On December 30, 2024, Governor Josh Shapiro's administration approved Erie's application to join the City Revitalization and Improvement Zone program. Reading's application was approved the same day.
What was approved
A CRIZ is an area of up to 130 acres made up of parcels chosen by a local authority. State and local taxes collected inside the zone are used to stimulate economic development projects there. State Department of Community and Economic Development Secretary Rick Siger called the designations game changers for both cities.
Why the date mattered
Because the approval came before the end of the calendar year, the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue could use 2024 as the base year for measuring tax collections. That let Erie's CRIZ get started a full year sooner than if it had waited to use 2025 figures. Sen. Laughlin pointed to the same advantage.
A long road
Erie first applied in 2013 and was turned down, in part because the city had not created a new authority to run the program. The program then closed for more than a decade. It reopened in July 2024, when lawmakers from Erie and Reading negotiated to bring it back and fund it in the state budget.
What came next
In July 2026, the state approved the first three projects under Erie's zone. Read about the first three projects.
A month later, leaders marked a milestone at the fourth project. Read about Flagship City Commons.