BACKGROUND INFORMATION ON ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STUDIES
OF THE ERIE AREA

for the Civic Coordinating Committee
June, 2002

CONTENTS

Summary Information from Selected Erie County and Northwest PA
Economic Development Reports and Studies

Themes from Survey Work: Erie Citizens’ Opinions

Recommendations and Action Items of
Five Major Economic Development Plans for the Erie Area

Compiled by
James A. Kurre, Ph.D.
Economic Research Institute of Erie
Penn State Erie, School of Business
5091 Station Road, Erie, PA 16563-1400
(814) 898-6266
k12@psu.edu

Summary Information from Selected
Erie County and Northwest PA
Economic Development Reports and Studies

(In reverse chronological order.)

Perceptions of the Quality of Erie County Life from the COMPASS Study.
(Compass: Community Objectives Met through a Partnership of All Segments of Society).
Author: Final report prepared by Amy Onest of Strategy Solutions, Inc.
Date: April 2002
Length: 38 pages
Sponsor: United Way of Erie County
Data type/source: Survey (1,800 respondents of 18,000 sent)
Geographical area: Erie County with sub-areas
Focus: Community opinion and priorities
Strengths: Well designed sample strategy; large sample; broad-based community input; broad range of issues; quantifies results; cross-tabs of results
Weaknesses: Results sometimes contradictory; broad range of issues; possible bias in respondents from self-selection? No sense of tradeoffs among respondents?

The Erie County Citizen Survey
Author: Graney, Grossman, Ray, Colosimo and Assoc.
Date: February 2002 (draft)
Length: 22 pages
Sponsor: Erie County Department of Planning
Data type/source: Survey (501 respondents of 1,500 sent)
Geographical area: Erie County
Focus: Community planning and land use
Themes: Sprawl and land use
Strengths: Sample of 501; voice of the citizens; detailed comments of respondents.
Weaknesses: Results not scored/weighted for comparison; some inconsistency of respondents' opinions; some minor numerical errors?; possible bias in sample due to use of voter list and self-selection?

Corry Vision.
Author: Corry Community Development Corporation
Date: December 2001
Length: (On website: www.corrypa.com/ccdc/cv/index.htm)
Sponsor: Corry Community Development Corporation
Geographical area: Corry
Policy Recommendations: Local retail development; expand industrial development and retention efforts; foster a family-friendly environment; improve the image of the community; develop regional linkages

Toward an Economic Development Strategy for Erie
Author: Brian Bosworth, FutureWorks and Regional Technology Strategies
Date: October 16, 2001
Length: 73 pages
Sponsor: Economic Development Corp of Erie County; City of Erie, County of Erie, Erie Conference
Data type/source: Various, including government (secondary), surveys, forums with experts
Geographical area: Erie County
Focus: Economic development, with a government undertone
Themes: 1) We're in serious trouble and need to do something different. 2) This is one regional economy.
Policy Recommendations: 1) Create C-Cubed; 2) Broaden Erie County government's role; 3) Government consolidation; 4) School district consolidations; 5) Audit of County government; 6) Broadband; 7) Community college; 8) Metals and plastics support; 9) Transportation/logistics; 10) Health related manufacturing and services; 11) Technical entrepreneurship; 12) Downtown entertainment/commercial development.
Strengths: Strong call to action; economic development focus; broad range of topics within economic development area; broad range of data sources; specific recommendations
Weaknesses: Quite negative; doesn't provide all data mentioned; poor local self-image is a problem, but this report focuses on the negatives; no summaries of the forums presented.

