[pj3000]

Link to video featuring the first projects in downtown Erie's revitaliztion plan focusing on bringing residential and retail developments back to the center city.

http://interface.audiovideoweb.com/lnk/va92win15111/BREMNER061307.wmv/play.asx

[BigKidD]

Link to video featuring the first projects in downtown Erie's revitaliztion plan focusing on bringing residential and retail developments back to the center city.

http://interface.audiovideoweb.com/lnk/va92win15111/BREMNER061307.wmv/play.asx
Very interesting. I wrote a paper on urban renewal while I was at GU and interviewed the director of development for the Erie Redevelopment Authority. One of the things we dwelled on was the redevelopment in center city and other areas. Hopefully everything works out for Erie.

[pj3000]

Here's a link to the recent report and plan by the Erie Redevelopment Authority. Nicely put together... entertainment for the urban planning buff... lots of photos and renderings.

http://www.redeveloperie.org/Documents/ERIE%20DOWNTOWN%20MASTER%20PLAN.pdf

[BigKidD]

Here's a link to the recent report and plan by the Erie Redevelopment Authority. Nicely put together... entertainment for the urban planning buff... lots of photos and renderings.

http://www.redeveloperie.org/Documents/ERIE%20DOWNTOWN%20MASTER%20PLAN.pdf
A well put together plan from the ERA. Their proposals if put into action would change downtown Erie quite a bit and for the better.

[pj3000]

A friend in Erie told me that they began demolition of the vacant (and ugly concrete block) Warren Radio Building on Peach St. between 13th and 14th today. That is the site across the street from Griswold Plaza where a row of 17 townhouses are approved to be built. Glad to see that things are finally happening.

[Erie Pa]

pj3000 and BigKidD You guys are way more technical than I. Maybe you can get a photo of the new Shereton going up on the bayfront.

[pj3000]

^ I'll be in Erie pretty soon for some summer R&R. I'll get out and take some photos in some of the city's neighborhoods, including the Bayfront with the new convention ctr and hotel.

[Evergrey]

Can you take some wine country photos too (Northeast, PA)? Unless it's not that interesting...

[pj3000]

Here are some of the Conv. Ctr. and Sheraton Hotel going up on the west Bayfront. From the public Erie County site:



http://www.bayfrontconventioncenter.com/assets/images/db_images/db_june07091.jpg

http://www.bayfrontconventioncenter.com/assets/images/db_images/db_june07111.jpg

http://www.bayfrontconventioncenter.com/assets/images/db_images/db_bcc-i1.jpg

http://www.bayfrontconventioncenter.com/assets/images/db_images/db_bcc-h-1.jpg

http://www.bayfrontconventioncenter.com/assets/images/db_images/db_Morning_051807_11.jpg

http://www.bayfrontconventioncenter.com/assets/images/db_images/db_june07121.jpg

[pj3000]

Can you take some wine country photos too (Northeast, PA)? Unless it's not that interesting...

I'll try to get out there. I've been wanting to get out to some of the other unknown places in NW PA, and Northeast is actually one of those places. It has a nice little downtown and some very fine architecture owing to the wealthy history of the area (grape farming is a very lucrative business as Welch's has had a major plant there for a long time and the crop is subsidized by the federal govt regardless of the quality of the growing season). It's an interesting and scenic little pocket of PA, but nothing like Napa Valley or even the Finger Lakes of NY.

As for the wine country region in general, it is naturally beautiful, with thousands and thousands of acres of vineyards rising from the lakeshore. From higher elevations to the south, the views are wonderful. However, I'm not sure my limited photography skills? and equipment will do the area justice.

[BigKidD]

The convention center is shaping up nicely. Also, this has to be one of the best photos in the set,
http://www.bayfrontconventioncenter.com/assets/images/db_images/db_bcc-i1.jpg

[pj3000]

^ I agree. It's quite a dramatic addition to the bayfront and with the closing of the GAF shingle factory immediately west of the conv ctr site, the area will become even more attractive. I hope the site will be converted to waterfront parkland.

[Erie Pa]

Anyone out there have photos of the $280 million racino in Erie. I understand the racing is to start on Sept 1st. Presque Isle casino is open. I wonder when they will start on the hotel?

[Erie Pa]

pj3000
there is a news release on WSEE 35 about the Mercantile Bldg. I guess sched completion for the $4.7 million project is now jun 08.

[Erie Pa]

Received my condo packet and sent in my deposit for the Mercantile Bldg. Set to breakground in 10 days. Also set to go in Sept a new medical arts bldg on 2nd and Peach sts near Hamot Med Center.

[Another Jake]

Cool. It looks strangely like a huge ship in port. Does it look like that in person? I'm also guessing that you took the pics from the tower? Do the Scotts own it? >.<

Oh, and linky:
http://www.presqueisledowns.com/

Here's to hoping it increases growth and not crime. <.<

[Erie Pa]

Here's an amazing. Out of 13,000 housing units in downtown Erie only 13 yes, 13 are owner occupied. There is also a 95% occupancy rate of center city rentals. Looks like the 90 townhouses set for downtown should sell well.

[pj3000]

^Well... depends on what one considers "downtown Erie". That number is very misleading given the true extent of downtown Erie area neighborhoods. If the classification is only considering the central business district (which sounds to be true), then it's not so amazing when you consider that a large percentage of that 13,000 is made up of senior citizen/student/section 8 housing. Accordingly, the 95% occupancy rate is also nothing surprising given the nature of the rental units available (fixed income/section 8).

I think the development of downtown Erie residential to attract working professionals will prove successful, but these numbers are really not solid indicators of demand.

[Erie Pa]

^Well... depends on what one considers "downtown Erie". That number is very misleading given the true extent of downtown Erie area neighborhoods. If the classification is only considering the central business district (which sounds to be true), then it's not so amazing when you consider that a large percentage of that 13,000 is made up of senior citizen/student/section 8 housing. Accordingly, the 95% occupancy rate is also nothing surprising given the nature of the rental units available (fixed income/section 8).

I think the development of downtown Erie residential to attract working professionals will prove successful, but these numbers are really not solid indicators of demand.

The 13 of 13,000 is a direct quote from John Elliott Exec Director of the Erie Redevelopment Authority. I also Tried to get an Apartment in the Boston Store Apts, no-vacancy; Lovell apts 95% full 1 bdrm coming in Oct. After 2weeks on the market the Mercantile residences are 50% sold, again per J Elliot

[pj3000]

^I never disputed that number, just what he was considering "downtown Erie", my friend. Go back and read my post if you must. And, that those numbers (13 out of 13,000 owner-occupied and 95% occupancy) are not accurate indicators of demand... numbers that you offered as reasons for demand.

I agree that there is demand for downtown Erie residential development and I believe the planned projects will succeed. However, those figures really have nothing to do with the apparent demand due to the reasons I stated in my post.

[Wheelingman04]

Nice convention center.

[Erie Pa]

Hey, anyone know what the announcement coming 1st wk of Oct is?
pj300 or BigKidD keep an eye out. You two seem to know quite a bit about what goes on.

[pj3000]

^ I guess this is the announcement you were speaking of. These properties have been part of the plan for the Griswold Park area residential redev. for a while, but it's official now it seems.

I'm very happy that this great little building is not going to be torn down, but rather incorprated into the development.
http://geimg.sv.publicus.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=GE&Date=20071002&Category=NEWS02&ArtNo=710020350&Ref=AR&MaxW=580&title=0
The Erie Redevelopment Authority has option to buy the Turnpike Building shown here on September 24th, 2007, as part of the redevelopment efforts in mid-town area. (Christopher Millette / Erie Times-News

Transformation grows
Group adds 2 more properties for midtown development

BY GEORGE MILLER
george.miller@timesnews.com
Published: October 02. 2007 6:00AM

The Erie Redevelopment Authority is acquiring two more properties near Griswold Park, adding key pieces for the proposed revitalization in that area.

The pending purchases come as three architectural firms today begin a three-day session to come up with conceptual designs for townhouses and mixed-use buildings around Griswold Park as part of the downtown revitalization plan.

"The whole idea of this is to transform the Griswold Park neighborhood into a new choice residential neighborhood in downtown Erie," said John R. Elliott, the authority's executive director.

The authority has a sales agreement to buy Erie Motor Car auto sales, West 12th and Peach streets, by June and an option to buy the Turnpike Building at 1402 Turnpike St. by April.

The authority is buying the Erie Motor Car property from Richard A. Savelli for $430,000. A mixed-use building is planned for the site, Elliott said.


With the Erie Motor Car property, the Redevelopment Authority, along with Erie Parking Authority, will own all of the east side of Peach Street from West 12th to West 13th streets.

The Redevelopment Authority also owns a substantial portion of the east side of the next block of Peach Street from West 13th to West 14th streets, having acquired and demolished the former Warren Radio building. Townhouses are planned there.

The Turnpike Building is situated on the south side of West 14th Street, adjacent to Jr.'s Last Laugh Comedy Club.

The vacant building, which has an angular corner, was built in 1909 and in recent years had housed a restaurant and barbershop. It will remain in place and is envisioned as a mixed-used building with retail, office and residential space.

"This is a key building and a key piece of property," Elliott said. "I think it has a lot of character."


http://geimg.sv.publicus.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=GE&Date=20071002&Category=NEWS02&ArtNo=710020350&Ref=V3&MaxW=240
(Chris Sigmund / Erie Times-News)

A small parking ramp might be built behind it. A townhouse project could be built on adjoining property just to the west.

"These are just ideas at this point," he said, adding that the architectural workshop will "identify good projects in this neighborhood that make sense. This is one of those kinds of projects that to us make a lot of sense."

The authority is buying the building for $109,000 from Barbara Serianni. The Serianni family originally planned a microbrewery in the building, but changed their plans and opened the Brewerie at nearby Union Station.

Elliott said Erie Motor Car and the Turnpike Building will remain on the tax rolls because the authority anticipates a quick turnaround for development. The authority is purchasing the properties with grant funds and its own money and expects to get it back in the form of a return on the projects.

The authority also owns the former Erie Mfg. & Supply Corp. building, 1215 Peach St.; a former massage parlor at 1329 State St.; and the former Mercantile Building, East 14th and State streets, which is being converted into residential, retail and office space.


The purchases fit into the overall downtown revitalization plan outlined by the consulting firm of Kise Straw & Kolodner of Philadelphia in 2006 that calls for housing and a mixed-used building in the midtown area from 12th to 14th streets between Sassafras and Holland streets.

The three architectural firms collaborating this week at the Avalon Hotel to prepare design sketches for Griswold Park projects are Looney Ricks Kiss of Memphis, Tenn.; LaQuatra Bonci Associates of Pittsburgh; and Kidder Wachter Architecture of Erie. They will conclude their work at noon Thursday with a news conference.

Elliott said the three firms will prepare renderings and sketches for projects. Construction of one of the projects could begin in 2008, he said.

"It's a concept plan to tell us what might fit," he said.

[pj3000]

Preliminary development sketches for Griswold Park area released. This will be such an improvement for an area that has so much potential as a cool, urban residential neighborhood, but was killed by 1960s/70s "redevelopment" which resulted in vacant buildings, homeless influx, seedy bars, adult video stores, strip clubs, and worst of all, parking lots. With the current redevelopment and these planned projects, the whole area of downtown between 12th and the railroad viaduct is going to be a dramatically different place in a few years.



http://geimg.sv.publicus.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=GE&Date=20071005&Category=NEWS02&ArtNo=710050379&Ref=AR&MaxW=580&title=0


Town houses planned near Griswold Plaza post office

BY GEORGE MILLER
Published: October 05. 2007 6:00AM

George Lyons couldn't be more pleased with a newly announced $51 million plan to create a tree-lined neighborhood with town houses and mixed-use buildings around the midtown area's Griswold Park.

Lyons recently bought the vacant, former Chaffee's Appliance Store building on the northeast corner of 13th and State streets and plans to convert the first floor into retail space, and the second and third floors into residential units.

"It dovetails right into my thoughts," he said.

Lyons was among the two dozen property owners and others who attended a news conference at City Hall at noon Thursday to see the unveiling of the conceptual plan, the result of an intense effort by three architectural firms that began Tuesday morning.

The plan calls for creating town houses and mixed-use buildings throughout the area from Sassafras to State streets between 12th and 14th streets. The buildings would be centered around an expanded and renovated Griswold Park. The streets would be narrowed and lined with trees to create a neighborhood effect. There would also be some on-street parking.


In all, the area would get 143 residential units.

"This is going to change the face of the downtown," Mayor Joe Sinnott said. "I think it's doable. I think it's going to be a great thing for this neighborhood."

The mayor said it's part of his downtown revitalization effort to bring people back downtown. The conceptual plan is an outgrowth of a revitalization plan prepared in 2006 by the firm of Kise Straw & Kolodner of Philadelphia.

Thursday's plan was prepared by the architectural firms of Looney Ricks Kiss of Memphis, Tenn.; LaQuatra Bonci Associates of Pittsburgh; and Kidder Wachter Architecture of Erie, along with a traffic engineering firm.

The first project could begin as soon as next spring, said Mark C. Schneider, managing partner with Fourth River Development of Pittsburgh, co-master developer for the midtown area.


That project calls for the construction of 12 to 14 town houses on the east side of Peach Street between 12th and 13th Streets and on the north side of 13th Street between Peach and State streets. A coffee shop would be on the first floor of a three-story building at the corner of 13th and Peach streets there.

The town houses would be sold for $160,000 to $200,000, Schneider said.

The Redevelopment Authority and the Erie Parking Authority already have control of the site. The Parking Authority owns a parking lot there, and the Redevelopment Authority owns the Erie Manufacturing and Supply Corp. building, 1215 Peach St.

The next project would likely be the construction of mixed-used buildings with both retail and town houses on the east side of Peach Street between 13th and 14th streets. The Redevelopment Authority already owns the former Warren Radio building property there.

Another proposed project is an addition to the WSEE building on the northwest corner at 13th and State streets to have the television studio on the first floor and town houses on the upper two floors.


The Redevelopment Authority does not own some of the property envisioned for projects, but the agency would work with the owners to do the project or possibly acquire the property from them, the officials said.

John R. Elliott, the Redevelopment Authority's executive director, said the $51 million estimate is just a ballpark figure. A majority of it would be private investment for the residential and commercial construction. Public funds would be used to expand and renovate Griswold Park and to do the street work and provide on-street parking. The city has already received a $250,000 grant for the park work.

"This isn't one project at $51 million," he said. "This is 10 smaller projects that can be done individually in response to the market."

Elliott said controlling the traffic in that area is critical, adding there has been an average of two people hit by vehicles at 12th and State streets each year for the past five years.

"To knock down two people a year is not acceptable," he said. "We have to do something to change the way people behave on 12th Street."


Some of that change has occurred with the recent redesign of 12th Street. Changes would also be made on Peach Street and the side streets in that immediate area.

Kim Green, the city's director of community and economic development, said motorists sometimes get off the interstate and keep driving fast through downtown Erie.

"By creating some of this traffic calming, it's going to create a natural entrance into downtown Erie," she said.

Elliott said the conceptual plan, once completed, would result in nearly $1 million a year more in property taxes and $75,000 from local income taxes from residents who move there.

Nathan S. Clark, director of public relations for Logistics Plus in Union Station, said he's happy with the plan.


"Anything that is going to bring activity and bring people back to the area is a positive thing," he said. "I think it will improve the image of Erie. Once a little bit of this is a success, I think it will grow."

Chris Sirianni, president of the Brewerie, said Griswold Park will get a "much needed face-lift," but he was also concerned about the loss of parking. The plan calls for expanding Griswold Park into the parking area next to the post office.

"I do support some expansion of the park, but the displacement of parking would be our main concern," he said.

Elliott said that despite the reduction of parking there, the overall plan creates an additional 47 parking spaces than are in that neighborhood now.

[Evergrey]

I like that Times Square idea

[Rufus]

Yeah^ "Possible video screen or ticker tape like Times Square" LOL!

[pj3000]

^ Obviously, it's not planned to be anywhere near the scale of Times Square... that goes without saying. Anyone with a brain would realize that and understand that the architect only used the phrase "Times Square" to convey the idea of an outdoor media display to serve as a hub of activity and natural gathering place. Seems like an interesting idea to me for a smaller city like Erie to try to incorporate into its downtown, rather than just keeping the location as it is now with the TV station in a 1-story concrete block building on a lonely corner.

[BigKidD]

Some great redevelopment news. Although I believe more redevelopment around State St. and Perry Square would go a long way toward producing a more vibrant city.

[Rufus]

^ Obviously, it's not planned to be anywhere near the scale of Times Square... that goes without saying. Anyone with a brain would realize that and understand that the architect only used the phrase "Times Square" to convey the idea of an outdoor media display to serve as a hub of activity and natural gathering place. Seems like an interesting idea to me for a smaller city like Erie to try to incorporate into its downtown, rather than just keeping the location as it is now with the TV station in a 1-story concrete block building on a lonely corner.

Yeah, I know. I just found the statement amusing what with so many cities copying Times Square. I do think it'd be interesting to see how it turns out.

[pj3000]

^Right. The "Times Square" theme is probably being overdone, but anything is really an improvement for Erie - especially in this section of town.

[pj3000]

Some great redevelopment news. Although I believe more redevelopment around State St. and Perry Square would go a long way toward producing a more vibrant city.

I fully agree. With what's going on down on the bayfront, the Perry Square area seems like a natural extension of that redevlopment effort. Positive changes in that area are occurring though. The plans for the area focus on relandscaping the park itself with new sidewalks, benches, fence, etc. and removing the unnecessary traffic lanes around its perimeter.

When I was last in town, I noticed some relatively minor changes in that area that are very encouraging though:

-the upper floors of the Exchange Bldg. on N. Park Row have been converted to residential
-Gannon U's Business School is undergoing a major exterior renovation
-the long-vacant circa 1830s Dispatch Bldg on W. 5th St. is undergoing a complete renovation for conversion into retail
-the American Surplus Store on State St. (awful building covered with light blue vinyl siding) is being restored to reveal its historic 1820s brick (Horace Greeley published the Erie Gazette in that building in the 1830s)

[BigKidD]

I fully agree. With what's going on down on the bayfront, the Perry Square area seems like a natural extension of that redevlopment effort. Positive changes in that area are occurring though. The plans for the area focus on relandscaping the park itself with new sidewalks, benches, fence, etc. and removing the unnecessary traffic lanes around its perimeter.

