Julia Felton stories, Page 20
Bank of America earns approval to build branch in Pittsburgh’s Waterworks complex
Bank of America received approval from Pittsburgh’s Planning Commission this week to open a new branch in The Waterworks shopping complex. The bank is planning to tear down an abandoned one-story store on Freeport Road in the Lincoln-Lemington complex and build a new one-story bank there. The branch will have...
Incumbents cruise to Democratic nominations in Pittsburgh City Council races
Three Pittsburgh City Council incumbents won their Democratic primary races Tuesday night, while two challengers looking to replace retiring councilmen were on their way to locking up party nominations. No Republicans appeared on the ballot in any of the city council races. With 100% of precincts in District 1 reporting...
Hallam wins Democratic nomination in race for Allegheny County Council at-large seat
Allegheny County Councilwoman Bethany Hallam won her Democratic primary race Tuesday night against challenger Joanna Doven for an at-large seat on Allegheny County Council, unofficial tallies showed. With about 156,000 votes tallied and 98% of precincts reporting results, Hallam had collected 56.4% of the votes counted compared to 43% for...
Plans move ahead to redevelop East Liberty’s Enright Park
Pittsburgh’s Planning Commission on Tuesday approved plans to redevelop East Liberty’s Enright Park. Plans include a basketball court, a playground, picnic tables, a pavilion and lawn space, said Andrea Ketzel, a senior landscape architect with the city’s Department of Public Works who is managing the project. She said the park...
Pittsburgh Planning Commission approves master plan for riverfront development in Strip District
A master plan laying out the general vision for riverfront development in Pittsburgh’s Strip District earned Planning Commission approval Tuesday. New York City-based North River Company bought more than seven acres along the Allegheny River near the 31st Street Bridge in 2017. The developer is planning a redevelopment of the...
Lifeguard shortage puts opening of all Pittsburgh pools in jeopardy
Pittsburgh needs to recruit about 40 to 50 more lifeguards to open all of the city’s pools this summer, officials said. Maria Montaño, a spokesperson for Mayor Ed Gainey, said the city is “recruiting hard” to get enough lifeguards to open all the city pools, but they’d need a total...
Pittsburgh’s URA provides 1st loan to help convert vacant Downtown office space into housing
Pittsburgh’s Urban Redevelopment Authority is awarding its first loan from a program that aims to help developers create affordable housing in vacant Downtown office space. Last week, the URA board unanimously approved providing a $300,000, 0% interest loan to Hullett Development Triangle to help it convert unused space in the...
Pittsburgh URA approves 1st loan to maintain affordable housing in Knoxville
Twenty-five apartments in Pittsburgh’s Knoxville neighborhood will remain affordable for low-income residents for at least 40 years after the city’s Urban Redevelopment Authority board last week approved the first loan from its new Housing Preservation Program. The program, which launched last month, provides financial assistance to people who own or...
Residents of North Oakland condos without water after water line break
The Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority shut off water at a break, leaving a North Oakland condominium without water Sunday, an authority spokesperson said. The break occurred on a private water line connecting to Park Plaza Condominiums on North Craig Street, authority spokesperson Rebecca Zito said. Water authority crews isolated...
Urban Redevelopment Authority moves ahead with first phase of Bedford Dwellings project in Hill District
Pittsburgh’s Urban Redevelopment Authority board last week approved plans to sell 28 parcels in the city’s Hill District to advance the first phase of the Bedford Dwellings project. Pittsburgh-based Trek Development has teamed up with the Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh for the first phase in the development,...
Repainted mural portrays ascension of Jesus at First Evangelical Lutheran Church in Apollo
Church leaders on Sunday rededicated a newly repainted mural depicting Jesus Christ’s ascension at First Evangelical Lutheran Church in Apollo. Jeph Gurecka, an artist whose work has been shown internationally, painted the mural above the church’s alter. It portrays Jesus ascending amid clouds. His work enhanced a painting that had...
Civil War reenactors aim to bring local history to life at Allegheny-Kiski Valley Heritage Museum in Tarentum
Donning a U.S. military uniform designed to look like what soldiers wore during the Civil War, David Harkleroad said he wanted to bring history to life. That’s why he and other reenactors with the 78th Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry Company F from Freeport on Saturday were wearing Civil War-style uniforms and...
Class action lawsuit alleges Mon Valley residents due compensation for nuisance caused by 2018 U.S. Steel fire
A class action lawsuit of Mon Valley residents will allege that a 2018 fire at a U.S. Steel site resulted in spiking emissions, noxious odors and physical discomforts. Allegheny County Court Judge Philip Ignelzi on Friday issued an order certifying a class of more than 123,000 Mon Valley residents in...
