The funding for Improvements in Downtown Erie is from special bonds secured by the Downtown Urban Renewal Authority. Bonds are an important financial tool that allow us to undertake significant infrastructure improvements without directly using local tax dollars. Essentially, the bond revenue provides what can be considered as “tax-free money” for the Town much like interest gained on a personal high yield bank account. This means upgrades to Briggs Street not only beautify and improve the street but do so without burdening residents and businesses with additional tax expenses. Using this funding ensures we can enhance community facilities and services while maintaining fiscal responsibility and minimizing financial impact to the community.
To determine how to use those funds, the Town asked the public to weigh in on what they thought was best to meet the future needs of this growing area. Aided by your input and ideas, the Town was able to answer the questions of "what's next?" for Downtown Erie.
The effort kicked off with a series of walking tours in 2021 (in-person or virtually) of the specific areas and topics up for consideration. These tours were led by the Town of Erie Economic Development Team.
Key Improvements
The Erie Economic Development Team began with an in-depth look at the current infrastructure, the rapidly evolving demographics of the region, and future trends and best practices. They identified a handful of scenarios for the public, stakeholders, and ultimately the Board of Trustees (now the town Council) to consider. Watch a quick video explaining the identified key improvements:
Budget Simulator
The Town then used a simulation too for the public to weigh in o which possible improvements should be funded first. Budget accountability and transparency are an essential part of a well-rounded practice of good governance.
Based on how the public and other key stakeholders voted to spend the URA Bond money - those projects were ultimately prioritized and sent to design and construction.
More than 2,500 people visited the budget simulator and based on the submissions, the top three projects identified for funding were:
- Streetscaping Upgrades
- Tree Planting
- Parking Improvements
At this time, the Town and the URA has the funding to begin with the first two projects and those are underway as of Fall 2024 and are expected to be completed in Spring 2025. A parking study and project is expected tokick-off in late Spring 2025.