When I was last in town, I noticed some relatively minor changes in that area that are very encouraging though:

-the upper floors of the Exchange Bldg. on N. Park Row have been converted to residential
-Gannon U's Business School is undergoing a major exterior renovation
-the long-vacant circa 1830s Dispatch Bldg on W. 5th St. is undergoing a complete renovation for conversion into retail
-the American Surplus Store on State St. (awful building covered with light blue vinyl siding) is being restored to reveal its historic 1820s brick (Horace Greeley published the Erie Gazette in that building in the 1830s)

Sounds like some great stuff is starting to happen there. If you ever have the chance to get back into Erie with a camera, I'll appreciate it if you could snap some photos of the redevelopment. Especially the renovation of GU's Business School. Also, I remember the Director of Development in Erie remarking about the restoration of the American Surplus Store when I interviewed him for a paper.

[pj3000]

^ Yeah, it's been a long time coming, but it finally seems to be taking hold. The director of the redevelopment authority brings some very good ideas to the table. He's not from Erie, which is very refreshing for the city. He has big ideas and seems to have the educational and professional background to turn them into reality. That was never so before in Erie... you had complete idiot political hacks appointed to these types of positions who had no formal education or training in administration, economic, or legal matters. They basically just held the position to receive kickbacks from demolition and concrete contractors, and the city obviously suffered as a result.

I'll get back and get some photos one of these days.

[BigKidD]

^ Yeah, it's been a long time coming, but it finally seems to be taking hold. The director of the redevelopment authority brings some very good ideas to the table. He's not from Erie, which is very refreshing for the city. He has big ideas and seems to have the educational and professional background to turn them into reality. That was never so before in Erie... you had complete idiot political hacks appointed to these types of positions who had no formal education or training in administration, economic, or legal matters. They basically just held the position to receive kickbacks from demolition and concrete contractors, and the city obviously suffered as a result.

I'll get back and get some photos one of these days.
I see, thanks for the feedback.

[pj3000]

Interesting lecture series/exhibit about Erie's terrible history of demolition of many of its downtown architectural masterpieces in favor of parking lots, and thus, destruction of its urban core. The book "Lost Erie" is a fascinating and sad look back at once was, before the onslaught of the federal "redevelopment" grants of the 1950s-1980s.

http://geimg.sv.publicus.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=GE&Date=20071024&Category=NEWS02&ArtNo=710240379&Ref=AR&MaxW=580&title=0

Video detailing a few of the structures destroyed (not a very accurate representation of what truly has been lost though):

Demolition derby Extra content http://www.goerie.com/gallery/losterie (http://www.goerie.com/gallery/losterie)





Modern times swept away many of Erie's historic buildings

BY JOHN GUERRIERO

Published: October 24. 2007 6:00AM
Chacona's chocolates on State Street tempted passers-by in the early- to mid-20th century from a storefront window with delicious decorations as rich in detail as in taste.

The 200-room Reed House in downtown Erie was one of the finest hotels between New York City and Chicago before it came down in 1933.

The Park Opera House on North Park Row was rebuilt after a fire, and replaced in 1939 with a bus station that's been converted to a tavern.

Those and other links to the region's past went the way of the wrecking ball.

Erie historian and author John Claridge documented the changing architectural landscape in "Lost Erie," his 1991 book about the vanished heritage of the city and county.


Since then, more of old Erie has vanished, including the EMI/Gunite building, the Koehler Brewery building and the International Paper Co. plant.

Borrowing from Claridge, along with more materials and updates from recent demolitions, the Erie County Historical Society is inviting people to remember the past with its Lost Erie exhibit.

The exhibit, which starts Thursday, will run through late spring in the back gallery of the Cashier's House, said Annita Andrick, the Historical Society's director of library and archives. Visitors should enter through the doors of the Erie County History Center & Cashier's House, 419 State St.

Melinda Meyer, the Historical Society's interim director and director of education, said the images should stir visitors' memories of former homes, businesses, public meeting places and other historic venues.

By celebrating Erie's architectural heritage, the memories of yesterday could spur historic preservation today, Meyer said.

Demolition derby Extra content http://www.goerie.com/gallery/losterie

-- Author Cancels 'LostErie' Appearance After Breaking Leg

It made perfect sense.

John Claridge, the author of "Lost Erie," would lead off the "Lost Erie" speaker series at the downtown Erie History Center.

He would speak at the exhibit's opening Thursday night.

Claridge not only won't be speaking, he also won't be in attendance.

Claridge is recovering at Saint Vincent Health Center from a broken left femur he suffered when his 1,300-pound horse, Clockwork, accidentally fell on him Oct. 9.

"I'm 'Lost Erie' myself at this point," Claridge said, managing humor through the pain.

Claridge, 80, expects to remain in the hospital for about another 10 days before beginning several months of outpatient rehabilitation.

But with the exhibit running through late spring, Claridge said he could give his speech at a later date.

Here is the rest of the "Lost Erie" speaker series:

Gary Cardot, Mercyhurst College assistant professor of art, will speak on "Death by Parking Lot," Saturday at 2 p.m.

Members of Civitas, a group dedicated to saving older buildings, will speak on "Here Today, Gone Tomorrow?" Nov. 10 at 2 p.m.

Michael DeSanctis, Gannon University professor of fine arts, will speak on "Erie Architecture: Place, Presence & Promise," Nov. 15 at 7 p.m.

Jeff Kidder, architect and partner with Kidder Wachter Architecture and Design, will speak on "Erie's Built Environment: Past, Present and Future, an Architect's Perspective," Nov. 17 at 2 p.m.

The lectures, which are free to the public, will be given in the second-floor library and archives research center of the Erie County History Center & Cashier's House, 419 State St.

-- John Guerriero
Too often, memories and images are all that remain, said Gary Cardot, an assistant professor of art at Mercyhurst College who will lead off a speaker's series for the exhibit Saturday at 2 p.m.

His talk is called "Death by Parking Lot."

Cardot, who is writing a book about Erie postcards from the early 1900s to World War II, said he will speak on what he calls a "demolition derby" of tearing down buildings and replacing them with parking lots.

"There's no heart left when you tear down the core," he said.


Cardot offered three reasons why buildings are being torn down:

The scarcity of mass transit and the dependence on the car, which builds demand for revenue-generating parking lots. Property taxes are lower, too, on a parking lot than on land with a building.

The lack of historical consciousness in the population generally.

A fragmented region with multiple municipalities.

"People don't have the economic and political, let alone the emotional attachment in the city itself or its history," said Cardot, an Erie native and Millcreek resident. "It's easy to tear these buildings down, and we're suffering from kind of an amnesia with our past. We're forgetting.


"Europeans don't do this. Why are we doing this? They have buildings that are 10 centuries old. We can't keep one that's 50 or 60 years old," he said.

A recent example of a building on the brink is the Erie School District's Roosevelt Middle School, which could be renovated or demolished.

"It's really something when you drive around. The real crazy thing is, (Erie) has a lot of beautiful architecture, but we're doing a good job of erasing what's left," he said.

Rural demolition
Claridge, a former director of the Historical Society, said "an awful lot of stuff has already been wiped out," as his "Lost Erie" book documents.


But he said it's important to remember the region's heritage -- to know what was important to people 150 years ago, what buildings they lived in, what artifacts they used.

"Once they're gone, that's it," he said.

Claridge said he thinks that buildings in rural Erie County are the most threatened today because of their remoteness.

"A lot of buildings are not spectacular, but they're part of our heritage and part of what people lived in and worked in," he said. "Out of sight, out of mind."

For instance, barns are falling down or being demolished everywhere, Claridge said.


"There will come a day when these barns won't be around," he said.

Rural Erie County will be the battleground for future historic preservation, or at least get more attention than it now receives, he said.

As for the city, Meyer said hope remains for keeping ties to the past. She cited the preservation of the historic Dickson Tavern as one of several promising examples.

"There's a very delicate balance there. You want a renewal and you want the city and the community to look fresh and vibrant. At the same time, the historic structures of the city of Erie, they help to bring character and warmth and a sense of history and a sense of past accomplishments," she said.

"We certainly embrace the (new bayfront) convention center and the efforts to rejuvenate the city of Erie, but at some point we end up at that line that we don't want to cross," she said.

Tasty memories
That line has been crossed before.

The exhibit includes what Andrick describes as "new" old photographs that the Historical Society acquired since Claridge published "Lost Erie." The exhibit will display more than 80 photographs.

Other highlights include a re-creation of the original City Hall, a model that stands more than 5 feet tall.

And from Chacona's chocolates, visitors will see a box with chocolate-colored wax paper cups.


"No examples of the chocolate have survived," Andrick said.

Some things are just lost forever.

[themaguffin]

I expected to see our Erie members dancing on the virtual streets with the great news that is making national headlines........ :shrug:

[BigKidD]

Demolition derby Extra content http://www.goerie.com/gallery/losterie (http://www.goerie.com/gallery/losterie)
^The last photo was the most impressive- a vibrant State St. with all types of human scaled architecture intermingling with each other. Also, Erie was not the only city to destroy its downtown core; Eugene, OR did the same thing and is still trying to revitalize its downtown.
http://geimg.sv.publicus.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=GE&Date=20071024&Category=NEWS02&ArtNo=710240379&Ref=AR&MaxW=580&title=0
I'm still wondering what the architect was thinking when he designed the aluminum sided building at 919 State St. pictured above. Lastly, Erie's original city hall was a very impressive structure; I believe there is a photo of it in "Lost Erie". The cornerstone for it still sits in front of the current city hall.

[pj3000]

^ I have a feeling that there was no architect involved in that design (like many unfortunate buildings in downtown Erie).

Yes, the old city hall was beautiful, as was the original federal courthouse and post office across the street (a victim of the WPA in the 1930s). The long list of grand buidlings that Erie has lost is a travesty. Many were torn down in the name of "progress" in the 1930s, but far more were lost to the parking lot/low rise in the 1970s ad 80s (when Erie lost 45,000 of its population)... including six buildings 10 or more stories tall! - City Hall, Federal Building, Central High School, Lawrence Hotel, Commerce Bldg., Ariel Bldg.


That book "Lost Erie" is a very interesting, but sad look at the city. Erie's downtown used to be ridiculously dense and full of life (in the 1940s Erie's central business district was said to be second only to Philadelphia in terms of downtown vibrancy in PA; due largely to downtown Pittsburgh's extreme air pollution during that decade).

But, it is getting better. Growing up there in the late 70s, 80s, and early 90s, downtown was a dangerous cesspool. Residential development plans look great and ground has actually been broken on a couple of projects... never thought I'd see the day.

[pj3000]

I expected to see our Erie members dancing on the virtual streets with the great news that is making national headlines........ :shrug:

:) Yeah, it's good to see Erie making the national headlines for something positive for a change. Thanks for reminding me to post the good news! I think it deserves its own thread. It's considered to be one of the largest single charitable donations in history, and certainly must be the largest anonymous donations.

Anonymous gift of $100 million an Erie mystery

Charities in struggling Pa. city benefit from largess of 'Anonymous Friend'

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ERIE, Pa. - The heads of 46 charities in this once-bustling iron and steel city were invited to one-on-one meetings to personally hear the news. On a small table nearby sat a box of tissues.
The tears began to flow — and the mystery began — when they learned that a donor had given a staggering $100 million to the Erie Community Foundation (http://www.eriecommunityfoundation.org/), and all of the charities would receive a share.
In this struggling old industrial city of 102,000, the donor is known only as "Anonymous Friend."

Mike Batchelor, president of the Erie Community Foundation (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21772240/#), has been sworn to secrecy and will say only that the donor worked with the organization for years to identify deserving recipients before the announcement over the summer.


Is the donor dead or alive? No comment, Batchelor said. What is the donor's connection to Erie? No comment.
The talk about the gift has taken an interesting turn in recent weeks: As much as everyone would like to know their benefactor's identity, many are also reluctant to pry.
"My feeling is that we're not honoring the donor if we spend time speculating about it," said Rebecca Brumagin, executive director at the Achievement Center, which provides physical therapy and other services to children. The center, which serves 3,200 children a year, will get $2 million.
The city — and the entire county of 280,000 — could clearly use the money.
Erie was once a bustling iron and steel town, and later also made machinery, plastics, paper and furniture. But many factories eventually closed or moved overseas.
The city's poverty rate is about 19 percent, or twice the U.S. average, median household income is $31,196, vs. $48,451 nationally, and as of 2006, it had an estimated 400 homeless people.
Kitty Cancilla cried when she learned the homeless shelter where she is executive director will get $2 million. Its previous largest donation was $25,000. Cancilla clutched a balled-up tissue and fought back tears as she talked about the gift.

She said she is unable even to speculate who the donor could be.
"We don't really travel in a community that knows the wealth of people," she said. And she prefers not to even try: "It's disrespectful to the friend. To me, that's a spiritual thing."
Each of the charities will get between $1 million and $2 million. The recipients include a food bank, a women's center, a group for the blind and three universities.
Some charity officials fear that other people will see the large donation and decide their small contributions are not needed. But Batchelor said that is not what Anonymous Friend intended at all: "I know that the donor hopes this will inspire others to give within their means."

Erie, Pa., charities get $100 million anonymous gift


Thursday, November 15, 2007 Amanda Garrett
Plain Dealer Reporter
Erie, Pa. -- Who gave $100 million to a few dozen charities in this rust belt town?
It could be almost anyone, locals say. A local insurance magnate. A family that owns motels and restaurants. Maybe even a celebrity.
"You know, Kevin Costner used to come here just to ride the buses," Jessica Newhouse, 26, said at the downtown Starbucks. "He liked that no one recognized him."

http://www.cleveland.com/images/spacer.gif[/URL]http://www.cleveland.com/images/spacer.gif http://www.cleveland.com/images/spacer.gif
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Erie is that kind of town -- where nobody needs to know your name or what you've done.
When former Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Lynn Swann strolled into Starbucks on Monday, he sat with a coffee for a half hour before anyone asked for an autograph, customers said.
And actress Sharon Stone, born in nearby Meadeville, breezes through once in a while without anyone making a fuss.
It's unlikely, though, that any of those celebrities has $100 million to throw around for charity.
But that hasn't stopped the speculation. Media from around the world are converging on Erie to tell the tale of its mysterious windfall.
The London paper The Guardian reported this week that Mike Batchelor, the head of a charitable umbrella divvying up the $100 million, kept a box of tissues near his desk when he broke the good news to the health and human service organizations.
Buffalo's newspaper planned to tour Erie's soup kitchens and clinics Wednesday. And today, "Good Morning America" (WEWS Channel 5) plans to run a segment about Erie's good fortune.

It isn't news to people in Erie. They've known about the gift for more than a month.
Downtown Tuesday, office workers and students from nearby Gannon University ogled the pomegranates and pumpkins piled under a blue-and-white-striped produce tent.
When a stranger asked what they thought about the $100 million gift, shoppers never mentioned what the money might do for Erie.

http://www.cleveland.com/images/spacer.gif (http://www.cleveland.com/news/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/news/1195119069179090.xml&coll=2#continue)http://www.cleveland.com/images/spacer.gif
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They wanted to talk about the mystery.
"Everyone says it's the Hirts," said one woman, referring to a wealthy local family who founded Erie Indemnity insurance company, one of the city's largest employers.
But a man quickly butted in and said that didn't make sense. The Hirts have been squabbling over money since the family patriarch died this summer. "If they all want the fortune, why would they give it away?" he asked.
Maybe it's the guy who owns all the motels out by the freeway, the man suggested. But as quickly as he said it, he took it back, conceding the motel owner didn't have that kind of cash.
"It really doesn't matter who it is," said Barb Skonieczki, 51, bagging up a peck of Ida Red apples for $5.50.
Skonieczki said we live in cynical times:
Politicians emblazon their names on buildings constructed with tax dollars.
Musicians fight over who wrote what song.
And starlettes stitch their logos into their own line of shoes.
"Whoever gave this money to Erie is a role model, finally, for my 16-year-old daughter," Skonieczki said.

http://www.cleveland.com/images/spacer.gif[URL="http://www.cleveland.com/news/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/news/1195119069179090.xml&coll=2&thispage=3#continue"]
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"Frankly, I find this mystery refreshing."
People who work with local charities don't care who gave the money. They say the city has long needed a boost.
Elaborate stone and brick mansions with columns the size of tractor tires attest to Erie's 20th-century manufacturing prosperity.
But the single clang of a bell at the Erie City Mission this week sounded an uncertain future for a town that has lost so many factory jobs. Several dozen men lined up for seconds and thirds of boiled cabbage and ham - likely their only meal of the day.
Batchelor, president of the Erie Community Foundation, called the gift "transformational" for local charities, many of whom barely survive on $50 and $100 donations. He also said the $100 million may be the largest donation ever given to a community foundation anywhere. When asked about the donor this week, Batchelor politely but firmly declined to offer any insight into who gave the money or what motivated the donor.
He offered only one confounding clue:
It's not who you think it is.

[pj3000]

Good sign for central Erie neighborhood!

House rehab
Owners hooked on old homes transform an Erie neighborhood

BY GERRY WEISS
gerry.weiss@timesnews.com

Published: November 16. 2007 6:00AM
http://geimg.sv.publicus.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=GE&Date=20071116&Category=NEWS02&ArtNo=711160412&Ref=AR&MaxW=240
Donald Duarte, working behind Reese Hills, left, is improving his home in the 200 block of West 21st Street. At right is Matt Hawley, who works with Hills' home repair and construction business, and Hills' son Miles, 6, works on the porch near his dad. (Greg Wohlford / Erie Times-News)

Zoom (javascript:NewWindow(700,700,'/apps/pbcs.dll/misc?url=/mal/zoom.pbs&Site=GE&Date=20071116&Category=NEWS02&ArtNo=711160412&Ref=AR&NoCache=1');) | Buy this photo (http://photos.goerie.com/)
OAS_AD('Middle');[/URL]

Thirty years ago, when Jim Scott moved his funeral home to West 21st and Myrtle streets, people told him he was crazy.