Erie Metropatterns: A Regional Agenda for Community and Stability in the Erie Region.
Author: Myron Orfield and Thomas Luce
Date: October 2001
Length: 28 pages
Sponsor: County of Erie Department of Planning
Data type/source: Secondary/government
Geographical area: Erie County
Focus: Financing local government services; land use planning
Themes: Social/racial separation; sprawl and infrastructure costs; fiscal disparities across jurisdictions
Policy Recommendations: Inter-jurisdictional planning; tax-base sharing; split-rate property tax
Strengths: Focus on social issues
Weaknesses: Not an economic development focus

Household Survey and Community Forums: Summary of Overall Results.
(Compass: Community Objectives Met through a Partnership of All Segments of Society).
Author: COMPASS participants
Date: May 2001
Length: 23 pages
Sponsor: United Way of Erie County
Data type/source: Surveys (1,822 of 18,000 sent) and community forums (approximately 40, with 530 people)
Geographical area: Erie County with sub-areas
Focus: Community opinion and priorities
Strengths: Well designed sample strategy; large sample; broad-based community input; broad range of issues; input from interested community focus groups.
Weaknesses: Results sometimes contradictory; broad range of issues; possible bias in respondents from self-selection? No sense of tradeoffs among respondents?

“Report: Ready for a New Century” and “A Golden Opportunity for Erie in 2000”
(Two stories from the Erie Times-News summarizing a study by Parr and Kenney)
Authors: Neal Pierce and Curtis Johnson
Date: September 6 & 7, 1998
Length: 2 full newspaper pages
Sponsor: Regional Government Opportunities Task Force (Erie Conference)
Geographical area: Erie County
Focus: Regionalism
Policy Recommendations: Service sharing agreements across local governments; revenue sharing, regional transportation authority, regional land use authority, regional cultural asset district (w/ sales tax support); NOT "one super government"
Strengths: Government focus only
Weaknesses: Government focus only

City of Erie Telecommunications Planning: Phase 1. Executive Report.
Author: ION Consulting
Date: April 3, 2002
Length: 79 pages
Sponsor: City of Erie
Geographical area: City of Erie
Focus: Broadband access

Brain Drain in Erie County
Authors: James A. Washburn and Hazel G. Sadiarin (under the direction of James A. Kurre)
Date: November 2001
Length: 30 pages
Sponsor: Penn State Erie, Economic Research Institute of Erie
Data type/source: Secondary/government
Geographical area: Erie County
Focus: Brain drain
Themes: Young and higher income people are leaving; it hasn't always been that way.

Marketing Erie County and Northwestern Pennsylvania: The Erie Area Convention and Visitors Bureau’s 2001-2004 Marketing Plan
Author: Van Amburg Group, Inc.
Date: March 26, 2001
Length: 231 pages
Sponsor: Erie Area Convention and Visitors Bureau
Data type/source: Various
Geographical area: Erie County
Focus: Tourism & convention business
Policy Recommendations: Regional cultural asset district

Strategic Action Agenda for the Northwest Pennsylvania Regional Economy, Final Report.
Author: Donald T. Iannone and Associates
Date: May 17, 2000
Length: 32 pages
Sponsor: Northwest Regional Planning and Development Commission
Geographical area: 8 counties (Clarion, Crawford, Erie, Forest, Lawrence, Mercer, Venango, Warren)
Focus: Economic development
Themes: Infrastructure/business site development; regional marketing/advocacy; workforce development/ education; future industry and business growth opportunities
Policy Recommendations: Regional GIS-net; marketing strategies; “Treasure Chest” database; “Talent Net”; “Wired for Success”

Differences in the Cost of Living Across Pennsylvania’s 67 Counties.
Author: James A. Kurre, Economic Research Institute of Erie, Penn State Erie
Date: March 2000
Length: 78 pages
Sponsor: Center for Rural Pennsylvania, Harrisburg PA.
Data type/source: Secondary (government, private) generates cost of living estimates
Geographical area: All 67 of Pennsylvania’s counties.
Focus: Spatial cost of living differences
Themes: Rural vs. urban costs

Planning Study for the Northwest Pennsylvania Entrepreneurial Network.
Author: Brandow Company
Date: December 1998
Length: 78 pages
Data type/source: Interviews, focus groups, other
Geographical area: 8 counties (Clarion, Crawford, Erie, Forest, Lawrence, Mercer, Venango, Warren)
Focus: Entrepreneurship and business start-ups

Strategic Economic Development Plan and Economic Development Delivery System Plan: Status Report and Retrospective.
Author: Strategy Solutions, Inc.
Date: September 21, 1998
Length: 47 pages
Sponsor: Northwest Regional Planning and Development Commission
Data type/source: Previous studies and interviews
Geographical area: 8 counties (Clarion, Crawford, Erie, Forest, Lawrence, Mercer, Venango, Warren)
Focus: Economic development

