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  #401  
Old Posted Jan 7, 2021, 3:48 PM
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This is a bit of a nitpick but I wish downtown Erie had some better streetscape design.
Agreed. And I'm glad other people notice the seemingly small details that actually can go a long way in improving the overall look and feel of a neighborhood. Downtown could definitely use a more coehsive look. Not that everything has to look exactly the same, but it looks hodgepodge... like piecemeal attempts when a little bit of money comes in each time.

Regarding street signs though... time for uniformity in the city. Enough with those cheap, green ones... they look like the letters and numbers are taped on. It's really cheap looking.

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I agree about lower downtown. Its odd and desolate; and a shame because the potential is incredible there. It just takes a little imagination and industriousness. So many cool projects could be proposed along the bluff and into the bayfront -- e.g. modern apartment buildings flowing into a bluff park (with seating and pathways) and onward to the bayfront. Its so unique you could play around with several blueprints and come out with a very desirable win.

People like us need to be running downtown development and city council. Sure it takes hard work, dedication, patience, faith, marketing, etc. but the plan now seems to be let the kings rule and sit back and watch. THINK BIG!

With that said, the current progress is incredibly welcomed and encouraging.
I'm cautiously optimistic that the bayfront parkway redesign can spur greater and more focused interest on connection between lower downtown and the bayfront proper. I agree that there's tons of good potential for the bluff... a true linear park (not the half-assed and intermittent attempt that's there now) with connections to the water would be huge for Erie.

Ha! I would be much more involved if I actually lived in Erie, but I'm still an interested native. It seems to me that there is newer blood involved at the city level, and it's good that some of the big players are finally stepping up to the plate after watching their surroundings crumble (literally) around them for decades.
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  #402  
Old Posted Jan 7, 2021, 6:34 PM
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Originally Posted by pj3000 View Post
Regarding street signs though... time for uniformity in the city. Enough with those cheap, green ones... they look like the letters and numbers are taped on. It's really cheap looking.
Are you talking about the older green ones (all uppercase: "PEACH ST") or the newer ones they are replacing them with (Uppercase and lowercase: "Peach St")?
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  #403  
Old Posted Jan 7, 2021, 8:31 PM
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Are you talking about the older green ones (all uppercase: "PEACH ST") or the newer ones they are replacing them with (Uppercase and lowercase: "Peach St")?
Yup, the older green ALL CAPS signs. Very generic-looking... I imagine that they were the absolute cheapest ones available, and some streets department dude who had been there since the 1970s made the decision with zero thought nor consultation with anyone else... because that's the way things were long done in all facets of city of Erie govt.

The newer blue signs have some presence and quality to them.
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  #404  
Old Posted Jan 8, 2021, 3:36 PM
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I made this map about a year and a half ago, so some things may be inaccurate at this point but it highlights where potential infill projects could go downtown.

Red indicates a surface parking lot. Yellow indicates a vacant lot. Blue indicates a current project being built on a previous parking/vacant lot.

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  #405  
Old Posted Jan 13, 2021, 1:34 PM
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West 8th Street streetscape improvements

West 8th Street from Greengarden Road to Pittsburgh Avenue will be getting a complete makeover starting this spring and taking about six months to complete.

PennDOT has plans to enhance the corridor by adding curbs, wider sidewalks, ADA curb ramps, street trees, marked street parking, and LED pedestrian lighting.

The intersection at Lincoln Ave will be upgraded as well.

Hopefully the section of 8th Street (Pittsburgh Ave-Peninsula Dr.) in Millcreek also gets an upgrade sometime soon as well.

https://www.erienewsnow.com/story/43...4XT7rluocD_JeQ
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  #406  
Old Posted Jan 13, 2021, 2:03 PM
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^ good to see that the planned improvements are moving forward. And I agree regarding the continued stretch of W8th thru Millcreek. I believe similar streetscape improvement plans have been in the works for W8th in the township as well. Making the street more pedestrian friendly (Millcreek doesn't even have sidewalks!) will go a long way in revitalizing this busy corridor.
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  #407  
Old Posted Jan 19, 2021, 4:31 PM
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I imagine that this will cost over $10M for a full cleanup, considering that the entire site will likely have to be remediated. So redevelopment of this prime lakefront parcel is going to take some time.