The surrounding neighborhood, which included a two-block stretch of Sassafras Street listed on the National Register of Historic Places, was at an all-time low.

Numerous Victorian houses, rich in character and built before the turn of the 20th century, sat dilapidated, empty and neglected.

Random crimes -- cars stolen, houses burglarized -- were common.

Apathetic homeowners and transient tenants transformed a once-flourishing place into a somewhat seedy spot.


But then, one by one, house by house, Scott watched an unusual trend develop, as a restoration snowball effect rejuvenated his neighborhood.

New homeowners, mostly middle-class professionals, started snatching up and fixing up the reasonably priced properties on West 21st Street, from Sassafras to Chestnut streets, a gentrification you typically see in big cities but not Erie.

At least 15 houses in the 200 and 300 blocks of West 21st Street have been renovated or restored, homeowners there say, with a handful of other homes featuring projects that are works in progress.

"The neighborhood has changed dramatically," said Scott, a resident of the district who also owns three other properties there. "Saint Vincent (Health Center) made a big commitment to the area, with expansion and development of their facility. Then you add in the homeowners, who saw others buying and fixing up properties, saying to themselves, 'They did it, we can do it, too.' I'm proud I came here, and I'm proud I stayed here."

Terry and Lesley Redmond were two of the first residents in the neighborhood to start restoring their home.

http://geimg.sv.publicus.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=GE&Date=20071116&Category=NEWS02&ArtNo=711160412&Ref=V3&MaxW=240
Their guests are usually fascinated by the cupola on top of their three-floor house on West 21st Street, but Randy Harris and Sara Galbreath, who are renovating the home built in 1892, say they don’t spend much time there. (Greg Wohlford / Erie Times-News)

[URL="javascript:NewWindow(700,700,'/apps/pbcs.dll/misc?url=/mal/zoom.pbs&Site=GE&Date=20071116&Category=NEWS02&ArtNo=711160412&Ref=V3&NoCache=1');"]Zoom (http://oascentral.goerie.com/RealMedia/ads/click_lx.ads/www.goerie.com/NEWS02.html/1525200858/Middle/GoErie/WOW50/200x175_rupplimo_728.gif/34373430363330363437333466353730?) | Buy this photo (http://photos.goerie.com/)

The couple bought their 1896 Queen Anne-style house at 339 W. 21st St. about 20 years ago. They sank tens of thousands of dollars into the house for one project after another, building three ponds into their backyard, hand-painting the living room and foyer ceilings, laying ceramic tile on the kitchen and bathroom floors.

"It's easier to list what we haven't done," said Lesley Redmond, 59, a retired hairdresser.

When asked why restoration boomed in her neighborhood, she said people "love the nostalgia of living in classic old homes."

"We took a chance on this neighborhood," said Lesley Redmond, who also owns two other nearby houses with her husband. "If it didn't pick up after we moved in, we would've sold and moved out."

When he bought his 1882 Victorian Italianate, John Paul Cappa said, it looked like a haunted mansion.


"It was a disaster," the 43-year-old church choir director said before giving details about the leaky roof, the asbestos-laden furnace, and the exterior wall by the main entrance that was completely caved in.

So he began to restore the house, from the day he closed on 231 W. 21st in 1992 through this summer, when he installed a new garage. Two years ago, he bought another house up the street and started rehabbing that one as well.

In all -- after restoring the inlaid marble and woodwork in the main parlors, sanding the hardwood floors and dozens of other projects -- Cappa has spent about $140,000.

"There's no clear answer why. I just always wanted to live in a house with character, and this house has it," he said. "The houses themselves are the inspiration to restore them. To be honest, there's nothing remarkable about modern suburban buildings that you'd want to restore. What would you want to fix in a suburban house when it's just one square white room after another?"

Some of these West 21st Street homeowners restore the vintage houses for their own living comfort. Others, especially those who own multiple properties, choose to fix up so they can rent out.

http://geimg.sv.publicus.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=GE&Date=20071116&Category=NEWS02&ArtNo=711160412&Ref=V5&MaxW=240
Donald Duarte has been living in Erie for the past two years in a house in the 200 block of West 21st Street. The Boston man plans to sell the home when he’s finished renovating it. (ROB ENGELHARDT/Erie Times-News)

Zoom (javascript:NewWindow(700,700,'/apps/pbcs.dll/misc?url=/mal/zoom.pbs&Site=GE&Date=20071116&Category=NEWS02&ArtNo=711160412&Ref=V5&NoCache=1');) | Buy this photo (http://photos.goerie.com/)

Then there's Donald Duarte, a 38-year-old carpenter from Boston.

When he was working in New Bedford, Mass., he bought an old home, completely renovated it and quickly sold it, turning a princely profit of $80,000.

Seeing that he was a success at the trendy art of "house flipping," Duarte moved to Erie in February 2006 after his uncle, who lives in Harborcreek, told him of a potentially lucrative real estate opportunity at 219 W. 21 St.

Duarte paid $45,000 for a house that he said "should've been condemned." He immediately got to work, buying three dozen new windows, refinishing the oak floors, and replacing the soggy roof. He did most of the labor himself.

When Duarte puts the property on the market in June 2008, he hopes to fetch $125,000.


"There's a great charm to older homes," said Duarte, who has been living at the house for nearly two years. "After all the work I've put into it, a house of this stature, in Boston, would sell for half a million."

Deb Cable, a partner with Dorris Appraisal Co. in Erie and former homeowner in the 200 block of West 21st Street, said the effect of all of the activity would stabilize and then spike the values of the homes throughout the district.

"Those homes are huge, and the renovations are an enormous and expensive undertaking," said Cable, adding that the neighborhood has seen a major transfer of older to younger homeowners. "But the hard work will pay off in the long run."

Tom Necastro, a Realtor with Coldwell Banker, has sold and shown several houses in the historic neighborhood.

He currently has the house at 215 W. 21st St. listed. The owner, Ed Johnson Jr., bought it a few years ago and fixed it up after the building sat empty for years.


Outside, Johnson retained the classic architecture of a Victorian-style home. Inside, he made it modern, knocking down walls and creating an open floor plan.

"The stock of Victorian homes in Erie are shrinking, and most of them are falling apart or converted into multifamily rentals, so far away from what they were originally," Necastro said.

"Look at the old homes on East Sixth, 10th and 21st streets," the Realtor added. "Neglected structures that have been cobbled up beyond recognition, cut into apartments, the architecture removed. The houses on West 21st Street are not in great shape, but you can still buy them and restore them. It's worth it for those people who have always wanted to live in a big old house."

During her childhood years, Sara Galbreath would often ride shotgun in her father's car whenever he stopped by a rental property he owned on West 22nd Street.

On the way there, they would always drive by a 10-bedroom yellow brick 1892 Victorian Italianate on West 21st, with its large windows and magnetic presence.


"That has always been my favorite house anywhere, ever," Galbreath said. "It was just so grand, so fabulous. It spoke to me."

Now 26, she and her boyfriend, Randy Harris, live there, after Harris bought the property in May.

The house was in deplorable shape -- "a major fixer-upper," Galbreath said -- with an old roof and burst pipes in the basement only the tip of a long list of projects.

The rehabbing began the first week after they moved in.

It hasn't stopped.


"I wanted it to look the way I remembered it as a child," Galbreath said. "There's so much character to this house, so much originality. There's no other house that looks like it the entire city."

[Erie Pa]

The "Rothrock Bldg" in downtown Erie on west 10th st was purchased last week. The new owner plans a mix use of offices and condos on the upper floors.

[Erie Pa]

Gannon University purchased the 100.00 sq ft former Verizon Hdqtrs on west 10th st. Work is progessing on refit to become Gannon's College of Medicine.
Hamot Medical Cemter also Has two new buildings under construction in Downtown Erie.

[pj3000]

^ Good news for the Rothrock Bldg., even though it's one of Erie's downtown buildings that I actually wouldn't mind seeing torn down (ugly 1960s crap). It was recently in the Erie news for basically operating as a flophouse.

Great to see what Hamot is doing. Two buildings U/C currently... a 5-story and a 7-story... both on the bluff in the bayfront LERTA zone... that's why there was such a fast track schedule (to get them started before the LERTA plan expired). Nothing tall, but they're taking the place of parking lots:) ... they are creating more density in that area and their location in the very "front" of the city will allow the buildings to be nice additions to the skyline when viewed from across the bay, even though they are rather short.

I'm glad that Gannon decided to buy the Verizon Bldg. (former headquarters of GTE in Pennsylvania). I've never heard anything about it becoming "Gannon's College of Medicine" though... not sure where you heard that, but establishing a medical school takes a lot more than just buying a building. I don't see how Gannon could establish a medical school... maybe the building will be used for nursing programs or other health professions, but definitely not medicine.

By the way, how's the progress on the Mercantile Building project? When I was last in Erie about a month ago, no work was being done; just a small storage buidling behind it had been demolished. I'm heading home for Thanksgiving in a couple days and I suspect nothing will have changed. That June 2008 completion date is getting closer... with winter in Erie just about to start and nothing done to the building yet... no way it's done by June.

[BigKidD]

Good sign for central Erie neighborhood!

House rehab
Owners hooked on old homes transform an Erie neighborhood

BY GERRY WEISS
gerry.weiss@timesnews.com

Published: November 16. 2007 6:00AM
http://geimg.sv.publicus.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=GE&Date=20071116&Category=NEWS02&ArtNo=711160412&Ref=AR&MaxW=240
Donald Duarte, working behind Reese Hills, left, is improving his home in the 200 block of West 21st Street. At right is Matt Hawley, who works with Hills' home repair and construction business, and Hills' son Miles, 6, works on the porch near his dad. (Greg Wohlford / Erie Times-News)

Zoom (javascript:NewWindow(700,700,'/apps/pbcs.dll/misc?url=/mal/zoom.pbs&Site=GE&Date=20071116&Category=NEWS02&ArtNo=711160412&Ref=AR&NoCache=1');) | Buy this photo (http://photos.goerie.com/)
OAS_AD('Middle');[/URL]

Thirty years ago, when Jim Scott moved his funeral home to West 21st and Myrtle streets, people told him he was crazy.

The surrounding neighborhood, which included a two-block stretch of Sassafras Street listed on the National Register of Historic Places, was at an all-time low.

Numerous Victorian houses, rich in character and built before the turn of the 20th century, sat dilapidated, empty and neglected.

Random crimes -- cars stolen, houses burglarized -- were common.

Apathetic homeowners and transient tenants transformed a once-flourishing place into a somewhat seedy spot.


But then, one by one, house by house, Scott watched an unusual trend develop, as a restoration snowball effect rejuvenated his neighborhood.

New homeowners, mostly middle-class professionals, started snatching up and fixing up the reasonably priced properties on West 21st Street, from Sassafras to Chestnut streets, a gentrification you typically see in big cities but not Erie.

At least 15 houses in the 200 and 300 blocks of West 21st Street have been renovated or restored, homeowners there say, with a handful of other homes featuring projects that are works in progress.

"The neighborhood has changed dramatically," said Scott, a resident of the district who also owns three other properties there. "Saint Vincent (Health Center) made a big commitment to the area, with expansion and development of their facility. Then you add in the homeowners, who saw others buying and fixing up properties, saying to themselves, 'They did it, we can do it, too.' I'm proud I came here, and I'm proud I stayed here."

Terry and Lesley Redmond were two of the first residents in the neighborhood to start restoring their home.

http://geimg.sv.publicus.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=GE&Date=20071116&Category=NEWS02&ArtNo=711160412&Ref=V3&MaxW=240
Their guests are usually fascinated by the cupola on top of their three-floor house on West 21st Street, but Randy Harris and Sara Galbreath, who are renovating the home built in 1892, say they don’t spend much time there. (Greg Wohlford / Erie Times-News)

[URL="javascript:NewWindow(700,700,'/apps/pbcs.dll/misc?url=/mal/zoom.pbs&Site=GE&Date=20071116&Category=NEWS02&ArtNo=711160412&Ref=V3&NoCache=1');"]Zoom (http://oascentral.goerie.com/RealMedia/ads/click_lx.ads/www.goerie.com/NEWS02.html/1525200858/Middle/GoErie/WOW50/200x175_rupplimo_728.gif/34373430363330363437333466353730?) | Buy this photo (http://photos.goerie.com/)

The couple bought their 1896 Queen Anne-style house at 339 W. 21st St. about 20 years ago. They sank tens of thousands of dollars into the house for one project after another, building three ponds into their backyard, hand-painting the living room and foyer ceilings, laying ceramic tile on the kitchen and bathroom floors.

"It's easier to list what we haven't done," said Lesley Redmond, 59, a retired hairdresser.

When asked why restoration boomed in her neighborhood, she said people "love the nostalgia of living in classic old homes."

"We took a chance on this neighborhood," said Lesley Redmond, who also owns two other nearby houses with her husband. "If it didn't pick up after we moved in, we would've sold and moved out."

When he bought his 1882 Victorian Italianate, John Paul Cappa said, it looked like a haunted mansion.


"It was a disaster," the 43-year-old church choir director said before giving details about the leaky roof, the asbestos-laden furnace, and the exterior wall by the main entrance that was completely caved in.

So he began to restore the house, from the day he closed on 231 W. 21st in 1992 through this summer, when he installed a new garage. Two years ago, he bought another house up the street and started rehabbing that one as well.

In all -- after restoring the inlaid marble and woodwork in the main parlors, sanding the hardwood floors and dozens of other projects -- Cappa has spent about $140,000.

"There's no clear answer why. I just always wanted to live in a house with character, and this house has it," he said. "The houses themselves are the inspiration to restore them. To be honest, there's nothing remarkable about modern suburban buildings that you'd want to restore. What would you want to fix in a suburban house when it's just one square white room after another?"

Some of these West 21st Street homeowners restore the vintage houses for their own living comfort. Others, especially those who own multiple properties, choose to fix up so they can rent out.

http://geimg.sv.publicus.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=GE&Date=20071116&Category=NEWS02&ArtNo=711160412&Ref=V5&MaxW=240
Donald Duarte has been living in Erie for the past two years in a house in the 200 block of West 21st Street. The Boston man plans to sell the home when he’s finished renovating it. (ROB ENGELHARDT/Erie Times-News)

Zoom (javascript:NewWindow(700,700,'/apps/pbcs.dll/misc?url=/mal/zoom.pbs&Site=GE&Date=20071116&Category=NEWS02&ArtNo=711160412&Ref=V5&NoCache=1');) | Buy this photo (http://photos.goerie.com/)

Then there's Donald Duarte, a 38-year-old carpenter from Boston.

When he was working in New Bedford, Mass., he bought an old home, completely renovated it and quickly sold it, turning a princely profit of $80,000.

Seeing that he was a success at the trendy art of "house flipping," Duarte moved to Erie in February 2006 after his uncle, who lives in Harborcreek, told him of a potentially lucrative real estate opportunity at 219 W. 21 St.

Duarte paid $45,000 for a house that he said "should've been condemned." He immediately got to work, buying three dozen new windows, refinishing the oak floors, and replacing the soggy roof. He did most of the labor himself.

When Duarte puts the property on the market in June 2008, he hopes to fetch $125,000.


"There's a great charm to older homes," said Duarte, who has been living at the house for nearly two years. "After all the work I've put into it, a house of this stature, in Boston, would sell for half a million."

Deb Cable, a partner with Dorris Appraisal Co. in Erie and former homeowner in the 200 block of West 21st Street, said the effect of all of the activity would stabilize and then spike the values of the homes throughout the district.

"Those homes are huge, and the renovations are an enormous and expensive undertaking," said Cable, adding that the neighborhood has seen a major transfer of older to younger homeowners. "But the hard work will pay off in the long run."

Tom Necastro, a Realtor with Coldwell Banker, has sold and shown several houses in the historic neighborhood.

He currently has the house at 215 W. 21st St. listed. The owner, Ed Johnson Jr., bought it a few years ago and fixed it up after the building sat empty for years.


Outside, Johnson retained the classic architecture of a Victorian-style home. Inside, he made it modern, knocking down walls and creating an open floor plan.

"The stock of Victorian homes in Erie are shrinking, and most of them are falling apart or converted into multifamily rentals, so far away from what they were originally," Necastro said.

"Look at the old homes on East Sixth, 10th and 21st streets," the Realtor added. "Neglected structures that have been cobbled up beyond recognition, cut into apartments, the architecture removed. The houses on West 21st Street are not in great shape, but you can still buy them and restore them. It's worth it for those people who have always wanted to live in a big old house."

During her childhood years, Sara Galbreath would often ride shotgun in her father's car whenever he stopped by a rental property he owned on West 22nd Street.

On the way there, they would always drive by a 10-bedroom yellow brick 1892 Victorian Italianate on West 21st, with its large windows and magnetic presence.


"That has always been my favorite house anywhere, ever," Galbreath said. "It was just so grand, so fabulous. It spoke to me."

Now 26, she and her boyfriend, Randy Harris, live there, after Harris bought the property in May.

The house was in deplorable shape -- "a major fixer-upper," Galbreath said -- with an old roof and burst pipes in the basement only the tip of a long list of projects.

The rehabbing began the first week after they moved in.

It hasn't stopped.


"I wanted it to look the way I remembered it as a child," Galbreath said. "There's so much character to this house, so much originality. There's no other house that looks like it the entire city."
One of the greatest assets the city has is its neighborhoods. While most of the downtown was altered or destroyed, many of the neighborhoods are still intact, at least in the Western part of Erie. Although the other neighborhoods are being redeveloped from barren lots into single family homes.

[Erie Pa]

^ Good news for the Rothrock Bldg., even though it's one of Erie's downtown buildings that I actually wouldn't mind seeing torn down (ugly 1960s crap). It was recently in the Erie news for basically operating as a flophouse.

