{"id":168027,"date":"2026-04-16T23:19:56","date_gmt":"2026-04-16T23:19:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/168027\/"},"modified":"2026-04-16T23:19:56","modified_gmt":"2026-04-16T23:19:56","slug":"erie-events-advances-plans-for-bayfront-market-house-public-weighs-in","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/168027\/","title":{"rendered":"Erie Events advances plans for bayfront market house; public weighs in"},"content":{"rendered":"

Erie Events<\/a>\u00a0has taken its pitch for a planned $14 million bayfront market house to Erie City Council.<\/p>\n

Council on April 15 hosted a public hearing on the project, which is seeking waterfront conditional use approval from the city.<\/p>\n

Any project seeking a waterfront conditional use zoning designation must receive final approval from City Council before it can move forward.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

A rendering of the 27,000-square-foot market house being developed by Erie Events and planned for property near the former GAF Materials Corp. site on the city’s west bayfront.<\/p>\n

Cooper Moore, a city of Erie planner and secretary of both the city\u2019s Planning Committee and Design Review Committee, told City Council that both the Erie Planning Commission and the city\u2019s Design Review Committee have reviewed plans for the market house.<\/p>\n

Both bodies recommend that City Council approve the project, Moore said.<\/p>\n

Market house details<\/p>\n

The 27,000-square-foot market house is planned for property near the former GAF Materials Corp. site on the city’s west bayfront.<\/p>\n

The facility was once considered as the site of at least one large full-service grocery store, but Erie Events changed course. It will now include a business that features Erie-based products such as wine, chocolates, apparel, and other consumable\/retail items.<\/p>\n

That business will also feature various types of family-friendly games and activities at the property and manage live music and other entertainment.<\/p>\n

The market house will also feature frequent large farmers markets that offer a wide range of foods both inside and outside of the property.<\/p>\n

Erie Events is actively seeking a second tenant to operate a large retail store at the site; Erie Events has not publicly identified potential tenants because lease agreements have yet to be signed.<\/p>\n

Financing for the project includes\u00a0a $9.5 million grant from Pennsylvania’s Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program<\/a>\u00a0and $5.5 million in state funding previously awarded for the project.<\/p>\n

Gus Pine, Erie Events\u2019 executive director, said the project has been in the works for more than a decade.\u00a0 He said Erie Events plans to build labor agreements into the project that would ensure union and minority hiring for construction.<\/p>\n

The market house is a two-story structure dominated by red brick and glass, featuring outdoor seating, surface parking, landscaped outdoor spaces and a metal roof.<\/p>\n

Megan Loney is a project design technician with the project’s architectural firm, Pittsburgh-based Pieper O’Brien Herr Architects. She told City Council members during the public hearing that the building has been designed to blend in with other structures on the bayfront and is “mindful of maintaining the beautiful bayfront views.”<\/p>\n

Erie Events is also seeking a zoning variance to mount signage on the building’s roof, Loney said.<\/p>\n

City Council could vote on the waterfront conditional use designation as soon as its next regular meeting on May 6.<\/p>\n

Public questions<\/p>\n

Several city residents addressed the project in comments to City Council.<\/p>\n

One was Freda Tepfer, who frequently attends City Council meetings. Tepfer said she was “speaking against parts of this project,” citing concerns with the building’s design and whether it could be hazardous for flying birds.<\/p>\n

Tepfer also said the project “doesn’t appear to be” important to the community.<\/p>\n

Erie businessman Julio Reyes questioned the project’s value, especially since it was “originally going to have a market for the people.”<\/p>\n

Erie’s Robert Strasser, who said he lives on the lower east side, supports the project.<\/p>\n

“Having a building like this, with maybe some private-sector businesses in there or a farmer’s market… Anything from the private sector that would generate tax revenue for the city of Erie and create jobs for citizens of Erie, I’m in favor of,” Strasser said.<\/p>\n

Contact Kevin Flowers at kflowers@timesnews.com. Follow him on X at@ETNflowers.<\/a><\/p>\n

This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: Erie City Council considers public input on bayfront market house<\/a><\/p>\n