For roughly two hours, Erie City Council on March 18 heard arguments for and against a proposed new $32 million AC Marriott hotel on Erie’s east bayfront.
But City Council won’t take a crucial vote on the project at its April 1 meeting.
Why is council waiting until April 15 to vote?
City Council President Tyler Titus said the panel now expects to vote on the project’s request for what’s known as waterfront conditional use approval at the panel’s April 15 meeting. The hotel is being developed by Erie’s Scott Enterprises.
Any project seeking a waterfront conditional use zoning use designation must receive final approval from City Council before it can move forward.
Council could have voted on the project as soon as it’s April 1 meeting, which will take place at 9 a.m. in the Bagnoni Council Chambers at City Hall, 626 State St.
However, Council President Tyler Titus told the Erie Times-News that council will wait another two weeks before voting to “allow enough time for council to review all the information” pertinent to the hotel project.
On March 18, Titus said a report to City Council on the project’s finances and how the project would impact “air, water and land” would be helpful.
Hotel project details
The proposed AC Marriott is part of Scott Enterprises’ $150 million-plus Harbor Place development, which was first announced in 2013.
The development already includes a miniature golf course located on the north end of Harbor Place; Oliver’s Beer Garden; and the $22 million, 94-room Hampton Inn & Suites Erie Bayfront, which opened in 2020 at 130 E. Front St.
The 140-room AC Marriott would be located adjacent to and just east of the Hampton Inn, 130 E. Front St., near the Blasco Library. It was designed by the Erie architectural firm Weber Murphy Fox.
Some favor project; others oppose it
Representatives of Scott Enterprises and citizens weighed in on the project during the March 18 public hearing.
Scott Enterprises representatives believe the new hotel will be an upscale addition to Erie’s growing waterfront that will attract tourists and locals alike. The hotel, like the Hampton Inn, will also feature a bar/restaurant on its top floor.
However, a number of citizens expressed concerns about the development and whether the hotel would block waterfront views; provide enough public access spaces; and pose a hazard to flying birds.
Funding for the hotel includes a variety of sources, including Scott Enterprises and $7.6 million already approved by the Erie City Revitalization & Improvement Zone or CRIZ Authority.