Great to see what Hamot is doing. Two buildings U/C currently... a 5-story and a 7-story... both on the bluff in the bayfront LERTA zone... that's why there was such a fast track schedule (to get them started before the LERTA plan expired). Nothing tall, but they're taking the place of parking lots:) ... they are creating more density in that area and their location in the very "front" of the city will allow the buildings to be nice additions to the skyline when viewed from across the bay, even though they are rather short.

I'm glad that Gannon decided to buy the Verizon Bldg. (former headquarters of GTE in Pennsylvania). I've never heard anything about it becoming "Gannon's College of Medicine" though... not sure where you heard that, but establishing a medical school takes a lot more than just buying a building. I don't see how Gannon could establish a medical school... maybe the building will be used for nursing programs or other health professions, but definitely not medicine.

By the way, how's the progress on the Mercantile Building project? When I was last in Erie about a month ago, no work was being done; just a small storage buidling behind it had been demolished. I'm heading home for Thanksgiving in a couple days and I suspect nothing will have changed. That June 2008 completion date is getting closer... with winter in Erie just about to start and nothing done to the building yet... no way it's done by June.

pj3000,

Got the Gannon info from a school release. You are right that it is not going to be a "college of medicine" but rather a school for nursing and related fields.
There is also activity at 13th & State sts. The facade of the former "Erie Window Co" is being redone. The new owner has stated plans for apartments on the upper two floors.
As of the 15th the Hamot bldg on East 2nd st has steel going up. Site clearance on West 2nd st.
I got a tour of the "Mercantile" and have a retainer on #501. The plan calls for 1st floor retail, 2nd & 3rd floor commercial office space. The 4th & 5th floor will have a total of 14 condos. There are to be 11'7'' ceiling height. I also have @40'of windows on State st and 36' on 14th st. The old bldg just to the east of the Merc is gone. I was told it would be too espensive to rehab to modern codes bec it was built over the Millcreek tube.

[pj3000]

^ The Mercantile plans sound great. If I wanted to move back to Erie, I'd definitely consider moving in. That neighborhood is going to be really cool. Your future condo sounds nice... all those windows and on the top floor. So, after the tour, do you really think it will be done in 7 months? I really don't see how that's going to be possible.

[Erie Pa]

^ The Mercantile plans sound great. If I wanted to move back to Erie, I'd definitely consider moving in. That neighborhood is going to be really cool. Your future condo sounds nice... all those windows and on the top floor. So, after the tour, do you really think it will be done in 7 months? I really don't see how that's going to be possible.

I'm hoping. I've been told mine is to be one of the first to be ready.

[PLYfreak]

Can anyone give me a rundown on Erie development? I am not from Erie but I am considering taking a job there and so I want to get a feel for the current state of the city and where it is headed.

Are there any neighborhoods that are very walkable? What is its downtown like?

[pj3000]

^Redevelopment in downtown Erie seems to be finally taking hold. It's been a long time coming, believe me. I've tried to post any development news I see in a few threads in this subforum. Erie, in general, has a long way to go in terms of becoming an important city nationally once again. It has just had a really hard time shaking off its economic reliance on heavy industry and being in Pennsylvania has actually been quite a detriment to the city; the rest of Pennsylvania never understanding the true value of a Great Lakes port city.

Things seem to be looking up economically for the Erie region, but that is a topic for another discussion. You seem to be more interested in downtown development specifically. Well, there are lots of projects, many focusing on residential development downtown. A downtown master plan was completed about a year ago and a two development firms from Philly and Pittsburgh were selected to oversee numerous projects. It's good to see that a lot of the projects are being privately funded. Basically, all of the proposals and current construction projects look great for downtown. I can give you more specific info if you'd like.

Many of Erie's neighborhoods are very walkable and the city is generally pedestrian and bicycle friendly. Having a car is still very highly recommended though. Downtown is way better than it was 15 years ago, but still has a way to go in becoming an urbane destination. The bayfront development is spreading south into downtown, so only good things can come. What is dowtown like?: lots of bars and clubs give Erie a pretty good nightlife scene for a city its size; too many empty lots (that is changing though); CHEAP rents for very nice old apartments; relatively safe....

[PLYfreak]

Here is my big question- Is there a major bookseller I could walk to if I lived downtown? How about a coffeeshop?

Where are the colleges/universities in relation to downtown? I generally like to check out the various campuses, libraries, and bookstores offered at local colleges. Are any in walking distance?

[pj3000]

No Barnes & Noble or Borders downtown... have to go to upper Peach St. chain store heaven for those. However, I believe there are plans for another B&N in a major downtown retail development. But a great independent shop called simply, The Erie Bookstore, has been downtown for around 90 years or so, I think. It's located in Lovell Place (industrial conversion to loft-style apartments, mixed-use) now and has a little cafe and frequent readings. Coffeeshops downtown: Starbucks, French Street Cafe, Rose Garden Cafe are the ones I can think of. Romolo's has a nice cafe just west of downtown in the Frontier Park neighborhood.

Gannon University is located right downtown and is one of the major anchors of downtown vitality. Its library and student center are located on the same block. Mercyhurst College is located about 3 miles south of downtown in eastern Glenwood Hills... very nice campus and buildings. Penn State Erie - Behrend College is in Harborcreek Township about 7 miles SE of downtown... rapidly developing campus and very pretty location on over 800 acres. LECOM is located in suburban SW Erie. Edinboro University is about 15 miles south of Erie in a small town in southern Erie County. Also, the Erie County library main branch is down on the bayfront. It's the 3rd largest in the state and has some nice reading/study areas with great views of Presque Isle Bay.

There are only a handful of people on here that are familiar with Erie, so I'm glad to answer any questions you may have about the ol' hometown if I can.

[pj3000]

Can't wait to see this get completely underway. The area has so much potential.


Renewal for homeless haven
By CODY SWITZER
cody.switzer@timesnews.com

Published: November 28. 2007 6:00AM

http://geimg.sv.publicus.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=GE&Date=20071128&Category=NEWS02&ArtNo=711280349&Ref=AR&MaxW=240
The gazebo at Griswold Park in Erie has become a gathering place for people who are homeless, but the gazebo will soon be moved to make room for a town house development. (LAUREN M. ANDERSON/Erie Times-News)

Brian's neighborhood is changing.

Brian, who is homeless, said he used to spend nights on the loading dock of what was the Warren Radio building in the 1300 block of Peach Street, across from Griswold Park. The dock was dark and dry, almost private and relatively warm. He could sleep.

The Warren Radio building is now demolished, replaced, temporarily, with a muddy lot.

"They actually tore my home down, such as it was," said Brian, who wouldn't give his full name.

Soon, a row of brick town houses will spring up where Brian once slept, part of a $51 million project aimed at bringing young professionals and empty-nesters into the city to live and work.


The development is to go up across the street from the Griswold Park and the park gazebo -- the spot where Brian and other homeless men now come to meet and get out of the weather.

The area is poised for gentrification and renewal.

Starting in the summer, developers will extend the one-acre park, thin its trees and install lights. The plans call for the gazebo to be gone -- and with it, most likely, the homeless who hang out there.

The Griswold Park development is proof that the center city is changing and ready for another "big nudge" toward development, said John Elliot, executive director of the Erie Redevelopment Authority, which is leading the Griswold Park project.

"We don't want to go into a vacuum and create something from nothing," Elliot said. "When we were selecting an area downtown to focus our first initiative, we wanted to build on strengths, and there are a couple of strong points in that neighborhood."

One of those points, he said, is Griswold Park.

'The park environment we want'
http://geimg.sv.publicus.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=GE&Date=20071128&Category=NEWS02&ArtNo=711280349&Ref=V3&MaxW=580&title=0
(Chris Sigmund / Erie Times-News)


The project -- to occur from Sassafras to State streets and between West 12th and West 14th streets -- is to create 143 new residential units, according to the plans the city and the Erie Redevelopment Authority unveiled earlier this year. Mixed-use buildings would go up throughout the area. The streets will be lined with trees.

Plans for the neighborhood around the park call for 12 to 14 town houses along Peach and West 13th streets. The park will be extended to the parking island for the post office in adjacent Griswold Plaza.

The gazebo, which was built in 2005, will be removed. "Architecturally, it does not fit with the park environment we want to have there," Elliot said.
The plan is to add gardens and a water feature, something to match the look of the post office and neighboring Union Station, Elliot said. He said the Redevelopment Authority chose the area for the project partly because of the park, which he said is meant to be an asset.

The city likely will move the gazebo to another park, said Kim Green, the city's director of economic and community development. She said the project will include more lights and the thinning of the trees, to make the area brighter and safer.

"Our hope is that we would make it a more family-oriented park, and perhaps a park where people would come out and enjoy lunch in the summer," Green said.

"I might not stay, but I come here'
http://geimg.sv.publicus.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=GE&Date=20071128&Category=NEWS02&ArtNo=711280349&Ref=V5&MaxW=240
Kerman Amos, of Erie, takes shelter under the gazebo at Griswold Park. Amos, who is homeless, says he visits the gazebo once a day so he can see his friends. “I might not stay, but I come here to check on everything, see if they’re all right,” he says. (LAUREN M. ANDERSON/Erie Times-News)



A group of homeless men at the gazebo, interviewed recently, said they had heard of how the neighborhood will change.

A man dropped off leftover turkey, a few loaves of bread and some mayonnaise on the day after Thanksgiving.

Eight men ate and drank $7.19-a-liter Vladimir-brand vodka around the picnic tables.

Most wore ball caps and jackets with hooded sweatshirts underneath. They joked with each other.

"Where's K?" a few of them asked.

He wasn't there yet on this day, but he was there a week before.

K -- he said his full name is Kerman Amos -- had stood in the gazebo with his hood pulled up. He said he visits the gazebo almost once a day, to see his friends.

"I might not stay, but I come here to check on everything, see if they're all right," Amos said.

He and Brian, the homeless man who said he used to sleep on the loading dock at the Warren Radio building, had a 12-pack of Natural Ice beer. Brian said he had just gotten out of prison, and said it was his first beer in 90 days. It was 11:30 a.m.

Sometimes the men at the gazebo get drunk and out of control, Amos said, but mostly they keep to themselves. Amos said he doesn't want to bother anyone.

'A perfect clubhouse'
Jim Berlin, chief executive of Logistics Plus in Union Station, said he understands why the park is a draw for the homeless.

"The park was made nicer, so it's kind of becoming more accommodating for people just hanging out," he said. "There's the gazebo and electricity and the port-o-potties. It's a perfect clubhouse, you know?"

In September, Berlin asked readers of his blog for suggestions for how to deal with some men in the park who he said dug through trash cans, urinated on Union Station and attempted to break into employees' cars.

Erie police pay extra attention to the park, but calls only come in occasionally in the summer, police spokesman Lt. Kirk Werner said.


Doug Mitchell, director of public works for the city, said that he has heard the occasional complaint about the park, and he said the city is concerned when people don't feel comfortable using the park.

The city pays for electrical service to the park, with an outlet near the gazebo. Mitchell said he had no usage statistics for the outlet.

The homeless men said they have occasionally plugged appliances into the outlet -- one said the men have cut their hair with electric trimmers. But they said they leave the outlet alone most of the time.

Chris Sirianni, president of BrewErie, the restaurant in Union Station, said that his customers have sometimes complained about the homeless.

"I wouldn't say they are harassing. It's just guys getting loud from drinking all day," Sirianni said.


The construction is expected to prompt the homeless men to leave.

"If other people come in, it would be less secluded, less out of the way," Berlin said. "It becomes more central, more part of downtown and in the spotlight. These guys don't like the spotlight."

"It may be self-correcting, in a way," Elliot said.

'We wouldn't stay here'
Amos said he will move on when the project starts.

"If there were houses around here, we wouldn't stay here," Amos said.

There are other places to go in the city -- another park or somewhere else where Amos and his group know people.

Help from local shelters is also available, said Paul Bratt, a resident and intern at Erie City Mission. But he said not everyone chooses to enter a program, and some homeless only sleep at shelters at night.

"A lot of them really don't want to quit their activities," Bratt said. "So most likely they'll hang out at McDonald's or Burger King during the day and then come here at night or wherever they go. There are a lot of centers."


Amos, who said he had to leave the City Mission center, knows the situation at the shelters. The shelter staff will help you, he said, if you follow the rules.

Amos said he didn't.

"You make that choice," he said.

[PLYfreak]

Is Gannon building a medical school? Or are they somehow affiliated with LECOM? I work in the science industry so I wouldn't want to be far from either of these schools, but I'd still like to stay in downtown. Any thoughts?

[pj3000]

Gannon is developing larger nursing and other health-related careers programs. They recently purchased a large downtown office building which formerly was home to Verizon for this expansion.

Gannon is not directly affiliated with LECOM, though I believe that they have admissions agreements with the school. And, the two heads of LECOM are both Gannon grads, so there is some relationship, if not actual affiliation.

I'd definitely recommend staying downtown if you're going to live in Erie. Gannon is right there and LECOM is only about a 15 minute drive away. I'm certain there is an EMTA route that runs between downtown and LECOM, but I'm not sure of the timeframe involved. The area around LECOM is completely suburban and pretty boring. There are a number of apartment complexes in the area and its close to upper Peach St. shopping and the Millcreek Mall, but as I said, very suburban and just pretty blah.

I would be great if all of the downtown residential developments were up and running already, but it seems that's just beginning to take shape. For downtown living, I'd recommend taking a look on West 6th thru West 10th Streets between Sassafras and Liberty, Modern Tool Square, Federal Row (Erie Insurance campus area). I would avoid most of the neighborhoods on the east side, unless you're a fan of crime. Areas of the Lower West Side (West 6th to bayfront bluff) are pretty rough as well, but that seems to be changing with bayfront bluff development and rehabbing of the neighborhoods. Lovell Place, on E 13th St, is a cool industrial conversion to lofts, but the area around it is still redeveloping. Overall, I'd suggest looking in the neighborhoods on downtown's west side or even a bit further west into the Frontier/Kahkwa neighborhoods. There are a number of parks in the area and a good bit of pedestrian activity. Also, you have good access to the Bayfront and Presque Isle is not far. The Glenwood area south of downtown in nice as well, but not downtown.

There are some nice areas, but downtown, and Erie in general, is still gritty to the core. Crime has definitely dropped significantly over the past decade or so and reinvestment in the city's center seems to be finally taking hold. I lived downtown on West 6th for a little while and really enjoyed it... close to many entertainment options and outdoor activities.

[Evergrey]

Central Erie is also home to the art deco opulence of the Warner Theatre. Erie County is home to Pennsylvania's wine country.

[pj3000]

^Going home to see BB King at the Warner in March... great venue to see a concert.

By the way Evergrey, Joe Biden's the man. I've liked that guy for a long time.

[PLYfreak]

I read the redevelopment plan for downtown Erie, and the more recent plan for Midtown (a part of downtown?). I like the plans, but I don't think they do enough to revive the city. I've heard of small steps, but this seems almost ridiculous.

Erie needs to get developers to rehab/convert/build condo and apartment towers in its downtown to lure in that all-important niche market of younger people and empty-nesters. Both plans suggest this, but their primary focus is on facade improvements and not on the importance of luring in this niche market. If this population moves into downtown Erie, it will drive up the need for specialty businesses and help to create a vibrant urban center. Potential businesses will then look at Erie as a place that is worthwhile.

Only with a viable downtown could Erie hope to do so, but I'd like to see the city capitalize on its location through tourism. Virtually no great lake city has established itself as a tourist destination, leaving an entire market untapped. Erie has beautiful beaches on Presque Isle. If it were to capitalize on this it would have condo and hotel towers (again, I use the word tower loosely) along the streets near the entrance to Presque Isle.

I now realize Erie's AMAZING potential, but reading these reports has made me concerned that Erie is moving too slow for its own good.

Help alleviate my concerns lol.

[pj3000]

^ Developments in Pennsylvania, Erie in particular, moving too slow??? I've never heard of such a thing!;)

Actually, the primary focus of the master development plans is on residential development to lure that market niche back to downtown. Maybe you already saw this, but here is the report from the redevelopment authority.

http://www.redeveloperie.org/pdfs/ERIE%20DOWNTOWN%20MASTER%20PLAN.pdf

http://www.redeveloperie.org/pdfs/Erie%20Site%20Plan.pdf

http://www.redeveloperie.org/pdfs/Draft%20Market%20Report%20Complete%20wo%20Appendix.pdf

Ground preparation is currently underway on the west bayfront bluff for an office building and a condo "tower". In the "Midtown" area (I'm not sure why it's being referred to as this because true Midtown Erie is about 12 blocks south comprised of the Federal Hill and Hillside neighborhoods, so this newly-annointed "Midtown" is actually part of downtown) the Mercantile Bldg. is undergoing conversion to mixed-use residential and retail on the ground floor. Across the street, another bldg. is slated for conversion to artist live/work space. A block down, another bldg. is being renovated to apartments. In the Griswold Park area, the Redevelopment Authority acquired two entire city blocks of parking lots, a used car dealership, and ugly 1-story industrial buildings for construction of townhouses. The plans show a lot of other residential development. Fourth River Development from Pittsburgh and Radnor Property Group are the two main developers and are investing millions into the area (finally some PRIVATE investment!).

As for tourism development, that has actually been the major focus of the new direction Erie must take for the past 5 years or so. The Bayfront Convention Center and Hotel are nearing completion, Tom Ridge Environmental Center at Presque Isle was completed about a year and a half ago, one of the finest cruise ship terminals on the Great Lakes was built about 3 years ago, numerous new marinas, etc. So lots of stuff has been built to further tap into the tourism market. It's not as if tourism is already not an integral component of Erie County's economy though. It has been for decades. Presque Isle attracts millions of visitors each summer and is the most popular park in the commonwealth. However, more than anything, Pennsylvania needs to realize the resource it has in the best port on the Great Lakes and utilize it to its full potential. Problem is, most of Pennsylvania acts as if Erie doesn't even exist, or is part of New York or Ohio.

Much more needs to be done, and yes, at a much faster pace. But things definitely move at a slower pace in PA, and the Erie region gets the worst of it .