Regional Government Structure and Function: Phase One—Final Report. Analysis of Options and Recommendations.
Author: Center for Regional and Neighborhood Action, The Citistates Group
Date: June 1998
Length: 27 pages
Sponsor: Regional Government Opportunities Task Force
Geographical area: “Erie Region” (City of Erie, Fairview Boro & Twp, Harborcreek Twp, Lawrence Park, Summit Twp and Wesleyville Boro)
Focus: Government operations

A Snapshot of the Community: Regional Baseline and Trend Indicators for Understanding and Improving the Greater Erie Area and Its Economic Future.
Author: Center for Regional and Neighborhood Action, The Citistates Group
Date: March 5, 1998
Length: 35 pages
Sponsor: Regional Government Opportunities Task Force
Data type/source: Secondary (government)
Geographical area: “Erie Region” (City of Erie, Fairview Boro & Twp, Harborcreek Twp, Lawrence Park, Summit Twp and Wesleyville Boro)
Focus: Baseline data

An Update of the “Erie 2002 Economic Development Strategy and Implementation Program” Project Agenda.
Author: Brandow Company
Date: May 12, 1995
Length: 69 pages
Sponsor: Economic Development Corporation of Erie County
Data type/source: Input from 36 community leaders
Geographical area: Erie County
Focus: Economic development, specifically capital projects and site development
Policy Recommendations: Two lists of projects: manufacturing and Community Coalition
Strengths: Assesses each project; considers funding sources and probabilities
Weaknesses: Only looks at big capital projects; no other approaches to economic development

Northwest PA Regional Economic Development Delivery System Plan.
Author: Brandow Company
Date: January 18, 1995
Length: 179 pages
Sponsor: Northwest Regional Planning and Development Commission
Geographical area: 8 counties (Clarion, Crawford, Erie, Forest, Lawrence, Mercer, Venango, Warren)
Focus: Economic development

The Erie County Economic Adjustment Strategy and Implementation Plan. Final Report.
Author: Brandow Company
Date: December 1, 1992
Length: 129 pages
Sponsor: Economic Development Corporation of Erie County
Geographical area: Erie County
Focus: Economic development, with 4 areas: industry retention, diversification, project development, equity
Themes: Core industry clusters, counter-cyclical cushion, bricks and mortar projects, opportunities for youth and disadvantaged groups
Policy Recommendations: (28 separate recommendations)

An Economic Development Strategy for the Twenty-First Century. Final Report.
Author: Brandow Company
Date: November 5, 1992
Length: 131 pages
Sponsor: Northwest Regional Planning and Development Commission
Geographical area: 8 counties (Clarion, Crawford, Erie, Forest, Lawrence, Mercer, Venango, Warren)
Focus: Economic development

Economic Adjustment Strategy, Erie County Pennsylvania
Author: Delta Development Group, Inc.
Date: August 31, 1989
Length: 76 pages
Sponsor: Economic Development Corporation of Erie County
Data type/source: Secondary (government) and review of education/training facilities
Geographical area: Erie County
Focus: Economic development
Themes: Workforce education and training
Policy Recommendations: Technical Institute; Small Business Network; assess training needs; school-business linkages; industry tracking system; target growth industries

A Strategy for Success: Blueprint for an Erie Renaissance. A Progress Report to the Erie Conference on Community Development.
Author: Community Agenda Committee
Date: September 22, 1988
Length: 87 pages.
Sponsor: Erie Conference on Community Development
Geographical area: Erie County

Quality of Life Task Force, Final Report.
Author: Quality of Life Task Force, Community Agenda, Erie Conference on Community Development
Date: September 1988
Length: 18 pages
Sponsor: Erie Conference on Community Development
Geographical area: Erie County

