Downtown Wesleyville Struggling as more Businesses Close

 Downtown Wesleyville Struggling as more Businesses Close

Article Written: September 30, 2022 at 9:18 pm

Abandoned CJ's Corvettes Toy Store & Apartment Building
3207 Buffalo Road
Wesleyville, Pennsylvania
Wesleyville Borough is a small suburb of Erie located between East Erie and Harborcreek with a population of only 3,147 residents. Wesleyville is the only borough in Erie County that is struggling with budget issues within the borough. Wesleyville's downtown district, which is locally known as Downtown Wesleyville has been struggling once again after it was revived a little bit in 2013 - 2015. More businesses have started to close in Downtown Wesleyville as well as blighted abandoned properties that have been popping up along Buffalo Road, the main road in the Downtown Wesleyville area. Businesses like Terry Etzel's at 2914 Buffalo Road, Garage Wars Boxing Club at 3323 Buffalo Road, Joe B's Carpets at 3333 Buffalo Road, Foster's Rose of Sharon at 2703 Buffalo Road, Fat Lenny's at 2926 Buffalo Road and Thrifty Misfits at 3336 Buffalo Road have all left the Downtown Wesleyville district this past year or so. Buildings like the former CJ's Corvettes store a long with the apartment buildings upstairs have been abandoned since the owner, Chuck J. Kimmeth II sadly passed away in 2016, not being able to manage the store or apartment building anymore, it fell apart and has been rotting away since then. Wesleyville Mayor, E. Paul Johnson II had expressed interest asking PennDot with help in tearing down the former toy store building on the corner of Buffalo Road & Station Road and to build a right turn connector road to turn onto Station Road from Buffalo Road a lot easier, nothing however has been worked out for those plans. The former Garage Wars Boxing Club building has been sitting abandoned for a year after there were plans to move an asian supermarket next door to the boxing gym, the asian supermarket abandoned their plans after not getting the proper building permits from the Borough of Wesleyville. The most recent closure which has affected Downtown Wesleyville tremedously was the closure of the longtime business, Your Hometown Pharmacy at 3106 Buffalo Road, corner of Buffalo Road and Wesley Avenue in Wesleyville. Your Hometown Pharmacy had been opened since 2005, providing the Wesleyville residents with an easier access to a drug store and pharmacy, without having to travel all the way to nearby Harborcreek or Erie.
Former Your Hometown Pharmacy
3106 Buffalo Road
Wesleyville, Pennsylvania

When the CVS Pharmacy closed down on Buffalo Road in the Burton Heights neighborhood of East Erie, most Burton residents relocated to nearby CVS stores or walked to the Your Hometown Pharmacy in Wesleyville. Then in September, customers walking to the Your Hometown Pharmacy were met with a "Pharmacy Closed" sign, telling customers that their perscription are moved to the Rite Aid Pharmacy just a bit further down the road in Harborcreek, forcing East Erie and Wesleyville residents to walk even further just to get their medicine once again. As of now, there is no plans for the former Your Hometown Pharmacy store, as it is currently for sale, the A-1 Income Tax store which was located in the same area with Your Hometown Pharmacy also closed down permanently when the pharmacy shut down. Other plans that have completely failed or still haven't even gone through yet is the Wesleyville Community Garden. The Wesleyville Community Garden was suppose to be a community garden located on the lot of the former Bate's Collision at 3017 Buffalo Road, corner of Buffalo Road and Willow Street in Wesleyville. Bate's Collision closed in 2019 and relocated further down the road to Harborcreek, demolishing their former Wesleyville building, the land has remained vacant for three years and the only "garden" that's there is weeds and tall grass. E. Paul Johnson II has announced plans for the Community Garden since 2021 but no progress has ever been made and nothing has been changed, the project so far has been abandoned and possibly won't ever continue. Wesleyville Borough council members are currently working on a budget for Wesleyville to get the small borough out of poverty and to try and fix up Downtown Wesleyville by making the buildings look more nicer and cleaner, similar to the plans for the Downtown Erie area by the Erie Downtown Development Corporation.


Popular posts from this blog

Missing Lawrence Park Woman Found Dead at Local Golf Course

Image
 Missing Lawrence Park Woman Found Dead at Local Golf Course Article Written: November 16, 2023 8:16 AM Kelly Ferko of Lawrence Park was found dead Wednesday morning at the Lawrence Park Golf Club near Fourmile Creek after she was reported missing three days prior. 3700 East Lake Road Lawrence Park, Pennsylvania The body that was found Wednesday morning in Lawrence Park was confirmed by family to be the missing Lawrence Park woman who had been missing since Sunday. 51 year old Kelly Ferko of Lawrence Park was reported to be found dead near Fourmile Creek at the Lawrence Park Golf Club in Lawrence Park, her death is confirmed to be accidental as no fowl play was involved. It is believed that Ferko fell into Fourmile Creek where she then suffered from hyperthermia from the temperature of the water which unfortunately resulted in her death. Ferko had been reported missing since Sunday and was last seen in the 3900 block of Main Street in Lawrence Park that same day wandering around and ap
Read more

No Confirmation of Body Found in Lawrence Park is of Missing Lawrence Park Woman

 No Confirmation of Body Found in Lawrence Park is of Missing Lawrence Park Woman Article Added: November 15, 2023 at 2:04 PM Lawrence Park Police and Pennsylvania State Police are investigating a tragic sight Wednesday morning in Lawrence Park. Lawrence Park Fire Department was called to the Lawrence Park Golf Club at 3700 East Lake Road in Lawrence Park where a body of a woman was found at the mouth of Fourmile Creek. Lawrence Park Police and Pennsylvania State Police have blocked off Fourmile Creek Road, East Lake Road to Lawrence Parkway, Iroquois Avenue and Nobel Avenue while the investigation is ongoing. Erie County Coroner, Lyell Cook has not released the name of the victim but has stated that there is no fowl play involved. There is still no confirmation if the body that was found was 51 year old Kelly Ferko of Lawrence Park who disappeared on Sunday after walking out of her house in the 1000 block of Priestly Avenue with no shoes or coat, as well as without her purse and phone
Read more

Child Development Centers Offers Affordable Childhood Education for Low Income Families

Image
 Child Development Centers Offers Affordable Childhood Education for Low Income Families Article Written: March 11, 2024 8:32 AM One nonprofit Erie organization is striving on providing all children with educational needs and care. Child Development Centers, which has many locations in Erie County as well as Crawford County, is willing to help low income families who can't afford daycare services the help they need for their children. "We are always willing to help any family who are struggling to pay for daycare, I grew up as a poor child and don't want other children to have to deal with what I have gone through, it just breaks my heart and I always welcome them with open arms to the Child Development Center." says Rina Irwin, who is the CEO of Child Development Centers. The CDC has also celebrated two new grand openings in Erie fairly recently which are the Roosevelt Center in West Side Squires and Downtown Center in Downtown Erie. Below you will find a list of the
Read more