A plan for Peekskill’s Waterfront South: ULI New York sketches a quieter, more resilient future

ULI’s short study, big-picture take: what happened and why it matters

The Urban Land Institute’s New York chapter spent several days this fall studying Peekskill’s Waterfront South and returned a short, practical report known as a Technical Assistance Panel, or TAP. The group met with city leaders, local stakeholders and property owners, walked the district along the Hudson River, and then offered a set of findings and recommendations aimed at guiding long-term change. Their headline: with thoughtful design, targeted public investment and clearer rules, Waterfront South can become a safer, more lively part of town that also copes better with storms and flooding.

Peekskill’s Waterfront South today: an area with promise and problems

Waterfront South sits on the city’s river edge, where light industrial sites, older warehouses, parking lots and a handful of housing blocks sit close to the water. It has a working, muscular feel — docks, boat yards and car repair shops mix with small businesses. That mix explains why the area has never fully turned into a public-facing riverfront district like those in some neighboring towns.

Several constraints keep change slow. Parts of the shoreline sit in a floodplain and are exposed to storm surge. Street connections to downtown are uneven: some blocks feel cut off because of rail lines, steep grades and spotty sidewalks. Land is owned by many different parties, which makes large-scale redevelopment harder to organise. City officials have said they want to increase housing options, improve waterfront access, and reduce flood risk — goals the TAP directly addresses.

Design moves and projects the TAP recommends

The TAP lays out a mix of design ideas and policy changes rather than one big masterplan. On placemaking and identity, the panel urges a clear district brand tied to Peekskill’s river history — simple wayfinding, pedestrian routes to the water, and new public spaces that invite daily use rather than just occasional events.

For housing, the group recommends a range of building types: modest mid-rise apartments, townhouses along quieter streets, and a small amount of “missing middle” housing. Affordability is treated as a priority; the TAP suggests tools such as inclusionary zoning for new projects, incentives for developers to build below-market units, and use of municipal land or tax incentives to secure long-term affordable homes.

Connectivity and the public realm are central. The TAP proposes improving sidewalks and crosswalks, opening visual corridors to the river, and creating a waterfront promenade in phases so the public can gain access sooner. It also points to better bike links and clearer parking strategies to balance local needs with visitors.

On resilience, the panel pushes for a layered approach: raising critical infrastructure, using softer, natural shoreline treatments where possible, and designing open spaces that can absorb floodwaters during storms. It recommends pilot projects like living shoreline segments and elevated public plazas that double as stormwater basins.

Finally, the TAP names potential catalytic projects: a modest mixed-use block near transit to anchor more retail and housing, retrofit of an underused waterfront lot into a public park, and a small-scale maker space to keep local employment near the river.

How the recommendations could reshape Peekskill’s economy and real estate scene

If acted on, the TAP’s measures would slowly add housing and better public space while reducing flood risk — changes that tend to attract more visitors and new small businesses. A clearer waterfront identity could lift foot traffic to downtown shops and make the city a more appealing place to live for families and remote workers who want access to the river.

There are fiscal upsides and limits. New housing and more visitors can broaden the local tax base, but the work will require public money for infrastructure and resilience — costs that can be high up front. Land assembly and the fragmented ownership pattern mean large projects could be slow and politically tricky. Regulatory hurdles — zoning changes, state permits for shoreline work, and environmental reviews — will also shape the pace and cost of change.

Turning plans into reality: actors, steps and a rough timeline

The TAP points to a short list of next steps. First, the city should formalize a Waterfront South vision with clear zoning changes that allow the recommended housing types and public uses. Second, pilot projects — a temporary park, tactical streetscape fixes, or a living shoreline test — would build momentum and show immediate benefits. Third, Peekskill should pursue state and federal resilience grants and look at creative financing tools, such as public land disposition with affordability covenants.

Public outreach remains essential: residents, business owners and waterfront property holders must be involved early. The TAP imagines a five- to ten-year window for visible change: quick pilots in the first one to two years, zoning and small capital projects in years two to five, and larger development or shoreline work in the longer term, depending on funding and approvals.

Overall, ULI New York’s TAP offers a steady, practical route: modest projects to test ideas, paired with policy shifts and resilience work that lock in safety and long-term value. The plan doesn’t promise fast transformation, but it does give Peekskill a realistic playbook for shaping a waterfront that is both livelier and safer.

Sources

• prnewswire.com