Sitting right on one of the largest lakes in the world, the Erie region is rich in maritime culture, boasting beautiful tall ships, a deep naval history and miles of the state’s only beaches.
But since the Erie Coke Plant shut down in 2019 after decades of environmental violations, an opportunity opened along Erie’s bayfront, leaving the door open for new development in the region’s maritime hub.
On Wednesday, the Erie Western PA Port Authority, who owns the site, heard a proposal from Gem City Shipbuilding, an organization aiming to transform the property into a U.S. Navy shipyard…