Pittsburgh’s Urban Redevelopment Authority approves entertainment venue, parking at Lower Hill District site
Pittsburgh’s Urban Redevelopment Authority board on Thursday unanimously approved plans for an entertainment venue and parking garage on the former Civic Arena site in the Lower Hill District. Their vote clears the way for construction to start. The $110 million project is slated to built on a 2.6-acre site near...
Pittsburgh releases annual farmers market schedule
Pittsburgh this week announced the city’s 2023 farmers market schedule, with sites this year in Squirrel Hill, East End, Carrick and North Side. All markets sell farm-fresh fruits, vegetables, meats, cheese and baked goods, city officials said, and several sites also sell flowers, small gifts and hot prepared foods. “CitiParks...
Pittsburgh’s URA says it spent $12.7M on affordable housing efforts last year
Pittsburgh’s Urban Redevelopment Authority said in its 2022 annual report that it created or preserved more than 500 affordable housing units in the city last year. The authority, which released its annual report this week, said it spent $12.7 million on housing creation and preservation last year, including more than...
Pittsburgh to begin hosting 2024 budget meetings to gather ideas from residents
Pittsburgh officials this week are starting a series of community meetings to gather public input on the city’s 2024 budgets. Residents will be have opportunities to participate in virtual and in-person meetings geared toward the North, South, East and West portions of the city. Roundtable discussions will include representatives from...
Pittsburgh leaders push for more transitional housing to address homelessness
Members of a Pittsburgh City Council committee dedicated to addressing homelessness on Tuesday outlined their vision for more transitional housing in the city. Transitional housing is meant to be more stable and longer-term than the traditional overnight shelters, and it would offer the privacy and safety of single-room occupancy, as...
Pittsburgh moves ahead with plans to make long-term fixes on Elizabeth Street, Herron Avenue bridges
Pittsburgh is moving forward with plans to make long-term repairs to the city’s poorly rated Elizabeth Street and Herron Avenue bridges. City Council on Tuesday approved awarding a preliminary design contract to Pittsburgh-based H.W. Lochner, at a cost of $878,500. Hazelwood’s Elizabeth Street Bridge and the Herron Avenue Bridge linking...
Pittsburgh City Council to hold public hearing, interview with police chief nominee Larry Scirotto
Pittsburgh City Council will hold a public hearing and an interview with acting police Chief Larry Scirotto before voting on whether to confirm his nomination as the city’s top cop. Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey last week announced Scirotto, a veteran of Pittsburgh’s police bureau, as his nominee for chief. Scirotto...
Developer wants to donate historic Tito House to Uptown Partners nonprofit
A developer plans to donate the Tito House to an Uptown nonprofit, but it wants to demolish the historic garage on the property to make way for a project that would bring more than 250 apartments to the site. Dallas-based Fountain Residential Partners is acquiring the property in Pittsburgh’s Uptown....
Homewood South’s Bible Center Church hosting events aimed at curbing gun violence
Cynthia Wallace, pastor at Bible Center Church in Pittsburgh’s Homewood South neighborhood, believes violence prevention efforts should start young. Her church was one of more than 30 Pittsburgh organizations that received nearly $1 million in Stop the Violence grants from the city. The money is meant to fund initiatives that...
Amera Gilchrist sworn in as Pittsburgh’s 1st Black female EMS chief
Amera Gilchrist was sworn in Friday as the city’s first Black female EMS chief. Gilchrist, 49, has served on the city’s Bureau of EMS for nearly 24 years. She assumed the role of acting chief when former EMS Chief Ronald Romano retired. After 45 years of service, Romano’s last day...
Pittsburgh City Councilman Bobby Wilson, challenger Steven Oberst square off in Democratic primary
Pittsburgh City Councilman Bobby Wilson is facing a Democratic primary challenge in his bid for a second term. Steven Oberst, 59, of Brighton Heights, ran unsuccessfully for the council seat in 2011 and is now squaring off against Wilson, 40, of Spring Hill, who defeated former Councilwoman Darlene Harris in...
Shaler Shop ‘n Save sells $3 million winning lottery ticket
The Shop ‘n Save in Shaler sold a $3 million winning lottery ticket. The lucky ticket was a My Three Million scratch-off, according to Pennsylvania Lottery officials. My Three Million is a $30 game that offers five top prizes of $3 million. The Shop ‘n Save on Babcock Boulevard will...