Economic Adjustment Strategy for the Erie, Pennsylvania, Area. Highlights of Final Report.
Author: Lazar Management Group
Date: June 1986
Length: 20 pages (“Highlights” document only)
Sponsor: Economic Development Corporation of Erie County.
Geographical area: Erie County
Focus: Economic development
Themes: Keep income and wages up; prevent exit of existing businesses; create incentives for expansion of existing businesses; foster start-ups; attract new firms.
Policy Recommendations: Revolving loan fund; facility for mini-industries; Albion-Cranesvile industrial park; consortium of colleges; consortium of banks; expand tourism; Erie industrial marketing program; linkage with Fort Drum NY

Themes from Survey Work:
Erie Citizens’ Opinions

There have been several surveys of Erie County residents done recently, sometimes as separate studies, and sometimes as part of broader works. Not all were designed to focus on economic development, although all of them include information that bears on that topic. This document gives a brief summary of some of the themes that have emerged from four of those studies.

The studies:

Bosworth, Brian. Toward an Economic Development Strategy for Erie: Findings and Recommendations of Consultants. October 16, 2001. 73 pages. (The FutureWorks Company and Regional Technology Strategies, Inc.)

Compass (Community Objectives Met through a Partnership of All Segments of Society). Household Survey and Community Forums: Summary of Overall Results. Prepared for the United Way of Erie County. May 2001. 23 pages.

Compass (Community Objectives Met through a Partnership of All Segments of Society). Perceptions of the Quality of Erie County Life from the COMPASS Study. Final report prepared by Amy Onest of Strategy Solutions, Inc. April 2002. 38 pages.

Erie County Department of Planning, assisted by Graney, Grossman, Ray, Colosimo and Associates, Inc. The Erie County Citizen Survey: Draft. February 2002. 22 pages. (Indicated below as Graney.)

Positives
Survey respondents identified several positive aspects of life in Erie County, including:
-This is a desirable place to live. (Graney, Compass)
-Residents have a general optimism about Erie. (Bosworth, Graney, Compass)
-There is a relatively low cost of living. (Bosworth, Graney)
-The area has strong higher education institutions. (Bosworth)
-The natural environment is very appealing. (Graney)
-Local health care institutions and services are strong. (Graney)
-There are abundant opportunities for recreation. (Graney)

Negatives
The studies have also identified some negative aspects of life in Erie County:
-The economy is very weak; there is a lack of good-paying jobs. (Bosworth, Graney, Compass)
-Local government leadership is weak. (Bosworth, Compass)
-There are brain and youth drains from the county. (Bosworth, Compass)
-There is no shared vision of the future. (Bosworth)
-Erieites have a negative self-image. (Bosworth)
-Roads and/or public transportation need work. (Compass)
-We don’t have enough adult education and technical training. (Compass)

Land Use Issues
The surveys have asked questions specifically about land use issues, with the following results.
-Erieites prefer to keep land in rural uses or open space. (Graney, Compass)
-They prefer to live in suburbs rather than the city. (Graney, Compass)
-They overwhelmingly prefer single family house. (Graney, Compass)

Priorities
Survey respondents were asked to give opinions about the importance of various public issues.

High priorities:
-Reorganize local government (Bosworth)
-Agreement on consolidation of water, sewer, ambulance services across jurisdictions (Graney)
-School district consolidation: split opinion; no consensus (Graney)
-But in Compass, 52.6% score for “satisfied” with local government (nearly neutral).
-Lower rating for the idea of a metro government (Compass)
-Develop a regional marketing plan (Bosworth)
-Expand tourism (Compass)
-Labor force and (re)training (Bosworth)
-Adult retraining, career change training (Compass)
-Build/expand research and development capacity to promote high tech (Bosworth)
-Develop a long-run plan to guide growth (Graney)
-More recreation for youth (Graney)
-Preserve woodlands, open space, agricultural land (Graney)
-Drunk drivers (Compass)
-Teen pregnancy (Compass)
-Domestic violence (Compass)
-Underemployment (Compass)—but nearly neutral at 53%!

Low priorities:
-New highways (Graney)
-Walking/bike paths (Graney)
-Additional recreation facilities (Graney)
-Gangs (Compass)
-Air pollution (Compass)
-Traffic congestion (Compass)
-Downtown appearance (Compass)

Mixed/Opposing Viewpoints
Unfortunately, the surveys present mixed or even conflicting opinions on several issues.

