Bizzarro announces $1.9M in investments in Erie County
Projects will address blight, child care, hunger throughout region
Rep. Ryan Bizzarro November 3, 2022 | 6:44 PM
ERIE, Nov. 3 – Almost a $2 million investment has been made to assist Erie County projects through the Neighborhood Assistance Program (NAP), state Rep. Ryan Bizzarro, D-Erie, announced Thursday.
“The Neighborhood Assistance Program is vital in that it builds partnerships between local businesses and organizations to address real-life problems – including increasing the availability of affordable child care and after-school programs in our county,” Bizzarro said. “It’s rewarding to see these investments attempting to tackle big issues like affordable housing, blight, hunger and economic development. It’s also reassuring to know Erie’s private sector continues to step forward to be an active supporter in improving the lives of our neighbors, families and residents throughout the region.”
The investment for projects in Erie County total $1,955,538. NAP is a tax credit program that encourages businesses to invest in projects to help improve communities. Details on programs approved statewide can be found here.
Full descriptions of the investments announced Thursday can be found here, and a short synopsis of each can be found below:
- $41,250 Child Development Center’s Roosevelt Center: It will create 150 openings for child care/early childhood education that will support Erie families so they can work, complete job training, attend school.
- $118,250 Eagle’s Nest Leadership Corporation: It will build an athletic center filled with programming, daily activities and physical fitness to build up, encourage, support and protect Erie residents in a safe space, with a goal of completion by 2023.
- $34,375 Erie Civic Theatre Association: Erie Playhouse will be adding the PLAYtime Plus component to provide expanded programming during after-school, summer and weekend hours. PLAYtime is a program that helps the theatre’s partners meet the developmental, educational, and emotional needs of their learners.
- $33,000 SSJ Neighborhood Networks: The Network’s NAP revitalization projects target much of the city’s most neglected census tracts. Funds will be used for general construction, the purchase of equipment, operating costs, and matching SNAP, WIC, and FMNP senior vouchers.
- $280,000 Bayfront East Side Taskforce: The taskforce’s Neighborhood Partnership Plan focuses on increasing neighborhood services, removal of blight, development of housing opportunities, homeowner education and youth programming. These strategies will transform the neighborhood into one families, individuals and businesses desire to live, work and play.
- $132,500 Erie Center for Arts & Technology: ECAT, along with its partners and fellow building tenants, will continue to implement a two-generational approach to poverty,
- which involves borrowing strategies from the US Department of Education’s Promise Neighborhood Program. Embracing the concept of “cradle to career,” the goal is to provide comprehensive, holistic services that serve not just the individual but the entire community.
- $220,000 Gannon University, Our West Bayfront: The resident-led nonprofit affiliated with Gannon University, will continue to coordinate a broad coalition including local government, resident groups, businesses, and houses of worship to undertake tangible and strategic projects including home repairs, homeownership initiatives, small business support, streetscape improvements, and open space enhancements, that improve quality of life, empower residents, and preserve the community’s unique diversity.
- $160,000 SSJ Neighborhood Network: Funds will be used for acquisition of blighted properties, general construction, infrastructure/site preparation, operating costs and installation of urban art.
- $300,000 for Erie Downtown Partnership: It will develop an implementation plan for a downtown revitalization to spur and support additional private investment throughout the commercial core of downtown Erie to include a strategy to attract new businesses that will create jobs and help downtown Erie recover from the pandemic.
- $57,300 for Erie Downtown Partnership: The Agency proposes utilizing funds to complete needed repairs, updates, and renovations to a property already ideally
- located in downtown Warren. The proposed location was acquired by the Agency from another local non-profit and is currently a duplex with 2, three bedroom units.
- $11,813 for Julia Hospice and Palliative Care: It expects to reach 60-70% of their projected annual patient service volumes by the end of 2023. To help meet this need, JHPC plans to build the first residential/inpatient hospice facility and palliative care clinic in Erie County.
- $567,050 for Second Harvest: Second Harvest provides more meals to children, families and seniors than any other hunger-relief organization in northwest Pennsylvania.