A Decade of Progress
UNION CITY PROJECT INVENTORY (2009 – present*)
For information on any of these initiatives, contact UC Borough Secretary Cindy Wells *Not intended as an exhaustive list of initiatives within the borough, but rather key examples of the most significant “community development” projects undertaken by UC Borough, nonprofit Union City Pride, other community organizations, and a variety of funding sources. Initiatives outlined in green are current/ongoing. Initiatives outlined in yellow are completed.
| PROJECT DESCRIPTION | FUNDING SOURCES | TOTAL | STATUS |
|---|---|---|---|
| French Creek Trail & Parks Comprehensive Plan improvements. Concrete walkway, benches, ADA observation area and gazebo for Devereaux Park and Willow Street ballfield along French Creek. | PA Department of Community & Economic Development, and PA Department of Conservation & Natural Resources applications from UC Borough pending. Awaiting decisions. | $294,000 | Anticipated in 2023, pending grant approvals. |
| City Building Phase I ADA Accessibility, to provide access to front of building and to restrooms, and façade improvements. | PA Historical & Museum Commission $66,375 to UC Borough; Erie County Gaming Revenue Authority (ECGRA) Anchor Building Program $49,375 to UC Borough; PA Route 6 Façade Improvement Program $5,000 to UC Borough; ECGRA Mission Main Street Program $12,000 pending. | $132,750 | Work anticipated Spring 2023. |
| Rehabilitation of residential properties on East and West High streets, South Street and the Avenues, as well as North & South Main streets, and Route 97 within the borough. | Erie County Gaming Revenue Authority (ECGRA) Renaissance Grant to UC Borough $100,000; 1-to-1 match by property owners. | $200,000 | Anticipate work in 2022-23. |
| PennDOT “TA Set-Aside” Program for sidewalks from high school to Bridge Street; Bridge Street from Concord to Route 6; and Willow Street from Bridge to Market streets. | $875,000 PennDOT grant; $87,500 local match required. | $962,500 | Project anticipated late 2023 to early 2024. |
| Downtown “Gateway” Phase II – Remove diner; infill site and cap with concrete for future courtyard; give the north-facing façade of adjacent building a “diner-like look;” remove stairs to municipal parking lot, architectural costs. | PA DCED Blight Remediation Program $125,116 to UC Pride; Erie County Gaming Revenue Authority (ECGRA) $12,000 to UC Borough; UC Community Foundation $8,000 to UC Pride. | $145,112 | Implementation expected in 2022. |
| Downtown “Gateway” Phase III – Complete courtyard at former diner site with brick piers and iron railings; redevelop green space across West High Street (Industrial Park); restore historic Main Street façade to building adjacent to former diner; replace stairs to municipal parking lot; possible overhead canopy from rear of diner site to stairs. | Erie County gaming funds from Erie County Redevelopment Authority $210,677 to UC Pride; MFG Corp. of Union City $15,000 to UC Pride; UC Community Foundation $50,375 to UC Pride. | $276,052 | Implementation expected in 2022. |
| “Active Transportation Plan” initial implementation of sidewalk repair & replacement on a borough walking corridor TBD. | Homeowners responsible for sidewalk cost with borough reimbursement pool of $7,000 to offset costs. | TBD | Implementation expected in 2023. |
| Southwest Park improvements | Erie County Gaming Revenue Authority (ECGRA) $25,000 to UC Borough; Union City Community Foundation $5,477; awaiting decision on PA DCNR grant application of $65,000; Union City Borough $4,523. | $100,000 | Pending DCNR grant decision, improvements could be undertaken in 2023. |
| Borough Sidewalk Grant. Available to property owners since 2002, with 4,550 feet of sidewalk replaced between 2016-2022.. | Since 2016, Union City Borough $25,126; UC Community Foundation $3,000; UC Community House Association $1,000; plus property owner contributions. | $29,126 | Funding still available |
