'Radical hospitality:' Downtown Erie's recovery, business environment and most vulnerable

For most of a year we've worked from home, been educated at home, ordered takeout instead of dined out, vacationed in our backyards, even watched first-run movies on our TV screens.

We could be forgiven for succumbing to the belief that everyone around us has been similarly homebound. 

The Erie Downtown Partnership has the cigarette butts to snuff any such confirmation bias.

The partnership's Care Crew collected more than 76,000 cigarette stubs from downtown streets and sidewalks in 2020. In fact, in more than 6,400 hours of work, they picked up more than 30 tons of litter that some percentage of residents and visitors left for the rest of us to enjoy when we did venture out.

"Our Care Crew ... were the frontline workers out there each day cleaning, picking up litter, cigarette butts, human waste and countless other illegally dumped items that placed increased demand for their presence and services downtown," John Buchna, the partnership's CEO, said Thursday in a livestream that stood for the organization's annual meeting. "They pressure-washed sidewalks, wiped down and sanitized areas, watered flowers, weeded and mulched trees and plowed snow to make downtown Erie look its best."

It wasn't all that was accomplished in a year that was out of sight for many but not out of mind for the partnership, whose footprint includes so many of the construction and renovation projects that are transforming the city and region.

More:Erie 2021: In a year of staying home and wearing masks, local business kept moving forward

"Our downtown remained open outside of forced limitations and lockdowns," Buchna said. 

Those state-ordered COVID-19 mitigation guidelines drove record support of affected businesses. Assistant Director Emily Fetcko said the partnership typically sells $8,000 to $10,000 in gift certificates to downtown businesses in a year. In 2020, that figure swelled to $79,000. 

More:Support Erie businesses with your gift card purchases

The pandemic required a reconsideration of what was a sprawling events agenda. But Dave Tamulonis, events manager, pointed out that activity didn't stop. A farmers market opened in Perry Square. "That Thing You Do" played in the Bayfront Convention Center parking lot. A Downtown Fall Fest for masked, socially-distanced guests went off at Griswold Park. Downtown D'Lights lit Perry Square and beyond for the holidays.

An expanded events menu is back in place for this year.

"Community events and placemaking will play an important role in Erie's recovery, sustainability and growth," Tamulonis said.

Back on track:Traditional, new events are planned for downtown Erie in 2021

For his part, that means the return of the weekly farmers market on Sundays; expanded socially-distanced yoga; and movies, food trucks and perhaps live music in Perry Square, where he said semi-permanent outdoor infrastructure is coming.

Fetcko said a sculptural gateway to downtown called Points of Reference will be installed this spring at Third and State streets.

But the most significant programs coming this year contend with the downtown business environment through a human point of entry: The treatment of the city's most vulnerable people, some homeless, some clients of the nearby social service agencies.

"We are pursuing two new initiatives for stakeholders and social services and economic development landscape." Buchna said, "To, number one, identify people and places most at risk in our service area; number two, engage with them and address their needs; number three, report the observations and actions taken in real time; and number four, create a consistent presence in public domains that underscores downtown as a safe and welcoming place for stakeholders."

What that looks like: Trained members of a Safety & Hospitality Ambassador program will "create a visual presence as well as to provide hands-on service to assist vulnerable and homeless individuals, small business owners and property owners, downtown residents and visitors," Buchna said.

A second element is a pilot project called Designed for Distance and Dignity that would place temporary restrooms, washing stations and warming and wind shelters in areas recommended by a task force.

More:COVID-19 curtails Erie County's annual count of homeless population

"We're looking to create a response to COVID-19 using radical hospitality," Buchna said. "If these initiatives are successful, short-term, intermediate and long-term outcomes will be achieved. These include the heightened visibility of patrol services; vulnerable individuals are served with dignity and respect; improved business for merchant experiences; less presence of aggressive panhandling; an increase of patrons and guests, plus the downtown becomes a premiere destination for dining, shopping and social connections."

More:What's ahead for Erie? Take a look at our full economic outlook for 2021

All of those interrelated goals matter, particularly in downtown's rebound from the effects of a pandemic that's done serious harm to the well-being of businesses, their owners and their employees. The partnership's commitment to its members and the community can't be doubted. But one initiative deserves the most public scrutiny: the concern for the at-risk population. The dignity and respect ultimately offered will say the most about our community as a care crew in its own right, during a coronavirus outbreak or otherwise.

Contact executive editor Matt Martin at mmartin@timesnews.com. Follow him on Twitter @etnmmartin.