REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS
CITY OF PEEKSKILL, NEW YORK
COMMERCIAL BOAT OPERATORS and
PIER MANAGER SERVICES
FLEISCHMANN PIER & CHARLES POINT PARK
GATEWAY TO THE HUDSON HIGHLAND
______________________________________________________________________
DUE: January 22, 2026, Close of City Hall Business 5:00 P.M.
Responses must be submitted by email to:
Cassandra Redd, City Clerk credd@cityofpeekskillny.gov and
Matthew Rudikoff, Economic Development Specialist mrudikoff@cityofpeekskillny.gov
copy: peekskillrfp@gmail.com
Please submit any questions about this RFP by December 19, 2026 to Matthew Rudikoff at
(914) 734-4215 or mrudikoff@cityofpeekskillny.gov. This RFP and answers to submitted questions
can be found on-line at https://www.cityofpeekskill.com/bids.aspx.
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1. Introduction
The City of Peekskill (“City”) wants proposals from established commercial boating vendors including
cruise ship and other boat operators and individual water sport outfitters and pier managers. One or
more commercial boating operations and pier manager services will be for the recently reopened
Fleischmann Pier located at Louisa Street - Charles Point Park, Peekskill, NY (the “Pier”).
2. The Location
The vibrant City of Peekskill and its historic Fleischmann Pier are located on a scenic reach of the
Hudson River within the Hudson River National Heritage Area and Hudson Highlands Statewide Area
of Scenic Significance. Peekskill is the central city of northern Westchester, with close proximity to a
wealth of noteworthy historic and ecologic points of interest, as identified below. Peekskill is located
40 miles north of New York City (Hudson River marker 43.5) on the eastern shore of the Hudson River
in northern Westchester County. Peekskill is accessible from US Route 9, NYS Routes 202 and 6, and
the Bear Mountain Parkway, and is a one-hour train ride from NYC by Metro-North Railroad. The train
station is within walking distance of the Pier.
Fleischmann Pier and Charles Point Park are located at the intersection of Louisa Street and John
Walsh Boulevard in Peekskill’s southern waterfront district (see Area Map attached). A Holiday Inn,
Peekskill Stadium, and several restaurants and entertainment venues at the Factoria at Charles Point
and HQ Racing are in the immediate vicinity. Route 9 at the Louisa Street intersection is 0.5 miles
away. Downtown Peekskill is approximately one mile by car or shuttle bus, and may be accessed by
Peekskill’s waterfront public Art Trail network.
Peekskill’s three-mile waterfront trail, parks and public art installations are publicly accessible and
heavily utilized. Downtown Peekskill is an arts and entertainment powerhouse with a dramatic
increase in Quality-of-Life indicators and tourist appeal. Marketing would target exploration of the
lower Hudson River valley and Peekskill’s historic past, varied assets and activities, an engaged
community, and 21st vision to be the premiere destination for tourism and business development in
Westchester County and the Lower Hudson Valley based on 2025 cruise ridership and level of local
and regional interest.
The City itself features a robust Arts District connected to the waterfront by Peekskill’s new State-
funded public art trail. Museum venues, historic sites and highly successful food and entertainment
offerings shown in the Discover Peekskill Video and website https://discoverpeekskill.com/. In 2024-
2025 the City of Peekskill ran a schedules shuttle bus bringing cruise passengers and other visitors
between Downtown Peekskill, the Peekskill MNRR station and waterfront commercial and public
recreational and art River from resources, and Fleischmann Pier Charles Point Park visitors.
Other nearby land-based Points of Interest include:
Stonykill Art Center and Gallery
Stone Barns Center
Bear Mountain Park and Bridge
Popolopen Footbridge and Revolutionary War Forts Montgomery and Fort Clinton
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West Point Military Academy
Stony Point Battlefield & Museum
Storm King Art Center
Magazzino Italian Art Museum
Kino Saito Arts Center
Iona Island National Heritage River Area
Manitoga – Russell Wright Design Center
Constitution Marsh and Audubon Center
Sleepy Hollow Restoration
Blue Mountain Reservation, and
Private commercial uses and hotels along the waterfront and nearby destinations such as the
Factoria and HQ Racing.
3. City of Peekskill Goals
The City is seeking proposals from experienced commercial boating vendors and pier managers,
as described below, to operate one or more commercial boating operations and /or to provide Pier
Management services at the Pier. Demonstrating how your proposal can contribute to the
accomplishment of the goals is discussed below. The City’s goals include:
A.
Goals For Boat Operators and Pier Managers
Contribute to use of Fleischmann Pier as a Quality-of-Life asset for City and area residents
and visitors and as an economic generator for the City including passenger generated
revenues and boat operations local employment and operating expenditures.
Provide a diversity of engaging and enriching Hudson River waterfront experiences and
activity choices to ensure recurring visits by residents and visitors to Fleischmann Pier.
