If you’re driving by the former Erie Malleable Iron building, you may be wondering what’s being done with the property?
Tina Mengine of the Erie County Redevelopment Authority says their progress may look stagnant on the outside, but they are making good and steady progress.
The former EMI building has been vacant on West 12th and Cherry streets since the 1980s, but the CEO of the Erie County Redevelopment Authority says renovations are taking place.
“We are actually in demolition stage for the two-thirds that we’re taking down. They’re working from the interior out,” said Tina Mengine, CEO, Erie County Redevelopment Authority.
Mengine says the removal of asbestos is completed, and the ceiling and other structures are now being removed.
She told us what can be expected once the renovation is complete.
“The five and a half acres will be a small business park, high tech office type of park. There will be some green space,” said Mengine.
Mengine says about 78,000 square feet of the building on the east side will be retained.
“That part, we are simultaneously working on the design for that, so that’ll be the first that we renovate. We hope to have demo done, I think the timeline is through the end of April,” said Mengine.
The renovation to the building is expected to impact the future of what 12th Street could look like.
“I think it makes sense that as we put hundreds of millions of dollars into downtown that we also address the corridor to get there, and with the Bayfront going to be closed as part of that work it’s extra important that we start addressing 12th street,” said Mengine.
Mengine says the office space will give business owners the opportunity to open their first location or expand.
