Erie Insurance to shift 300 employees to Millcreek

Sept. 26--Erie County's second largest employer is running out of space at its downtown headquarters.

Erie Insurance, which has about 2,600 Erie-based employees, has confirmed plans to move about 300 of them to Millcreek Township, into leased space in the former Walmart at 4950 W. 23rd St.

"I don't think it's any giant secret that we are short of space," said Leah Knapp, a company spokeswoman. "We have to move people around and find creative ways to create space."

The moves, which should begin in early November, will affect some employees in the company's information technology, insurance claims and Erie branch departments.

"We had some folks we brought in from out of town and we needed for them to all fit together," Knapp said. "In order for that to happen, we have to reconfigure some office space."

Employees will be housed in what's now the Westport Centre. The 129,000-square-foot building is owned by Passport West Eighth, a real estate development company led by Gregory J. Rubino.

A portion of that building -- 52,000 square feet -- already has been leased to the Achievement Center, currently located in the former Steris Corp. building at 2424 W. 23rd St.

The center, which serves children with developmental disabilities and emotional or behavioral concerns, is expected to move within the next few weeks.

For Erie Insurance, the move is likely a temporary solution, Knapp said.

Terry Cavanaugh, the company's chief executive, talked in a 2013 interview about investing in the company's headquarters.

"We are an employer of choice," he said. "To be that you have to have the right facilities."

For now, Knapp said, the move is a positive sign.

"Anytime you see a company has a need for extra space for its workforce, that is a good thing," she said.

JIM MARTIN can be reached at 870-1668 or by e-mail. Follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/ETNmartin.

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