| Rehabilitation of residential properties on East and West High streets, South Street and the Avenues, as well as North & South Main streets, and Route 97 within the borough. | Erie County Gaming Revenue Authority (ECGRA) Renaissance Grant to UC Borough $100,000; 1-to-1 match by property owners. | $200,000 | Completed 2021-22. |
| City Building assessment for improved ADA accessibility and feasibility of 2nd-floor uses. | Union City Community Foundation $11,000 to UC Borough; PA Historical & Museum Commission $25,000 to UC Borough. Union City Community House Association $4,000 to UC Borough; Erie Community Foundation $10,000 to UC Borough. | $50,000 | Assessment completed in 2022. |
| French Creek Trail feasibility study | PA Department of Conservation & Natural Resources $32,500 to UC Borough; match secured $32,500. | $65,000 | Completed May 2022. |
| Downtown trees and sidewalk history panels, downtown historic markers and residential National Register signage. | Union City Community Foundation $9,250 to UC Pride Erie Community Foundation Shaping Tomorrow grant $4,850 to UC Pride; Union City Pride $2,100; Preservation Erie/Erie County Gaming Revenue Authority $2,000; | $18,200 | Completed 2021. |
| Downtown mural to mark 150th anniversary in 2021 of borough’s naming as “Union City.” | Erie Arts & Culture $2,000; Erie Community Foundation Shaping Tomorrow grant to UC Pride $7,000. | $9,000 | Completed 2021. |
| Downtown “gateway” conceptual design (north downtown entrance at Main and High Streets) | Erie Community Foundation Shaping Tomorrow grant to UC Pride $36,660 | $36,660 | Completed 2021. |
| Public parking lot across from UC Public Library on west side of Main Street | ECGRA Mission Main Street to UC Borough $30,000; Erie Community Foundation Shaping Tomorrow grant to UC Pride $65,000 | $95,000 | Completed 2021. Additional landscaping and improvements to be sought. |
| Caflisch Park Phase I ADA accessibility, including walking paths, picnic tables, swing set. | ECGRA Community Assets grant to UC Borough $50,000; PA Department of Conservation & Natural Resources $59,600; UC Borough $9,500. | $119,100 | Completed 2021. |
| Caflisch Park Phase II ADA accessible restrooms. | PA Department of Conservation & Natural Resources grant to UC Borough $67,100; $30,000 match from Erie Community Foundation Shaping Tomorrow grant; Union City Borough $8,000. | $105,100 | Completed 2021. |
| Comprehensive Recreation, Park & Open Space Plan (master plan) for Union City’s four parks | PA Department of Community & Economic Development (DCED) grant to UC Borough $50,000; UC Community Foundation grant $10,000. | $60,000 | Completed 2021. |
| Creation of an “Active Transportation” plan for Union City, to include walking and biking routes throughout the community. | PA Department of Health grant to UC Borough of $15,000 through the “WalkWorks” program. | $15,000 | Completed 2021. |
| Rehabilitation of residential properties on East and West High streets, South Street and the Avenues. | ECGRA Renaissance Grant to UC Borough $60,000; to be matched by participating property owners $60,000. | $120,000 | Completed 2021. |
| Downtown building interior and exterior rehabilitation matching fund for projects resulting from structural assessments | ECGRA Mission Main Street grant to UC Borough $42,500; participating property owners 1-to-1 matches. | $85,000 | Funds have been committed, projects are ongoing into 2022. |
| Main Street PennDOT improvements, including traffic signal updates, pedestrian crossings, intersection redesign at Main-High streets | Pennsylvania Department of Transportation | $1,215,000 | Completed except for railroad safety upgrades expected in 2022. |
| Structural assessments of 19 “historically contributing” downtown building interiors and exteriors | ECGRA Mission Main Street grant to UC Borough $38,000; Erie Community Foundation Shaping Tomorrow grant to UC Pride $38,000. | $76,000 | Completed 2021. |
| Downtown façade improvements | ECGRA Mission Main Street grant to UC Borough $42,500. A 1-to-1 match with property owners. | $85,000 | Completed 2020. |
