ERIE — Few outside of those who live there understand what the county of Erie’s future holds for its economic future. Is it rural? A port? A city? A College town? A beach town? A faded Rust Belt hub for industrialization?
Drive around the county and you’ll soon find that it is all those things. And while the bulk of the population (80%) lives in more urbanized areas, the 38 municipalities of Erie County comprise two cities, 22 townships, and 14 boroughs. There is still a significant number of people in the rural landmass of the county, which makes up 93% of the county’s total land area. They still need the same services as their urban cousins, including what they can get from retailers.
Amazon, the largest online retailer in the country, recognized this gap across thousands of other rural zip codes nationwide. Its $4 billion investment in rural America was first announced in April, not only expanding its delivery networks in rural areas, but ensuring those deliveries are made faster…