It\u2019s furniture businesses like the Union City Chair Company that earned the town its historic catchphrase, \u201cUnion City seats the world.\u201d<\/p>\n
Before it shut down in 2000, the chair company operated for more than 100 years, manufacturing millions of hardwood chairs, but now all that remains are aging buildings from a different time.<\/p>\n
However, to preserve a part of its history, Union City Borough and the Erie County Redevelopment Authority are launching a plan to revitalize the company\u2019s old office building on Market Street.<\/p>\n
\u00a0City of Erie development projects make progress on construction\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ve been working with the borough for several years now, originally to acquire the entire property on their behalf. We were unfortunately unable to do that, but we have secured the office building,\u201d said Tina Mengine, President & CEO of the Erie County Redevelopment Authority.<\/p>\n Mengine said the goal is to renovate the building and bring it back to life, but until then, there\u2019s a lot of work to do.<\/p>\n \u201cUnfortunately, like so many historic buildings in our community, it\u2019s been left to disrepair. It needs a roof, it needs masonry work, the interior needs completely redone, flooring, ceilings, everything. There\u2019s a lot of damage; it needs new windows,\u201d said Mengine.<\/p>\n To fund the project, they\u2019ve received American Rescue Plan dollars and a Pennsylvania Local Share grant to pay for exterior structural work on the building, and from there, they\u2019ll find other resources to finish the project.<\/p>\n