Will $9M in COVID funds turn a crumbling paper plant into a new Erie park?

The long-vacant former Quin-T Tech Paper and Boards property at 140 East 16th St. could become an expansive community park as part of Erie Mayor Joe Schember’s latest proposal for a multimillion-dollar portion of the city’s American Rescue Plan funding.

Schember’s administration wants Erie City Council to sign off on a more than $9 million request from ARP funds as soon as council’s next regular meeting, scheduled for Dec. 15. City Council must approve any deployment of the city's ARP funds.

The plan focuses largely on neighborhoods, parks and creating new green space throughout the city.

The Quin-T proposal involves seeking significant input from residents of that area about the type of park they might want to see there, said Renee Lamis, Schember's chief of staff.

Structures on the property, including buildings and a smokestack, are slated to be demolished and a full environmental cleanup is planned there.

"What happens is up to the neighbors," Lamis said. "We really want to put a nice, active recreation area and play space there. "It could be playgrounds, soccer fields ... We're going to be seeking that input from the residents."

In addition to a new park at the Quin-T site, the plan includes upgrades to various parks citywide; creating a new system of green space/trails throughout the city’s east bayfront neighborhoods; computer/digital equipment improvements for zoning, code enforcement and other city departments; and other initiatives.

“These are the kinds of uses and the kinds of things that ARP money was intended for,” Schember said. “We want to make the environments that people live in better. This will improve our neighborhoods, help us get rid of blight and improve the value of homes in the city.”

Schember administration officials discussed the proposal with City Council members at a Tuesday evening study session at Erie City Hall.

City Councilman Mel Witherspoon said he supports it.

"This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and we deserve it," Witherspoon said.

The city received a $76 million allocation from the $1.9 trillion federal stimulus bill, signed into law this year by President Joe Biden to aid in the recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.

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City Council has already agreed to earmark more than $44 million of that money for various other projects focused on blight; housing rehabilitation, assisting businesses and entrepreneurs; funding environmental cleanups; public safety/police hiring; and a host of other initiatives.

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The Mayor's pitch

Schember's latest ARP proposal includes:

• $5 million for parks improvements citywide. Erie has 54 public parks and 23 playgrounds, according to its website.

The money could also be used to upgrade various sidewalks, streetscapes, school crossings, street lights and to create public art.

The city plans to gather extensive input from city residents about the types of improvements they want to see, and make budgeting decisions based on that feedback.

• $3 million for the Quin-T plan and an existing proposal to create a new parks and trails network in the city’s east bayfront neighborhood.

The Quin-T property was a complex of buildings spread over roughly five acres, off East 16th Street between French and Holland Streets, that fell into disrepair since being abandoned more than 15 years ago.

Blight plan: Erie County Redevelopment Authority plans demolition of EMI and Quin-T Tech Paper buildings

Pre-demolition work and environmental remediation, including asbestos removal, began in April and is ongoing as part of the plan. Demolition and remediation work will continue during 2022.

Once the site is cleared, city officials want to gather input from residents living near the property about creating a large public park there, said Renee Lamis, Schember’s chief of staff.

It would likely take several years for the new park to be fully developed.

The east bayfront trail network is a component of the East Bayfront Neighborhood Plan, a 52-page document unveiled in 2019 that aligns with the recommendations of Erie Refocused, the city’s long-range, comprehensive development plan.

The park and trails network seeks to connect Nate Levy Park, in the 200 block of East Third Street, with Roessler Park, near East 15th and Ash streets, through a series of smaller, interconnected parks and pathways.

It includes the development of new green space and involves what city officials have called targeted demolition of a number of blighted properties.

The plan has drawn criticism from some local residents who are concerned that it could push some people out of eastside neighborhoods. City officials deny that will happen.

Eastside parks/trail network: Plan aims to improve neighborhood, not displace residents

• $975,000 to upgrade city technology, including the development and further use of Geographic Information System mapping that analyzes land use within city limits.

The city also wants to use that funding to digitize some city data that is currently on paper, centralize record-keeping and enable more city fees to be paid online.

• $140,000 for Erie’s Groundwork Trust, a new nonprofit that will deal with issues affecting environmental, economic and/or social decline.

Areas of focus for the Groundwork Trust include cleaning up vacant lots; city-wide development of green space; urban farming; and job training for high school students and young adults.

• $40,000 for the city’s new “Love Your Block” program, which will provide grants to neighborhood groups for revitalization projects.

City Councilwoman Kathy Schaaf also said she supports the proposal, because it will help enhance city parks, create new recreational spaces and contribute to a better "quality of life" for city residents.

City Council meets Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. in the Bagnoni Council Chambers at City Hall, 626 State St. The meeting can be viewed on the city's YouTube page.

Contact Kevin Flowers at kflowers@timesnews.com. Follow him on Twitter at @ETNflowers.

This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: $9M COVID funds plan: Create new Erie park at decayed paper plant site