-Respondents strongly prefer single-family homes--but also want no sprawl.
-We should extend water and sewer lines but contain sprawl and development.
-Land use regulation is good, but “not on my property.”
-Economic issues were among the “worst” aspects of the area in all studies, but policies to deal with them were not among the most important of future projects (Compass), and the Compass study also yielded a nearly neutral rating for underemployment as a problem.
-Traffic/transportation was listed as the #2 problem (in the Graney comment section), but roads were listed as a low priority, and traffic congestion was a low priority in Compass.
-Respondents want better long-term planning, but training of future leaders was a low priority. (Graney)
-Compass respondents presented mixed views on the performance of local leadership.
-Compass does not give strong support for consolidation of governments locally—in contrast with the other studies, which do.
-Compass respondents listed more recreation for youth as a high priority, but respondents in the Graney study placed additional recreation facilities low on the priority list.
-Compass showed weak adult education/retraining scores, but did not list it as a priority for the future

The responses did not typically demonstrate a recognition of tradeoffs among different goals or problems, that more resources spent on one problem or focus means less for others.

Recommendations and Action Items of
Five Major Economic Development Plans
for the Erie Area

This summary presents abbreviated information on the recommendations of five major economic development plans, along with action that has occurred on some of the recommendations. Be forewarned that many other economic development activities have certainly occurred, and this list is not exhaustive.

Thanks are due to the following, who provided information about the projects that were (or were not) undertaken:
-Monica Brower, Economic Development Corporation of Erie County
-Damon Homich, Girard Area Industrial Development Corporation
-Robert Light, Penn State Erie
-Richard Novotny, Corry Area Industrial Development Corporation
-Jacob Rouch, Erie Conference
-Jeff Spaulding, City of Erie Department of Economic and Community Development

1986: Lazar Management Group. Economic Adjustment Strategy for the Erie, Pennsylvania, Area. Highlights of Final Report. Prepared for the Economic Development Corporation of Erie County. June 1986. 20 pages.

1) Establish a revolving loan fund and a supporting organization (Priority: A)
? Established the Enterprise Development Fund
? Established the Corry Area Enterprise Zone Loan Fund
? Currently working on a fund for Union City
2) Establish a facility to house mini-industries (Priority: A)
?Established as the Enterprise Development Center
? Corry and Girard have also developed business incubators for this purpose
3) Develop an industrial park in the Albion-Cranesville area (Priority: A)
? Created in 1992
4) Explore establishment of a consortium of area colleges to provide research and other services to industry and government (Priority: B+)
? This was the precursor discussion which lead to the creation of the Technical Institute (established in 1992) and the Corry Higher Education Council (established in 1992)
5) Explore establishment of an Erie bank consortium for industrial finance (Priority: A)
6) Expand the scope of tourism-related activities (Priority: C+)
7) Develop an expanded Erie industrial marketing program, to attract new industry to the area (Priority:A)
8) Develop an Enterprise Linkage program with Fort Drum, NY, for Erie firms to supply the military base there (Priority: B+)

1989: Delta Development Group, Inc. Economic Adjustment Strategy, Erie County PA. Prepared for the Economic Development Corporation of Erie County, August 31, 1989. 76 pages.

1) Create a coordinating entity to establish a Technical Institute, without walls, within two years.
?Technical Institute established 1992. (Currently CAMTech)
? The Higher Education Council was established in the Corry Area
2) Identify the 50 local small business that have the greatest potential to create new jobs and establish a delivery system to provide technical and business services to them. (Set up the Small Business Network.)
3) Assist industry leaders to develop in-house assessments of long-term training needs.
4) Develop an effective business and education linkage with the primary and secondary public schools in Erie to develop “quality consciousness” among students and teachers. Utilize Allentown’s “Schoolworks” as a model.
5) Develop an industry tracking system which will provide the economic development community with “early warning” to significant events or structural shifts underway that affect industrial performance.
?Established the Team PA business-calling program
6) Develop new programs or target existing financial incentives, industrial parks and incubators, and employment retraining programs to the industries/sectors identified in the report as growth industry prospects.

