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  #21  
Old Posted Aug 30, 2007, 9:21 PM
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Nice convention center.
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  #22  
Old Posted Sep 20, 2007, 3:47 AM
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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.
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  #23  
Old Posted Oct 2, 2007, 2:57 PM
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^ 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.

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."



(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.
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  #24  
Old Posted Oct 5, 2007, 2:06 PM
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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.






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.
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  #25  
Old Posted Oct 6, 2007, 3:38 AM
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I like that Times Square idea
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  #26  
Old Posted Oct 6, 2007, 8:50 PM
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Yeah^ "Possible video screen or ticker tape like Times Square" LOL!
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  #27  
Old Posted Oct 6, 2007, 9:55 PM
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^ 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.
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  #28  
Old Posted Oct 7, 2007, 5:27 AM
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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.
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  #29  
Old Posted Oct 7, 2007, 7:53 AM
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^ 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.
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  #30  
Old Posted Oct 7, 2007, 1:15 PM
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^Right. The "Times Square" theme is probably being overdone, but anything is really an improvement for Erie - especially in this section of town.
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  #31  
Old Posted Oct 7, 2007, 1:41 PM
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Originally Posted by BigKidD View Post
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)
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  #32  
Old Posted Oct 8, 2007, 1:43 AM
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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.
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  #33  
Old Posted Oct 8, 2007, 1:15 PM
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^ 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.
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  #34  
Old Posted Oct 8, 2007, 11:20 PM
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^ 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.
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  #35  
Old Posted Oct 24, 2007, 4:08 PM
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Hopefully they do things right this time

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.



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





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.
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  #36  
Old Posted Nov 14, 2007, 10:23 PM
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I expected to see our Erie members dancing on the virtual streets with the great news that is making national headlines........
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  #37  
Old Posted Nov 15, 2007, 12:50 AM
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Demolition derby Extra content 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.

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.
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  #38  
Old Posted Nov 16, 2007, 4:13 PM
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^ 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.

Last edited by pj3000; Apr 7, 2008 at 3:03 AM.
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  #39  
Old Posted Nov 16, 2007, 4:34 PM
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I expected to see our Erie members dancing on the virtual streets with the great news that is making national headlines........
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, 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, 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."



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.




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.




"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.
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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

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)

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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.


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)

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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.


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)

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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."
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