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Originally Posted by Butternut
Great to see all the progress still happening in downtown.
Curious to know what happened to the gateway art project that was supposed to be commissioned at the intersection of state and 3rd. Has anyone heard anything?
Downtown Erie needs all the art it can take. Art builds a sense of character and place, and is so underrated for building an attractive cityscape.
Also, Im still curious whats happening with the Avalon Hotel. To me, that project should be toward the top of the drawing board considering its location and square footage.
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I imagine that the public art project is in the works... and that COVID has likely slowed things down this year. Here's a link to one of the artists:
https://www.aphidoidea.com/portraits
That area of lower donwntown (basically the UPMC Hamot campus) really needs an overhaul... all of a sudden, it becomes very suburban and results in a major disconnect between downtown and the bayfront. A public art "gateway" can help, but the fact is that the area is built for the hospital's benefit and nothing else. UPMC should be pressured to be a much better partner in helping to create a cohesive urban environment in the area, rather than a collection of parking lots and inappropriate buildings.
As far as the Avalon goes, I believe it is for sale. The place is a total dump, and has been for decades. The current owner is likely in way over his head considering the size of the hotel, and is looking to sell or partner with investors to renovate/rebrand. I think it would be best if it were sold, converted to mixed-use with a smaller hotel taking up only a few floors, and the single-story portion that spans the block along Peach demolished.