Julia Felton stories, Page 40
URA, RIDC announce first tenant for $39M warehouse project in Pittsburgh’s Fairywood
A $39 million project to build warehouses in Pittsburgh’s Fairywood neighborhood has landed its first tenant, according to the Regional Industrial Development Corp. of Southwestern Pennsylvania and the city’s Urban Redevelopment Authority. The RIDC and URA said this week that Ferguson Enterprises LLC, a plumbing, HVAC and industrial product distributor,...
Pittsburgh’s Swindell Bridge is being resurfaced, will undergo more repairs later this year
Pittsburgh’s Swindell Bridge is being milled and resurfaced in a project that began Friday, officials said. The 1,097-foot-long bridge, which stretches over the Parkway North on the North Side, is rated in poor condition, PennDOT records show. It opened in 1930 and is used by about 5,700 vehicles a day,...
Pittsburgh City Council advances Oakland Crossings zoning legislation
Pittsburgh City Council on Wednesday advanced zoning legislation that would allow the controversial Oakland Crossings Development to proceed. The Planning Commission recommended the measure with conditions, though members of the Oakland community appear to be split on the matter. Walnut Capital, the Shadyside developer that revitalized Bakery Square, needs City...
Pittsburgh Art Commission approves portion of pedestrian wayfinding project
Pittsburgh’s Art Commission on Wednesday approved part of a major pedestrian wayfinding project, but will continue reviewing a portion of the project that has concerned some commissioners. The wayfinding project aims to encourage both locals and tourists to explore neighborhoods and visit local landmarks, said Kathryn Schlesinger, senior mobility project...
Plans for 254 apartments at former GNC headquarters in Pittsburgh move forward
Pittsburgh City Council on Tuesday approved transferring development rights for new apartments in Downtown to a New York company that is looking to redevelop the former GNC headquarters in Downtown Pittsburgh. The move clears the way for Victrix LLC to build 254 apartments at the site on Sixth Avenue. Victrix...
Pittsburgh looks to extend lease for North Side public safety training facility for $2M
Pittsburgh is looking to extend a lease with the Community College of Allegheny County to continue to use a property the school owns on North Lincoln Avenue for a public safety training facility. Legislation introduced to City Council on Tuesday would extend the lease through 2027 for a cost of...
Pittsburgh City Council honors outgoing Police Chief Scott Schubert
Pittsburgh City Council declared Tuesday as Scott Schubert Day in the city to honor the outgoing police chief, and said it would make a donation in his name to the Special Olympics, an organization Schubert has strongly supported. Schubert announced his retirement last month, after nearly 30 years of service...
Summer camp provides kids opportunity to explore nature in Franklin Park
For kids who don’t want to stay cooped up inside all summer, an outdoor camp in Franklin Park can help them explore nature. Dan Gray of CDG Sports is hosting an Ultimate Eco-Adventure Camp for kids ages 6-13. They’ll explore Blueberry Hill Park, Linbrook Park and Acorn Park, he said....
PrimoHoagies opening in Pittsburgh’s Strip District with free hoagies
Pittsburgh’s Strip District is getting a new sandwich shop. The city’s first PrimoHoagies site is set to open in the Terminal Building on Smallman Street on Thursday. The first 100 customers in line after a 9:45 a.m. ribbon cutting can get a free Primo-sized hoagie. After that, customers in the...
Pittsburgh council advances measure to help recently incarcerated people find jobs
Pittsburgh City Council on Wednesday advanced legislation that would allow the city to enter an agreement with a nonprofit to provide temporary employment opportunities to recently incarcerated individuals. The measure — introduced by Councilman Ricky Burgess last week — would form a partnership with the New-York-based Center for Employee Opportunities....
McCandless officials considering changes to ward boundaries
McCandless officials are considering changes to ward boundaries based on recent census data. The town’s 2022 reapportionment committee met late last month to review preliminary information about how ward populations could be rebalanced based on 2020 census results, said McCandless Planning and Development Director RJ Susko. Some wards, she explained,...
Robert Morris considering whether to ditch Colonials team name
Robert Morris University officials said they are considering whether to keep the name Colonials after another university recently announced its decision to nix the same moniker. George Washington University recently announced it is looking to change the name Colonials, which has been used since 1926. Opponents of the name said...
