As a Rural Development Hub Organization, Impact Corry serves as a liaison, listener and an agent of change to promote region-wide community development and economic growth through informed decision-making. Impact Corry led a planning process with consultants czbLLC to create the 2021 Corry Community Strategic Plan. The plan defines projects in five interdependent and essential focus areas including: Ramping Up Our Connectivity, Activating Our City Center, Revitalizing Our Housing and Neighborhoods, Linking and Improving Our Green Spaces, and Strengthening Our City's Fiscal Balance Sheet.
Progress in each of these focus areas are detailed below.
RAMPING UP OUR CONNECTIVITY
“Corry must be connected via high-speed internet to the world, enabling education, medicine, and commerce. Corry must rightsize its housing market and raise standards. Corry must polish the core and turn downtown into a true gem. Corry must transform and link its parks. And Corry must become fiscally sustainable as a municipality. Each of these are as achievable as they are going to be difficult to attain, and each are going to be as difficult to attain as they are necessary.”
RAMPING UP OUR CONNECTIVITY PROJECTS:
In the area of Connectivity, Impact Corry is working to make our county and region thrive by helping rural communities find their place in the innovation economy before they are locked out.
For two years we have been working with Corry area champions, regional advocates, state nation and international leaders in technology and economic development to plan our way forward.
To date we have:
Raised $2,249,949 to implement a universal gig fiber network throughout the city with a fiber optic node connected to a tier one carrier. FUNDED / IN PROGRESS
Raised $2.5M for the adaptive reuse of the Corry Higher Education Council facility. The facility will become Corry Area Technology & Cyber Hub (CATCH). The CATCH project is a shovel-ready, cross-cutting job training project of Infinite Erie Investment Playbook and a partner in Penn State Behrend’s project RESOLVE. CATCH will include: a fiber node, tech business accelerator, co-working space, digital economy and aviation workforce development training and placement, and remote work job opportunities. CATCH will be a technology center and a whole life learning center in the disciplines of cyber security, coding, fiber optic technology, aviation, and eco-careers supporting advanced manufacturing with project RESOLVE. This whole-life, inclusive, and mentored education/workforce development strategy has the potential to end generational of poverty and exclusion in our area through live and virtual education. PARTIALLY FUNDED
PreK-12 entrepreneurial & technology and soft skills career training to build a digital economy talent pipeline connecting participants to high-paying jobs with industry partners. This work is in collaboration with and will be led by Corry Higher Education Council and its educational institution partners throughout the region. This project is a pilot that hopes to prove the viability of rural communities filling the innovation economy’s need for skilled workforce. IN RESEARCH
Affordable, gig fiber network buildout throughout our school district, as well as helping surrounding school districts connect their students. IN DEVELOPMENT / SEEKING FUNDING
Alternative energy charging stations and large-scale facility green energy retrofitting IN RESEARCH / SEEKING FUNDING
Physical and mental health wellness cottages IN RESEARCH
CURRENT SIGNIFICANT PARTNERSHIPS:
City of Corry, Corry Higher Education Council and affiliate education institutions, Ben Franklin Technology Partners, Erie County Redevelopment Authority, FIRE Accelerator, Community Access Media, industry parters, PROJECT RESOLVE (Blue/Green economy workforce development and advanced manufacturing information dissemination), and Infinite Erie (Investment Playbook)
IMPACT CORRY’S CATCH PROJECT IS WORKING IN PARTNERSHIP WITH AND IN SUPPORT OF THE GOALS OF PROJECT RESOLVE AND INFINITE ERIE.
