Our West Bayfront, the neighborhood revitalization group that serves the West Bayfront neighborhoods of Erie, will begin seeking input on Thursday, July 28th at 3:00 PM as part of a planning process to guide future improvements to the park. The planning process, which will be conducted in partnership with the City of Erie, Dahlkemper Landscape Architects and Contractors, is supported by Erie Episcopal. Gridley Park is located at West 6th Street and Liberty Street in the West Bayfront. The Gridley Park planning process will begin with a brief survey, which will be released on Thursday at 3:00 PM. Our West Bayfront is encouraging anyone who has an interest in the park to take the survey, which is available online at www.ourwestbayfront.org/Gridley.
Gridley Park is identified as an area of focus within the 2016 Our West Bayfront Community Plan, which provides initial recommendations about enhancements to the park amenities such as lighting, places for people to congregate, and pedestrian improvements. The goal of this process will be to seek additional
input from residents regarding how they currently use the park and how they would like to use the park. The process will result in a conceptual design plan that will be used to guide future investments and grants in park projects.
Mayor Joe Schember said, “We are excited about this community input process getting underway. Back in 2017, Our West Bayfront did an excellent job of getting input from residents about their dreams for Bayview Park. From that input, a plan was developed, grants were secured, and we were able to partner to make it happen. We look forward to doing that again in Gridley Park.”
“Gridley Park’s redevelopment is a wonderful happening in the West Bayfront; renewing such a beautiful community gathering place will make the neighborhood even more welcoming. We are also excited about OWB’s plans for soliciting resident input, so the park meets the needs of those who live closest. That’s why Erie Episcopal, a collaboration between St. Mark’s Episcopal and the Cathedral of St. Paul, is delighted to financially support this phase of the park’s development,” said The Very Reverend Melinda Hall, Dean of the Episcopal Cathedral of St. Paul.
“Gridley Park is quite literally the heart of the West Bayfront,” said Anna Frantz, Executive Director of Our West Bayfront. “We are excited to support a community conversation about this beautiful community space and identify ways the park can be made even more welcoming and functional for residents and visitors to the community.” Gridley Park is an historic park whose design mirrors that of both Perry Square and Wayne Park. It is named for Charles Vernon Gridley, an officer in the Spanish American War, who is further recognized with a large monument in the center of the park. A variety of community events take place at Gridley Park including the upcoming Gridley Park National Night Out scheduled for Tuesday, August 2nd, as well as concerts and other activities.
