About Us: The Historic Little Italy Revitalization Project

In the year 2000, The Sisters of St. Joseph Neighborhood Network on West 18th Street in the Erie neighborhood known as "Little Italy" did a  survey  of the neighborhood to determine how they could best proceed to serve and enhance Little Italy.

In 2005, Matt Monteson & Anthony Simonetti of the Gannon University's MPA program, performed another study focusing on the plight of the Little Italy neighborhood and making recommendations on how to proceed with its development and enhancement.

 The City of Erie Department of Economic and Community Development published an overall redevelopment strategy for the city as a whole in February of 2006. Much of the focus of that study pertains directly to conditions in Little Italy.

 These studies, combined with a  Police report and a report on  trafIfic Patterns in Little Italy, and with grants and the help of many other individuals and organizations, combine to form a basis for the Historic Little Italy Revitalization Strategy

The plan began to take its final form in 2007 after soliciting the input of local Little Italy businesses, organizations, and residents and through several well attended public meetings. Additional studies were also performed and all data was compiled into a single plan, complete with recommendations on how to proceed with actually getting the job done of transforming the current Little Italy neighborhood and returning it to its original vitality.