Lou Tullio's Transitway Mall

Tullio's Transitway Mall. Looking north on State from 10th St.

Now you see it, now you don't. Erie mayor Lou Tullio envisioned a retail mecca in downtown Erie, PA and he secured hundreds of thousands of dollars into construction projects in the hopes of attracting shoppers to State Street. A recent study claims that 39,400 people lived within one mile of the area pictured above. The idea was to build a pedestrian-friendly area with wide sidewalks so that throngs of locals and tourists could meander from store to store and boost the local economy. And people would conserve gasoline and ride the EMTA buses to get downtown.

So, what happened? People hated it. If you look closely near the bottom of the picture, you'll see a yellow sign with two arrows, pointing east and west. Look closer and you'll see three round red circles with the friendly, welcoming words, "Do Not Enter." It worked. Erieites are quite attached to their vehicles and most of us like to park as close as possible to our favorite store, not in a parking lot several blocks away. You can't change human nature. 

Here is a photo of the Transitway Mall near 8th and State.

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Erie Transitway Mall near 8th and State

Old Time Erie: Transitway Mall photo ©Debbi Lyon 2013.

This is what State Street looked like in May of 1987 in Downtown Erie, PA. The City of Erie wanted to make the downtown area pedestrian friendly, so the sidewalks were widened and benches and planters were installed a number of years prior to this. There were several permanent chess boards in this area, and it was common to see people deep in thought planning their next move. I took this shot in front of the First National Bank of Pennsylvania at 717 State St., looking south. The Warner Theatre, at 811 State St., is visible in the background, as is Methodist Towers.

"Conceptually, the mall was a product of the Downtown urban renewal efforts of the late 1960s. Its purpose was to re-energize the traditional downtown creating an exciting atmosphere for both office workers and shoppers. There was a strong feeling that this mall and complementary renewal activities would stem or even reverse the drain of retail from the City center. It did not work." -2000 Edition of the City of Erie Land Use Plan. Prepared by the City of Erie; assisted by Graney, Grossman, Ray and Associates.
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Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield currently occupies the old First National Bank Building. The chess boards and and the benches are gone, removed when the Erie Transitway Mall was ripped out in 1993 to widen State St. The Warner Theatre still stands in all its splendor, a tribute to the rich history of the City of Erie.

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