Business View Magazine | September 2019

280 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE SEPTEMBER 2019 “In addition to that, we have an extensive park system with walking trails, and a BMX Park. We’re host to the Asbury Woods Nature Center in an old-growth forest, as well as the Tom Ridge Environmental Center – a state facility that does a lot of research for the Great Lakes. We really try to embrace the natural aspects of our community and also promote locally-owned businesses like Waldameer Park.” BVM: Do most of your residents commute out of Millcreek to work? Waldinger: “By the stats, 76 percent of the jobs in Millcreek are held by non-residents; we have a lot of people who come in to work at the Mall. And 47 percent of Millcreek residents who are employed actually work in the City of Erie. Our biggest employers by sector are healthcare (21%), retail (20%), hotel and food service (13%), and manufacturing (10%).” Morgan: “Most of the white collar jobs are located in the City of Erie, so a large percent of our residents work in downtown Erie. Two of the three major hospitals are located in the city proper. Our township does have a local community hospital, which is also home to the Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine (LECOM), the largest medical school in the country by enrollment. So, our primary employers are Millcreek Township School District, LECOM, and Plastek– a large plastic manufacturer. When Millcreek Mall first opened its doors in 1975 it was a novelty, Erie’s version of the exploding national trend of enclosed shopping malls. Yet it wouldn’t have succeeded if it stayed the same. It has grown and changed to suit the times. For nearly 45 years, sustainable growth has been possible thanks to a cooperative, supportive relationship with Millcreek Township and its public officials. Through constant reinvention, the mall complex has expanded to more than 2 million square feet of commercial space. With over 180 stores, restaurants, hotels and entertainment venues, the complex is the most dominant retail center within 100 miles. This super-regional center attracts customers not just from northwest Pennsylvania but also from western New York, northeast Ohio and even Ontario. (Canadian customers like the enormous retail variety, sales-tax-free clothing and, sometimes, a favorable currency exchange rate.) It serves as a key destination in the lives of local families and millions of tourists who flock to the Lake Erie shoreline annually. Recently, the publishers of the statewide website PennLive compiled a list of Pennsylvania’s best shopping malls. Millcreek was ranked as the third best of that elite list. ...... To learn more about this dynamic retail destination , please visit our website www.millcreekmall.net 800 Peach Street, Erie, PA 16565 • 814.868.9000 ties call 330.747.2661 Courtesy of Waldameer Park