ERIE | Development Projects Thread

Erie - Development Projects Thread

Hi all, longtime browser here. Going to start a thread for my place here on this big, spinning rock. There are some interesting and positive things happening in Erie... and I think it is a good sign for all industrial cities in the US northeast and midwest when our smaller manufacturing gems begin to shine again after decades of dirty neglect.

Thread to document revitalization in one of the rustbelt's rustiest... Erie - Pennsylvania's northern, grit-filled, lakeshore oddball little brother to Buffalo, Cleveland, and Pittsburgh.


- Found this one on SSP

[themaguffin]

There have been updates on the NE forum, but certainly nice to what's happening in Erie here as well. I'm not local and haven't been to Erie in a long time, but like the town and the potential there. I wouldn't call it rusty compared to many industrial cities - I think it's held up well, but I know the economy certainly could use a boost. I hope that happens. I did see the big lakefront development posted on NE sub forum and it looks very nice.

Scott Enterprises Bayfront development plans

Probably the most exciting development planned for Erie currently - Harbor Place. $150M mixed-use development on 12-acre former Penelec steam generating plant and grain elevator land on east Bayfront. Hilton Hotel, 2nd hotel, apartments, condos, retail, office, entertainment, parking garage.

"The project includes two hotels, 30,000 square feet of retail space, 150 residential units, and over 100,000 square feet of office space that is wrapped around two parking garages. An urban retail streetscape is envisioned to run through the middle of the project connecting the State Street public dock to the existing Library/Museum. While at the heart of the project is a public plaza sized to accommodate a variety of public festivals and events. The plaza is surrounded by the hotels, office and retail creating a weather protected year-round space that will have fountains in the summer and an ice skating rink in the winter."

Video rendering: http://www.wmf-inc.com/site/wp-conte...(11-25-13).mp4











Images: http://weberarchitect.com/?portfolio=harbor-place

Erie Insurance development

Seems that this company is constantly expanding its footprint in downtown Erie. They've been demolishing many properties on Erie's lower east side over the past few years... which I'm not totally in favor of (though most were houses long gone), but have also done some great preservation work.

Recent announcements detail a new 52K foot technical training center on a former surface lot on E 7th to adjoin their new parking garage on East 8th, a "Heritage Center" at there original office, and restoration of the PA Natl Guard Armory at E 6th and Parade. Good to see investment by a Fortune 500 company in downtown!

The large surface parking lot at center has been rumored as the site for their new HQ tower.

http://www.insurancejournal.com/news.../02/297450.htm

Historically-accurate restoration of two Victorian homes on Erie's Lower East Side, with the former Armory (currently undergoing restoration) in the background.




Images: http://www.kidderwachter.com/project...arade%20Street

Originally Posted by themaguffin

There have been updates on the NE forum, but certainly nice to what's happening in Erie here as well. I'm not local and haven't been to Erie in a long time, but like the town and the potential there. I wouldn't call it rusty compared to many industrial cities - I think it's held up well, but I know the economy certainly could use a boost. I hope that happens. I did see the big lakefront development posted on NE sub forum and it looks very nice.

Glad to know someone out there is interested

I think Erie can present a rather pretty face (in the summer especially) to visitors if they stick to the waterfront areas and perimeter, but venturing off into many of the city neighborhoods and industrial zones is awfully rusty. It's no Flint or Youngstown, but it's close, unfortunately. But there is potential as you say... owning mainly to a much more favorable and attractive natural location than many industrial cities.

Recently renovated and expanded Erie Insurance Arena


https://www.facebook.com/ErieInsuranceArena


http://www.flickr.com/photos/lehoope...81645/sizes/l/


http://www.ohlarenaguide.com/otters.htm

[Evergrey]

Thanks for the updates, Perch! Look forward to more ERIE!

A mini NYC High Line in Erie, PA? In a rough area though... but something like this could help revitalize the East Ave. commercial district - once a thriving 12-block long stretch of old eastside Erie at its finest. Something like this might be a tough sell in Erie, though I do think it would be cool to be able to walk/bike over the industrial yards and enjoy views of the downtown "skyline". I applaud the effort and will try to attend the meeting.


Meeting on proposal to reuse McBride Viaduct as an urban park set for Jan. 25

http://www.goerie.com/meeting-on-pro...et-for-jan-25#

Civitas, a local group involved in historic preservation, urban design, transportation and entrepreneurship, will host a Jan. 25 meeting to explain a proposal to reuse the McBride Viaduct as an urban park.

The bridge, which extends from East 12th Street and East Avenue south to Buffalo Road, has been closed since June 2010 because of structural concerns.

A consultant has recommended that the viaduct be demolished and that a new $7.5 million Buffalo Road interchange be built on the Bayfront Connector.

Mayor Joe Sinnott has said that both the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation and the Federal Highway Administration support that option.

Here is the site:







- Images: http://www.mcbrideviaduct.com/

Originally Posted by Evergrey

Thanks for the updates, Perch! Look forward to more ERIE!

