Developer urges Erie redevelopment authority to partner with private builders rather than compete

A local builder addressing the Authority during public comment urged the redevelopment board to partner with private developers on affordable-housing projects instead of competing with them. Speaking at length during the public-comment period, the speaker said his firm has been building modular homes for more than 20 years, runs a training program that employs a majority-minority workforce and has completed projects that used soft funds and public subsidies.

The commenter described a past project, Zoe Meadows, in which he said units were made available at a steep discount to enable homeownership: "I gave the people a $140,000 house for $70," he said, arguing that partnerships and write-downs can make ownership feasible. He urged the board to "look at what you're trying to do" and not to pit public programs against private builders, citing a specific site at 1802 East 26th Street as an example where trainees are working now.

Board members acknowledged the comments and invited further coordination, but no immediate policy change was made during the meeting. The speaker repeatedly asked the board, "Who do you see me as?" to press his point that perceptions affect partnership opportunities.