RDA updates: brownfield cleanups, community garden and EMI renovation move forward

Tina Mangine, representing the Redevelopment Authority, told Erie City Council the authority has remediated multiple brownfield sites and leveraged city investments with state, federal and private funds to bring projects to construction and occupancy.

Mangine said the RDA helped clean and remediate the Berry Global site at 15th and Myrtle so the company could occupy a new warehouse. "We cleaned it up, remediated it," she said, and described the work as "a true collaboration with the city, public works, water authority, administration, [and] council." She reported the project has "secured 142 jobs and 15 new jobs," and that a roughly $1,000,000 city loan and ARP dollars were combined with other grants and private loans to leverage the development.

She described the Slovakia Opportunity Park as a nearly $5 million project on a former brownfield in an urban core neighborhood that includes a community garden and an organic commercial garden. Mangine said the community garden is fully funded, noting a recent match from a federal appropriation "from Senator Casey's office." She said the project aims to create jobs, recycle dollars into the neighborhood and serve as a catalyst for roughly 19 acres of development.

At the Quinte site (16th and French), Mangine said demolition and removal of large underground tanks are complete, testing is underway and remediation continues. At the former EMI site on West 12th, she said more than $4,000,000 has been invested to date and renovations are set to begin next week; she described the full renovation program as a $20 million to $25 million effort supported by about $20 million in state and federal grants and an RDA investment of roughly $6
$6.5 million that has leveraged about $46 million in other funding.

Mangine also introduced the early-stage Erie Coke project, saying it will be a long-term effort with the port authority and that, in the near term, the RDA will likely request letters of support rather than funding. Council members asked about property ownership and accountability for visible progress at sites; Mangine said the RDA would follow up with private owners and encourage steps such as posting construction signage to clarify future plans.

The update left several items described as ongoing: site testing at Quinte, gap financing at Slovakia Opportunity Park and long-term remediation for the Erie Coke site. Mangine did not request new appropriation at the meeting but asked for support letters for larger future steps.