Peekskill Mayor Delivers Upbeat State of the City Address
Peekskill Mayor Frank Catalina maintained the city was on a path to financial recovery and development was on the upswing during an optimistic State of the City Address at City Hall Monday night.
Throughout his one-hour speech that sometimes brought the packed crowd to its feet, Catalina spoke of the financial hurdles he has had to endure during his first 16 months in office but made a point to credit the Common Council, which features a Democratic majority, for helping to redirect the city in the right direction.
“Without their help and hard work, many of the accomplishments we have made in 2014 that I will mention would not have been possible,” said Catalina, a Republican who unseated Democrat Mary Foster in 2013 but whose party is outnumbered by one on the council. “More importantly, we will not be in a position to address the remaining serious financial issues we face without a commitment to work together.”
Under his leadership, Catalina said the city’s operating deficit has been cut in half to $1.5 million and, as he promised during his campaign, no money has been spent on outside legal counsel, consultants or studies.
“I believe we have turned the corner and finally have the city heading in the right direction,” he said. “When I took office, I analogized the city’s condition to that of a patient in an emergency room and I said the first thing a doctor would do is stop the ‘bleeding.’ I am pleased to report tonight, we have stopped the bleeding.”
“The second step to restoring the emergency room ‘patient’s’ health would be to restore the ‘breathing,’” Catalina continued. “In our case, we will do that by reversing the six-year trend of decreasing total assessed valuation of our city’s property values. In order to have healthy growth, any city must have a 3 to 5 % increase in assessed values every year.”
Catalina touted the revitalization of Peekskill’s downtown and Restaurant Row, which have become popular destinations for non-city residents. He also mentioned how in 2014 three properties in Peekskill sold for more than $1 million each.
“We have invigorated the city with a feeling that anything is possible and despite our finances, Peekskill is still a great place to live, work and invest,” the mayor stressed. “We have been successful with changing little things that have had a huge impact and we have done these things at little or no cost to the city.”
Catalina announced two major initiatives designed to “bring in smart development” but also preserve the character and charm of Peekskill. Contending no one was interested in transforming Peekskill into another New Rochelle or White Plains, Catalina said he would urge the council to pass “strong unbendable legislation” that restricts building heights in the downtown business district to four stories.
Secondly, Catalina said he would be lobbying the council to open McGregor Brook from Broad Street to the Hudson River in an effort to change the face of the downtown business district.
“Just imagine the new life such an opening would bring to Park Street and to Central Avenue as McGregor Brook is opened and flowing directly into the Hudson River,” Catalina said. “A river walk in Peekskill will stimulate the development of the entire central corridor unlike anything that has ever been proposed for that street and will bring about the long talked about connection between the downtown business district and the riverfront.”
“The darkness of the past is lifting and there’s a new spirit of optimism sweeping our city acknowledging that smart, intelligent growth is good for our city,” he added.
Some of the projects in the works that Catalina highlighted were The Abbey Project, a development proposed by Martin Ginsburg that includes a world class inn and spa, three luxury apartment buildings, 22 affordable townhouses and walking trails on four acres (55 acres would be donated to Peekskill for a city park); a luxury apartment proposal by Herman Poritzky on Central Avenue; the expansion of the Hudson River Health Center; and a luxury apartment building across from the Crossroads Shopping Center.
“These projects will create hundreds if not thousands of jobs not only during the construction phases but after construction is complete, ongoing well paying jobs that will remain in Peekskill,” Catalina said. “With a welcoming administration, these projects should be the clear pathway out of this malaise; a clear path to restoring our finances, a clear path to increasing and restoring our bond ratings and a clear path to rebuilding our great city.”
Councilman Vincent Vesce praised his fellow Republican’s vision for the city.
“I think it was a very positive outlook for the city,” Vesce said after Catalina’s speech. “We want to change the direction of the city and I think we’ve achieved that so far.”
Councilwoman Kathy Talbot was less enthusiastic about Catalina’s address, remarking it sounded more like a campaign kickoff.
“It’s great to say you’re for this and that but you can’t do it if you don’t have the money,” Talbot said. “It was better than he has been. He’s been very negative. People have obviously coached him to be more positive.”
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/
