Rainey: Pandemic Recovery Is Peekskill's New Challenge

PEEKSKILL, NY — The youngest mayor in Peekskill's history, Andre Rainey has had a top goal: to help build a brighter future for the young residents growing up in the city.

So one of his biggest accomplishments was securing a deal to have the Boys & Girls Club operate the Kiley Youth Center under a 50-year lease with the Peekskill Housing Authority – along with $2.7 million in funding to support the effort, he told Patch.

"My ultimate goal has always been to save the Kiley Center and our Youth Bureau as they've been somewhat neglected over the past 15-20 years," he said.

After six years in elected office in the city, Rainey is not running for re-election, instead planning to refocus after 2021 on business and family.

He was elected mayor for the first time in 2017, defeating two-term incumbent Republican Frank Catalina. His re-election in 2019 was by one of the widest margins for a mayoral election in Peekskill in decades.

"Gaining the trust of my community to lead the City for two terms as the Mayor is a feeling I cannot describe," Rainey told Patch. "The smile on my children's faces when we talk about 'Daddy being the Mayor,' is really my greatest accomplishment."

Over the last four years, Rainey also helped the city secure a $10 million economic development investment from the State of New York, $6 million in other grants to assist with projects including the revitalization of Fleischman’s Pier and the installation of electric charging stations, as well as attracting a vast array of mix-use development — including 82 new units of mixed-income, affordable housing being built on Main Street.

“It has been the honor of a lifetime to help build a 21st-century city that offers hope and opportunity to everyone who calls Peekskill home,” he said in his announcement. “At the end of this term, I will be proud to leave a Peekskill that is not only financially secure, but one that is greener, more economically diverse and inclusive, and one that is working to ensure that everyone who wants to live here can do so.”

Going forward, he told Patch he sees recovering from the pandemic as the city's biggest challenge. Local businesses need support as do residents who haven't been able to work a normal workweek.

"We rely on our leaders and colleagues in higher government to assist as we don't want to tax people out of such a great city," he said. "With all the funding we received, we are uniquely in a greater position than most municipalities and I have no doubt we'll get through this year on top."

As for himself, Rainey said he needs to refocus. "After all that we’ve faced this year – the pandemic and the racial injustices – I’ve decided I need more time to focus on rebuilding my business, on my family, and most importantly, on raising my children."

Here's his list of what the city has gained in the past four years:

• Securing bond rating upgrades from Moody’s Investor Services to A1, a $10 million Downtown Revitalization Grant from New York State and $2 million in funding for the reconstruction on Fleischman’s Pier
• The development of economically diverse housing projects including:
  • The Lofts on Main Street – market rate and affordable condominiums
  • 645 Main Street – mixed-income affordable housing
  • 1 Park Place – 181 units of market rate housing
  • The new SoLo development of 225 units of mixed-income affordable housing and thousands of square feet of commercial space on Lower South Street
  • 2nd Street development of 22 market rate rental units
• The completion of the longest riverfront trail in Westchester County
• An energy audit and upgrades of all City-owned property, reducing 1,100 tons of City carbon emissions each year
• Installation of two charging stations for electric vehicles
• Implementation of digital record keeping in the City Clerk’s Office
• Enhancement of senior programming, including free senior cooking classes and the Teleheath Intervention Program for Seniors (TIPS)
• Reestablishing of the Human Relations Commission
• Further diversified the Peekskill City Court, appointing the first female judge and the first Latina City Court judge
• Completion of the Central Fire House
• Welcomed numerous new businesses including the Abbey Hotel & Spa at Fort Hill, Ty’s Bread Basket Bakery, Bantam Tools, Apple Farm Grocery Store, and more