[pj3000]

Erie needs to get developers to rehab/convert/build condo and apartment towers in its downtown to lure in that all-important niche market of younger people and empty-nesters. Both plans suggest this, but their primary focus is on facade improvements and not on the importance of luring in this niche market. If this population moves into downtown Erie, it will drive up the need for specialty businesses and help to create a vibrant urban center. Potential businesses will then look at Erie as a place that is worthwhile.

Only with a viable downtown could Erie hope to do so, but I'd like to see the city capitalize on its location through tourism. Virtually no great lake city has established itself as a tourist destination, leaving an entire market untapped. Erie has beautiful beaches on Presque Isle. If it were to capitalize on this it would have condo and hotel towers (again, I use the word tower loosely) along the streets near the entrance to Presque Isle.


Good points. This is precisely what Erie has been trying to do for a while now. It has just proven to be very difficult to get private developers to make the investment in an unproven market in a state which has not proven friendly to developers. It's the old public-private Catch-22; government wants to see private investment before they provide matching/increased public funds, private developers want to see publicly-funded projects established initially and receive incentive-laden deals in order to make their investments less risky. Unfortunately, Erie is a risky market for investors with its massive manufacturing sector still slowly bleeding away, higher than state average unemployment figures, and overall depressed economy. The economic transition from heavy manufactuing is still ongoing in Erie and it's a transition that is far from being completely welcomed. You still have the ridiculous old-school political and union squabbling that is so entrenched in rustbelt cities and only serves to further delay any economic revitalization.

As I've stated numerous times in post about Erie though, there are signs of life and progress in Erie, and it is so much more apparent now. Downtown Erie and the Bayfront were dangerous, filthy shitholes (sorry, but that's the best way to describe it) in the 1980s and only started to really clean up in the mid-1990s. So, from where it was just 15-20 years ago, it's actually come very far in a relatively short amount of time. But I agree that things need to start occurring a lot faster if Erie is to mount any serious comeback. If you spend any significant amount of time in Erie, you will see, and be frustrated by, lots of talk and little action when it comes to urban development. The cards are stacked against Erie, being in the center of the rustbelt, but especially because it only receives the scraps from state government that are left over after all PA's other cities have feasted (case in point: the Bayfront Parkway/Connector/Eastside Access Hwy was just completed 2 years ago... it was planned and listed as the highest transportation priority by county planners as well as PennDOT in 1962!!!... 43 fucking years it took them to finally approve state highway funds and get it built; and it still is inadequate for regional transportation needs!). That may just give you an idea of where Erie is in terms of PA state gov't priority.

[Evergrey]

Erie is not a PA priority? What about the Tom Ridge Environmental Center?

[pj3000]

^ Ah, one of the few things Erie got while its native son was governor.

Erie actually fought for a building that would serve as an educational and research facility, tourist attraction, and welcome center for PA's most visited and ecologically-diverse and unique state park since the 1970s. It's a great facility, but a lot of the original plans were left out, including much taller observation tower. I still wouldn't say that it was anywhere near a high-priority issue, though.

[pj3000]

14th & State, Mercantile Bldg. to be converted to condos/1st flr retail
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/74/162007456_d252f107fa_b.jpg


Vacant Warren Radio Bldg. at 14th & Peach now demolished for Griswold Park townhouse development. Townhouses and mixed use development to replace the parking lots, used car dealership, and Erie Mfg. and Supply Bldg (1-story bldg yellow brick) from 14th to 12th Streets.
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/78/162006552_b338f083c9_b.jpg

This parking lot in front of Union Station and Griswold Plaza Post Office will thankfully be replaced with an expanded and improved Griswold Park.:)
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/70/162005767_5efddae69e_b.jpg

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/72/162006005_5089f2b659_b.jpg

This sorry excuse for a TV station will hopefully be replaced by a taller structure with an outdoor media display; in 2nd rendering.
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/67/162009319_70f0a47e6a.jpg?v=0
photos credit: obod7x7 on this forum


Renderings coutesy WSEE TV Erie:
http://www.wsee.tv/assets/midtown/midtown1.jpg

http://www.wsee.tv/assets/midtown/midtown2.jpg

http://www.wsee.tv/assets/midtown/midtown3.jpg

http://www.wsee.tv/assets/midtown/midtown4.jpg

http://www.wsee.tv/assets/midtown/midtown5.jpg

[pj3000]

^ The Erie Times-News reported today that the Erie Redevelopment Authority is preparing to purchase the surface parking lot at 13th and Peach streets as a component of the master rehab plan for the Griswold Park area. Townhouses are planned for the property along with retail development. Well, that's one surface parking lot in downtown Erie down and about 100 to go!

http://geimg.sv.publicus.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=GE&Date=20080109&Category=NEWS02&ArtNo=801090383&Ref=AR&MaxW=580&title=0

Authority wants to buy lot in midtown
Plans call to build at West 13th, Peach
BY GEORGE MILLER
The Erie Redevelopment Authority is seeking to buy the public parking lot at West 13th and Peach streets as part of its proposed $51 million midtown project.

Town houses and a mixed-use building would rise on the land.

Construction is expected to begin this year, said John R. Elliott, the Redevelopment Authority's executive director.

Elliott appeared before the Erie Parking Authority on Tuesday and asked to buy the 66-space lot for $236,000 by June 1.

"We're moving fast," said Elliott. "We've got a lot of work to do. This is a very exciting time for downtown."


The Parking Authority agreed to try to work out a sale.

"I think it's good for the downtown," said Raymond Massing, the Parking Authority's executive director. "Obviously, it would benefit the Parking Authority and the city. I think the project is a good idea."

The development on the site will be part of the first phase of the project, which was unveiled in October.

The project calls for town houses and mixed-used buildings from State to Sassafras streets between 12th and 14th streets. It would be centered on an expanded and renovated Griswold Park.

The first phase began recently with the $5.2 million renovation of the Mercantile Building, East 14th and State streets, into retail, office and residential space. The residential units will be ready for occupancy this summer.


With the purchase of the parking lot, the authority will control all of the property on the east side of Peach Street from West 12th to West 13th streets.

The parking-lot site will be used for a new building with a restaurant and coffee shop at the corner of West 13th and Peach streets, with residential units on the upper floor or floors. Seven town houses will extend along Peach Street northward, and four others will be built on the north side of West 13th Street.

Also planned in the first phase is a mixed-use building adjoining the WSEE-TV building on the northwest corner of West 13th and Peach streets.

Elliott said plans call for more on-street parking once the lot is closed.

The surface lot is adjacent to another Parking Authority lot at West 13th and State streets, which has 63 spaces. The Redevelopment Authority plans to buy that lot for the second phase of the project.


The second phase could begin in 2009, Elliott said.

The Redevelopment Authority is working with Fourth River Development of Pittsburgh and the Radner Property Group of Wayne, which are master developers for the project's first phase.

[Evergrey]

pj3000: did you see the Dec 31 Erie Times-News where they did a report card grading the progress of many of Erie's major development projects?

[pj3000]

^ No, I didn't. But things sure seem to be taking a long time to really get going. If I was grading, the city wouldn't get very high marks overall. The Convention Center and hotel on the bayfront and two bayfront bluff office buildings are u/c and are shaping up nicely, and when I was home for the holidays I did notice a number of small redevelopment projects complete or taking place in the downtown area.

Supposedly, the Mercantile Bldg. redevelopment and a smaller building across the street were to be complete by June 08... now I hear it's August 08 and that still seems quite optimistic... very frustrating. Properties in the Griswold Park area have been purchased and in some cases leveled and lots of talk is going on about the area's future, but no shovels are in the dirt yet. The Koehler Brewery project is all but dead it seems... demolished an 1860s historic building and now there is a huge rubble-strewn lot... unfortunately, that's been typical Erie for decades.

I'll see if I can find anything else on the progress report. Have you seen it?

[pj3000]

http://geimg.sv.publicus.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=GE&Date=20071212&Category=NEWS02&ArtNo=712120389&Ref=AR&MaxW=580&title=0


Mercantile Building rehab to begin

BY GEORGE MILLER

Construction crews are about to begin transforming a long-vacant downtown building into residential condominiums and commercial space.

The Erie Redevelopment Authority has awarded contracts for exterior renovations to the Mercantile Building at 14th and State streets. Work is expected to start within 30 days.

The Redevelopment Authority has also selected a developer for another of its major projects, a $3 million town house development at West 18th and Hickory streets in the Little Italy neighborhood.

The Mercantile Building project is one of the centerpieces of the revitalization of the midtown area, which stretches from 12th to 14th streets, from Sassafras to Holland streets.

The five-story building is to be converted into 14 residential condominiums and retail and commercial space. Site work began several months ago.


Now contracts totaling nearly $750,000 have been awarded for work on the building itself, Redevelopment Authority Executive Director John R. Elliott said.

"At this point, we're shifting gears to construction," he said. "We'll start aggressively marketing whatever isn't sold or committed in February or March."

Elliott said the authority last week received another reservation for a residential condominium, bringing the total to eight.

"We're moving forward," he said. "We're within our project schedule. All of our financing is committed."

The first residential unit could be occupied as soon as July, he said.


Awarded contracts this week for the exterior work were Chatham Industries, $412,900 for installation of exterior aluminum windows and doors; Northwest Restoration Inc., $223,500 for masonry restoration; and A.W. Farrell and Sons, $102,500 for roofing. All are from the Erie area.

The exterior work should begin within 30 days, Elliott said.

The midtown revitalization plan calls for $51 million in redevelopment to create a tree-lined neighborhood with town houses and mixed-use buildings around Griswold Park. Construction of 12 to 14 town houses on the east side of Peach Street between West 12th and West 13th streets could begin as soon as spring.

In the Little Italy neighborhood, the Redevelopment Authority selected Housing and Neighborhood Development Services to be the developer of 11 units of affordable, lease-to-purchase housing at West 18th and Hickory streets. There will be one five-unit building, one four-unit building and one two-unit building.

The Redevelopment Authority agreed to sell H.A.N.D.S. eight parcels of property for the development. H.A.N.D.S. will apply to the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency for low-income tax credits to finance the project.


Construction would begin in 2009 at the earliest.

"It is a competitive process for the tax credits," Elliott said. "I feel good about their application. H.A.N.D.S. is an excellent partner."

The project is part of a Little Italy revitalization plan recently unveiled by a consultant, Poggemeyer Design Group. The Redevelopment Authority endorsed the plan at its meeting Monday.

Shay Meinzer, director of planning and development for H.A.N.D.S., said the town house project "was really born from that study."

She said she is optimistic about the chances for funding.


"We think it's a great plan and it really helps meet the needs of the community," Meinzer said. "They are really wonderful town houses."

H.A.N.D.S. President Charles G. Scalise said the project complements a trend of people wanting to move back to the city.

"It's really the national trend," he said. "It's cool to live in the city again."

[pj3000]

Good news. Preliminary plans have shown a park more like Rittenhouse Square in Philadelphia.


City Council expected to name park consultant
BY GEORGE MILLER

A consulting firm is expected to be on board soon for a proposed renovation of Perry Square Park.

Erie City Council on Wednesday will consider awarding a contract to the Burt Hill firm of Pittsburgh at a maximum cost of $55,000. Burt Hill was one of nine companies that submitted proposals to do the work, said Douglas Mitchell, the city's public-works director.

Burt Hill is among the world's largest architecture, engineering, interior design and landscape architecture firms, the firm's proposal said.

The company cited its work on Mellon Green, a downtown park in Pittsburgh's central business districts among its projects.

"They're good," said David Mulvihill, the city of Erie's assistant public-works director.


Burt Hill is to prepare a master plan for the park and develop specifications for electrical and lighting upgrades. Some work could begin as soon as this spring.

The park's improvement is one of the recommendations made by the firm of Kise Straw and Kolodner of Philadelphia as part of its 2006 downtown master plan.

The firm suggested the park be "closer to a formal garden" with flower beds, shrubbery, iron fencing and entrance pillars, benches and an improved fountain. Diagonal parking around the square might also be considered.

The city has $358,000 for improvements and is seeking more funds.

[pj3000]

Former Boys Club in downtown Erie being transformed into technology incubator. I used to play basketball at this place as a kid and then in high school tournaments... intimidating place to play... like a true cage, with spectators on a seatless balcony above the court... people would hang over the railings and pound on the backboards during the game.

http://geimg.sv.publicus.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=GE&Date=20071215&Category=NEWS02&ArtNo=712150374&Ref=AR&MaxW=580&title=0
Room to grow
Gannon's planned Technology Incubator takes shape downtown

BY GEORGE MILLER
A building that once helped raise kids is about to become a place to nurture new companies.

The former Boys & Girls Club building in downtown Erie is undergoing a $5 million renovation to house Gannon University's new Erie Technology Incubator.

Work began in July and is now about 20 percent complete, said Russell V. Combs Sr., the incubator's executive director.

The facility is scheduled to open in late July or early August.

Combs, who was named to the executive director's post in August, said he has already received about 15 serious inquiries from potential startup companies interested in locating there.


Three of them are going through the initial process of leasing space. One of the companies is involved in security technology, another in petroleum recovery technology and the third in artificial intelligence.

"I'm extremely pleased with the inquiries we're getting already," said Combs, 56, who has two decades of experience in working these kinds of settings.

He has helped about 700 startup companies and was most recently the executive director of the Business Incubation Group of Shenandoah (Va.) Region, a position he held from 2004 until his move to Erie.

Combs said he would like the facility to open with six to eight companies. The limited number will allow him to make sure operations are working smoothly in the facility's first year.

The incubator will house startup companies in three areas: information technology, such as software development; engineering technology; and scientific technology, such as alternative energy or medical devices.


The businesses will typically start with two to four employees.

"It's going to be smaller technology companies that typically will grow to about 25 to 30 employees before they graduate out of the incubator," he said.

ETI's goal is to generate "new economy" job opportunities in northwestern Pennsylvania, he said.

Companies that evolve from incubators typically stay in that area, he said.

With 15 companies, the incubator could generate 450 jobs over three to five years.


The 33,000-square-foot-building, situated at 130 W. Eighth St., is undergoing some major changes.

Construction so far has been exterior masonry work, and roof repair and replacement.

But the major work lies ahead.

The contract for windows and interior renovations has just gone out for bid.

That work is expected to start in February.


Under the plans, the entranceway, now on West Eighth Street, is to be relocated to the east side of the building and will have a dramatic glass covering.

The swimming pool, located in the lower level, will be covered with flooring. The pool itself will be used for storage. That area, along with the gymnasium, will be divided into two levels.

"We'll actually have three working levels of usable space plus a sublevel under the pool for storage," Combs said.

The building will be able to accommodate as many as 20 companies.

Some unique features will remain.


Combs said the spiral stairway in the lobby is being kept.

"It's historical," he said. "It's beautiful. It's practical" to keep it.

Pieces of the gymnasium floor, including the Boys & Girls Club logo, will be removed and placed in the floor of the lobby, if possible.

"We want to try to keep a piece of that history," he said. "If we can at all do it, we're going to do it," he said.

The state's capital budget is providing the bulk of the funding for the project with $4 million. Other state and federal money is also being used.

[pj3000]

An upscale gift shop, "Accents By the Bay", has recently opened in a section of the 1830s era Dispatch Printing Building on West 5th. Good news for a rundown area with lots of potential.


Gift store opens by the bay

BY GEORGE MILLER
Downtown Erie has a new specialty retail store.

And it fits with the vision of the city's downtown revitalization plan.

Accents by the Bay, 29 W. Fifth St., on Wednesday had its grand opening and ribbon-cutting ceremony with Mayor Joe Sinnott and others in attendance. The store sells fine gifts, collectibles and home furnishings.

"We just wanted to be part of the downtown revitalization," said Barbara Corbett, co-owner.

The city's 2006 master plan prepared by Kise, Straw & Kolodner calls for a cluster of specialty retail stores in the Perry Square area.


"A big part of the downtown plan is to bring retail in to support some of the other things we're doing," Mayor Joe Sinnott said "This is a very nice gift shop and goes right along with some of the things that are going to be happening."

Corbett and co-owner Judy Tucci had helped manage a similar store in the Millcreek Mall for about a decade.

When that store did not renew its lease, they decided they wanted to operate a similar store, this time downtown.

Tucci said the store will cater to people working in the downtown, tourists and visitors to the Bayfront Convention Center.

The owners worked through the Gannon University Small Business Development Center to develop a business plan.


John J. Buchna, the SBDC's retail and marketing consultant, said the center is working to bring other specialty retailers downtown.

"This is what we hope is one of many," he said.

[pj3000]

This buiding is currently under construction on W 2nd St. overlooking the bayfront. Supposedly will be 7 stories, rather than the 4 in the drawings. Another similarly-sized building is further along in construction on E 2nd St in the Hamot Hospital complex. The two buildings on the bluff, while relatively low, will add to Erie's "skyline" and add some needed density to former industrial areas, more recently used as surface parking.

http://www.kidderwachter.com/images/p_proposedOfficeBuilding_l3.jpghttp://www.kidderwachter.com/images/p_proposedOfficeBuilding_l4.jpg
http://www.kidderwachter.com/images/p_proposedOfficeBuilding_l1.jpg
http://www.kidderwachter.com/images/p_proposedOfficeBuilding_l5.jpg
photo credit: KidderWachter

[pj3000]

Former "health club" (massage parlor), located at 14th and State Streets across from Mercantile Bldg renovation project, in beginning stages of renovation to loft apartments, 1st floor gallery/artist workspace.

http://www.kidderwachter.com/images/p_1329_l1.jpg
http://www.kidderwachter.com/images/p_1329_l2.jpg
http://www.kidderwachter.com/images/p_1329_l6.jpg
http://www.kidderwachter.com/images/p_1329_l4.jpg
http://www.kidderwachter.com/images/p_1329_l5.jpg
http://www.kidderwachter.com/images/p_1329_l3.jpg
photo credit: KidderWachter

[marinog]

http://www.goerie.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080206/NEWS02/802060440

Perry Square plan received well


BY GEORGE MILLER
george.miller@timesnews.com [more details]



Published: February 06. 2008 6:00AM

Burt, Hill Architects of Pittsburgh presented a plan Feb. 5 in Erie City Council chambers for a redesigned Perry Square that will include removing the gazebo in the west (left) block and replacing it with a multipurpose stage, shown here in orange in the west block. Also included in the plan would be relocation of several park statues and improved lighting for both the stage and the fountain blocks (at right) of the park. Work should begin this spring. (Burt, Hill Architects)

Gloria Knox liked what she saw in the proposed master plan for Perry Square Park.

