New businesses bringing new life to Peekskill

Peekskill has began to expand its business base with several recent developments.

With moves like the recent purchase of The Beach Shopping Center on Main Street and the proposed relocation of Woode Design to the riverfront area, Mayor John J. Kelly says he has begun fulfilling his promise to

A couple of weeks ago, Kelly announced that negotiations were in progress with Woode Design, a custom manufacturer of cabinetry countertops, moldings and shelving based a few miles south in Ossining. An office, and a 6,000-square-foot showroom would be set up below the Crystal Bay restaurant, with hopes of constructing a building next to it as well.

"Tight now, they've received a loan from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) through its Section 108 program for a building that they are looking into acquiring," said Carla Williams, economic development director for Peekskill. "They haven't closed yet, but right now they are in the final stages with the bank toward getting their commitments in place."

The program enables state and local governments participating in the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program to obtain federally guaranteed loans that can help fuel large economic development projects and other revitalization activities.

The program provides eligible metropolitan cities and urban counties with annual direct grants to revitalize neighborhoods, expand affordable housing and economic opportunities and/or improve community facilities and services.

Grand Opening

The city will also be welcoming the grand opening of Herrmann's Fine Foods Inc. Herrmann's is the product of residents Glerin and Donna Herrmann, who previously operated Seigfried Donuts, a wholesale enterprise that was located on Water Street for 12 years.

"It is a smaller business with about four employees in the facility," said Williams. "They sold their store many years ago and then

they got the bug to go back into business again. So now they have decided to go into the deli business."

The store will offer specialty food items, including homemade iced teas and salads, fresh bagels, donuts and bread from Arthur Avenue in the Bronx.

"It is a nice little deli and it works well. It has nice seating arrangements and the owners are very personable," said Williams. "Plus they offer ArthurAvenue bread, which apparently is very hard to get up here in Peekskull. They will sell like hotcakes."

A ribbon-cutting ceremony was also performed Aug. 7 to welcome Big Head Blue, a multimedia communications company. The company, which was also based in Ossining, provides website-related products and services. Located on Brown Street, it is the start of Kelly's commitment to bring in more hightechnology and computer-related companies.

"This one fell into our lap by accident," said Williams. It had heard about the county fiber-optic cable that was coming into Peekskill and so they decided to take a jump on it. There are other companies that are looking to expand within Peekskill in the computer industry and we am very excited about that."

Williams declined to disclose which companies the city is negotiating with until deals are signed.

Adam Ifshin, president of DLC Management Corp. of Tarrytown which recently acquired The Beach Shopping Center on Main Street, is also working toward bringing in new businesses.

"We are going to inject a large number of nationally and regionally recognizable tenant names into the center," said Ifshin. "We want to help bolster the crossshopping traffic, amongst the local and national tenants that are in the center now, and the national tenants that we are going to bring in."

The center is currently percent vacant and Ifshin said be was negotiating with national retailers have expressed interest in locating there.