to make new housing the highest priority. 

We saw how money wisely spent can pay dividends with the opening of the new Fleischmann’s Pier and Pugsley Park (although the park needs regular cleanups). The Pier in particular is a glowing example of the vision city leaders must provide.

Without it, we will flounder through another year of lost opportunity, remaining the Peekskill that could have been.