SCHUMER DELIVERS $2.4 MILLION FOR PEEKSKILL TO TRANSFORM ABANDONED FIRE STATION INTO NEW COMMERCIAL KITCHEN FOOD INCUBATOR CREATING NEW JOBS, ATTRACTING NEW BUSINESSES, AND GROWING THE HUDSON VALLEY’S FLOURISHING FOOD ECONOMY

Schumer Says Funding Will Breathe New Life Into The Old Centennial Hose Municipal Fire Station By Establishing A State-Of-The-Art Culinary Incubator For Local Businesses

New Food Industry Hub Will Establish A Space For Entrepreneurs To Grow Their Businesses, Create New Jobs, And Foster New Workforce Partnerships With Hospitality Industry 

Schumer: Fed Investment Will Help Cook Up Jobs And New Business Opportunities In The Hudson Valley!   

U.S. Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer today announced that the Peekskill Facilities Development Corporation has been awarded a $2.4 million grant through the Economic Development Administration (EDA) to transform an abandoned fire station into the new Peekskill Commercial Kitchen Food Incubator. Schumer said that this funding will support the renovations of the space so that entrepreneurs can have the facilities and equipment they need to grow their businesses in the Hudson Valley, creating new jobs and strengthening the region’s growing culinary community.

“I am proud to deliver this new federal investment to help Peekskill cook up new jobs by transforming the abandoned former Peekskill firehouse into a one-stop shop – the new Peekskill Commercial Kitchen Food Incubator – for entrepreneurs to grow their food businesses right here in the Hudson Valley. This $2.4 million in federal funding will create a new state-of-the-art culinary incubator in the City of Peekskill and reinvest in the city’s vibrant restaurant and hospitality industries that took a major hit during the pandemic. The new Peekskill Commercial Kitchen Food Incubator will not only support Westchester entrepreneurs and its growing culinary industry, but it also can create new partnerships with local farm networks to source locally-grown ingredients.” said Senator Schumer.

Westchester County Executive George Latimer said, “Once again, Senator Schumer is coming through for Westchester County. As we have championed through our County’s Economic Development Office led by Bridget Gibbons, incubators are a game-changing approach to building small businesses in our community. With devoted entrepreneurs and governmental bodies that support them, these start-ups create jobs, boost our local economy and have the potential to expand into major corporations. We thank the Senate Majority Leader for his efforts and congratulate the City of Peekskill on this excitement announcement.”

“Thanks to the advocacy of Senator Schumer and the tremendous work of the Peekskill Industrial Development Agency (IDA) and the Peekskill Facilities Development Corporation, the City of Peekskill secured a $2.4 million EDA grant that will lead to the construction of this revolutionary, cutting-edge culinary incubator and will help transform our historic city’s economy,” said Peekskill Mayor Vivian McKenzie. “The Peekskill Commercial Kitchen Food Incubator will stir up major economic development, new businesses, and new jobs while creating a destination to revitalize downtown.”

Specifically, the project will support the renovation of the old Centennial Hose Municipal Fire Station for adaptive reuse, strengthening the region’s food infrastructure and enabling small and new businesses to access shared facilities, training opportunities, equipment, and the technical assistance they need to grow and thrive. The former firehouse totals 8,000 square feet, including a 2,400-square-foot, two-bay garage. After the adaptive reuse conversion is completed, the 4,500-square-foot commercial kitchen portion of the building would house five, fully-equipped and licensed commercial kitchens, complete with stations for prep, storage, packaging, shipping, and receiving, along with office space. “Support facilities” in the incubator would include entrepreneurship programming and workforce skills development, emphasizing food-business-oriented training and work-and-learn training

The federal funding supporting this project was secured through the Schumer-championed American Rescue Plan Economic Adjustment Assistance grant program through the U.S. Economic Development Administration, and will be matched with nearly $600,000 in local funds. The Peekskill Firehouse Kitchen Incubator was a joint project between the Peekskill Industrial Development Agency (IDA), Peekskill Facilities Development Corp. (PFDC), and the Westchester County Office of Economic Development. The Peekskill City Council passed a resolution of support for the project in May of 2021.

A copy of Schumer’s original letter to Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo appears below:

Dear Secretary Raimondo:

I am pleased to write in support of the application submitted by the Peekskill Facilities Development Corporation (PFDC) to the Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) to transform the abandoned Peekskill firehouse into a new state-of-the-art culinary incubator in the City of Peekskill.

The Peekskill Firehouse Kitchen Incubator is a joint project by the Peekskill Industrial Development Agency (IDA), Peekskill Facilities Development Corporation (PFDC) and Westchester County’s Office of Economic Development. The proposed $2.4 million EDA investment would renovate the city-owned former Centennial Hose Fire Station for adaptive reuse, transforming the space into a hub for small and new culinary businesses, allowing them to access shared facilities, training opportunities, equipment, and the technical assistance needed to grow and thrive.

Importantly, this proposal would reinvest in the city’s vibrant restaurant and hospitality industries that took a major hit during the pandemic. The City of Peekskill reported $800 million in lost visitor spending during 2020. Food and restaurant revenues decreased over 47%, with employment in the sector down 37% compared to pre-pandemic levels. When coupled with the devastating loss of 1,000 jobs caused by Indian Point’s closure, this much-needed project would create a new workforce development and business-boosting programs. The kitchen would also benefit culinary entrepreneurs by removing the barrier of having to lease or purchase a kitchen facility at market rate, allowing them to grow at their own pace.

The former firehouse totals 8,000 square feet, including a 2,400-square-foot, two-bay garage. After the adaptive reuse conversion is completed, the 4,500-square-foot commercial kitchen portion of the building would house five, fully-equipped and licensed commercial kitchens, complete with stations for prep, storage, packaging, shipping, and receiving, along with office space. “Support facilities” in the incubator would include entrepreneurship programming and workforce skills development, emphasizing food-business-oriented training and work-and-learn training.

I applaud the Peekskill Facilities Development Corporation for its foresight, and sincerely hope the application meets with your approval. Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,

###