The future Ironworks Square (IWS) facility, located on Erie’s main thoroughfare known as the “12th Street Corridor,” once represented the type of abandoned and blighted buildings that so frequently litter Appalachian skylines. Today, IWS is on its way to exemplifying how progressive economic development and community buy-in can change a once-forgotten landscape into a thriving tech hub, providing catalyst for additional blight elimination and job creation.
The former Erie Malleable Iron (EMI) originally operated out of the 160,000 square foot compound comprised of fifteen interconnected buildings. For nearly two centuries, EMI processed thousands of tons of coal for steel melting and manufacturing and car engine assembly. In 2004, EMI ceased operations and in early 2020, the Erie County Redevelopment Authority (ECRDA) purchased the 5-acre, full-city-block complex.
Over the next three years, ECRDA accumulated a capital stack of nearly $25M to assess the property, remediate, demolish half of the existing structures, and prepare the site for redevelopment. Renovations of the remaining 70,000 square foot structure are currently underway with an anticipated occupancy date of early 2027. Once full, the completed Ironworks Square project will provide productive reuse of 5 acres on Erie’s busiest thoroughfare with an expected 150 jobs created upon completion of the full project.
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