"It's wonderful to see a vision for this space," said Knox, co-owner of the Boothby Inn, 311 W. Sixth St. "It's long overdue. It's looked so shabby for such a long time. This is wonderful."

Knox was one of about 30 people at Erie City Hall who attended the Tuesday evening unveiling of the proposed master plan.

The plan was favorably received overall, although some had questions.

Prepared by consulting firm Burt Hill of Pittsburgh, the plan calls for new lighting and electrical work throughout both sides of the park, as well as other improvements. The gazebo in the west side of the park would be removed, and a stage would be installed closer to State Street. The fountain in the east park would be renovated.


Also, North Park Row and South Park Row would be narrowed from three to two lanes and have a new parking scheme -- reverse diagonal parking -- in some areas. Motorists back into the reverse diagonal spaces.

Parking spaces along State Street between the parks would be eliminated, creating room for an undetermined type of boulevard down the middle of the street.

The initial phase, the new lighting and electrical work, is expected to start this spring.

The city has $458,000 for that work but will have to seek funding for other work, which will be done in phases, said Douglas Mitchell, the city's public works director.

John Vanco, director of the Erie Art Museum, said Perry Square has had a haphazard development in the past.


The master plan, he said, will change that.

"Things have been changed and added by circumstance," he said. "It's time to do it in a thoughtful way. I think there is a lot of merit in most of their suggestions."

City Councilman Joe Schember agreed with Knox about having a vision for improvements.

"Can we do it? I don't know." he said. "This is at least a vision of something we want to accomplish in Erie. Now we have to figure out a way to make it work."

City Councilman Jim Thompson said the plan may bring "false hopes" that it will be completed soon.


While the lighting and electrical work is funded and will be done, there is no money for other phases at this point, he said.

"The rest of these plans are at least a couple years away," he said. "I hate to see false hopes built. The rest of it will be a work in progress. We need the improvement, no question."

He also questioned why the businesses around Perry Square hadn't been shown the proposed plan before it was unveiled at the meeting.

"Once you see a plan, it usually gets tough to change," he said.

W. Jeffrey Funovits, a principal for Burt Hill, said the plan is "a very early concept," and Tuesday's meeting was the time to hear from businesses and others.


Downtown businessman Del Birch is another who liked the plan.

Perry Square "is in dire need of an upgrade," he said. "This plan really provides a good framework for an upgrade that brings more people downtown to patronize the businesses surrounding Perry Square and the downtown area."

Brenda Sandberg, executive director of the Downtown Improvement District, said the plan rightly focuses on everyday use and not just on special events for the park.

"I think they did a wonderful job in making it a multiuse, multifunctional park," she said.

Some questioned the reverse diagonal parking.


Mitchell said no decision has been made on the type of parking that will be used.

Reverse diagonal parking "is becoming more and more common," he said, adding the city could try it on a temporary basis to see how it works.

As to narrowing North Park Row and South Park Row from three to two lanes, Mitchell said not a lot of traffic goes around the square.

"We certainly don't need three lanes of traffic," he said. "It won't create a bottleneck."

The master plan is expected to be finished by the end of March and will have phases and cost estimates, said Evaine K. Sing, Burt Hill project manager.


Burt Hill was hired by the city in late December at a cost not to exceed $55,000.

[pj3000]

^ Here's the rendering:

http://geimg.sv.publicus.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=GE&Date=20080206&Category=NEWS02&ArtNo=802060440&Ref=AR&MaxW=580&title=0

[marinog]

http://www.goerie.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080208/NEWS02/802080364



Rendell gives hope to arena plan (VIDEO)


BY JOHN GUERRIERO
john.guerriero@timesnews.com [more details]

Nine months ago, the Erie community heard plans for a $43.5 million renovation of the nearly 25-year-old Tullio Arena and surrounding area.

Nine months later, those plans have done little but gather dust.

But now a spark has been struck after Gov. Ed Rendell said the renovation would be an "extremely attractive project for us," as part of a multipronged economic stimulus package in his proposed 2008-09 budget.

Rendell said Wednesday that the project, if ready with 50-50 matching funds, would go "to the top of the list because I'm serious about using this as economic stimulus."

But the Erie Times-News learned Thursday that the Tullio Arena is not subject to the local match requirement because the state owns the building.

Chuck Ardo, the governor's spokesman, said that fact -- which he confirmed at the newspaper's request -- doesn't change the governor's opinion about the project.

Funding for Tullio Arena would come through a public-improvement program in the state's capital budget, rather than through the 50-50 financial requirement under what is known as the Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program, or RACP, he said.

"It's a matter of working with all the parties to make sure the project gets added to the capital budget," Ardo said. "The items in the capital budget are uncapped. The only question is: Are there revenues to fund all the projects" statewide.

Ardo did not have an immediate answer on whether the Erie community could make up the difference if the state were to fund only part of the project, which includes new and expanded seating, new entrances, a larger lobby, restaurant space, and private suites. But that could be the case, since a local match was used to fund part of the state-owned Warner Theatre improvements.

Ardo said local officials must work with the Legislature and the administration to get the Tullio Arena project included in the capital budget. "It needs to be included on the list. It's really not a matter of where on the list it appears," he said.


State Sen. Jane Earll, of Fairview, R-49th Dist., said she supports the project, but doesn't think anybody has lobbied for it in Harrisburg yet. "It's barely teed up on the local level, let alone in Harrisburg," she said.

Earll said that the Erie County Convention Center Authority has been busy working on the new Bayfront Convention Center and adjoining Sheraton Hotel. The authority operates the convention center, which opened in summer, plus Tullio Arena, the Warner Theatre and Jerry Uht Park.

The hotel is scheduled to open in April.

"That's a pretty challenging project that's consumed both the authority and the professional staff for a long time. I think now we'll be able to focus some attention on this," she said.

Earll also said the authority commissioned an architectural plan for the Tullio Arena improvements, which Convention Center Authority Executive Director Casey Wells presented in May.


"Now there has to be some fine-tuning and crunching of the numbers, but it's not as if none of that groundwork has been done. It has," she said.

Even if the work is done in stages, Earll said it's time for major enhancements at the arena -- the home to the Erie Otters of the Ontario Hockey League.

And while the Otters and the authority recently agreed to reduce costs on the team's existing lease, Earll said the city can't afford to lose the Otters because "once they're gone, we're not going to be able to replace them."

She said keeping the Otters and bringing other events to the arena is "even more important now than ever before because we have conventioneers here looking for things to do. The time is ripe. Now that the convention center and hotel are almost put to bed, we will be able to focus more on this project."

Now that the governor has spoken, Wells said, the authority again will contact elected leaders, including Erie Mayor Joe Sinnott and Erie County Executive Mark DiVecchio.


"Before we would take it to the state, we'd want to build that community consensus and have our political leadership move forward shoulder to shoulder with us," Wells said. "Given the governor's response, it certainly is incumbent upon us to make that happen," he said.

Both DiVecchio and Sinnott said they support the project, but both noted the competition for state dollars for other local projects. "I'm absolutely for every project we have on the radar screen in Harrisburg," Sinnott said.

DiVecchio said he, too, will pitch the project to the state as long as it doesn't take away state money for the planned extension of the Erie International Airport runway and a proposed community college. He also has concerns about coming up with any local match. "I don't think the state is going to give us $43 million," DiVecchio said.

JOHN GUERRIERO can be reached at 870-1690 or by e-mail.

Some of the proposed Tullio Arena renovations:


Build a new and expanded glass-covered lobby for Tullio Arena that would connect with nearby Jerry Uht Park to provide an additional entrance to the ballpark.


Build larger concourses, more concession stands, restrooms and ticket offices.


Expand concert seating to fit up to 9,000, which would draw bigger acts. Concerts now seat between 6,000 to 7,000, depending on the stage configuration.


Increase hockey seating from 5,500 to 6,009.



Build a new year-round restaurant inside the arena.


Build a new outdoor amphitheater that would double as a public ice arena in the winter.

http://www.goerie.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080208/NEWS02/802080364

[marinog]

http://geimg.sv.publicus.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=GE&Date=20080208&Category=NEWS02&ArtNo

[marinog]

Sorry I cant get rendering to post on here.. I tried but cant figure it out... :slob:

[pj3000]

Long-delayed arena renovation plan given new life. There's been talk of this renovation and creation of an "Entertainment District" for about 5 years now, without much progress. Hopefully, something will start happening soon.

http://geimg.sv.publicus.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=GE&Date=20080208&Category=NEWS02&ArtNo=802080364&Ref=AR&MaxW=580&title=0



Rendell gives hope to arena plan (VIDEO)
BY JOHN GUERRIERO

Nine months ago, the Erie community heard plans for a $43.5 million renovation of the nearly 25-year-old Tullio Arena and surrounding area.

Nine months later, those plans have done little but gather dust.

But now a spark has been struck after Gov. Ed Rendell said the renovation would be an "extremely attractive project for us," as part of a multipronged economic stimulus package in his proposed 2008-09 budget.

Rendell said Wednesday that the project, if ready with 50-50 matching funds, would go "to the top of the list because I'm serious about using this as economic stimulus."

But the Erie Times-News learned Thursday that the Tullio Arena is not subject to the local match requirement because the state owns the building.

Chuck Ardo, the governor's spokesman, said that fact -- which he confirmed at the newspaper's request -- doesn't change the governor's opinion about the project.


Extra content Video: http://www.goerie.com/video/complex

-- Some of the proposed Tullio Arena renovations:

Build a new and expanded glass-covered lobby for Tullio Arena that would connect with nearby Jerry Uht Park to provide an additional entrance to the ballpark.

Build larger concourses, more concession stands, restrooms and ticket offices.

Expand concert seating to fit up to 9,000, which would draw bigger acts. Concerts now seat between 6,000 to 7,000, depending on the stage configuration.

Increase hockey seating from 5,500 to 6,009.

Build a new year-round restaurant inside the arena.

Build a new outdoor amphitheater that would double as a public ice arena in the winter.


Funding for Tullio Arena would come through a public-improvement program in the state's capital budget, rather than through the 50-50 financial requirement under what is known as the Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program, or RACP, he said.

"It's a matter of working with all the parties to make sure the project gets added to the capital budget," Ardo said. "The items in the capital budget are uncapped. The only question is: Are there revenues to fund all the projects" statewide.

Ardo did not have an immediate answer on whether the Erie community could make up the difference if the state were to fund only part of the project, which includes new and expanded seating, new entrances, a larger lobby, restaurant space, and private suites. But that could be the case, since a local match was used to fund part of the state-owned Warner Theatre improvements.

Ardo said local officials must work with the Legislature and the administration to get the Tullio Arena project included in the capital budget. "It needs to be included on the list. It's really not a matter of where on the list it appears," he said.


State Sen. Jane Earll, of Fairview, R-49th Dist., said she supports the project, but doesn't think anybody has lobbied for it in Harrisburg yet. "It's barely teed up on the local level, let alone in Harrisburg," she said.

Earll said that the Erie County Convention Center Authority has been busy working on the new Bayfront Convention Center and adjoining Sheraton Hotel. The authority operates the convention center, which opened in summer, plus Tullio Arena, the Warner Theatre and Jerry Uht Park.

The hotel is scheduled to open in April.

"That's a pretty challenging project that's consumed both the authority and the professional staff for a long time. I think now we'll be able to focus some attention on this," she said.

Earll also said the authority commissioned an architectural plan for the Tullio Arena improvements, which Convention Center Authority Executive Director Casey Wells presented in May.


"Now there has to be some fine-tuning and crunching of the numbers, but it's not as if none of that groundwork has been done. It has," she said.

Even if the work is done in stages, Earll said it's time for major enhancements at the arena -- the home to the Erie Otters of the Ontario Hockey League.

And while the Otters and the authority recently agreed to reduce costs on the team's existing lease, Earll said the city can't afford to lose the Otters because "once they're gone, we're not going to be able to replace them."

She said keeping the Otters and bringing other events to the arena is "even more important now than ever before because we have conventioneers here looking for things to do. The time is ripe. Now that the convention center and hotel are almost put to bed, we will be able to focus more on this project."

Now that the governor has spoken, Wells said, the authority again will contact elected leaders, including Erie Mayor Joe Sinnott and Erie County Executive Mark DiVecchio.


"Before we would take it to the state, we'd want to build that community consensus and have our political leadership move forward shoulder to shoulder with us," Wells said. "Given the governor's response, it certainly is incumbent upon us to make that happen," he said.

Both DiVecchio and Sinnott said they support the project, but both noted the competition for state dollars for other local projects. "I'm absolutely for every project we have on the radar screen in Harrisburg," Sinnott said.

DiVecchio said he, too, will pitch the project to the state as long as it doesn't take away state money for the planned extension of the Erie International Airport runway and a proposed community college. He also has concerns about coming up with any local match. "I don't think the state is going to give us $43 million," DiVecchio said.

[pj3000]

Finally. A restaurant is going in to the 1st floor of the former Boston Store (Erie's largest downtown department store). This is a great location for a restaurant. it was long-rumored that a T.G.I.Fridays was moving in, but that never happened. The massive building was converted into apartments about 10 years ago, but the grand plans for its total revitalization never panned out (nothing out of the ordinary in Erie). Good news for downtown Erie.


Restaurant planned for Boston Store building

BY GEORGE MILLER

http://geimg.sv.publicus.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=GE&Date=20080215&Category=NEWS02&ArtNo=802150362&Ref=AR&MaxW=240
The future location of Under the Clock Bar and Grill where Sky's the Limit card shop used to be is shown at Boston Store Place in Erie on Feb. 14. (Carlos Delgado / Erie Times-News)


Diners will soon be meeting "under the clock" at the former Boston Store.

A new restaurant, Under the Clock Bar & Grill, is scheduled to open in mid-May in the building, now known as Boston Store Place, according to John Leonardos, general manager.

The restaurant will seat about 250 in an area once occupied by Sky's the Limit card-and-gift shop and adjoining space, extending a total of 140 feet along the corridor.

"It's going to be a 1930s to 1940s décor to bring back the nostalgia of the Boston Store," Leonardos said.

"We're going to try to take part in the downtown renaissance and hopefully revive all the activity that was once going on at the Boston Store."


Renovation is to start as early as next week and is expected to cost as much as $750,000, including equipment, he said.

Leonardos said the restaurant will have moderate prices and will serve lunches and dinners featuring American, diner-type cuisine. It will be open seven days a week.

"This is a casual bar and grill," he said.

In the summer the restaurant will have outdoor dining in the grassy area adjacent to the building at West Eighth and State streets.

A separate cafe for breakfast will be in the Boston Store Place corridor and will be open from 7 a.m. to 11 a.m. Monday through Saturday.


"I'm looking forward to inviting people to meeting under the clock again," Leonardos said. "We're going to revive that statement."

The Boston Store was once Erie's premier downtown retail store and had a restaurant on the sixth floor along with a cafeteria in the basement.

The building closed in 1979. It reopened in 1998 as Boston Store Place, primarily containing apartments and some commercial and retail space.

Leonardos once owned the Waterfront Seafood and Steakhouse, Casa di Pasta and the Outrigger at Dobbins Landing. The building was demolished to make way for the Sheraton Erie Bayfront Hotel, which is being built as part of the convention center project.

The owner of Under the Clock Bar & Grill is Alley Cat Enterprises of Atlanta, which operates a fine-dining restaurant in Naples, Fla. The company's president is John Irwin.


Alley Cat Enterprises has a 25-year lease for the space, Leonardos said.



Some old photos of the Boston Store:

Front of store (State Street side); 1950s
http://members.aol.com/BostonStore/Bs1951e.jpg

1931; sadly, all that remains today is the Boston Store. All other buildings pictured met the wrecking ball in the 1970s in the name of "progress" and were replaced with a 2-story, suburbanly styled office bldg with parking lot to the right and a generic 5-story office bldg with parking lot to the left.
http://members.aol.com/BostonStore/bs31b.jpg

Main floor and clock
http://members.aol.com/BostonStore/BSMainflviewCb.jpg
http://members.aol.com/BostonStore/BSmainfloorB.jpg

Peach Street side; looks like late 50s/60s
http://members.aol.com/BostonStore/BSPeach2B.jpg

early 1970s
http://members.aol.com/BostonStore/BS70s.jpg

Boarded up in the 1990s
http://members.aol.com/BostonStore/BSstate8zb.jpg

Pipe dreams from the 80s
http://members.aol.com/BostonStore/CS.jpg

Post-renovation; late 90s
http://members.aol.com/BostonStore/BSstate5db.jpg

[Evergrey]

I wonder if Pennsylvania's generous new film tax credits are luring any productions to Erie... it certainly would offer an interesting backdrop

[pj3000]

^I haven't heard about any productions being lured to Erie. They should though.

There always seems to be small, regional filmmakers shooting and releasing new movies in Erie. There is actually quite a vibrant independent film community there. The Great Lakes Film Festival is held there every September and brings in a lot of quality national and international films.

http://greatlakesfilmfest.com/index.html

The Eerie Horror Film Festival is obviously dedicated to films in the horror genre and has become one of the most popular.

http://www.eeriehorrorfilmfestival.com/index.htm

Both focus on drawing filmmaking projects to the NW PA area, so who knows? Maybe we'll oneday see a big budget blockbuster filmed on PA's shores.

[Evergrey]

I think a movie about Oliver Hazard Perry is in order! ;)

[marinog]

How about Billy Blanks and Tae Bo???

[pj3000]

I think a movie about Oliver Hazard Perry is in order! ;)

Good idea! I've always thought an epic War of 1812 movie showcasing the first naval defeat of the British in history in the pivotal Battle of Lake Erie was in order. Who would play Perry?

