Joe Root's Grill, Manor Motel and Sandbar Draft House demolition will begin next month
Buildings on most of the West Eighth Street properties owned by the Millcreek Township General Authority will be demolished this spring.
Demolition of the former Joe Root's Grill, Manor Motel, Sandbar Draft House & Grille and the motel wing of the Bel-Aire Hotel is expected to begin in mid-March and to be completed by the May 15 contract deadline, authority Executive Director Matt Waldinger said.
Empire Excavation & Demolition will do the work. Demolition cost is $242,000.
Asphalt parking areas also will be removed at Joe Root's, the Manor Motel and Sandbar. Grass will be planted on the properties, Waldinger said.
Two buildings won't be demolished in spring
The main portion of the Bel-Aire Hotel and the former Grasshopper shop are not scheduled for demolition this spring.
The hotel is set for demolition by the end of 2025, though the authority has not ruled out exploring new uses for the building, Waldinger said last fall.
An architectural and historical assessment of the Grasshopper building will be completed before its fate is decided. A number of residents have said that the building once was a schoolhouse and should be restored and reused, possibly as a visitor information center.
An architect will be asked to explore the building and its history, and that won't be accomplished with a walk-through, Waldinger said.
"The interior has been so heavily modernized that you can't see the original structure. It may require the removal of some materials to see what is there and what the cost may be to restore it."
Millcreek police and fire departments will be able to use the former hotel, motel and restaurants for training exercises until the buildings are demolished.
What's happening with properties?
The Millcreek Township General Authority bought the West Eighth Street properties early last year for nearly $7.2 million. It plans to offer the properties for redevelopment.
Long-range plans for West Eighth Street at Peninsula Drive — part of Millcreek Township's newly defined Presque Isle Gateway District — include a village-style development of restaurants, shops, services and apartments.
The gateway district project is one of the most important in the region, said Laith Wardi, who was appointed to fill a vacancy on the Millcreek Township General Authority on Tuesday.
"I consider what's going on in downtown Erie, the bayfront highway and this project to really be cornerstone projects, not only in how we conduct business here but in how people from the outside look at our market and say, is this a place where I want to maybe invest, or move or spend more time," Wardi said.
"This is a really huge project. I'm thrilled to be involved in this authority."
Wardi is an economic development specialist and is the founder and president of Erie-based ExecutivePulse Inc.
Contact Valerie Myers at vmyers@timesnews.com.
This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: Demolition begins in March at Joe Root's, Manor Motel and Sandbar
