Published: 07/15/2019
Children enjoying the new Splash Pad at Bayview Park.
Gannon University is proud to support the community we live, work and learn in every day. Today, that meant joining Our West Bayfront and several community partners to celebrate the grand opening of the new Splash Pad at Bayview Park located at West Second and Cherry streets.
The splash pad will provide Erie and OWB residents with a new outdoor play area equipped with sprinklers, fountains, nozzles and other water features.
This new addition to the park is part of phase one of the ongoing enhancements within the Bayview Park Plan that is focused on encouraging healthy recreation, strengthening the surrounding neighborhoods, and enhancing the safety and community enjoyment of the park.
Additional improvements within phase one include a multi-purpose court, creation of walking paths within and around the park, a multipurpose court, installation of benches and trash cans, updates to the basketball courts, as well as improvements to entranceways and access points for pedestrians.
The collaboration between Our West Bayfront, the City of Erie, Gannon University, Martin Luther King Center, and additional community partners and funders that was celebrated at the splash pad opening today is an example of the Bayview Park Plan being put into action by many supporting neighbors throughout the community.
Funding for phase one has been provided by a variety of sources, including:
- $150,000 Greenways, Trails and Recreation Program grant from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
- $60,000 Keystone Communities Grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development
- $50,000 Community Assets Grant from the Erie County Gaming Revenue Authority
- Approximately $25,000 from the Erie Community Foundation’s Susan Hirt Hagen Fund for Transformational Philanthropy
- Nearly $3,000 in donations raised through Erie Gives Day
- In-kind support and resources from the City of Erie
The Bayview Park projects are being undertaken in conjunction with a variety of additional improvements in the vicinity, including housing repair grants, sidewalk repairs, blight removal and vacant property improvements. The project complements Gannon University’s simultaneous efforts to enhance recreational programming at Bayview Park and nearby facilities.
Our West Bayfront and the City of Erie have worked together since 2017 on the plan to enhance Bayview Park, a historic City park with views of Presque Isle Bay and connections via the promenade to Downtown Erie and the waterfront. The goal to improve Bayview Park was identified in the OWB Community Planning process, and incorporated public input throughout the plan’s various stages of development.