As for the Billy Blanks movie, marinog... I'm not sure that's one I'd want to watch.:)

[marinog]

yeah... I meant it as a joke... ha ha :jester: :banana:

[Evergrey]

http://www.goerie.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080224/NEWS02/567375475

Corner at the crossroads

Why West 12th at Pittsburgh is an intersection in transition

BY GEORGE MILLER
george.miller@timesnews.com [more details]



Published: February 24. 2008 6:00AM

http://geimg.sv.publicus.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=GE&Date=20080224&Category=NEWS02&ArtNo=567375475&Ref=AR&MaxW=580&title=0
This closed pharmacy is one of the visible vacant buildings at the intersection of West 12th Street and Pittsburgh Avenue. A gas station is vacant on the opposite corner and, across the street, Value City will soon be closing its doors. (CARLOS DELGADO/Erie Times-News)

The heavily traveled area at West 12th Street and Pittsburgh Avenue seems down on its luck.

On one corner, a closed BP gas station has been boarded up for more than five years. On another sits a vacant Eckerd Drug Store. Value City recently announced it was closing a building on another corner.

Nearby, the West Erie Plaza has struggled in recent years, losing some major tenants.

“Developments of 30 or 40 years ago are coming to the end of their life cycle,” said John R. Elliott, executive director of the Erie Redevelopment Authority. “And the more stylish, and more attractive places are drawing businesses. So those places in the suburbs are now suddenly in need of redevelopment.”

Without a lot of reinvestment, he said the buildings can’t attract top-tier retailers, especially with the competition from upper Peach Street and other areas. “They just continue to go down the retail store chain until they are past the dollar store,” he said. Millcreek Supervisor Brian McGrath believes better days are ahead for this corner. “As the Peach Street area gets built up, that will be the next redevelopment area in the township,” he said. “That will be coming back. That’s a very busy area.”

The seeds of a rebound might already be planted.

A Starbucks is to be built and open this summer just east of Huntington National Bank on the southeast corner of the intersection.

Renovations have begun in the space once occupied by John V. Schultz in the plaza south of Huntington National Bank and the planned Starbucks. Best Fitness is to open there in the summer. The space had been vacant for two years.

http://geimg.sv.publicus.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=GE&Date=20080224&Category=NEWS02&ArtNo=567375475&Ref=V2&MaxW=580&title=0

Jack Munch, vice president and head of commercial leasing for Baldwin Brothers, said major renovations are also planned for the Value City building. Baldwin Brothers owns the building and is managing the Starbucks and fitness center projects.

Munch said he doesn’t consider the decision by Value City’s owner as a reflection on that area because the company has closed a number of its stores.

“They had said from the beginning this was one of their better locations,” he said. “It was more a global decision.”

VCHI Acquisition Co. of Columbus, Ohio, acquired 89 of the 113 Value City Department stores early in 2008. Several weeks later, the company announced the closure of 37 stores, including two in Erie and one in Meadville.

Munch said Baldwin Brothers plans to convert the 70,000-square-foot-building into offices, retail stores and probably a restaurant.

The company could spend up to $1 million for that work, although it is too early to determine an amount, he said.

“We wouldn’t be spending millions of dollars if we didn’t think it was a great area,” he said. “It’s our hope our investment starts a domino effect and will spur other landlords’ investment in their buildings. I have seen that in other areas.”

The West Erie Plaza itself might undergo a facelift this summer, said Michael Flight, president of Concordia Realty of Westchester, Ill., the property’s manager.

Planning is under way, but it still hasn’t been given the goahead, Flight said.

He said the plaza has had trouble attracting retail tenants, in part because its 1950s layout — narrow frontages and deep space — isn’t popular.

“The West Erie Plaza is still an attractive location, and there are people here right now who are successful,” he said.

The company focuses on specialty retailers, such as the Value City Furniture Store (unrelated to Value City Department stores), and Save-A-Lot.

However, the plaza will be losing a popular tenant late in 2008. The Presque Isle library branch is to move to Fairview Township, said Margaret Z. Stewart, executive director of Erie County Public Library.

The West Erie Plaza also owns the BP gas station property. The property, however, is still leased to BP, which reassumed the lease after Ran Oil Co. went bankrupt in 2002 and closed the station. It has been boarded since.

Flight said Concordia has been trying to work with BP to develop the property.

McGrath, Millcreek supervisor, said the township can’t force the owner to demolish the buildings, even though they have been vacant for more than five years. The township’s only role is to make sure the building “is secure and maintained.”

Another vacant building is the former Eckerd’s Drug Store, now owned by Developers Diversified, of Cleveland, according to Erie real estate agent Jeffrey Johnson, who was hired to lease the space.

The store, built in 2000, was closed a few years ago.

Johnson said the building is difficult to rent because of its size of 11,000 square feet.

Even though the rent is only $8 a square feet, he said the annual cost of $88,000 puts it out of the price range of mom-and-pop businesses.

“I think it might be geared for a dollar-type store,” he said. “That would be a natural tenant.”

Mike Peck, one of owners of the nearby Yorktown Centre, said the gas station, drugstore and Value City don’t reflect the overall demand for retail and commercial property in the area.

The Yorktown Centre is “doing phenomenal,” he said. “We’re fully leased.”

He said the West Erie Plaza has been hurt by its1950s-style design.

“The building’s configuration is weird for today’s use,” he said. “It’s functionally obsolete.”

By contrast, the Colony Plaza on West Eighth Street has a waiting list, he said.

“Even though it’s old, it has the right configuration,” he said. “It probably was the most successful shopping center in the history of Erie.”

Bill Bucceri, manager of commercial real estate for Coldwell Banker, said the West Erie Plaza “needs to be re-invented” because of its design.

“They are kind of at a critical stage where they need to do something radical,” he said. “They are in a bad downward spiral.”

But he said the area and the West 12th Street and Pittsburgh Avenue intersection are a draw for retailers and commercial use.

“If you take a snapshot of just one day, it can be misleading,” he said. “I think over the years that has actually been a good intersection. The demographics of the western county favor it.”

Munch, the Baldwin Brothers official, agreed.

“The fundamentals are all in place,” he said. “There is a great stock of housing, neighborhoods, excellent visibility in traffic — everything a retailer or office user would look to.”

[Erie Pa]

New 250 seat resturant and bar to open this May in the Boston Store Place Bldg. The 40's/50's deco theme eatery is to also have outdoor patio on 7th and State sts.:cheers:

[Erie Pa]

Sorry Pj 3000, Its late and i was just browsing and missed your update on the previous page/

[Erie Pa]

Anything on how the the W10th st Rothrock Bldg condo conversion coming along.

[pj3000]

Corner at the crossroads

Why West 12th at Pittsburgh is an intersection in transition


This intersection is one of my least favorite places in Erie. It was once a very popular shopping destination (especially the West Erie Plaza which had very nice stores, but is now a dump) right on the western border of the city/eastern border of Millcreek Twp (Pittsburgh Ave), but has been going downhill for a while now. It's typical of Millcreek's overall lack of proper planning/land use. As one can see in the aerial photo, there is endless concrete. The only redeeming quality of the area is Oscar's Pub... great beer selection on draught and in bottles! :)

I heard that a Starbucks and Best Fitness were moving in, so that is a step in the right direction.

[pj3000]

Anything on how the the W10th st Rothrock Bldg condo conversion coming along.
Haven't heard anything.

[Evergrey]

I'm suprised foreclosures are rising so rapidly in Erie... the whole "foreclosure crisis" that's sweeping places like Ohio and Michigan has mostly been a "non-issue" in the Commonwealth... and considering the rock-bottom housing prices in the Erie area... exotic financing schemes have probably not proliferating... the Erie area did buck the national trend of value depreciation with a 4% growth rate last year

http://www.goerie.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080318/NEWS02/803180334

Bracing for blight

As foreclosures rise, city worries about more dilapidated properties

BY STEVEN M. SWEENEY
steven.sweeney@timesnews.com

http://geimg.sv.publicus.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=GE&Date=20080318&Category=NEWS02&ArtNo=803180334&Ref=AR&MaxW=240
The peach-colored house and the green house in this photo in the 1200 block of Buffalo Road in Erie are abandoned. The city is in the process of acquiring the properties so they can be demolished. (Christopher Millette / Erie Times-News)

Every house has a story.

The story is about to change, permanently, for the ramshackle place at 1205 Buffalo Road.

The city of Erie officials want it demolished.

The house was fine when Raymond and Betty Slater lived there. But since she died in 2002 and he died in 2004, nature has taken over.

The green house is buckling under its own weight, with pieces of siding and roof coming off. The windows are poorly boarded, and thick ivy branchesladder their way up the north wall.

"The city's been dealing with code violations there for years. It's been declared blighted," said John Vahey, the city's demolition coordinator. "It doesn't take too long in this climate for things to go downhill."

Blighted. Under state definitions, the house has utilities shut off inside, more than two years of unpaid property tax liens, uncorrected housing-code violations and more problems.

The house at 1205 Buffalo Road has plenty of company.

As the economy tightens throughout the nation -- and Erie County -- foreclosure proceedings are on the rise, and local officials fear more homeowners might be inclined to skip town and let the city to take care of their properties.

In the past six years, the city has listed 220 properties and vacant lots as blighted, with properties going off the list and more coming on from time to time. Officials fear the list could soon grow.

"We're looking at a wave of these coming into the area soon," said Kim Green, the city's economic and community development director, at a recent committee meeting on blighted properties.

The number of foreclosed properties put up for sheriff's sale in Erie County reached a record 716 in 2007, up from 636 in 2006 and 520 in 2003, according to the Sheriff's Office.

The number of foreclosure actions filed in Erie County Court increased to 753 in 2007 from 360 in 2000. And another 179 properties are the subject of foreclosure filings so far this year.

But those numbers pale in comparison to the more than 4,000 potential properties that Erie County may sell for back taxes in any given year.


At a sheriff's sale is when a property is sold because the owner can't afford the mortgage. A tax sale is when a property is sold because the owner can't afford the taxes.

The problem with most of the blight in the city isn't the grade of the decay or the amount of it, officials said. More problematic, they said, are the hurdles the city must overcome to get control of properties and correct the blight.

"Tax-sale laws need updating desperately," said Steve Letzelter, Erie County's revenue and tax claim director. "Somehow, if the state could find a way to make it more current, more applicable -- a lot cleaner, a lot simpler."

As it stands, properties can be put up for Erie County-sponsored tax sale only after two years of uncollected back property taxes. But property owners can set back the auction clock by paying up.

And property owners who stand to receive hefty fines for city housing-code violations can get favorable rulings from judges by feigning to make improvements, some officials said.


"The classic category of people are the absentee landlords who have milked the last bit of value out of these properties yet there's no way you can come after their house in Scranton, or wherever," said John Elliott, executive director of the Erie Redevelopment Authority.

Elliott said the authority attempts to take the worst of the blighted properties by eminent domain.

But even then, he said, state laws favor landowners -- even absentee landowners.

"It costs several thousand dollars for each filing, and the Redevelopment Authority had done about 40 filings a year for two years," he said. "The process is very involved."

Elliott said he's looking forward to upcoming state House legislation that would give local governments powers similar to private banks, which can start foreclosure proceedings within months.


Changes in laws would also give governments and nonprofit community development organizations the power to fix code violations and make improvements with the possibility of selling the parcel to a new neighbor.

But even with the power, few groups have the money to spend.

The city's funding for blighted house redevelopment comes through the Community Development Block Grant program.

"That budget has been cut every year by the Bush administration," Elliott said.

The amount of CDBG funds for the 2008-2009 year for the city of Erie dropped from $4.4 million to $3.6 million, with accompanying cuts to demolition and rehabilitation projects alike, the city said.

City code enforcement officers talk in terms of worth and value as they try to figure out which houses could be saved -- if the owner spent enough money.

Vahey, the demolition coordinator, said he heard about estimates to replace the plumbing and electrical wiring for a two-story, multifamily brick house on East 12th Street.

"It was $57,000," he said of only the plumbing and electrical repairs. "You're looking at $200,000 alone to get that in shape."


Vahey wants the building torn down.

But long before the property got to that point, it progressed through multiple steps of decay and blight recorded in a thick file at City Hall. The other approximately 220 blighted properties and lots followed the same path as well.

Missing gutters, unmowed grass and broken windows are all things that, left untreated, can start the process of certifying a property as blighted by triggering violation notices from city code-enforcement officers.

The city likes to work with homeowners to get minor violations fixed before they become major issues. Andy Zimmerman, the city's manager of code enforcement, said many people comply.

The few who don't are the problem.


"How can I explain it. ... People. There's slum landlords that will just bleed a property. They won't invest anything into it," Zimmerman said.

"We run across people that buy them and own them and they don't do any maintenance and don't do anything to a point where they just walk away from it."

A house's decline
In 1995, Betty Slater, the owner of the house at 1205 Buffalo Road, near Brandes Avenue, welcomed changes to her neighborhood.

She told the Erie Times-News that she bid good riddance to a nuisance bar across the street, the Twenty Grand Cafe, which was forced to close the same year.


Bar patrons would break beer bottles on her lawn, Slater said at the time.

Three years later, in 1998, Betty Slater and her husband, Raymond, picked up after a fire that started in their house's basement and charred the inside.

They had little time left in the house. City officials said they spent their last days in a nursing home.

Betty Slater, 77, died in 2002.

Raymond Slater died in 2004. He was 91.


No one has lived in their 88-year-old house since.

A half-dozen blighted houses and three city blocks separate Jim Black's place from the Slaters' old home. He looks at the Slaters' house and one just to the east in disgust.

"It's a lot of time and money you spend trying to make your house look presentable," Black said. "You can do all the work in the world you want to on your own house, but if the guy next to you doesn't mow his lawn, it's for naught."

Black said he tried to sell his house 12 years ago and couldn't.

He said he doubts anyone would want to buy it now, with the economy in bad shape. And he doesn't dare rent it out.


"You're going to get those kind of tenants."

What kind?

"Tenants you don't want there to begin with," he said.

Black looked at the Slaters' house, then glanced around the neighborhood, before answering another question.

"My neighborhood? Working class. There is a couple of hard-working people there doing the best they can," he said.


Black paused and looked at the Slaters' house again.

"With the abandoned house in there, it looks like a ghetto."

STEVEN SWEENEY can be reached at 870-1675 or by e-mail.

The problem with tax sales
Each year, Erie County can sell up to 4,000 at tax sales to collect back taxes.

Steve Letzelter, Erie County's revenue and tax claim director, said most offices don't keep track of how many properties are eventually sold. He said many of the property owners who owe back real estate taxes end up paying by the time that the tax auction starts every September, so only about 350 properties make it to auction and about 40 sell.

After the auction, the remaining properties go to a judicial sale, where a local court wipes all liens and taxes clear from the properties. Letzelter said then the county sells 50 to 75 more properties.

If not sold by the county or retained by the owners, the properties end up in the repository -- what another development official called the "purgatory" of unwanted properties. Properties could stay there for years.

"It takes so long. Start to finish you could have several years involved in the process," said Letzelter, who said banks can foreclose on houses more quickly. "Third parties can enforce a collection a lot sooner than I can."


...


on a sad note unrelated to development... Meadville's Vicki Van Meter has died at the young age of 26... she gained international fame in 1993 as an 11 year old when she piloted planes across the country and across the Atlantic... I'm the same age as her and remember her exploits vividly... how tragic

http://www.goerie.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2008803180333

[pj3000]

This is a good move for the downtown. While the former head of the group brought some nice events in the summer, the new director seems to have a more professional background in economic development and urban planning.


D.I.D.'s done
Group changes name, renews focus on downtown

BY GEORGE MILLER
Published: April 07. 2008 6:00AM
http://geimg.sv.publicus.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=GE&Date=20080407&Category=NEWS02&ArtNo=804070353&Ref=AR&MaxW=240
Since January, Brenda Sandberg has been chief executive of the Erie Downtown Partnership, formerly the Erie Downtown Improvement District. The D.I.D. didn’t just change its name, it also refocused its efforts to revitalize Erie’s downtown. (ROB ENGELHARDT/Erie Times-News)

A local organization has a new name, new leadership and a new focus for revitalizing the downtown.

The Erie Downtown Improvement District -- known for events such as Bike Night, Buggin' State Street and weekly block parties -- has changed its name to the Erie Downtown Partnership.

While it will still continue the promotional events, the partnership will put a renewed emphasis on economic development initiatives and on design improvement programs, such as facades and streetscapes, said Brenda Sandberg, who became the group's chief executive officer in January.

"All three are important for a vibrant and healthy downtown," she said. "We have a great foundation with the events. Now we're just going to build upon that."

A key future initiative will be a request for state Main Street designation, which would give priority for state grants for downtown improvements.

"It's very important because it opens the door for so many grant opportunities," she said.

What's coming up downtown The Erie Downtown Partnership already has a busy calendar of upcoming events. Among them:

-- CLEANUP: On Saturday, April 12, the partnership is teaming up with Waste Management, the Erie SeaWolves and the Sidewalk Café for a downtown cleanup. Prizes will be awarded for the most overall trash collected, most cigarette butts collected and strangest object found.

-- BLOCK PARTIES: They begin June 12 at Calamari's with One World Tribe and continue throughout the summer before ending Sept. 4 at Scully's Pub with Money Shot.

-- BUGGIN STATE: Classic cars will be downtown June 20, July 25 and Aug. 22.

-- BIKE NIGHT: Motorcycles will be featured June 27 and Aug. 29.

For more information, check www.eriedowntown.com (http://www.eriedowntown.com/) or call 455-3743.
Mayor Joe Sinnott, who prompted the restructuring, said the organization will now be able play a bigger role in downtown revitalization and in implementing the downtown master plan.

"This is going to be very positive for the downtown," said Sinnott, who is on the group's board. "I think their new mission is more along what the members had been expecting all along."

Charles "Boo" Hagerty, board chairman, said some of the economic development and design work has been going on behind the scenes.

"Now we want to be out front," he said. "We will absolutely be much more visible in the overall growth of the downtown."


The changes are the result of a review done by the Pennsylvania Downtown Center, a statewide nonprofit organization, after the former executive director, Leanne Tingay, resigned to take a job as coordinator of Vermont's Main Street program in summer 2007.

