WASHINGTON, D.C. — Federal lawmakers from Pennsylvania are looking to turn a former industrial site on Lake Erie’s waterfront into a major component of America’s shipbuilding future.
A Pennsylvania man’s idea for a naval shipyard has captured the attention of lawmakers.
“A young man by the name of Will Lewis, who is a Navy vet, comes up with this idea and saying, ‘we have this property and what are we going to do with it or what can we turn it into, to something that is actually a big plus up for our community,'” said Rep. Mike Kelly, R-Pa.
One local man’s idea has caught the attention of Pennsylvania’s leaders in Washington. It may be a long shot to turn the former Erie Coke site into a naval shipyard- the site requires extensive cleanup and environmental remediation- but optimism and ideas are growing to try and bring shipbuilding back to Erie.
“This shipbuilding thing could be it could just be transformational for our town,” said Kelly.
What was once a major industry in America, shipbuilding has drastically declined over the decades.
“Now we have less than 1% of the shipbuilding in the world happening in America,” said Sen. Dave McCormick, R-Pa.
Leaders in Washington say Erie can play both a unique and vital role at a time when the nation is looking to strengthen domestic shipbuilding capacity.
“Whether it’s in the Iranian situation or perhaps in Taiwan or across the globe. That’s our responsibility- to make sure our military has whatever’s necessary and to provide the kinds of jobs, and all of it made right here, you know, in our backyard,” said Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa.
Erie touts many of the ingredients needed to compete in shipbuilding: a rare combination of deep-water access, dry docks and a skilled workforce.
Sens. McCormick and Fetterman, along with Congressman Kelly, say they’re exploring avenues from a federal angle to help bring it to life, with hopes of eventually reshaping Erie’s economy while attracting major investments and job opportunities.
“And the reason shipbuilding is attractive in Erie for the shipbuilding investors is we have this great workforce, great skilled laborers that can actually build things,” said McCormick.
Local officials, business leaders and development professionals are exploring several possibilities, from building commercial and military vessels to manufacturing ship components that could be shipped and assembled elsewhere.
The process is still in very early stages. Several concepts and details still need to be addressed. But if the vision becomes reality, Erie could write another chapter in its rich shipbuilding history.
“It is going to be an incredible uplift. And more than anything else, people need to know that the future is bright, not dark,” said Kelly.