1992: Brandow Company. The Erie County Economic Adjustment Strategy and Implementation Plan. Final Report. December 1, 1992. Prepared for the Economic Development Corporation of Erie County. 129 pages.

1) Industry Retention focus: Establish concrete and realistic support programs for core industries.
a) Establish a Competitiveness Council program to assist small businesses.
b) Establish a Strategic Roundtable of development agencies to coordinate activities.
? Established in 1992 as the Economic Development Strategic Roundtable, facilitated and administered by the Erie Conference. It ceased meeting in 2001 due to the creation of the Team Pennsylvania quarterly meetings
c) Develop industry-targeted Industrial Resource Center outreach initiatives to help failing industries.
d) Communicate economic development plans and successes to manufacturers.
e) Develop a one-stop shop, as locally appropriate, to help businesses connect with programs.
f) Examine and improve private-sector lending practices to local manufacturers.
g) Develop an outreach program to help manufacturers identify skill and training needs.
h) Tie skill training to rural, small business, and target population needs, also.
i) Consider a Port Erie focus on specialized product handling
j) Tie into the Northwest Regional Planning Commission’s export-related initiatives.
k) Tie into the Northwest Regional Planning Commission’s industry cluster program.
l) Develop an incubator/technical park focused on the high end of the plastics or molding industries.
2) Diversification focus: Formulate a diversification initiative which provides a counter-cyclical cushion to Erie’s strong manufacturing sector.
a) Organize a tourism initiative focused on the higher value end of the industry.
b) Develop the bird-watching tourism segment.
c) Develop appropriate conference/convention business.
? The Bayfront Convention Center will begin construction in 2002 and be open for business in 2005, but the impetus for the Convention Center did not come out of this strategy, rather it came out of the Port Authority’s vision for an economic development catalyst for the waterfront.
d) Begin analysis for a Presque Isle aviary/visitor center or other tourism magnet.
?The Presque Isle Center will address this need in part.
e) Tie the local colleges into the economic development process more.
f) Develop Erie as a conference center for core industry-specific issues.
3) Project Development focus: Evaluate bricks and mortar development initiatives relative to task force mission priorities.
a) Pursue development of industrial parks.
? Currently available:
-East 12th Street Industrial Park (East 12th and Camphausen)
-Erie Industrial Park (26th to 33rd on McClelland)
-J. Robert Baldwin Business Park (Oliver Road)
-Michael J. Veshecco Industrial Park (West 12th and Greengarden)
-Thomas E. Bundy Industrial Park (Route 8 and I-90)
-Albion-Cranesville Industrial Park (John Williams Avenue, Conneaut)
-Fairview Business Park (Route 98 near I-90)
-Corry Industrial Park (Sciota Street and Plastics Road)
b) City should develop a Transition Initiative to match land with manufacturing firms’ needs, and procure blighted sites for redevelopment.
c) On an ongoing basis, evaluate bricks and mortar projects based on strategic impact (with a list of impacts such as core industry benefit, business retention, social equity, etc.).
d) Pursue a list of site-specific industrial development projects. The “A” list included
-Uniflow (1525 East Lake Road) ? Completed
-Erie Industrial Park on East 26th St. (26th to 30th, McClelland to McCain)
-Some land incorporated into earlier adjoining industrial park
-Fairview Phase I (80 acres on Route 98 near I-90) ? Completed
-East 12th St. Industrial Park (1561 E. 12th St.) ? Completed
-Port Albion Industrial Park Currently owned and for sale by the Economic Development Corp of Erie County
-Cooper-Ajax Facility in Corry. ? Privately developed
e) Pursue a list of specific infrastructure projects beneficial to manufacturing. The “A” list included:
-East Erie Enterprise Zone Blight Removal/Transition Initiative in Erie
-East 10th St. paving ? Completed
f) Pursue a list of specific infrastructure and development projects beneficial to commercial and retail sectors. (“A” list includes Aviary study, Discovery Square/Cultural Critical Mass (6 projects).)
4) Equity focus: Foster initiatives which develop economic opportunities for youth and disadvantaged communities.
a) Increase minority business ownership, especially through incubation strategies.
?A micro-enterprise, minority loan fund was established and loans were made. Portfolio of loans and/or balance of loan funds now resides with the Urban Erie Community Development Corporation.
b) Develop more entry level jobs for disadvantaged communities, with job training focused on manufacturing needs.
c) Pursue Continuing Reinvestment in Erie Task Force’s recommendations for communities with credit needs.
?Continuing Reinvestment in Erie Task Group dissolved in 1994-95
d) Use unemployed youth in tourism-related activities to give them training and experience and to bolster that industry.

