Proposed apartments in Peekskill would include affordable units close to the train – Lohud

Bre Pettis, owner of Bantam Tools, on why he chose Peekskill for the site of his high tech manufacturing company. Rockland/Westchester Journal News

PEEKSKILL -A proposed new apartment building closeto the train station would include 59 affordable and workforce unitswith average rents of $1,200 for studios, $1,500 for one-bedroom units and $1,800 for two-bedrooms.

The rest of the 78-unit building, eyed for 653-657 Central Ave.,near the Hudson River, would be market-rate: One- and two-bedroom apartments renting for $2,000 and $2,400 on average, according to city documents.

The building is one of a pairproposed by Yonkers-based Cottage International Development Group.The two-building development, called the Magnolia Heights Apartments,would be bordered by South Street and Central Avenue and sit between Washington Street and Route 9.

A developer proposes a conceptual idea for a combined 167 units in two buildings in Peekskill, along with some retail and a sculpture garden and walkway open to the public, on Central Avenue and South Street.(Photo: Renderings/Warshauer Mellusi Architects)

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Affordable housing is geared to people with household incomes at variouspercentages of Westchester County's median income. For instance, according to city documents,a four-person household with $62,900 income would be at 50%of the area's median income and quality for affordable units. Aone-person household would qualify, at 50%of the median, with a $44,050 income.

Households of various sizes that are at 60%of the area's median income could also qualify for affordable units.

But Common Council members differedat their May 18 meeting on what the mix of apartments should be. One or two members suggested havingmoremarket-rate units. So the breakdown of units could change.

"I would caution in saying that we need more market-rates I actually think it's a good layout; I think it's just a matter of how they are being allocated," Council member Vanessa Agudelo said.

The council would need to approve a contract to selllandalong Central Avenue to the developer in order to move forward.

"Weare committed to the entire project South Street andCentral Avenue," Thomas Conneally, principal of Cottage International Development Group, told the council. "Wejust want to get a head start so we get the architect and the engineers workingonthis phase so that we can then simultaneouslywork on phase two."

Phase two would be the other apartment building,at 582 South St.At a presentation to city officials earlier this year, the proposal wasfor 89 units a mix of workforce and market-rate apartmentswith a few-thousand square feet of ground-level retail space. Potential rents were not available.

City officials wouldrezone aparcel on South Street to allow construction of thatbuilding. The developer has proposed creatinga publicstairway tolinkSouth Street with Central Avenue and evoke a former historic stairway in the area that was known as the 100 steps. There would also be a sculpture gardenat a midpoint of the stairway.

The developer has said therewould be aspace in the South Street building focused onthe area's history, along with an elevator to the sculpture garden.

In documents filed with the city, the developer said the housing would providemodern,energy-efficient homes with accessibilityto Manhattan. There would be parking below the buildings.

The development is among the latest proposed for this northern Westchester city thats witnessed a housing and dining-scene boom over the past several years.

Michael McKinney covers northern Westchester.Follow him on Twitter @mikemckwrite.Visitoffers.lohud.comto sign up for a subscription.

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Proposed apartments in Peekskill would include affordable units close to the train - Lohud