It's too bad that the former company was such a group of complete assholes, with the CEO protecting his own money and running away (while of course, blaming the city, the state, and the EPA for "killing jobs") and leaving the mess for the taxpayers to clean up... exactly like they did with Tonawanda Coke in Buffalo. Why do we continue to allow this type of literally toxic behavior?

However, when all is complete, it will be great to gain ~ 75 acres of waterfront land. Might be best suited for parkland/marina/etc, with a full redesign of the area (and which would include the Land Lighthouse).

Erie Coke plant cleanup could cost $7 million or more

https://www.goerie.com/story/news/20...on/3650148001/

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  #408  
Old Posted Jan 19, 2021, 9:17 PM
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My apologies if this was mentioned already, but there is a full-service Holiday Inn under construction up at 2260 Downs Drive by Interstate 90.

The hotel is poised to open in May and will have 150 rooms.

https://www.ihg.com/holidayinn/hotel...-_-US-_-ERIEE#

I'm not going to lie, I wish this hotel was being built at the vacant lot at W. 12th and Peninsula Drive. There's so many hotels up off I-90, I feel this will get lost in the shuffle.

Meanwhile, there really is no decent option down by the entrance to Presque Isle.
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  #409  
Old Posted Jan 19, 2021, 10:09 PM
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Originally Posted by jFug View Post
My apologies if this was mentioned already, but there is a full-service Holiday Inn under construction up at 2260 Downs Drive by Interstate 90.

The hotel is poised to open in May and will have 150 rooms.

https://www.ihg.com/holidayinn/hotel...-_-US-_-ERIEE#

I'm not going to lie, I wish this hotel was being built at the vacant lot at W. 12th and Peninsula Drive. There's so many hotels up off I-90, I feel this will get lost in the shuffle.

Meanwhile, there really is no decent option down by the entrance to Presque Isle.
Yeah, it's somewhat amazing to me that there exists this much demand for hotel rooms at Peach & I-90. Who stays there anyway? Are there that many people just traveling thru via I-90 or going to Splash Lagoon to warrant yet another hotel up there?

I hear you about the lot on 12th St. How long ago was Tracy School demolished anyway? 30 years ago? I can't believe that huge space has sat empty for so long, considering the prime location... and that there isn't a nicer hotel down around West 8th/6th and Peninsula Drive.
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  #410  
Old Posted Jan 22, 2021, 4:45 AM
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Just announced today---

The owners of 1201 Kitchen, located downtown, announced they will be closing the restaurant in April. This is NOT a COVID-related closure, by the way. They are planning on opening a completely new restaurant in the area.

Their Facebook post did not divulge any additional details (location, name, cuisine type, etc.); that will come at a later date.

However, the post specifically states "in October of last year we started construction on a brand new restaurant in a new location and are scheduled to open in fall of 2021...", so construction is underway.

Can anyone think of where this might be? I'm thinking of all current construction right now and I'm having trouble pin-pointing where this would be.

https://www.facebook.com/1201kitchen...8797538823948/
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  #411  
Old Posted Jan 22, 2021, 8:01 AM
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If its downtown, might be in the area
near 12th thru 14th Peach & Sassafras sts (Advantage nearby prkg)

or Could it be in the west 5th Or Perry Square area ( Advantage close to Erie Ins & up coming area with new housing)
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  #412  
Old Posted Jan 22, 2021, 12:52 PM
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Construction might just be interior construction in an existing building somewhere. That’s likely the case... rarely do you see an independent restaurant owner construct a new building from the ground up.

