Julia Felton stories, Page 24
Pittsburgh to delay plastic bag ban
A ban on single-use plastic bags in Pittsburgh will be delayed by several months, city officials said Thursday. The bag ban, which was approved last April, was slated to go into effect on April 14. Mayor Ed Gainey’s office said the city will delay enforcing the measure until Oct. 14,...
Fern Hollow Bridge to get new artwork along trails beneath span
Pittsburgh’s reorganized Art Commission on Wednesday approved an art installation for the rebuilt Fern Hollow Bridge. The art installation, designed by Carin Mincemoyer, will be installed under the new span along a walking trail and will feature sculptures and benches designed to look like driftwood and river rock. “Taking the...
Pittsburgh officials look to expedite $48M rehab of Charles Anderson Memorial Bridge
Pittsburgh officials say they want to expedite a large-scale rehabilitation of the Charles Anderson Bridge after the span was closed in February because of safety concerns. When officials closed the bridge, they initially said the city would make necessary repairs over the course of about four months, with an estimated...
Pitt moves ahead with $240M plan for new arena, sports performance center
University of Pittsburgh officials Tuesday provided city planners with an overview of their plans for a $240 million arena and sports performance center on the Oakland campus. The proposed Victory Heights facility would be located near Petersen Events Center on Terrace Street, on the site of the former Pitt Stadium,...
$11M loan fund aims to preserve affordable housing in Pittsburgh
A new $11 million loan fund will aim to help developers retain affordable housing options in Pittsburgh. The Henry L. Hillman Foundation and The Heinz Endowments are partnering with UPMC for You, a Medicaid-managed care plan, to create the fund. The funding will help developers buy existing multifamily housing units...
Pittsburgh receives more than $3M in state grant money for infrastructure projects
Pittsburgh officials on Monday announced that the city has been awarded more than $3 million in state grant money for infrastructure projects. The money included $500,000 for the city to purchase maintenance equipment, a street sweeper and trucks for the newly created bridge maintenance division. Mayor Ed Gainey launched the...
Spartan Community Center of Hazelwood turns former elementary school into community hub
A building that formerly housed a Catholic elementary school in Pittsburgh’s Hazelwood neighborhood now serves as a community hub. Formerly St. Stephen elementary school, the building now belongs to Spartan Community Center of Hazelwood, a nonprofit that rents out space to other nonprofits, entrepreneurs and community groups. St. Stephen School...
Pittsburgh launches citywide composting pilot
Pittsburgh on Friday announced the city will launch a five-month, citywide composting pilot across the city. The initiative, headed by the Department of City Planning’s Sustainability and Resilience division, aims to address Pittsburgh’s goal of becoming a zero-waste city, officials said. “We want to empower residents to create positive change...
Did raccoon dogs start covid pandemic? Western Pa. experts weigh in
After international scientists discovered a potential link between the origin of the covid-19 virus and raccoon dogs, medical experts in Western Pennsylvania said the animal could be where the virus began. Samples collected from the Huanan seafood market in Wuhan, China — where the first human cases of covid-19 were...
Fetterman to open Pittsburgh regional office next month
Sen. John Fetterman, D-Braddock, on Friday announced he will open a Pittsburgh regional office early next month. “Our team is proud to open another office to serve the people of Pennsylvania, this time in Pittsburgh,” said Joe Pierce, Fetterman’s state director. “This location will provide top services to the people...
Smithfield Shelter to continue housing people beyond usual closure date
The homeless shelter at Smithfield United Church of Christ in Pittsburgh, which is typically open only during the colder months, will continue housing people after its traditional March 15 closure date. The winter shelter opened for the season in November to provide a warm place for homeless people as temperatures...
Pittsburgh Public Schools nixes proposal to delay school start time on Wednesdays
Pittsburgh Public Schools Superintendent Wayne Walters on Wednesday said the district will not move ahead with a proposal to start school an hour later every Wednesday during the next academic year. The district had previously proposed an hour delay each Wednesday to allow more time for staff professional development. Because...
Council approves expansion of Pittsburgh’s Allegheny River Greenway
Pittsburgh’s Allegheny River Greenway will grow to include two dozen additional lots. City Council on Tuesday unanimously approved a measure that will add the vacant, city-owned parcels to the existing greenspace. Councilman Ricky Burgess, D-Point Breeze, was not present for the vote. Councilwoman Deb Gross, D-Highland Park, who sponsored the...
