“Erie Hit ‘Rock Bottom.’ The Former Factory Hub Thinks It Has a Way Out.”
Erie has lost 30% of its population since 1960, but city leaders are now fighting for its future with a new development plan and the new federal opportunity zone program.
For the Wall Street Journal, 2019.
Three smokestacks are all that remain of the formerly bustling Hammermill Paper Company in Erie, Pa., photographed on Wednesday, October 2, 2019.
Paul Scalf works in the anodizing room at the American Tinning & Galvanizing Company in Erie, Pa., Wednesday, October 2, 2019.
Lucky Cowans works in the anodizing room at the American Tinning & Galvanizing Company in Erie, Pa.
American Tinning & Galvanizing Company in Erie, Pa.
Robin Scheppner, president and CEO of American Tinning & Galvanizing Company, stands for a portrait in Erie, Pa., Wednesday, October 2, 2019. The company has been in operation for 88 years, and Scheppner says they have a plan to keep it running for 60 more. She believes it is small manufacturing companies like hers that uphold the Erie community.
Auditor Sylvia Watson performs a quality inspection at Plastikos, Inc. in Erie, Pa., Wednesday, October 2, 2019. Advanced manufacturers like Plastikos help keep some factory work alive in Erie.
Quality inspector Daisy Rivera checks for defects in electronic connectors at Plastikos, Inc. in Erie, Pa., Wednesday, October 2, 2019.
Downtown Erie, Pa.
Mayor Joe Schember sits for a portrait at Ember + Forge coffee shop in Erie, Pa., Wednesday, October 2, 2019. “A lot of people in Erie think we might have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to turn (Erie) around,” said Mr. Schember, a former bank executive who put himself through college by working at a foundry in the city. “And if we miss it, we might not have another chance.”
The Park Place and Sherlock's building in Erie, Pa. is beginning significant renovation by its new owners, the Erie Downtown Development Corporation, photographed on Wednesday, October 2, 2019. Built in the middle of the 19th century, the building was once home to a biker bar. The EDDC plans to develop it into a food hall downstairs and renovate parts of its upper floors into apartments. Below, scenes from the building reveal its eclectic history.
John Persinger, CEO of Erie Downtown Development Corporation, stands for a portrait in the corporation's recently acquired Park Place and Sherlock's building in Erie, Pa., Wednesday, October 2, 2019. This room was left outfitted with mural-sized mirrors fitting for a dance studio.
Erie Mill & Press Company building in Erie, Pa., Wednesday, October 2, 2019.