Editor’s Note: This story has been updated to correct how long the former Sacred Heart School building has been vacant.

The former Sacred Heart School on West 26th Street has sat vacant for years, but soon the old building will have people walking through its halls once again.

In July, the Mercy Center for Women announced plans to transform the former school to fight rising poverty and housing shortages in Erie County.

“The grand plan for the building would be to take the former classrooms, and turn them into one and two bedroom apartments, which should accommodate between 30 and 40 individuals within our community,” said Jennie Hagerty, Executive Director of the Mercy Center for Women.

Those classrooms will turn into 19 units of permanent supportive housing, and the new building will also have an on-site food pantry.


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Hagerty said they’re currently working on rehabilitating the building’s interior and installing a new roof, and once finished, the facility will be called the “Mercy Anchor Community Center West“.

On Tuesday, Hagerty gave a small tour of the new community center, with U.S. Congressman Mike Kelly taking a look at the first stages of the $7 million project.

“For me, it’s an opportunity to go back to Washington and lobby for this and say, ‘Listen, we’re doing something in Erie that is incredible. Please take a look at this and let’s see if we can somehow get to a point where we can get some money, get some grants that would help them finish the job,’” said Mike Kelly, U.S. House Representative in Pennsylvania’s 16th District.


Housing the homeless – community leaders look to transform old buildings for those in need

Kelly said homelessness is one of the biggest issues in America, and the issue doesn’t stop in Erie County.

To fight housing insecurity, the Mercy Center formed what they call “The Triangle” with the Hamot Health Foundation and Mazzini Foundation – organizations that are also renovating old buildings to provide safe, accessible housing for those in need.

“Erie County continues to face a problem with homelessness within our community. We want to be able to provide people with dignity. We want to be able to provide them with a safe place to sleep, and it’s critically important that our entire community embraces this opportunity, and allows for us to move forward,” said Hagerty.

Hagerty said they expect construction to be complete on the former Sacred Heart School in 18 months to two years.