B.E.S.T. Neighborhood Activities
B.E.S.T. functions in various community development arenas, focusing primarily on housing and beautification initiatives. Within these two focus areas, B.E.S.T. offers plenty of volunteer and employment opportunities for those living inside and outside the neighborhood. In addition, B.E.S.T. provides community building activities that complement our projects and augment the goals of our organization. Below are some of the projects and activities B.E.S.T. does to improve the community.
B.E.S.T. Initiatives
Affordable Rental Housing - Developing good-quality, affordable rental housing is part of B.E.S.T’s mission to improve and ameliorate neighborhood housing options. Currently, B.E.S.T. owns 18 buildings with over 25 units of safe, affordable rental housing with units ranging from one bedroom options to single family units. Call BEST to inquire more about our housing availability.
Home Maintenance - We work with the City of Erie and East Bayfront Watch group to enforce the City of Erie housing codes and keep city-owned parks well maintained and safe for families. In addition to enforcing building codes, we have been able to offer facade improvement grants through the Erie County Gaming Revenue Authority's (ECGRA) Renaissance Block program to property owners in the neighborhood. For further information on code violations and municipal enforcement check out the City of Erie’s code enforcement site here.
Acquisition and Demolition of Blighted Properties - B.E.S.T sets aside funds each year to acquire and demolish abandoned and blighted properties. The vacant lots are then used for public green space or is set aside for future development where we provide maintenance and upkeep at the property. The rejuvenated lot adds beauty and the new greenery increases the value in the neighborhood. To date, B.E.S.T and its partners have removed and acquired over 45 blighted properties from the neighborhood. This endeavor has been accelerated in recent years with the concerted effort in created a municipal land bank, the Erie City Land Bank.
Sustainable Revitalization, Community Garden, Pocket Parks, Pocket Orchards, and Lot Beautification - B.E.S.T. follows the comprehensive neighborhood-wide planning strategies issued by the city, guiding our continued efforts in revitalization and encouraging private investment. Part of that sustainable revitalization involves the creation of public space, greening and converting abandoned lots into welcoming space. In the summer of 2013, the first community garden in the neighborhood was developed on a demolished property at the corner of 4th and Parade Street, with the second garden housed at 3rd and Parade Street. The current Community Garden is hosted on land owned by Erie Insurance and overseen by B.E.S.T. on E. 5th Street, between Parade and German Streets where neighbors tend nearly 80 raised garden beds and tilled areas to grow food for their families under the guidance of the Penn State Master Gardeners.
Additionally, B.E.S.T. has utilized vacant lots as pocket orchards, such as the ones on the north and south western corners of E. 5th and Ash Streets that were designed and planted in cooperation with Groundwork Erie. These pocket orchards will provide free fruit to our neighbors.
B.E.S.T. has also worked collectively with Erie Arts and Culture and other nonprofits to create pocket parks in our vacant lots, introducing innovative uses of the lands with murals and outdoor sculptures crafted by local artists.
Community Activities:
Community-Building Events - Every summer, B.E.S.T. hosts the annual National Night Out celebration, an annual event aim to enhance the relationship between neighbors and law enforcement while bringing back a true sense of community.
Additionally, B.E.S.T. brings Bayfront residents together by hosting bi-annual community meetings in an effort to increase neighborhood togetherness. To learn more about our upcoming events and events schedule, click here to view our calendar for dates, times, and locations.
Neighborhood Beautification - Throughout the neighborhood, residents and volunteers plant and maintain several public gardens, picking up debris and helping create a more vibrant community. Our beautification projects cover a large portion of the Bayfront, from the corner of Holland Street and the Bayfront Parkway to Levy Park and the traffic gardens on Parade Street. If you’re interested in becoming a volunteer and working in the neighborhood view our Get Involved page to learn about the different ways you can help B.E.S.T.
Past Initiatives
Some of B.E.S.T.'s past initiatives included:
New Home Construction - In the early 2000s, B.E.S.T started a new home construction program to attract potential homeowners to the East Bayfront area. Since 2004, B.E.S.T has awarded grants totaling $500,000 to new, first-time homeowners, collaborating with local banks who have invested more than $1.6 million in mortgage loans on these homes. During that period, B.E.S.T. built over twenty new homes for first time home-buyers.
Home Repair and Façade Funding - In an effort to help beautify the Bayfront’s housing stock, B.E.S.T. created the Home Repair and Façade grant initiative to supply home owners in the neighborhood with matching grant funding to improve their housing. These improvements can range from painting the trim on a home exterior to replacing a porch or roof. The grant program aims to alleviate costs of exterior home repair. In order to receive B.E.S.T.’s matching funding, the owner must secure contractor bids and provide sufficient documentation.
B.E.S.T. also offered free home repair classes to neighbors, teaching them skills for doing their own home repairs to prevent against possible violations.
Currently, we are able to offer facade funding through the ECGRA Renaissance Block Grant program. To learn more about that initiative, click here.
