OBSERVER Photo The Joseph Steger Apartments.

Standing tall to the east of the Dunkirk Pier is one of the most imposing structures in northern Chautauqua County. The 11-story Joseph Steger Apartments has some of the best views for those looking to live near the shores of Lake Erie.

But the prime property is not available for those who have the means. As part of the Dunkirk Housing Authority, the tenants currently are those with low and limited incomes, including a senior population.

That mission by the authority serves a tremendous purpose as part of the 100-unit facility. But, in the new realities of a booming real-estate market, it was a good idea at a bad location.

In 2017, the structure went through more than $1 million in renovations. Facade improvements were done on the outside with interior efforts focusing on brighter and cleaner hallways though a hint of the 1970s and ’80s remain strongly apparent at the location.

As Western New York – and most of the northeast – dealt with a push of urban renewal, plenty of mistakes were quickly made that cannot easily be reversed. Vibrant blocks were dismantled for housing units as traffic began flowing away from downtown merchants. That is when the cores of the cities began to suffer.

These projects allowed for a great migration of shops to malls and homeowners relocating to the outskirts. The major population centers – Jamestown, Dunkirk and Warren – are not the economic engines they used to be. Some of this came down to poor planning and decisions over the last five decades.

Demographics for both Chautauqua and Warren counties offer some significant similarities. While the population continues to show decreases, there is a segment that is growing: those 65 and older.

Of the 126,027 residents in Chautauqua County, some 22% – or 27,726 – are senior citizens. In Warren, the number is 9,074 of the 37,808 who live in the county – about 25%.

Though that segment of the population adds some stability, most are retired – and have put in their time in the area’s workforce. Some are looking to downsize as well, which has led to calls for additional senior housing last election in the Dunkirk-Fredonia region as well as in Warren.

That Pennsylvania city is where the issue has become contentious. A group of residents who oppose the construction of the Eagles Crest Housing Project are doing all they can to prevent the four- to five-story complex from being constructed on Pennsylvania Avenue and Liberty Street.

In the heart of downtown near the Allegheny River, the group believes the location is too valuable for this type of facility. In addition, they don’t believe there is a huge need. Within the last six months, they have spoken at council meetings, garnered a petition with more than 660 signatures and sent letters to the state’s Department of Community & Economic Development.

According to information from Tonya Mitchell-Weston, chief executive officer of the Housing Authority of the County of Warren, three locations in the surrounding area had 44 vacancies and a wait list of 22 individuals earlier this fall.

One neighboring business, that has been open since 2020, spoke of its investment in the city while noting the housing could hinder future progress. “We are not against this project per se,” said Philip Caudill, owner of Bent Run Brewing Co. “We are against the proposed location. We are not against change, or construction, or something new. We are pro economic development. We are pro growth. We are pro vitalization. We are pro tourism. Unfortunately, we see this proposed project as none of those things.”

Government, driven by those who are elected, is constantly seeking a magic bullet to turn around communities that have suffered during a decade of downturns. A housing project being built that will fulfill a need is one way to proclaim a community is moving forward.

But at what future price? Dunkirk’s high rise on the shores is a monument to what could have been as its waterfront goes through a bit of a revival.

Warren cannot want the same result. Businesses – and community members – are putting up a fight to develop a better downtown for a prime property.

Once it’s built, there’s no going back.

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Happy holidays.

John D’Agostino is the editor of The Post-Journal, OBSERVER and Times Observer in Warren, Pa. Send comments to jdagostino@observertoday.com or call 716-487-1111, ext. 253.