Giant Eagle in Shadyside set to close as part of redevelopment
The Giant Eagle supermarket on Shakespeare Street in Shadyside is set to close as a realtor moves ahead with redevelopment plans for its surrounding plaza. The store will close at 6 p.m. on July 23, according to a Giant Eagle spokesman. “Understanding the important role the store plays in the...
Pittsburgh Planning Commission adopts Oakland Plan as concerns persist about proposed zoning changes
Pittsburgh’s Planning Commission on Tuesday approved a document that is intended to guide development in the city’s Oakland neighborhood for years to come. In the same meeting, planners recommended a package of hotly debated zoning changes to City Council with several conditions. Before voting on what is known as the...
Amendments added to proposed Pittsburgh legislation on short-term rental properties
Owners of short-term rental properties who live outside Allegheny County would be required to designate a local person to serve as an emergency contact under proposed amendments to Pittsburgh City Council legislation introduced Wednesday. The original legislation — introduced in April after two teenagers were killed and several other people...
Pittsburgh offering grants to city groups working on violence prevention
Pittsburgh organizations have until July 5 to apply for city grants to use for violence prevention programs, according to Mayor Ed Gainey’s office. Applicants can request grants ranging from $15,000 to more than $90,000 through the city’s STOP the Violence Office, officials said. “It’s time to address violence as a...
Pittsburgh officials, residents seek solutions to South Side violence
Pittsburgh’s leaders met with South Side residents and business owners Tuesday evening to discuss potential solutions to recent violence along a busy portion of East Carson Street. “This culture on the South Side — this was 20 years in the making,” Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey said. So, he said, a...
$180K study to analyze Pittsburgh police staffing, how officers are used
Pittsburgh City Council has hired a California company to analyze the police force’s staffing levels and how officers are used. The city will pay Matrix Consulting Group $180,000 to conduct the study, the first one done on the police bureau since 2005, according to Jake Pawlak, director of the city’s...
Pittsburgh to use $1M budgeted for public safety training facility for Penn Circle project instead
Pittsburgh City Council voted Tuesday to reallocate $1 million earmarked for a new public safety training facility in Lincoln-Lemington to a project that will convert Penn Circle into a two-way street. Two pieces of related legislation will move $808,000 from the 2019 budget and $192,000 from the 2020 budget to...
$5.2M traffic, pedestrian safety project underway in Pittsburgh’s South Side
Pittsburgh officials said Monday that work is underway on a project aiming to improve pedestrian and vehicle safety at several intersections in the South Side Flats, South Side Slopes and Mount Oliver. Upgrades include traffic and pedestrian signal improvements, curb extensions and installation of ramps that comply with the Americans...
Community meeting planned to discuss public safety concerns on Pittsburgh’s South Side
Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey and other city leaders will meet Tuesday with South Side residents to discuss public safety concerns along the neighborhood’s East Carson Street. The meeting comes after some business owners have expressed concerns about recent violence along a busy stretch of East Carson, the main artery through...
What’s a Saturday night like on the South Side?
A recent uptick in gun violence along East Carson Street in Pittsburgh’s South Side has left some visitors and business owners on edge — though others said they were beginning to feel a bit safer this weekend as public safety increased efforts to curb the violence. “You’ve got to push...
Developer looks to transform former Letsche Elementary School into mixed-income housing
A developer is looking to revitalize the former Letsche Elementary School in Pittsburgh’s Crawford-Roberts neighborhood into mixed-income housing. The city’s Urban Redevelopment Authority on Thursday authorized a Rental Gap Program loan of about $950,000 to Beacon Communities Services for the project. The board also agreed to sell the developer a...
Fourth of July plans at Point State Park include Zambelli fireworks, music
City officials on Thursday unveiled Pittsburgh’s plans for this year’s Independence Day celebration in Point State Park. The July 4 festivities, which will run from 4 p.m. till 10 p.m., include musical entertainment, family activities, line dancing and a performance of Squonk’s “Hand to Hand,” which the city touted as...
Pittsburgh City Council considers study to analyze police staffing, utilization
Pittsburgh officials are looking to analyze the police force’s staffing and utilization. Legislation advanced Wednesday would authorize the city to spend $180,000 on an agreement with Matrix Consulting Group to perform the study. “It is a set of recommendations about the number and distribution of officers in different functions and...
