Posted: Jan 31, 2018 12:45 PM EST – Updated: Jan 31, 2018 4:37 PM EST
The city of Peekskill wants to join other major cities around the country in becoming a major media hub.
Instead of making stoves and plows, Peekskill wants to be the go-to place to create media content such as film, 3-D animation, and digital arts.
Local business leaders and members of the arts industry met Wednesday to introduce a new initiative they’re calling AIM ’18, which stands for Art Industry Media. Its goal is to bring film production and other major media businesses to the city.
Officials say the city already has a rich artists’ history, with more than 100 small companies in the creative arts. The Westchester Community College Center for the Digital Arts is also based in Peekskill. Officials also say that while it’s close to New York City, Peekskill has more widely available industrial spaces that are much less expensive to rent.
Local leaders say it has a unique and very difficult hard-to-find asset.
“Because the city of Peekskill invested so heavily in the artist community, there is now a uniquely concentrated and qualified creative workforce. That’s important. These businesses can come in here and come up to Peekskill and tap into this,” say Ben Green, owner of The Peekskill Hat Factory.