Sure, thanks for checking the thread out. I like that Thin Lizzy logo you got! Gotta get a t shirt with that on it.

New Erie-WPA Port Authority/EMTA park and ride facility at I-79 and W 12th & Lincoln to serve Bayfront. First phase of the Bayfront Mobility Initiative - effort to increase public access to and from Bayfront. 2nd phase will consist of bicycle/pedestrian pathway extension from bluff at Liberty to Bayfront.


http://goerie.mycapture.com/mycaptur...tegoryID=60309

[relnahe]

Erie is so underrated. Love seeing this recent development.

Gannon University rec center expansion downtown

Site:










-Images: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?f...type=3&theater

[dc_denizen]

I have fond memories of visiting Presque Isle as a kid. Thanks for the updates!

[ladsnine]

Very cool to see what's going on in Erie! Thanks for starting this thread and keeping us all updated.

My dad lived in Erie as a kid and graduated from Strong Vincent HS in the 1960s (which is still open, apparently), so I scoped out his old neighborhood and explored downtown a couple years ago. From what I could see, some of it looks pretty disinvested and the city seems to suffers from pretty bad sprawl (like any city in the Rust Belt, or in generally really) but there are some pretty solid bones in those old neighborhoods too and some great old architecture downtown. I live in Buffalo, only 90 miles away, and travel to Pittsburgh a lot, so I'll have to check out some of this stuff I read about on my way sometime...

[north 42]

Great to see good things happening in another Great Lakes city! Hopefully cities on both sides of the lake will prosper and redefine themselves over time.

Plans for former GAF Materials property on West Bayfront

With the Scott Enterprises development on the East Bayfront and this one on the West, the revitalization of Erie's formerly heavily-industrial waterfront seem to finally be taking hold.

12.5-acre former industrial land on waterfront, occupied by a roofing paper/shingle factory since 1865 (I would have liked to see some of the old brick industrial buildings saved, but I guess they were really used up... I guess a century and a half of creosote does that).


http://www.flickr.com/photos/conduct...64192/sizes/z/









- Images: http://eriecountyconventioncenteraut...ont-place.html

Currently finishing environmental remediation. Original plan for the property devised by the Erie County Convention Center Authority in consultation with a Pittsburgh-based design firm Environmental Planning & Design was met with major criticism... for its overall odd plan, "suburban" design/lack of density, poor use of available waterfront space, too much surface parking, etc:





- Images: http://www.epd-pgh.com/eriebayfrontplac.html

Alternate plans which came out after the ECCA released what it called its "road map" was met with disdain (the above images).

From Kidder Wachter Architecture & Design - Erie:























- Images: http://www.kidderwachter.com/project...af_masterplan/

From architect and Erie city councilman David Brennan:

- Image: http://www.yourerie.com/story/townha...kEG56BlH01YGMg

From seDurst design - Pittsburgh:

- Images: http://sedurst.com/blog/gaf-master-p...ie-pennsy.html

Renovation of Rosewood Apartment building

Formerly blighted property on Erie's Lower East Side. Recently completed. Good to see this type of stuff in an inner-city, blighted neighborhood




- Images: http://www.kidderwachter.com/project...img=2-Rosewood

[Downtown Bolivar]

Originally Posted by Perch

Renovation of Rosewood Apartment building

Formerly blighted property on Erie's Lower East Side. Recently completed. Good to see this type of stuff in an inner-city, blighted neighborhood




- Images: http://www.kidderwachter.com/project...img=2-Rosewood

That's a really nice small scale renovation that I'd like to see more of in my hometown, Niagara Falls, NY. We are addicted to mega projects that never materialize while continuing to let our neighborhoods decay.

[Austinlee]

Is Erie Insurance going to really build a "tower"? Maybe They could finally give Erie an actual skyline.

Could McBride Viaduct become Erie's High Line?



A local group hopes to spark a community discussion that can save the McBride Viaduct from being demolished.

Civitas is hosting a Jan. 25 meeting to discuss details of its proposal to "re-purpose the McBride Viaduct into an urban park and pedestrian transit route," according to a news release from the organization.

Lisa Austin, a Civitas co-founder, said the proposal seeks to transform the McBride Viaduct into a linear park similar to New York City's High Line, a 1-mile, elevated section of the former New York Central Railroad that is now an aerial greenway.

"What we are wondering is whether money earmarked for demolition could be enough to instead stabilize the structure for this repurposing," Austin said.

Eastside residents continue to use the viaduct as a pedestrian walkway or bicycle path, Austin said. Civitas wants city officials to explore the option.

"My impression is that the people involved with it from the city have been seeing it either as a bridge for traffic or a demolished structure," Austin said, describing the walkway proposal as "middle ground."

http://www.goerie.com/could-mcbride-...ries-high-line



East High School freshman Amarria Hamilton, 15, and her sister Leaira Carr, 17, a junior, walk to school underneath the McBride Viaduct heading north in Erie early on Jan. 15. Students walking to and from East High School sometimes use the closed bridge.

-Image: http://reprints.goerie.com/mycapture...tegoryID=60292