Peekskill Bay Greenway (2016 LGAA)

City of Peekskill (Winner)
County: Westchester County
Population: 10,000 to 50,000
City Hall: (914) 737-3400

In 1998, Scenic Hudson and the City of Peekskill partnered to acquire a vacant, underutilized 4.4 acre industrial waterfront property. The NYS Brownfields Program funded environmental remediation and shoreline stabilization of this property, locally known as Peekskill Landing. Then in 2009, Peekskill completed a Waterfront Park and Trail Master Plan with extensive public input and funding assistance from NYS Department of State and Ginsburg Development Companies. The public was engaged in park and trail design through the charrettes process, and the City was awarded grants from Empire State Development (ESD), Department of State, and the Office of Parks and Recreation to construct and open the beautifully landscaped ADA accessible “Scenic Hudson Park at Peekskill Landing” in 2014. In 2015, the second phase of the ESD grant was used to implement the Waterfront Master Plan, by constructing a mile-long ADA accessible multi-use waterfront trail and three-acre Riverfront Green South Park. This trail provides pedestrian access between two existing heavily used parks, and links them with the adjacent Metro North train station.

The public now enjoys an extensive 2.7 mile park and trail system along the Peekskill shoreline, with a 750 foot long elevated walkway, boardwalk and trellis, three floating docks that accommodate small boats and a sightseeing vessel, a prominent scenic overlook, outdoor public sculpture, two gazebos, a footbridge over a Hudson River inlet, kayak launch, decorative lighting, extensive native landscaping, interpretive and directional signage, and a stone seat wall overlooking an outdoor amphitheater area, all with public access to the Hudson River shoreline and views of the Hudson Highlands.

This two-phased project was developed to be ADA accessible, free-of-charge and open to all so as to improve the quality of life for area residents and the general public, and to attract tourism, visitation, and new businesses and development to the area.

This project designed by local citizens, saw no increase in local taxes to fund construction. This amenity will remain in perpetuity as City parkland, with a conservation easement attached to Peekskill Landing.