Erie Council sets milestones for development of Town Center

ERIE —  The Erie City Council reports it will sell its “Town Center” project to a developer to develop a new anchor grocer, a hotel, a civic use, other retail and commercial uses, and affordable housing on the site. 

According to a news release, the City Council signed an agreement with developer Evergreen-County Line & Erie Parkway, LLC of Arizona, earlier this month, which sets some development deadlines and responsibilities: 

• By February 2025, the developer must have a signed letter of intent with a “preferred anchor grocer.”
• The developer must provide at least 12% affordable housing units in the residential portion of the area.
• By February 2026, the developer must secure a hotel with a signed letter of intent, and have acquired all permits to start construction.
• The developer must also prioritize local/regional or small businesses over national chains for the commercial portion of the property.

The Erie City Council has been planning the Town Center since 2019. In 2022, the town purchased a 19.4-acre parcel at the northwest corner of Erie Parkway and County Line Road on which to build the center, the release stated. 

Other property owners nearby have begun construction on sites they own (Erie Four Corners and Erie Commons) or have approved development plans and are about to begin construction (Ranchwood), the release stated.

In an interview this summer, Erie Economic Development Director Julian Jacquin said the grocery piece has been a priority, and the city had a grocer that had already committed, but it wasn’t fully under contract at the time. Jacquin did not return a call this week for comment.

“With Evergreen, we’ve met with various usual suspects, we’re looking for a smaller format grocer, under 50,000 square feet,” Jacquin said. “The community has been looking for a grocer at this corner for 20 years. If you live or work near Old Town, the locations of the grocers on the periphery of town are not as convenient.”

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