13 Feb Tap Into Peekskill: Chamber of Commerce Brings New Facade, Interactive Digital Guide to Downtown
By Joshua Anderson for the Peekskill Business Improvement District
Peekskill’s permanent information and navigation center is now operational. On January 26, 2026, city officials and business leaders attended the official re-opening of the Hudson Valley Gateway Chamber of Commerce, located at 1 South Division Street, in the heart of Dowtown Peekskill.
The re-opening included a renovation and redesigned lobby space which is home to a new interactive kiosk. The massive touch screen functions as a public business guide/directory, event calendar and tourism map. Users can browse restaurants, retail shops, parks, and upcoming events with ease. There is also a mobile app available for free download.
“It is essentially a giant smartphone that hangs on our wall,” said the Chamber’s Member Relationship Manager, Karen Vogel. “It’s even wheelchair accessible, so if something’s too high you can touch the wheelchair button to bring everything down lower.”
The HVGCC serves Peekskill and its surrounding areas including Cortlandt, Croton-On-Hudson, Putnam Valley, Yorktown, Buchanan, Montrose and Verplank.
The grand re-opening of the Chamber’s headquarter also includedsa new façade and a refurbished conference room.
The HVGCC is distributing more than 1,500 QR codes stickers to member businesses. These codes allow for direct remote access to the content the kiosk displays.
“You don’t have to be in the lobby of the Hudson Valley Gateway Chamber to access it,” said Carol Voisey, Executive Director. She explained that anyone who uses that QR code can gain access to the information in electronic kiosk in the lobby of the Chamber.
For those who simply want to try out this new kiosk, there is a selfie feature where users can take photo booth style pictures and add their email to have them sent to the user afterwards. All images must go through content approval first, so there may be a wait period before seeing them in your inbox.
“When we applied for the city DRI grant and we envisioned changing the facade and the lobby, we went back and we looked at old historical photographs of what used to be here,” said Tim Warn, Chairman of the Chamber’s Board of Directors.
The Chamber of Commerce was founded in 1915, originally named the Peekskill Chamber of Commerce, and now called the Hudson Valley Gateway Chamber of Commerce. The HVGCC’s role is to advocate for business interests, create community connections, encourage economic growth and serve as a visitor information center promoting tourism. They collaborate with the Peekskill Business Improvement District, the City of Peekskill and their partner municipalities.
“Our goal is to support the local businesses. Our goal is to bring in tourism and to increase foot traffic,” Voisey continued. “Not one of us can do it alone, it’s a big, big task.”
The HVGCC is actively inviting new members to join. Members will receive a digital showcase on the kiosk’s business map and special advertising opportunities among many other benefits like networking events. For non-members to be shown on the kiosk business map there are plans to have an annual subscription with a tiered system.
The fully renovated “George W. Gibbs” conference room where a reception was held, features flexible meeting space and is available for rental.
“I’m excited to have people come in and see the new brighter, cleaner, sleeker look,” Vogel said.
Using this new platform, the Chamber expects the lobby to operate as a constant access point connecting residents, visitors and businesses.
“The Hudson Valley Gateway Chamber of Office has been central to Peekskill, not just because of its prominent location on a key downtown corner, but because of its storied history of supporting business for 110 years. The building’s facelift will elevate its prominence even further, and the visitor/tourist center lobby is a welcome addition to our downtown,” said Bill Powers, Executive Director, Peekskill Business Improvement District.
Of note, Powers previously served as Executive Director of the Chamber of Commerce in the 90s, and is Chairman Emeritus of the Chamber’s Board of Directors.
The Chamber lobby is open daily 8am–8pm, and the office is open 9am to 5pm Monday through Friday.
You can reach the Chamber at +1 (914) 737-3600. They can be found online at hvgatewaychamber.com, on Facebook at Hudson Valley Gateway Chamber or on Instagram @hvgchamber.
(C) 2026 Peekskill Business Improvement District. Photos by Joshua Anderson. Edited by Bill Powers. If you are a downtown destination business, and would like to be considered for an upcoming profile article, please email us at peekskillbid1@gmail.com.