Experiences could include cruises and excursions for site seeing, historic, ecological,
educational, dinner, theme, dance or personal or organizational special cruise events; and
other water borne usages such as jet ski or pontoon boat outfitters and transient boat
dockage. Other activities could include, fishing, walking, canoeing, and kayaking, via an ADA
compliant kayak launch.
Provide information and encouragement to residents and visitors to Fleischmann Pier to also
and use other land-based Peekskill assets, destinations, businesses, organizations or events
during their current and future visits.
Support multiple boat operators with vessels of varying sizes and types which would operate
in a coordinated and cooperative fashion and combine to create the greatest and most
diverse Pier usage to residents and visitors.
Generate revenue to the City from rent or user fees from commercial boat operators,
outfitters, and transient dockers to assist the City with the maintenance, improvements, and
operations of the Pier.
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Make semi-annual boat operating reports to the Pier Manager on your respective boating
activities and on meeting license agreement requirements.
B. Goals For Pier Managers
Ensure Fleischmann Pier functions in a well-managed, safe, and coordinated fashion to
maximize the recreational, educational, financial and other benefits to residents and visitors.
Coordinate multiple pier activities, including commercial boating, transient boating and
public use, scheduling, maintaining usership records, financial management and record
keeping.
Coordinate with City Departments regarding City services on a regular basis.
Monitor, assess, report to City Departments on public usage and safety issues.
Serve as a resource for Pier conditions review, make recommendations for corrective
measures and undertake Pier conditions planning, design and construction oversight, and
related implementation tasks when able.
Provide a central point of contact for the public, City administration, City Departments, and
boat operators (public and private).
Create an equal opportunity for community of user-operators without undue regard or
priority for one use/service/company over another.
Make semi-annual boat operating reports to the City on your respective boating activities
and on meeting service agreement requirements.
4. The Opportunity – Pier and Park Facilities
The Pier and Charles Point Park are a unique City asset providing easy access to the Hudson River.
Following a multi-million-dollar project to reconstruct the Pier and undertake improvements to the
adjoining Charles Point Park, the Pier reopened in October 2024 and was able to accommodate cruise
and tour boat docking that provided Fall foliage excursions along the River. The Pier had a fully
operational season in 2025 which included cruise and tour boats that operated in Fall 2024, and a full
2025 cruising season. The Pier’s premiere location, unparalleled vistas and picturesque views of the
Bear Mountain Bridge truly it the Gateway to the Hudson Highlands. An Area Map showing the Pier’s
location is attached as Exhibit “A”.
The Pier is outfitted for recreational boating, cruises, transient docking, and other commercial and
public uses including but not limited to kayaking and fishing. The City is seeking a five (5) year License
Agreement(s) with a conditional five (5) year extension with the selected vendors for tour boat
operations and / or Contract for Pier Manager Services. Both forms of agreement will contain
performance assessment criteria which can be used for extension or earlier termination
considerations.
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The Pier has three (3) Pier level docking bump-outs located on the north and south sides and the west
end. The North side of the Pier also features two (2) 8’ x 50’ floating docks each equipped with a
gangway and twelve (12) mooring cleats and, a separate ADA compliant 12’ x 24’ kayak dock. The west
end bump out and docking positions on the southside have ‘drawable water’ constraints. The facilities
at the Pier are depicted in Appendix “B” Fleischmann Pier Docking Positions.
A. Boat Operators and Vendors
The City requests proposals from established tour boat operators who are experienced and capable
of utilizing Fleischmann Pier to operate commercial boat operations. The City is not accepting
proposals for stationary restaurant or other types of stationary vessels or event operators. The Pier is
suitable for various forms of boating including, but not limited to:
Scheduled tour boat day trips
Dinner, sunset, seasonal and themed cruises
Scheduled tour boat cruise ships with overnight docking
Tour boat home port
Historic, educational or specialty boats or educational barges - home port
Research and other vessels
Kayak, paddleboard, jet skis, pontoon craft or other specialty boat rental outfitters.
B. Pier Manager Services
The City also seeks Fleischmann Pier Manager services in collaboration with the City and
coordinating boat operations, to address overall Pier operations, as needed:
Operations Planning and Management
1) Create a Pier Operations Plan to: identify, vet, coordinate, schedule and otherwise
describe the approach to systemizing multiple commercial uses/outfitters,
vendors, cruise ships and potential transient overnight uses, public fishing, paddle
sport, pedestrian and bicycle/scooter best suited for overall Pier operations and
City mission and identify;
2) Manage paper and digital Pier usage records and accounts, oversee other vessel
compliance with Pier operations, and provide regular Pier Operations Reports to
the City;
3) Maintain master log of permanent and transient moorage assignments,
reservations and usage and supervise and manage fee collections in an orderly
manner to be approved by the City;
4) Assist with and provide input to City Pier operations and maintenance -
budgeting.
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This page summarizes the opportunity, including an overview and a preview of the attached documents.