Shapiro administration touts investments in Erie

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(The Center Square) - Gov. Josh Shapiro traveled to Erie on Friday to announce a $9.5 million investment from the state to complete the city’s Bayfront market house project.

The funding will come from the state’s Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program and is part of a wider effort to invigorate the state’s northwestern region.

The Bayfront Parkway Improvement Project, of which the market house is just a small part, aims to connect the city’s downtown to its waterfront. Overall, the project will cost $162 million.

“My administration is all in on Erie,” said Shapiro. “By connecting downtown to the Bayfront, supporting local businesses, and preparing new sites for development, we’re ensuring this community’s success every step of the way. I believe in the people of Erie and the future of this great city – and these investments will revitalize downtown, attract visitors, and keep Erie growing stronger for years to come.”

The attention to Erie comes part and parcel with the governor’s new position as chair of the Great Lakes–St. Lawrence Governors and Premiers, a coalition of leaders in Canada and the 8 U.S. states which border and contain the Great Lakes.

For locals, the promise of revitalization is long in the making.

“We’ve been working on the market house for over six years, and thanks to the governor’s leadership and the support of his administration, we are ready to go out for bids in December and begin construction in February,” said Roger Richards, the governor’s appointee to the Erie County Convention Center Authority Board. “We couldn’t ask for better cooperation, and I’m proud to see these investments benefiting our community.”

PennDOT Secretary Mike Carroll was also in attendance to highlight the infrastructural upgrades made to Erie’s roadways. The larger improvement project includes new roundabouts, crosswalks, and a new pedestrian bridge and walking trail aimed at improving traffic and supporting pedestrians.

"Our investments in the Erie Bayfront exemplify the Administration’s commitment to connecting Pennsylvanians to their communities and to opportunity,” said Secretary Carroll. “The City of Erie is on the move, and enhancing transportation in the region — both for those who live here and the many folks who travel to Erie each year — will help the region grow.”

New investments, however, may feel ephemeral as the General Assembly continues its stalemate on passing a budget, now 109 days late.

Asked about the budget, Shapiro placed responsibility for the delay squarely at the feet of Senate Republicans, pointing to two separate proposals from the Democratic-led House.

“Look, I get politics, right, and the Senate Republicans obviously began this process to slow it down to try and hurt me politically,” claimed Shapiro. “I think we all realize that has not worked, and so now we're in a position — we're in a position where all they're doing is being disrespectful to the people of Pennsylvania. I want to see them act.”

Senate Republicans have said that it’s Democrats’ unwillingness to commit to a budget that doesn’t overspend that has held up the process. Despite a revenue surplus, the over $50 billion proposed by the House would continue the state’s longstanding structural deficit.