Renovating a Peekskill Landmark

The building at the corner of Main and North Division Streets in Peekskill was built in 1860 and once housed the Bensky stationary and newspaper store, but has since fallen on hard times. Now the Historic Landmarks Preservation Board and the Planning Commission have approved the new owner's plans to remodel and restore the Bensky Building. The plans call for creating offices on the top two floors and a restaurant on the ground floor and basement level. According to the North County News, the owner, Giovanni Stiefelmann of Croton, plans on spending about $400,000 on the renovation and is already in discussion with potential restaurant operators. According to the City of Peekskill, the City Planner, Jean Friedman, called the plans to retain and restore the building's unique architectural features "outstanding."
Image: City of Peekskill