The City of Peekskill is seeking design ideas for a waterfront park on the former industrial site of Peekskill Landing. The city was awarded a $450,000 matching grant from the state to build a pier, trail and other park facilities on the 4.7-acre property.

Scenic Hudson, which purchased the land in 1998, co-owns with the city and will sell it the property for $1, once the public park is complete, which is contracted to be by 2013. In addition, a conservation easement on the property guarantees it will remain parkland in perpetuity. The Peekskill Landing Park is a 4.4-acre waterfront site at the mouth of the McGregor Brook.

Cleanup of contamination left by underground oil tanks and minor gas spills requires capping the area with two feet of fill and stabilizing the shoreline. The process began in the fall and will likely be finished by early summer. The Department of Environmental Conservation's Environmental Restoration Program will reimburse Peekskill $1 million for the remediation.

Assistant City planner Tom Marotta wants to know "what ideas the public has for the northern end of the property. It's a very scenic piece of land, and we would like people to go up there and enjoy it."

A public meeting was held Thursday to discuss the park's design elements, including a fishing pier, shoreline trail, and picnic area and possibly moving the National Maritime Historical Society to the park.