Millcreek property acquisition near Presque Isle a bold move. What about Erie's bayfront?
What a bold move by Millcreek Township officials to purchase old hotels, bars and restaurants on West Eighth Street near Peninsula Drive.
The properties include the vacant Bel-Aire Hotel, Grasshopper, Joe Root’s Grill, the Manor Motel and the Sandbar Draft House & Grill. Officials pointed out most of the properties have become dilapidated in recent years, even though the nearby Presque Isle State Park attracts millions of visitors every summer.
The buildings are scheduled to be torn down in anticipation of new development, which is exciting.
More: Millcreek Township to buy Bel-Aire, Joe Root's Grill, Sandbar and more West Eighth parcels
At the same time, other land near Erie's bayfront, which you think would be irresistible to developers, has proved quite resistible in recent years. Much of the site of the former GAF Plant on the Bayfront Parkway remains vacant, as does property east of Dobbins Landing, which was cleared by the Erie-Western Pennsylvania Port Authority in the hopes that it would be quickly developed. Hasn’t happened yet.
That said, there seems to be a different vibe in downtown Erie and near the waterfront these days. Perhaps it’s the availability of so much cash from the government, but the timing for new development could be right.
It will require strong leadership, of course, and local government boards can’t afford to get too caught up in petty details, which could delay development indefinitely.
More: Critics say purchase of Bel-Aire Hotel, other properties to cost Millcreek more than $7.2M
Tom Hagen, chairman of the board of Erie Insurance, has done a superb job of developing many spaces downtown, primarily because he’s been willing to put up much of the cash himself. But he has real vision and would be worth a call from Millcreek and the Port Authority for advice.
For subscribers: Thomas Hagen continues restoration mission in Erie
● Speaking of downtown redevelopment, I am amazed at how large the former bank building at 12th and State streets has become. It’s still under construction, but the building already looks a third larger than it was when work started.
For subscribers: New apartments, parking garage, coffee shops, climbing gym to open in Erie in 2023
● Steel framework erected on the exterior of the new building at Fifth and State streets seems to indicate the side of the building facing Peach Street won’t be a giant concrete monolith after all. That’s a relief.
● Erie lost one of its most dedicated leaders on Jan. 30 when William Sennett died at 92. A brilliant lawyer, he served as Pennsylvania’s attorney general from 1967-70. For the past several decades, Sennett was a force on Mercyhurst University’s Board of Trustees.
He exuded strong, powerful leadership wherever he served and Erie was fortunate to have such a dedicated citizen all these years.
● Now that the Philadelphia Eagles are headed to the Super Bowl, head coach Nick Sirianni is receiving a lot of publicity. The 41-year-old coach grew up near Jamestown, New York, and he played football at Southwestern Central High School in West Ellicott, where his father served as head coach.
● It’s hard to say if the indictment of Eagles offensive lineman Josh Sills on rape and kidnapping charges will affect the team as it prepares for its showdown against the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday.
More: Eagles’ Josh Sills, indicted on rape charges, placed on NFL exempt list ahead of Super Bowl
When Britt Reid, the son of Chiefs coach Andy Reid, was involved in a traffic accident that severely injured a 5-year-old girl just days before the Super Bowl in 2021, I thought it clearly had a negative effect on the team. Of course, Britt Reid had been an assistant coach for the team. He’s currently serving a three-year prison sentence.
● Recent news about the Ford Station underground railroad station that operated from 1811 to 1836 at the intersection of Parade and East 12th streets reminded me of other legends of such stations in the region. A tunnel in North East down Route 89 to Freeport Beach was thought to help many escaped slaves make it to Canada and freedom.
For subscribers: Erie man discovers early Underground Railroad station and once-enslaved couple who ran it
That would make an excellent research project for local industrious students. It only stands to reason that Erie’s close proximity to the lake would make this a popular stop on the Underground Railroad.
2019: Historic stone house in Lawrence Park built in 1830
● The countdown to spring training for Major League baseball players has begun. In Cleveland, there has been an outpouring of affection for John Adams, the drummer in the bleachers at Progressive Field, who died recently at 71.
More: John Adams, longtime Cleveland baseball drummer, has died
Adams banged his big bass drum for nearly 50 years at Cleveland baseball games. I’ve told this story before about buying tickets in the bleachers, only to discover that our seats were right in front of the place where Adams sat with his drum. We were relieved when he wasn’t there for the first two innings. Then he arrived in the third inning.
When a fan asked him why he was late, Adams said, “You know, Frank Sinatra never comes out on stage at the start of the concert.” We laughed, but quickly moved to new seats once he started pounding that drum.
● Half a dozen readers responded to a recent note about the death of David Crosby. Several said they were insulted by Crosby’s profanity at the June 2012 concert at Presque Isle. Mark Lucas said concert organizers told him Crosby was tough to deal with.
● Casey Wells’ recent retirement party drew a large crowd, including many out-of-town promoters who came to Erie to praise the longtime Erie Events executive director. Wells leaves some mighty big shoes for his successor, Gus Pine, to fill.
More: Erie Events picks Gus Pine to succeed Casey Wells as executive director
Kevin Cuneo can be reached at kevin.cuneo1844@gmail.com.
This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: Millcreek bold to buy property near Presque Isle State Park
