Eagle’s Nest Athletic Center: A Transformational Investment in Erie’s Youth

As part of the City’s ongoing celebration of Black History Month, this past Wednesday, Mayor Joe Schember, members of his team, and Council President Mel Witherspoon visited the Eagle’s Nest Development Corporation on Erie’s lower east side to see the progress on the construction of the Eagle’s Nest Athletic Center. Executive Director Dr. Onjanette Jackson and Bishop Dwane Brock, the pastor of Victory Christian Center and Chief Executive Officer of the Eagle’s Nest, led the tour.

Mayor Schember and his team were amazed at the incredible progress that had occurred since their last visit in September 2024 with then-Director of the White House Office of Intergovernmental Affairs Tom Perez, who was visiting sites powered by American Rescue Plan (ARP) funding. This athletic center is a transformational project that will provide a first-class facility for Erie’s youth in one of our most historically-disadvantaged neighborhoods. The 10,000 square-foot gymnasium will feature a wooden floor; locker rooms, a weight room/fitness center; and meeting space. This will enable staff and coaches to provide students and members of the community with instructional sports training and recreational activities, including basketball, pickleball, wrestling, volleyball, and double-dutch jump roping. It will be open to the students from Erie’s Public Schools who attend the Eagle’s Nest as well as residents of the surrounding neighborhood. This facility will be a model of reinvestment in an urban neighborhood that will serve our youth for generations to come.

The cost of the project is over $3 million. The City of Erie supported the construction with a $675,000 allocation of the City’s ARP funding, and provided subsequent loans of $350,000 and $1.4 million to ensure completion of the project. The Eagle’s Nest continues to raise funding to compete the project in support of Erie’s youth.

The Eagle’s Nest campus has been evolving and growing for decades as a result of the vision of Bishop Brock. The Eagle’s Nest school, a collaboration with Erie’s Public Schools, opened in the fall of 2019, and now educates 130 students in grades 5 through 8. They broke ground on the athletic center in April 2022 and began construction in the summer of 2024. The addition of educational facilities and now the athletic center have transformed the neighborhood.

Bishop Brock was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, and pursued his education at the University of Cincinnati, Xavier University, and the Cincinnati Bible Seminary. He came to Erie at the age of 21 and for the past 40 years, he has devoted his life to bettering our community. He is the Founder and CEO of Word of Faith Development Corporation, which encompasses Victory Christian Center of Erie, and is the Founder and CEO of The Eagle’s Nest Leadership Corporation. Bishop serves as the Chair of the Housing Authority of the City of Erie and on the boards of Hamot Health Foundation, UPMC Hamot, and ErieBank. He was honored by the Erie Bar Association with the Liberty Bell Award in 2018.

We are excited to see the completion of the Eagle’s Nest Athletic Center later this spring and look forward to gathering together to celebrate its grand opening.

Thanks to Bishop Dwane Brock, Dr. Onjanette Jackson, and the entire team at the Eagle’s Nest for their passion, dedication, leadership, and service. They are making history and leaving a legacy for generations to come. Their perseverance, advocacy, and hard work in support of our children embodies the Mayor’s mission to Build Opportunity, Restore Hope, and Transform Erie.

This February, we proudly celebrate Black History Month alongside communities worldwide. It’s a time to recognize the remarkable achievements, strength, and contributions of the Black community. #ErieBlackHistory