Favorite mid-sized PA city skyline?

[trackstar13]

Originally Posted by SteelCityRising

^ I'm really hopeful that the developer can secure the necessary state-backed financing ("CRIS?") that was being discussed in the interview to make this project as grandiose as envisioned. We love Erie, but we definitely feel as if the immediate Downtown/Bayfront area sorely needs an economic shot in the arm. Erie Insurance and Gannon University both seem to be great corporate citizens, and I'm sure Hamot Hospital will be willing to be incorporated into this new project as well since UPMC, which is committed to urban revitalization, is now their parent company.

Erie's Downtown, to us, feels depressing in most areas. It has a lot of very wide streets that are conducive to speeding more than to fostering a safe environment for pedestrians and cyclists, there are way too many surface parking lots, and there are numerous abandoned structures. At the same time we noticed there weren't a whole lot of newer housing options available Downtown, and this would be a great time for Erie to ride the wave of a renewed interest in urban living that has been sweeping the entire country over the past decade or so. Bringing several hundred new people Downtown would bolster the bottom lines of existing businesses and would help to encourage new business development, too.

You can call me a dreamer, but in the long-term I'd LOVE for the tip of the Presque Isle State Park Peninsula to be connected to Erie's Bayfront via a pedestrian-/cyclist-only drawbridge that would span between Lampe Campground and somewhere near the U.S. Coast Guard's property. Right now if you're staying at a hotel in Downtown Erie you have to travel to the state park via car whereas you'd be able to just walk to enjoy the park's beauty via this footbridge, which would be high enough so sailboats, kayaks, etc. could pass beneath but could be raised for the rare times larger ships would need access. What do you think, Trackstar? Big pipe dream?

SCR

You always post in a very thorough manner and I have been a little busy at work lately, but here are my thoughts related to your above post.

1) The UPMC Hamot vs. Highmark St. Vincent (Cleveland Clinic) battle in Erie should be interesting. These are the major hospitals in the area and hopefully the battle will bring some highly trained medical employees to the region and the area will become an even better regional healthcare destination.

2) The CRIZ designation is not necessary, but with it Erie could completely re-shape the Bayfront, rather than add more scattered and random development. I am hopeful that Erie has a good chance of getting it the next time around. Especially because Erie is now more familiar with the process and the application should be much stronger.

3) Downtown is very depressing and the parking lots and parking decks in places where historic buildings used to be drive me crazy. With that being said there is a significant amount of potential for the Erie downtown and my biggest concern is that they only redevelop the waterfront and not midtown or other parts of the city.

4) I agree with you that Gannon University has been a great citizen and many people complain about Gannon taking properties off the tax rolls, but many of them are vacant and vastly under-assessed anyway because many of the businesses in Erie have moved to Summit Township and similar areas.

5) In terms of the drawbridge idea, you are definitely a dreamer, but I am not sure this would work. Erie is becoming very well known as one of the main areas that repairs the large great lakes freight ships and a drawbridge would significantly impact these ships being able to move in an out of Presque Isle, as well as cost a ton of money due to the height it would need to be able to be raised. Currently, you can take the water taxis from the city side of Presque Isle over to the state park. They leave from Dobbins Landing and Liberty Park. Here is the link: Cruising | Port Erie

6) In terms of downtown housing, the biggest issue I think is the lack of available amenities in the downtown area. It is the classic chicken and egg argument and until there is a viable grocery store downtown and more than bars/restaurants I think it is hard for people to envision living downtown. Honestly, I wanted to live downtown and I even thought about purchasing one of those new townhomes, but I am not the early adopter type and when the coffee shop in the townhome development failed before they even opened I gave up and just bought a house in the Frontier area. I am hoping they eventually take off and here are some recommendations for new things that were recently added downtown that I like:

Casablanca Sandwich Express- Great addition to the downtown and it is a nice lunch spot for some middle eastern food.
https://www.facebook.com/CasablancaS...ess?ref=stream

Lavery Brewing Company- Excellent Beer and on 12th close to the main business areas.
Lavery Brewing Company - Erie, PA - Home

[legendarymb]

Yes thanks for that common sense statement!! Harrisburg is tiny!! The feel of the area and traffic volume is laughably small...

[rowhomecity]

Definitely Harrisburg.

Harrisburg's skyline looks like a city of about 350k. Much larger than it actually is. Honestly compared to some sunbelt cities it is way more impressive than say Phoenix.