Sandberg said her hiring as chief executive officer reflects the organization's new direction because her background is in urban planning.

"I think that shows the change of focus from events to some of the more design and economic-based initiatives," said Sandberg.

Before assuming the position, she was the city of Erie's zoning officer for four and a half years and previously worked for the county health and planning departments for seven years.

Hagerty praised her work.


"(She) brings so much energy to the job and so much knowledge," he said.

The structure of the Erie Downtown Partnership, which is a nonprofit, is also being changed to reflect a more broad-based representation of downtown businesses and organizations.

The board of directors has been expanded from nine to 15 members to get a cross-section of the downtown property owners ranging from businesses to government to nonprofit groups.

In addition, the organization is for the first time opening its membership to people who work and live downtown, not just property owners. They will pay a $10 annual fee, primarily to cover administrative costs.

"The organization is truly working toward becoming more of a partnership with property owners and the businesses downtown together," Sandberg said.


The expanded board will help address the concerns of some businesses and agencies who felt they didn't have a say in the organization's operations.

One agency, the Erie-Western Pennsylvania Port Authority, had withheld its payment of $25,000 in 2007 because of those concerns, said Ray Schreckengost, the authority's executive director.

With the restructuring, the Port Authority is now part of an advisory Public Trust Committee that will have a representative on the expanded board of directors.

"I think the Port Authority sees it in a much more positive light," Schreckengost said. "It's got some new life in it and it's looking much better than it did a year ago."

The partnership has an annual budget of about $400,000, raised primarily by assessments on downtown property owners.


In addition to Sandberg, the organization has an executive assistant and a part-time accountant as well as a full-time maintenance supervisor and maintenance worker to keep the downtown clean.

Sandberg, the organization's third director, sees some major improvements ahead.

The partnership already has a $101,000 state grant for streetscape upgrades, and it is working on a plan to use the money. The work could include banners, new sidewalks, new planters, hanging baskets and light poles.

The partnership plans to file an application for the Main Street designation in July.

If the designation is granted, the organization could seek grant money for facade improvements. It will also be eligible for as much as $500,000 to create an "anchor" building in the downtown for business or retail use.


Sandberg said the city's downtown master plan calls for a retail cluster of stores in the Perry Square area.

"A retail incubator is a good start to that," she said.

She pointed to the Erie Redevelopment Authority's planned mid-town housing development and the strong existing business base in the downtown.

"If we can pull some of the retail downtown, that will be a huge success," she said. "Then you have all three components."

GEORGE MILLER can be reached at 870-1724 or by e-mail.

[pj3000]

Good news. Hopefully, shovels will be in the dirt soon.

Midtown project lands $1.8M grant

BY GEORGE MILLER

Business owner Jim Berlin has been eagerly watching the planned midtown development around Griswold Park.

He called Monday's announcement of $1.8 million in state funding for the development a "big step" for the project.

"It's great to see this actually happening," said Berlin, chief executive of Logistics Plus Inc., which borders the park.

Berlin was in the crowd Monday afternoon as Dennis Yablonsky, secretary of the state Department of Community and Economic Development, announced the funding at a news conference at Griswold Park that was attended by officials, community leaders and others.

The money will be used for a $55 million project that is to create town houses and mixed-used buildings and also redesign and expand Griswold Park.

Mayor Joe Sinnott said the funding is "very, very important" for the project to move ahead.

"We're seeing a project like this work in other places," he said. "We believe it will work here. This is all part of my plan to turn Erie around."

John R. Elliott, executive director of the Erie Redevelopment Authority, said the project will eventually involve $10 million in public funds and $45 million in private investment.

The $1.8 million "funds our first phase," he said. "You might call it the appetizer before we get to the next phase of development."

The project is already under way.

The Redevelopment Authority is converting the long-vacant Mercantile Building, East 14th and State streets, into a mixed-use building with residential, commercial and office space in a $5 million project.

The authority has acquired several other buildings in the area and has already demolished a long-vacant structure, the former Warren Radio building.

A groundbreaking for 22 town houses at West 13th and Peach streets could come as soon as July, said Mark C. Schneider, managing partner with Fourth River Development of Pittsburgh, co-master developer for the midtown area.

Schneider said the town house development will be called "Union Square" to reflect its location near Union Station.

Plans call for three types of units ranging from $175,000 to $250,000 and having 1,600 to 2,100 square feet, he said.

Developers are proposing 143 units.

Sinnott said the housing is a critical part of the plan.

"In order to help with the long-term turnaround of the city, we need to get people moving back in to the city," he said.

Berlin agreed.

"I'm firmly convinced that bringing people to live downtown is the way to revitalize downtown," he said. "It's happening all over the country. When people come downtown, the businesses will follow."

Yablonsky, of the state's DCED, said the state funding will pay for the continued renovation of the Mercantile building; for the redesign and expansion of Griswold Park; the demolition of Erie Manufacturing and Supply Corp., 1215 State St.; acquisition of the Erie Parking Authority property at West 13th and Peach streets; and revitalizing the neighborhood to the east.

The money has also been set aside to acquire and demolish the former Warren Radio Building, which has already been done, he said.

The bulk of the money comes through the DCED's Housing Redevelopment Assistance program, along with $25,000 from its Elm Street Program. Another $250,000 is provided through the state's Growing Greener II program and $450,000 from the state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Yablonsky said.

He said further state funding is possible for the development.

[pj3000]

Video about the above developments:

http://interface.audiovideoweb.com/lnk/va92win15111/TAYLOR040708A.wmv/play.asx

[pj3000]

Though finishing touches on the hotel construction are still in progress and the adjoining parking garage is still far from complete, Bayfront Sheraton Hotel officially opened today as the host hotel for the Bayfront Convention Center. Supposedly, it is a one-of-a-kind hotel in the Sheraton lineup, given its unique location on West Dobbins Landing. Most in Erie were hoping for a larger hotel, but plans are in the works to acquire the adjacent GAF factory property for future waterfront hotel/condo/retail development. The parking structure is supposed to get exterior "skins" so that it doesn't look like a typical parking garage; and a bar and restaturant will be on the first level of the parking garage. Great news for Erie. Can't wait to visit... ithe hotel better have a nice bar.

Watch our video http://www.goerie.com/video/0410Sheraton

Nothing too special about it, but not terrible. The south side facing the West Canal Basin. Not many boats in the water yet.
http://geimg.sv.publicus.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=GE&Date=20080410&Category=NEWS02&ArtNo=908075242&Ref=AR&MaxW=580&title=0

The newest addition to Erie’s waterfront landscape is now open for business.

The Sheraton Erie Bayfront Hotel — the host hotel for the Bayfront Convention Center — officially opened at 11 a.m. today.

The 200-room, eight-story hotel and an adjacent, 300-space parking ramp are on West Dobbins Landing.

The hotel is a full-service Sheraton that features a swimming pool, restaurant with a bar, indoor and outdoor dining, meeting rooms, an exercise room and whirlpool.

At an enclosed tower on the west end of the hotel, guests are able to take stairs or an elevator to the convention center's glass-walled pedestrian bridge, which is 65 feet above water and 180 feet long.

Rooms on the north side of the Sheraton have views of Presque Isle Bay; south-facing rooms offer views of downtown and the West Canal Basin.

[Evergrey]

that's a fine lookin' Sheraton

[Evergrey]

http://www.goerie.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080411/NEWS02/804110410/-1/ETN

On the waterfront (AUDIO & VIDEO)
Hotel opens hope for the future

By Kevin Flowers
kevin.flowers@timesnews.com

Thomas Mickol's room at the Sheraton Erie Bayfront Hotel won't be ready until today.

But for Mickol -- a Seattle resident determined to see Erie's newest waterfront addition for himself -- Thursday was checkout time.

"This place is just beautiful. It's going to be a fantastic place for the entire city," Mickol, a 59-year-old construction company owner who grew up in Erie, said after touring the hotel.

Mickol is in town to attend the memorial service of a friend who recently died. He booked a $295-a-night suite on the top floor of the eight-story Sheraton, on west Dobbins Landing, to entertain up to 30 "friends and family I haven't seen in awhile."

Mickol was impressed after Ben Minnich, rooms-operations manager at the new hotel, provided a Thursday-afternoon preview of the suite.
"It's got a separate bar and a large living room. There's a separate bedroom. A suite like that in Seattle would cost you $700 a night," Mickol said of his temporary digs, which overlook Presque Isle Bay.

"I had heard a lot about this project. I figured, I was in town anyway, so why not see what it looks like?" Mickol said. "I've been in hotels all over the place. This one is as good as any."
'Deliver on the dream'
Local officials hope the Sheraton, which opened for business at 11 a.m. Thursday, attracts plenty of guests with Mickol's kind of enthusiasm.

In fact, the 200-room Sheraton -- the host hotel for the new Bayfront Convention Center -- is part of a $100 million plus, publicly funded waterfront complex that took nearly eight years to build. The Convention Center opened in August.
The full-service Sheraton features an indoor swimming pool, restaurant with a bar, indoor and outdoor dining, meeting rooms, an exercise room and whirlpool.

Individual reservations for rooms at the new hotel go for between $199 and $229 per night, before taxes, according to starwoodhotels.com. Starwood Hotels oversees Sheraton.

At an enclosed tower on the west end of the hotel, guests will be able to take stairs or an elevator to the Convention Center's glass-walled pedestrian bridge, which is 65 feet above water and 180 feet long.

Rooms on the north side of the Sheraton -- such as Mickol's suite -- offer views of Presque Isle Bay; south-facing rooms offer views of downtown and the West Canal Basin.

"Our mission for this hotel is clean and friendly," said Michael Kauffeld, the Sheraton's general manager. "We just want to deliver on the dream and the promises made to this community 10 years ago, and that was to build a first-class facility on the water."

Casey Wells, the Erie County Convention Center Authority's executive director, said plenty is riding on how both the Sheraton and the Bayfront Convention Center perform.

Sure, the two structures are cool new buildings for Erie's waterfront, Wells said. But they are also being counted on to pump up the local economy, boost tourism and make Erie a player in the state and regional convention markets.

"How we perform, how great we make the guest experience, that will determine how much of a success the hotel will be," Wells said. "I'm convinced that with this facility, we'll be able to get guests back again and again."
Kauffeld agreed, and said the architects, construction workers and others involved in shaping the Sheraton worked to create a comfortable but high-class hotel -- one that includes dark mahogany finishings, a double-sided fireplace in the hotel's lobby/bar area, flat-screen high definition TVs, and custom-designed beds in each guest room.

"This is as well-built a facility as I've ever been associated with," said Kauffeld, who has 17 years' experience in hotel-related sales, marketing, operations and engineering.
John Oliver, president of VisitErie, Erie County's tourism promotion agency, agreed that the Sheraton opens its doors amid high expectations.

"There's been a lot of money invested by the state and the community into this development," Oliver said.

Oliver said that larger conventions that might have shied away from Erie because the Bayfront Convention Center opened months ahead of its host hotel might reconsider now that the Sheraton is up and running.

Meeting planners often want to book conventions at venues that have a nearby host hotel, Oliver said.

"I think the Sheraton certainly enhances the overall tourism and visitor product that we have in this area," Oliver said.
Ripple effect?
It remains to be seen whether the Sheraton hurts business at other Erie hotels.

But Ken Kender, general manager of the Avalon Hotel, 16 W. 10th St. in downtown Erie, said some of those hotels -- like the Avalon -- could see spinoff business if the Sheraton helps lure larger conventions and events to Erie's waterfront.

"The other hotels don't know what the (Sheraton's) impact will be, but look at the bigger picture," Kender said. "There are a lot more hotel rooms in downtown Erie now, and that has to have some impact. It might make bigger conventions really think about coming here now."
Asked if he's worried about competition from the Sheraton, Kender said the Avalon, with typical nightly room rates of $85 to $129 a night, "really isn't our competition. They're brand-spanking new and in a different price range than we are."

Whatever the future holds for the Sheraton Erie Bayfront Hotel, one thing is clear -- the place already is attracting attention.

"I love the view," said Amy Scully, 25, who is planning her summer 2009 wedding and came to the Sheraton Thursday afternoon to check out waterfront-facing banquet rooms.

Mark Long, a 53-year-old accountant who works in downtown Erie, took a lunchtime walk down State Street and ended up in the Sheraton's lobby.

"I just dropped by to see if it was open," Long said. "Both inside and outside, this is very scenic. It's good to see this in Erie."
KEVIN FLOWERS can be reached at 870-1693 or by e-mail.

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[pj3000]

Proposed development on surface parking lots and out-of-place downtown McDonald's restaurant.

Agency plans 7-story complex
Downtown structure would house parking ramp, residences, retail space
BY GEORGE MILLER

Plans are under way for a possible $21 million, seven-story complex at the northeast corner of West Fifth and Peach streets that would contain a parking ramp, 90 residential units and retail space.

The Erie Redevelopment Authority on Monday unveiled plans for the structure and agreed to apply for $3.5 million in funds through a state program that will be critical for the project to go ahead.

"This project shows a lot of promise," said John R. Elliott, the authority's executive director. "I don't want to say it is definite. It's a strong enough possibility that we are pulling the pieces together. Our goal is to have building permits within 12 months."

Elliott said the parking ramp is "absolutely essential" to downtown revitalization in that area and was identified as an element in the city's downtown master plan.

"We all know that a parking ramp is desperately needed in that area to encourage development," he said.


Erie city officials and some merchants have been pursuing the parking ramp for several years, saying it's needed to relieve parking congestion in the area.

But a study on behalf of the Erie Parking Authority found that there was not enough demand to allow the construction to be done by traditional financing.

The multiuse structure will make the project feasible, creating additional parking demand and also providing tax revenue, Elliott said.

The first floor of the complex will contain about 10,000 square feet of retail space.

The parking facility would contain about 296 spaces and will be on the second, third and fourth floors. The last three floors would be for the residential units.


Elliott said the complex could contain an eighth floor for office space.

The $3.5 million is being sought through the state's tax-increment financing program. Under it, the city, Erie School District and Erie County would have to agree that the increased real-estate tax revenue generated by the project would be used to repay the $3.5 million.

"We know that project will not work without tax increment financing," he said.

Elliott said the housing and retail space will add about $13 million to the local tax rolls.

A private firm has tentatively agreed to provide $7 million for the project, he said. In addition, federal tax credits of at least $2 million will be sought.


The remainder of the funding will come from bank financing.

Elliott said a Hamot Medical Center affiliate owns five of the site's six parcels. A McDonald's restaurant owns the other.

The Redevelopment Authority has been in discussions with them about the project, he said.

[pj3000]

Griswold park area residential project gains momentum. Can't wait to see this begin (hopefully) when I visit this summer.

Downtown housing gets one step closer

Along with the $1.8 million state grant for the midtown development at Griswold Park came something equally important: validity.

The funding from the state Department of Community and Economic Development means this important project is close to really happening. The money represents a big step forward for the ambitious plan for downtown living crafted by John Elliott, executive director of the Erie Redevelopment Authority.

The $55 million project will eventually see row-house style town houses, plus a redesign and expansion of Griswold Park. Nearby, the Redevelopment Authority's $5 million conversion of the long-vacant Mercantile Building at East 14th and State streets into a mixed-use building with residential, commercial and office space gives the project greater impact. The authority also has purchased other buildings and has cleared a good chunk of the east side of Peach Street, from West 14th to 12th Street, for the development.

Next will be groundbreaking for 22 town houses along Peach Street near West 13th, perhaps in July, said Mark C. Schneider, managing partner of Fourth River Development of Pittsburgh, co-master developer for the midtown area.

This all fits into Erie Mayor Joe Sinnott's plan to convince individuals and families to move downtown. It's a vision shared by Jim Berlin, chief executive of Logistics Plus Inc. "I'm firmly convinced that bringing people to live downtown is the way to revitalize downtown," Berlin said. "It's happening all over the country. When people come downtown, the businesses will follow."


The grant moves the project closer to reality.

[BigKidD]

Proposed development on surface parking lots and out-of-place downtown McDonald's restaurant.

Agency plans 7-story complex
Downtown structure would house parking ramp, residences, retail space
BY GEORGE MILLER

Plans are under way for a possible $21 million, seven-story complex at the northeast corner of West Fifth and Peach streets that would contain a parking ramp, 90 residential units and retail space.

The Erie Redevelopment Authority on Monday unveiled plans for the structure and agreed to apply for $3.5 million in funds through a state program that will be critical for the project to go ahead.

"This project shows a lot of promise," said John R. Elliott, the authority's executive director. "I don't want to say it is definite. It's a strong enough possibility that we are pulling the pieces together. Our goal is to have building permits within 12 months."

Elliott said the parking ramp is "absolutely essential" to downtown revitalization in that area and was identified as an element in the city's downtown master plan.

"We all know that a parking ramp is desperately needed in that area to encourage development," he said.


Erie city officials and some merchants have been pursuing the parking ramp for several years, saying it's needed to relieve parking congestion in the area.

But a study on behalf of the Erie Parking Authority found that there was not enough demand to allow the construction to be done by traditional financing.

The multiuse structure will make the project feasible, creating additional parking demand and also providing tax revenue, Elliott said.

The first floor of the complex will contain about 10,000 square feet of retail space.

The parking facility would contain about 296 spaces and will be on the second, third and fourth floors. The last three floors would be for the residential units.


Elliott said the complex could contain an eighth floor for office space.

The $3.5 million is being sought through the state's tax-increment financing program. Under it, the city, Erie School District and Erie County would have to agree that the increased real-estate tax revenue generated by the project would be used to repay the $3.5 million.

"We know that project will not work without tax increment financing," he said.

Elliott said the housing and retail space will add about $13 million to the local tax rolls.

A private firm has tentatively agreed to provide $7 million for the project, he said. In addition, federal tax credits of at least $2 million will be sought.


The remainder of the funding will come from bank financing.

Elliott said a Hamot Medical Center affiliate owns five of the site's six parcels. A McDonald's restaurant owns the other.

The Redevelopment Authority has been in discussions with them about the project, he said.
Good news, but wouldn't a seven story structure stand out quite a bit at West 5th & Peach St?