A major tenant is officially on board at Ironworks Square, the redevelopment project transforming the former Erie Malleable Iron Foundry along West 12th Street in Erie.
Knox Law, one of the region’s largest law firms, has signed a lease to become the building’s anchor office tenant.
The firm plans to move from its current offices on West 10th Street into approximately 40,000 square feet of office space that they’ll be able to help design. “The ability to come in here, the great work that Tina and the Erie County Redevelopment Authority have done through the shell, we can lay out with our design professionals and put together office space that really fits how lawyers work in 2026 and how we serve clients in 2026,” Devlin said. “So we expect it to be really a pretty impressive space that fits our needs perfectly.”
The commitment is a significant milestone for the Erie County Redevelopment Authority, which took a chance on transforming the vacant, former industrial property into a mixed-use destination.
Authority President and CEO Tina Mengine says securing a prominent local firm like Knox Law is an endorsement of the project and its potential. It’s already generating new interest from prospective tenants who had been considering the project. “Everybody that’s been looking at it and saying, ‘I’ll get back to you, I’ll get back to you,’ are now calling and realizing they’ve got to button up their space or else it will be taken,” Mengine said. “So I anticipate we’ll be at full capacity before we officially open.”
Visitors entering through the main doorway will encounter an impressive staircase leading to a mezzanine and the building’s second-floor spaces, including the Knox Law offices and The Foundry Pub.
The restaurant, the latest venture from Erie restaurant owners John Melody and Russ Stachewicz, is already planning to expand onto a second floor.
In addition to creating client supporting spaces for the law firm, Ironworks Square will also include event space designed to preserve the property’s distinctive industrial character. “The project itself has some really cool event space that we’re gonna be able to use for larger training programs for our employees and larger client programs and having the Foundry restaurant out front just provides a great opportunity for lunchtime meetings or after work get together with our clients our referral sources and friends in Erie,” Devlin said.
He hopes Knox Law’s arrival will help attract additional businesses to the remaining commercial spaces, including areas ranging from about 5,000 to 10,000 square feet.
Mengine acknowledges that development costs for Ironworks Square have increased from an estimated $22 million to $28 million, but she remains convinced the investment will pay off.
State and federal grants are covering $19 million of the project’s costs, and Ironworks Square has cleared the first phase of the analysis for CRIZ funding — potentially opening the door to additional financial support. The rest of the capital stack involves loans.
The project should be ready for tenants to fully occupy it by the end of 2027.