Our West Bayfront

Repair assistance to property owners:owb works closely with property owners in a targeted, block by block approach to strengthening the neighborhoods within the West Bayfront. Owb provides assistance to property owners, to help them make repairs and improvements to the exterior of their buildings, strengthening the tax base, stabilizing the market, and increasing pride in the neighborhood. Typical projects include roof replacement, window replacement, painting, siding, and porch repairs. In 2022-2023 owb provided assistance to 18 property owners, leveraging additional investments from property owners and generating construction jobs.

Public space improvements:owb partners with the city of erie and neighborhood residents to conceptualize, design, and implement improvements to community spaces including public parks, streetscapes, vacant lots, and community gateways. These improvements encourage use of parks and public spaces, help residents feel safer and more comfortable in public spaces, and generally enhance the appeal of the community to stabilize the neighborhood. In 2022-2023 owb coordinated a variety of public space and safety improvement projects throughout the community. Owb facilitated a process to redesign gridley park, an historic park in the heart of the community, based on community input. The proposed concept plan will be the basis for future park improvements. Owb worked with partners the mlk jr. center and erie arts and culture to create a mural located on the side of the Bayfront minimall, adjacent to an improved pocket park created several years ago. Owb also coordinated a streetscape design plan for West 8th street, as well as the designs for proposed neighborhood identity signage that will be installed in the coming year. Working with partner organization re-leaf and volunteers, owb planted numerous trees and completed the installation of exterior lighting at residential homes.

Property acquisition and renovations:our West Bayfront works with the city of erie's land bank and other partners to identify and acquire deteriorated properties in need of renovation that are not being addressed by private market conditions. The transformation of these properties contributes to owb's targeted revitalization goals and helps to stabilize the market in the transitional neighborhoods that owb serves. In addition to creating new affordable quality housing and commercial spaces, the transformation of these properties has indirect benefits for the entire block by improving blighted and unsafe conditions. In 2022-23, owb , executed an agreement with the city of erie land bank to acquire a tax foreclosed property. The acquisition was completed in july of 2023. Owb also continued preliminary redevelopment work on three other vacant properties it owns, including interior demolition and scope development, and worked to secure financing to complete the full gut renovation of all three properties.

Building community:owb works with numerous community partners to provide programming to activate public spaces, build community pride, strengthen relationships among residents, and support civic engagement, attended by approximately 4000 people throughout the year. Events during 2022-2023 included the West bayfit summer recreation series, eeerie fall fest at gridley park, national night out, a spring cleanup, porchfest music festival, and more. Owb also offered free workshops with tips on improving home energy efficiency, home gardening, and diy home repairs.