Peekskill Officials Not Receptive to Nine-Story Apartment Project
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By Rick Pezzullo
A proposed nine-story, 297 rental apartment project on the site of the former White Plains Linen building in Peekskill was not embraced by members of the Common Council at a recent work session.
Developer Daniel Martin presented his vision on March 21 for “The Constant Lofts,” a $100 million investment that would include 249 one-bedroom and 48 two-bedroom market-rate units, ranging in size from 480 to 1,060 square feet.
The development between Division St. and Highland Ave. would also have 446 parking spaces, 45,000 square feet of green space, and a three-story, 12,000-square-foot building in the front that could be used as an art gallery and community functions.
“The quality of the work will be to a very high standard,” Martin said. “There will be no corners cut. At present, it’s not a fun street to walk down.”
To provide more flexibility, Martin also bought the firehouse building at 427 Highland Ave.
However, councilmembers were mostly in lockstep concerning the size of the development in the mixed residential and commercial neighborhood.
“It’s gigantic. It just doesn’t fit that neighborhood,” Councilwoman Patricia Riley remarked. “Nine stories seem excessive. This has the look of something in New York City.”
“I do think it’s too tall,” said Councilwoman Kathie Talbot, who lives in the area. “The roads are tight there. It will be a lot of congestion in that area.”
Mayor Vivian McKenzie and Councilman Rob Scott said it would be more beneficial to have a development where city residents could have the opportunity to purchase a unit.
“We need to have housing for people that live here,” McKenzie stressed.
“My thing is all about equity,” Scott said. “A rental space I’m not really for. It doesn’t do anything for the people. I’m not scared of the nine stories.”
Martin said his firm was not in the co-op or condominium business and feels his project is consistent with what Peekskill officials have indicated they were seeking.
“We’re not married to anything but our wives, but those buildings are in terrible shape,” Martin said. “We know the nine stories work for us. I don’t know if five stories work for us. I’m not going to give up that easily. In the end, it’s a math question for me. If I can’t get the math to work there, I can’t build the building.”
Rick has more than 40 years’ experience covering local news in Westchester and Putnam counties, running the gamut from politics and crime to sports and human interest. He has been an editor at Examiner Media since 2012. Read more from Rick’s editor-author bio here. Read Rick’s work here: https://www.theexaminernews.com/author/pezzullo_rick-writer/
