Erie Delegation announces $4.5 million in community revitalization grants
Funding awarded through state Neighborhood Assistance Program
Rep. Patrick J. Harkins December 15, 2025 | 2:54 PM
ERIE, Dec. 15 – More than $4.5 million is on the way to Erie County to benefit 30 projects that will help low-income individuals and improve distressed areas in the community, Reps. Ryan Bizzarro, Pat Harkins, and Bob Merski announced Monday.
The funding was awarded through the state’s Neighborhood Assistance Program (NAP), which provides tax credits to businesses that donate to nonprofit organizations’ efforts to revitalize communities. Through NAP and its subprograms, a total of $4,544,950 will benefit 30 projects in Erie County. The funding for these subprograms includes:
- Charitable Food Program (CFP): $768,450 (multiple food banks and pantries, including Second Harvest Food Bank of Northwest Pennsylvania)
- Enterprise Zone Program (EZP): $638,672 (historic building renovations and job-creating headquarters projects)
- Neighborhood Assistance Program (NAP): $234,338 (early learning, small business support, anti-blight efforts, youth services)
- Neighborhood Partnership Program (NPP): $973,750 (multi-year neighborhood revitalization projects)
- Special Priorities Program (SPP): $1,929,240 (healthcare facilities, housing, behavioral health, urban agriculture, other priority projects)
“Private-public partnerships unlock the true potential of our region, providing local organizations with the resources they need to expand critical services in housing, education and community development in the neighborhoods where they’re needed most,” said Bizzarro, who represents Fairview and Millcreek townships. “These investments reflect a shared vision for putting people in a position to thrive, and they deliver a lasting impact by strengthening our communities.”
“From food security to workforce training and neighborhood revitalization, these awards support practical solutions that improve daily life for Erie residents,” said Merski. “Local nonprofits, businesses, and partners have stepped up to propose projects that will create jobs, reduce blight, and expand services. I applaud their work and look forward to seeing these projects move forward.”
“These investments will make a real difference in Erie neighborhoods — expanding access to food, health care, housing, and jobs,” Harkins said. “I’m proud to see state resources directed to organizations that are already on the ground helping families, revitalizing commercial corridors, and creating opportunities for our residents. These projects reflect a shared commitment to rebuild and strengthen our communities.”
The 30 projects receiving funding through NAP include:
- Build Community Development Corporation -- $17,500 to expand “Pay-What-You-Can” food markets, aiming to serve more than 4,750 residents while supporting local farms.
- Erie DAWN -- $9,750 for “Food for Thought,” a program that will provide food and educational support to 200 families in a food desert
- Mercy Center for Women -- $52,000 to support the MACC Food Pantry
- Second Harvest Food Bank of Northwest Pennsylvania — $683,150 to distribute food across northwest Pennsylvania, including 1.5 million pounds of produce.
- St. Martin Center, Inc. – received two grants totaling $110,000 to bolster its food pantry, provide financial literacy and mortgage assistance to households at risk of foreclosure
- Federal Resources Corporation — $138,672 to renovate a vacant space in Erie’s PA enterprise zone to house FRC headquarters, creating jobs and attracting investment
- Kate Philips & Co., Inc. — $500,000 (Enterprise Zone) to renovate a downtown historic building for company headquarters, create jobs, and improve public space.
- Erie Civic Theatre Association -- $9,750 to support an early learning program for children in poverty to improve literacy skills and school readiness
- Erie Downtown Development Corporation -- $32,500 to support the Rise Together Initiative, which will accelerate small business growth in Erie County
- Erie Neighborhood Growth Partnership -- $16,250 to fight blight by giving residents grants for small home repairs and community projects
- expERIEnce Children’s Museum -- $41,600 to create inclusive programming for New American families
- John F. Kennedy Center, Inc. -- $39,988 to improve building’s infrastructure
- SSJ Neighborhood Network – received two grants totaling $251,750 to address neighborhood decay and high crime in neglected areas
- United Way of Erie County -- $32,500 to support the Caring Closets program by stocking high-demand basic needs for students and families
- Bayfront East Side Taskforce – received two grants totaling 237,500 to prevent and combat blight by supporting home repairs, accessibility modifications, and neighborhood stabilization.
- Corry Community Development Corporation -- $190,000 to improve 300+ residential properties, remediate 48 blighted lots, and create 40 new downtown apartments
- Erie Center for Arts and Technology -- $95,000 to revitalize low-income communities through various resources
- Our West Bayfront/Gannon University – $261,250 to revitalize Erie’s West Bayfront neighborhood
- Barber National Institute -- $117,000 to open a downtown behavioral health center to expand autism evaluations and outpatient therapy access.
- BirthRoot Community Doula -- $79,650 to provide at-risk Erie families with workshops on prenatal care, newborn care, and budgeting
- Community of Caring -- $23,400 to hire staff and renovate the intake area and dining hall
- East Side Renaissance, Inc. -- $666,000 to redevelop a vacant property near downtown Erie into a full-service healthcare facility
- Erie’s Black Wall Street Incorporated -- $472,500 to revitalize two historic buildings on Parade Street into a community innovation hub
- Julia Hospice and Palliative Care McKean – 21,510 to increase access to end-of-life care for vulnerable populations, hire staff
- Mercy Center for Women — $184,500 to convert the Holy Rosary Rectory into transitional housing for women experiencing homelessness and trauma.
- Minority Community Investment Coalition -- $99,000 to support the Grow Erie project, which will create jobs and address food insecurity
- Sarah A. Reed Children’s Center -- $119,430 to revitalize St. Ann’s Campus, eliminating blight and improving safety for at-risk youth
A total of $70 million was awarded to 405 projects statewide through this round of NAP investments. Funding for the program was doubled from $36 million to $72 million in the 2024-25 enacted state budget.