1995: Brandow Company. An Update of the “Erie 2002 Economic Development Strategy and Implementation Program” Project Agenda. May 12, 1995. Prepared for the Economic Development Corporation of Erie County. 69 pages.

Focused on capital projects and site development for economic development.

“A” list manufacturing projects:
-Veshecco Industrial Park site development ? Completed
-Community Plastics Training Center
Perhaps rendered moot by the Plastics Technology Program at Behrend?
-International Paper co-generation facility assistance
-Uniflow Phase IV ? Completed
-East Erie Enterprise Zone Land Bank initiative
-Fairview Industrial Park ? Completed
-Keystone Drive in Lake City
-Port Albion Industrial Park site development Currently owned and for sale by the Economic Development Corp of Erie County
-Corry-Hiebert facility rehabilitation ? Currently the headquarters of Erie Plastics.
-Met-Ed/Penelec site in Girard Twp (400 acres) --develop infrastructure if a committed tenant surfaces
-Corry Industrial Park spec building, if a tenant commits for one-half the space
? This facility was built, filled and sold. Currently redeveloping the former Erie Plastics Building.
-Consider development of the Fenestra building into an intermodal distribution and industrial complex
? Currently being pursued by the Airport Authority
“A” list Community Coalition projects:
-Bayfront intermodal complex
?Under construction; slated for September 2002 opening.
-PSU-Behrend Economic Development Center
?Approved by State and PSU; in design phase.
-Fairview Industrial Park
?Phase I & Phase II developed, now shopping for tenants.
-Pennsylvania Aquarium
-Presque Isle Waterworks

2001: Bosworth, Brian. Toward an Economic Development Strategy for Erie: Findings and Recommendations of Consultants. October 16, 2001. 73 pages.

1) Establish a civic coordinating council to implement this report and other initiatives to come. They will be the clear locus of responsibility.
?Civic Coordinating Committee established
2) Expand the authority of Erie County government for economic and community development.
3) County (with State help) should offer incentives/financial assistance for governments willing to consolidate.
4) Establish a task force to explore consolidation of school districts locally, especially emphasizing finance and equity issues.
5) The C-cubed Committee should undertake a “performance and potential” audit of County government to prepare for the coming changes, and to identify areas where the County can strengthen internal capacity.
?Underway; under the direction of the County Executive and his administration.

6) Pursue a coordinated countywide effort for rapid deployment of broadband infrastructure.
? Erie County Digital Task Force is beginning their formal analysis of system opportunities, gaps, and service options;
? City of Erie’s study by ION Consulting completed.
7) Create a community college focused on technical and occupational skill development for adults.
?Career & Technical Educational Environmental Scan will be completed by June 2003. Erie Conference is coordinating; Dr. Jim Jacobs of Columbia University is coordinating the analysis. All 13 school districts, four colleges/universities, and CAMTech are participating along with the County Executive’s Office, Mayor’s Office, and private sector.
8) Build/strengthen inter-firm cooperation for metals and plastics firms locally.
9) Appoint an action team to begin the process of attracting more of the high end of the distribution, transportation and logistics industry, linked to the Buffalo-Niagara NAFTA corridor.
10) Appoint an action team to begin the process of expanding the health-related manufacturing and service industries.
11) Establish a new program for seeding and supporting new businesses—the Program for Advanced Technology Entrepreneurship, and a private equity seed capital fund.
12) Accelerate development of a commercial and entertainment district in downtown Erie.
?A feasibility study for the Erie Civic Center Complex is being completed and addresses a number of issues relative to the creation of a vibrant commercial and entertainment district in downtown Erie. The Mayor’s office and Erie County Convention Center Authority are taking the lead.