Plans to renovate former United Way building have been scrapped
The former United Way of Erie County building, located at 420 W. Sixth St., won’t be assaulting the eyes of its owner any longer.
Erie businessman, preservationist and developer Thomas Hagen, who purchased the building for $1.5 million in 2020, said he was never a fan of the single-story structure.
For years, the building, built on the former location of the Charles M. Reed Jr. mansion, was Erie home of AAA. In 2005, the building was sold to the United Way and Early Connections.
Hagen, a billionaire who has restored numerous mansions and other buildings on West Sixth Street and the surrounding neighborhood over the last several years, had been looking for a way to improve the 13,000-square-foot building that he never much liked.
Within a year, however, Hagen settled on the benefits of a bulldozer and a wrecking ball. The building would be torn down and replaced.
But two years later, in 2023, Hagen and his architect Jeff Kidder were seeing the building in a more hopeful light.
Together, they sought a zoning variance in July of 2023 to allow for an eating and drinking establishment that would exceed 5,000 square feet. Plans called for leasing the building to an established restaurant operator.
“It was a good solid building,” Hagen said.
There’s no going back on latest decision
A little more than a year later, it’s apparent that Hagen had changed his mind for good.
Only one wall of the building remained Monday as heavy equipment operators used excavators to clear away rubble.
Plans for a future restaurant remain uncertain, said Hagen, who is the chairman of Erie Insurance.
“It’s not a definite plan, but it’s on the table for consideration,” he said.
Whatever happens on the soon-to-be-vacant lot won’t likely happen for at least a year, Hagen said.
More:What does Erie’s Tom Hagen plan to do with former Sophia’s Tavern? Here’s what’s not on tap
Why the renovation plan was set aside
So what prompted Hagen to scrap plans to reuse the building?
The building didn’t lend itself to what he had in mind and would have been difficult to adapt for another use, he said.
“It isn’t feasible to renovate it for any prospective tenant and so we are going to start from scratch,” he said. “It’s best to have the open ground so we can do something new.”
Hagen finds himself in an unusual position. A history buff who created the Historic Erie Trust to own and oversee the historic mansions that he is renovating, Hagen isn’t usually in the business of tearing things down.
More:Hagen creates trust for historic Erie properties
But he didn’t expect any regrets.
“Nobody is going to miss that building,” he said. “It’s probably one of the most disliked buildings in Erie. It didn’t have any charm.”
Contact Jim Martin at [email protected].
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