That’s quite an investment, so usually reserved for chains. And for a small business, there’s little reason to do so anyway, since space is usually available.
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  #413  
Old Posted Jan 22, 2021, 1:46 PM
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@pj3000

I was thinking it possibly could be inside one of EDDC buildings along North Park Row. Those storefronts are projected to be finished by summer, so that would make the most sense to me.
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  #414  
Old Posted Jan 22, 2021, 6:53 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by DFWCC8 View Post
If its downtown, might be in the area
near 12th thru 14th Peach & Sassafras sts (Advantage nearby prkg)

or Could it be in the west 5th Or Perry Square area ( Advantage close to Erie Ins & up coming area with new housing)


Exactly, I wasn't thinking of new construction. The developer who owns several bldgs in the Peach/Sass area is looking for tenants.
My Perry Square thought was also possibly one of the EDDC projects
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  #415  
Old Posted Jan 25, 2021, 5:21 AM
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I noticed while driving downtown this weekend that Erie-based video game publisher, Whitethorn Games, is moving it's offices to the building at 11 East 12th Street (behind 1201 Kitchen).

A sign has been installed and it looks like both the façade and windows have gotten an upgrade. The publisher is currently headquartered in the Renaissance Centre and I'm not quite sure when they will be moving into this new space, but nonetheless very interesting.

For some reason I was not able to post the picture I took of the building but here is a link to their website: https://whitethorndigital.com/
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  #416  
Old Posted Jan 25, 2021, 2:00 PM
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Originally Posted by jFug View Post
I noticed while driving downtown this weekend that Erie-based video game publisher, Whitethorn Games, is moving it's offices to the building at 11 East 12th Street (behind 1201 Kitchen).

A sign has been installed and it looks like both the façade and windows have gotten an upgrade. The publisher is currently headquartered in the Renaissance Centre and I'm not quite sure when they will be moving into this new space, but nonetheless very interesting.

For some reason I was not able to post the picture I took of the building but here is a link to their website: https://whitethorndigital.com/
I know which building you're talking about, was the Islamic Cultural Center at one point... if I'm thinking of the correct one.

Good to see a small business (particularly a "tech" firm) locate downtown. That's a good sign because not long ago, that type of firm would find space in some suburban office/light industrial park.
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  #417  
Old Posted Jan 25, 2021, 2:04 PM
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Originally Posted by DFWCC8 View Post
Exactly, I wasn't thinking of new construction. The developer who owns several bldgs in the Peach/Sass area is looking for tenants.
My Perry Square thought was also possibly one of the EDDC projects
It would be great to see it relocate to the General Tire/Daka Paper proposed redevelopment as an anchor tenant to get things kick-started. Notice any activity around that site?

That development could really help to transform 12th Street between Sass and French.
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  #418  
Old Posted Jan 25, 2021, 8:09 PM
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Value Momentum bought the Robinson Conner Ins bldg at NW corner of 11th & State sts
about 2 months. Expected to bring 100 Tech jobs downtown.
Their timeline was to move in by Jan 1st. Not sure if they are in yet.
I haven't seen a sign on their bldg yet.
Last time I went by @ 10days ago little to no activity.

I'm battling Cancer and have been spending a lot of time at the Cleveland Clinic so not getting around that much.
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  #419  
Old Posted Jan 25, 2021, 8:13 PM
DFWCC8 DFWCC8 is offline
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Originally Posted by pj3000 View Post
It would be great to see it relocate to the General Tire/Daka Paper proposed redevelopment as an anchor tenant to get things kick-started. Notice any activity around that site?

That development could really help to transform 12th Street between Sass and French.
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  #420  
Old Posted Jan 25, 2021, 10:05 PM
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Originally Posted by DFWCC8 View Post
Value Momentum bought the Robinson Conner Ins bldg at NW corner of 11th & State sts
about 2 months. Expected to bring 100 Tech jobs downtown.
Their timeline was to move in by Jan 1st. Not sure if they are in yet.
I haven't seen a sign on their bldg yet.
Last time I went by @ 10days ago little to no activity.

I'm battling Cancer and have been spending a lot of time at the Cleveland Clinic so not getting around that much.
Good to know that they bought the building and good to hear of more technology jobs downtown... to go along with the VNET outfit.

Sending positive healing vibes to you.
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