ACTIVATING OUR CITY CENTER
ACTIVATING OUR CITY CENTER PROJECTS:
• Downtown Corry listed as Historic District on the National Register of Historic Places on April 2, 2022 COMPLETED
• Empowering commercial property owners to access Historic Preservation Tax Credits ONGOING
• Celebrate heritage and encourages tourism
• 100% thriving mixed-use downtown occupancy by 2033 IN PROCESS
• Commercial facade renovation program ESTABLISHED 2019 - ONGOING
• Economic Epicenter project: downtown Corry Rails + Trails Park FINAL DESIGN AND FUNDING IN PROGRESS
• Regional Economic Gardening Project. Includes one-on-one first and second stage business development as well as regional, tourism, and creation of regional brand style and branding guide creation. FUNDED / IN PROGRESS
• Major mixed-use project to develop luxe rental apartments IN RESEARCH
• Creative Placemaking including art installation, and streetscapes. IN PROCESS
• Climax & Corsets Innovation & Arts Festival ESTABLISHED IN 2021 - ONGOING
• Trail network, bike lanes, and amenities IN PROCESS
• Trail/Bicycle-Friendly, & Trail Town designations IN RESEARCH
• Downtown way-finding and tourist amenities IN DESIGN
• Keystone Community designation IN PROCESS
• Countywide Enterprise Zone designation IN PROCESS
CURRENT SIGNIFICANT PARTNERS:
City of Corry; Corry Area Chamber of Commerce; Corry Area School District; Corry Higher Education Council; Downtown Corry Business Association; Erie County LEAD Team; Retail/Commercial Landlords; PennDOT; Western New York & Pennsylvania Railroad, Inc.; and Buffalo & Pittsburgh Railroad, Inc. (Genesee & Wyoming Railroad)
TOOLS ESTABLISHED:
• Corry Community Strategic Plan
• Corry Connects: Active Transportation Plan
• Erie to Pittsburgh Trail: East Branch Trail Feasibility Study
• Downtown Corry Historic District established April 2022
• Brand development including: Corry, Corry Rails + Trails Park, Corry Greenway Junction Trails, and Corry Lawrence Airport
REVITALIZING OUR HOUSING & NEIGHBORHOODS
REVITALIZING OUR HOUSING & NEIGHBORHOODS PROJECTS:
• Subsidy home improvement programs ESTABLISHED IN 2019 - ONGOING & GROWING
• Development of downtown rental stock – One block mixed use project IN RESEARCH
• Publicize neighborhood identities and amenities IN PROCESS
• Streetscapes and complete streets projects IN RESEARCH
• Database of properties tracking all investments and impact on property ratings ONGOING
• Erie Playbook: Rural Housing Delivery Team ONGOING
• “The Corry Promise” Investment subsidy to span assessment gap IN RESEARCH
• Home/energy efficiency improvement grant and loan referrals IN DEVELOPMENT
• Neighborhood Partnership Program IN PROCESS
• Stormwater collection (rain barrels and dry wells) UNDER CONSIDERATION
TOOLS ESTABLISHED:
• 10-year 100% residential LERTA (2022)
• Corry Blight and Revitalization Plan (2021)
• Historic Tax Credit Improvement Program
LINKING & IMPROVING OUR GREEN SPACES
LINKING & IMPROVING OUR GREEN SPACES PROJECTS:
PROJECTS
• Build Erie to Pittsburgh Trail from Corry to Spartansburg 800’ BUILT, 1,300’ IN PROCESS, 4,000’ IN DESIGN & FUNDING
• Planning with PennDOT to safely span Route 6: IN PROCESS
• Creation of feeder trails connecting neighborhoods to Erie to Pittsburgh Trail IN PROCESS
• Mead Park Trail Spur COMPLETED
• Miggie’s Pollinator Garden & Monarch Butterfly Sanctuary PHASE ONE COMPLETED
• Corry Rails + Trail Park FINAL DESIGN & FUNDING IN PROCESS
• Endowment & revenue streams for Corry Rails + Trails Park IN DEVELOPMENT
• Streaming video and lighting along trails with live feed to police and fire for safety response IN PROCESS
• Potential: swamp/flood plain on Sciota Street is one of the most biodiverse areas in the region. Potential development as a preserve and attraction. UNDER CONSIDERATION
CURRENT SIGNIFICANT PARTNERS:
Blue Zones; City of Corry; Corry Area Arts Council; Corry Garden Club; Corry Tree Committee; Department of Conservation & Natural Resources; Friends of Mead Park & Mead Park Association; LECOM; North Hills Golf Course; regional, state, and national trails agencies and tourism agencies
TOOLS ESTABLISHED:
• Corry Community Strategic Plan
• Erie to Pittsburgh Trail: East Branch Trail Feasibility Study
• Mead Park Master Plan (Created by Mead Park Association & Friends of Mead Park)
STRENGTHENING OUR CITY’S FISCAL BALANCE SHEET
STRENGTHENING OUR CITY’S FISCAL BALANCE SHEET PROJECTS:
PROJECTS
• North Hills Municipal Golf Course Strategic Plan COMPLETED
• North Hill Golf Commission created to direct plan implementation COMPLETED 2022
• Corry-Lawrence Airport Business Plan COMPLETED
• Corry Airport Authority created COMPLETED 2022
• Transfer of Corry Lawrence Airport property to Corry Airport Authority IN PROCESS
• Funding of required airport improvements IN PROCESS
• Participate in City of Corry Comprehensive Planning Process IN PROCESS
• Collaboration for PennDOT Transportation Improvement Projects (Route 426 & 6), Crossing Improvements IN PROCESS
TOOLS ESTABLISHED
• City of Corry Strategic Management Plan
• City of Corry Comprehensive Plan IN PROGRESS