Erie’s fortunes have been measured for decades largely by the loss, gain or retention of manufacturing jobs.
A new path forward opened in 2016 with the announcement of a $4 million grant awarded by the Erie Community Foundation in partnership with the Susan Hirt Hagen Fund for Transformational Philanthropy and the Erie County Gaming Revenue Authority. It would be used to create the Erie Innovation District, led by Mercyhurst University and modeled on successful initiatives launched in other former manufacturing hubs. Innovation districts partner local academic expertise with entrepreneurs to create new economic engines.
