There are numerous vacant and/or underutilized properties fronting W 6th Street, W 8th Street and Peninsula Drive between Lowell Avenue and Peninsula Drive. These properties are particularly significant because the general area is the most important gateway for the Presque Isle Gateway District. Peninsula Drive carries significant traffic through this area making it highly visible to visitors and residents that draw conclusions about the District as a whole based on what they see in this area. Attention and focus should be placed on developing a strategic revitalization plan for this area, now referred to as Presque Isle Place.

Collaboration with existing property owners is the first step in revitalizing Presque Isle Place. Emphasis should then be placed on encouraging and requiring a level of development that engages the street and public realm. Both horizontal and vertical mixed use development should be encouraged. Buildings should front and engage the street with ground-floor uses activating the first floor. Parking should not front the street and, when possible, should be located in central locations between buildings in order to maximize share-ability. Buildings and uses not directly benefiting from a street frontage should be located deeper in sites. This could include office / medical buildings, residential only buildings, etc. Special attention should be paid to creating a comprehensive circulation plan for all users - pedestrians, bicyclists and motorists. This will maximize connectivity with surrounding developments within Presque Isle Place and to District.

Above is map of key parcels intended to guide Millcreek in developing Presque Isle Place. These properties should embrace the public realm, include opportunities for shared parking and, above all, contribute to a pedestrian-friendly corridor and a desirable Main Street aesthetic.

The revitalization plan should consider appropriate densities and a mix of land uses to best incentivize successful redevelopment. In exchange, design expectation on behalf of the Township and residents should be high in regard to modern-day mixed-use pedestrian oriented development. Because the Erie area has not benefited from such development, redevelopment might require developers from outside the Erie area that are familiar with this type of mixed-use development.