McKenzie Delivers First State of the City Address in Peekskill
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By Rick Pezzullo
Mayor Vivian McKenzie delivered her first State of the City address last week with an optimistic message of the direction Peekskill is headed.
“Today, the state of our city is strong,” McKenzie declared on her 101st day in office. “We are financially stable. We have a dedicated white and blue collar workforce. We provide excellent programs for our youth. City services are the backbone of the city. There is still much to be done.”
“There is a lot going on here in Peekskill,” she said. “We need to ensure City Hall continues to operate as a 21st Century city and the diversity of our community is celebrated and understood as the asset it is. I pledge to stand up and stand strong for every resident of this city.”
McKenzie, who referenced her distinction as the first Black female mayor in the history of Peekskill, said she and the Common Council have created a “vision” plan for the city for the next two to four years that includes making Peekskill a more walkable city, improving the Paramount Theatre, putting together a task force to assess all aspects of the downtown, and bringing back a community police complaint review board.
The former owner of Kathleen’s Tea Room, which was torn down last year after the roof collapsed but is expected to be rebuilt in the future, also touched upon the residential and commercial development underway in Peekskill.
“Peekskill is attracting a lot of attention from developers,” McKenzie said. “We know we are a desirable place to invest, build and establish a business. As a city, we have always understood the need for affordable housing.”
She said there has been a “tremendous amount of private and public investment in Peekskill” and mentioned some of the housing projects being constructed. She also said a second C-Town Supermarket was coming to Peekskill on Washington Street.
However, McKenzie also stressed Peekskill wasn’t just going to lay out the red carpet for every project that is proposed.
“Gone are the days when Peekskill would accept any project that came before it,” she said. “While we are welcoming, we are not afraid to say no if we don’t think a project will serve our community and reflect our values. We are looking for projects that are a fit for Peekskill and its residents.”
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/
