‘Unbridled opportunity’: Erie leaders ready to attract more business with new park development

A major announcement regarding the ownership of a once well-known business in Fairview Township was made Wednesday.

The Erie County Executive Office met June 19 to unveil its new plan to develop land to attract more businesses to the Erie area.

What is today an empty field off the highway will become something very different in the near future.

The 160-acre property sits at the intersection of Interstate 90 and Sterrettania Road. Erie County Executive Brenton Davis closed the deal for the land Tuesday.

“It’s an unlimited opportunity. When we look at the first business park, it is a historic moment, the first business park in more than a quarter of a century. This is the number one need we have in Erie County,” Davis said.

He added that the executive office has been working with consultants, engineers and other lawmakers since 2019 to make the business park possible.

State Rep. Jake Banta (District 4) also worked closely with the county and said the biggest win of this project was giving young people the opportunity to stay in Erie by creating more jobs.

“When we talk about this money and how it’s allocated and so on, what it brings here is the opportunity for the big fish to come to town and create jobs, and that’s what we need. We need jobs in Erie,” said State Rep. Banta.

Banta added that the project aims to get a return on investment and give Erie a chance to rebuild its population deficit and economic growth.

The county executive office said they would turn all that grass and field into an industrial park full of businesses.

“These green fields are a path to the future. You know that we can reconcile development and preservation of agricultural operations. For me, it’s the balance between the two: opportunity and preservation,” Davis said.

Davis added that the next steps in developing the land will be planning infrastructure and finding tenants for future commercial spaces.

Until then, the community shouldn’t expect much action in the area you see here.