Catching up on some reading in recent weeks, I came across this Wall Street Journal story (“Peekskill Lofts Less of Sparkplug Than Hoped”) about efforts in Peekskill, N.Y., to spark redevelopment with the help of the arts. The story quotes one artist who describes the lofts as a success while others talk about “tamping down expectations,” aware that zoning for artists “aren’t a cure-all.”
“It’s difficult to quantify what downtown might look like without artists living there, and business owners say that in this economy, any boost to their clientele is welcome. But on an average weekday, foot traffic through the downtown blocks is light, and there remain fewer bars and restaurants than in other arts-centric cities, such as Beacon, farther north.”