Pittsburgh council approves appointment to revamped Art Commission
Pittsburgh City Council on Tuesday unanimously approved Mayor Ed Gainey’s most recent appointment to the Art Commission, which the mayor recently reorganized. Council on Tuesday approved Anneliese Martinez, who serves as senior director at The Pop District at The Warhol Museum, to sit on the commission’s Public Art Committee. Councilman...
Gainey calls on Pittsburgh businesses to fix gender pay gap
Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey on Tuesday called on the city’s businesses to provide equal pay for men and women as he commemorated National Equal Pay Day. In a press conference held in the mayor’s office, Gainey joined female leaders of his administration and other women to advocate for closing the...
Duquesne Light donates $1 million to Allegheny Commons Park project
The Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy is entering another phase of construction on the North Promenade in Allegheny Commons Park. The project will reconstruct a 15-foot-wide central promenade along North Avenue, realign the system of connecting pathways and plant more than 100 trees at the park, according to the conservancy. There will...
Urban Redevelopment Authority looks to redevelop Carrick property
An abandoned property in Pittsburgh’s Carrick neighborhood is slated to be redeveloped for either affordable or mixed-income housing. The city’s Urban Redevelopment Authority is accepting proposals from redevelopers through the end of the month. The URA said it wants to transform the Brownsville Road property known as Berg Place into...
Veterans Place of Washington Boulevard buys land from URA to expand in Larimer
A Pittsburgh nonprofit that supports poor and homeless veterans is buying property from the city’s Urban Redevelopment Authority to develop more apartments and activity space in Larimer. The URA board voted Thursday to sell five lots to Veterans Place of Washington Boulevard for about $20,700. “We’re really excited to move...
Pittsburgh officials prepare for St. Patrick’s Day parade, celebration
Pittsburgh public safety officials are preparing for the city’s Saint Patrick’s Day celebrations this weekend. The St. Patrick’s Day parade on Saturday will march through Downtown Pittsburgh, starting at 10 a.m. at Liberty Avenue and 11th Street. The route will proceed to Grant Street, turn right onto the Boulevard of...
Pittsburgh to continue leasing fueling equipment for compressed natural gas vehicles
Pittsburgh will continue leasing fueling equipment for its growing fleet of compressed natural gas vehicles. The city has 10 natural gas refuse trucks and is getting 10 more this month, according to Maria Montaño, a spokeswoman for Mayor Ed Gainey. City Council members have debated the merits of compressed natural...
Pittsburgh to improve pedestrian safety near 3 elementary schools
Shannon Peterson drives his 6-year-old son Shannon Peterson Jr. to and from school every day so the boy doesn’t have to walk a dangerous route to his elementary school. The Petersons live close enough to Arlington PreK-8 in Pittsburgh’s Arlington neighborhood that the school is well within walking distance, but...
Pittsburgh looks to expand Allegheny River Greenway to include landslide-prone properties
Pittsburgh officials are looking to expand the Allegheny River Greenway, adding several parcels to the greenspace that officials say should not be developed because of landslide risk. City Councilwoman Deb Gross, D-Highland Park is sponsoring legislation that would add to the existing greenway and limit the risk of potentially damaging...
$320K makeover planned for Greenfield’s Four Mile Run Playground
Four Mile Run Playground in Pittsburgh’s Greenfield neighborhood could receive a $320,000 makeover this summer. The project has been in the works for about two years, said City Councilwoman Barb Warwick, D-Greenfield. Carnegie Mellon University has committed $250,000 for the project. Warwick is sponsoring legislation to use funding from the...
Pittsburgh officials divided on investing in natural gas garbage trucks
Pittsburgh City Council members are debating the merits of continuing to invest in compressed natural gas vehicles. The city has 10 compressed natural gas refuse trucks and is getting 10 more this month, according to Maria Montaño, a spokeswoman for Mayor Ed Gainey. “I hate that we continue to add...
Pittsburgh expanding program for accelerated permits
Pittsburgh’s Department of Permits, Licenses and Inspections is expanding its new accelerated review program to include commercial mechanical and electrical permits. The city launched a pilot program about a year ago to speed up the process for people applying for fire alarm and fire suppression permits. People pay an additional...