| Multimodel Sidewalk Project, replacing sidewalk/partial curbing along south side of Johnson Street between S. Main St. and Miles St., from Johnston St. to Elementary School | PennDOT Multi-Model Transportation Fund; Union City Borough; Property owners. | $99,985 | Completed 2020. |
| Rehabilitation of owner-occupied single family homes. | Erie County Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds from federal Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to UC Borough. | $179,000 | Completed 2020. |
| Purchased UC Dinor and adjacent Main Street building | Erie Community Foundation Shaping Tomorrow grant to UC Pride, and UC Community Foundation grant to UC Pride, totaling $62,533. | $62,533 | Completed 2019 |
| Create downtown Historic Preservation master plan, including advisement on historically contributing buildings, signage, lighting, seating, and public spaces | PA Historical & Museum Commission $25,000 to UC Borough; matched by UC Community Foundation $13,000; ECGRA $10,000; and UC Borough $2,000. | $50,000 | Completed 2019 |
| Downtown building façade improvements | ECGRA Mission Main Street grant to UC Borough $35,000; matched by participating property owners $44,315. | $79,315 | Completed 2019 |
| Façade/exterior improvements available to homes in the area of South Street, West & East High Street, and the Avenues | ECGRA Renaissance Grant to UC Borough $50,000; matched by participating property owners $56,043. | $106,043 | Completed 2019 |
| Downtown façade improvements | ECGRA Mission Main Street grant to UC Borough $15,000; matched by participating businesses $31,000; and UC Community Foundation $6,500. | $52,500 | Completed 2018 |
| Downtown façade improvements, downtown signage, window tinting, sidewalk benches | ECGRA Mission Main Street grant to UC Pride $15,000; matched by participating businesses $6,000; UC Pride $6,232; UC Lions Club $1,934, UC Municipal Authority $290; UC Little League $544. | $30,000 | Completed 2018 |
| Rehabilitation of owner-occupied single family homes | Erie County Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds from federal Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to UC Borough | $225,000 | Completed 2017-18 |
| Façade safety initiative for tornado remediation, downtown welcome sign, downtown flowers and landscaping, Community Day initiative | ECGRA Mission Main Street program to UC Downtown Development Committee via UC Community House Association; Union City Pride; UC Community Foundation; Erie County Greenways. | $23,000 | Completed 2015-16 |
| Hogan’s Alley picnic pavilion, landscaping and picnic tables, Welcome to UC signs, downtown flowers, Community Day & Buy Local initiatives | ECGRA Mission Main Street program to UC Downtown Development Committee via UC Community House Association; Erie County Greenways Program to UC Downtown Development; UC Lions Club; UC Community Foundation. | $30,289 | Completed 2014-15 |
| Downtown flower planters & flowers, Welcome to UC signs, Borough Building windows, historical museum windows, first Community Day event | Erie County Gaming Revenue Authority (ECGRA) Mission Main Street program to UC Downtown Development Committee via UC Community House Association; & UC Community Foundation | $20,432 | Completed in 2013-14 |
| Acquisition of 23-25 South Main St. following tornado to secure façade for safety purposes and roof for preservation | UC Community Foundation to UC Pride; & UC Pride | $8,650 | Acquired in 2013; façade secured and miscellaneous preservation work in 2015; temporary roof repairs conducted in 2019 |
| Acquisition and demolition of multiple South Main Street properties across from UC Public Library | UC Community Foundation to UC Pride | $29,900 | Acquired by UC Pride in 2009 and 2014. Demolition in 2010 and 2017. Site of future public parking lot (see above) |
| Acquisition and demolition of three houses on Concord Street | UC Community Foundation to UC Pride; & UC Pride | $13,000 | Acquired and demolished by UC Pride in 2009 |
| TOTAL INVESTMENT — 2009 TO DATE | $5,503,247 |