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Growth
Fund Boosts Centre Avenue Development
by
Jason Vrabel, Community Design Center of Pittsburgh
After launching a new economic
development strategy earlier this year, the Hill House Economic
Development Corporation unveiled its plans for a Family Dollar store
at the corner of Centre Avenue and Devilliers Street. On this site
sits a vacant structure that was previously occupied by a pharmacy
and an auto parts store. With support from the Hill District Growth
Fund of the Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC), the project
will be the first to incorporate the Centre Avenue Design Guidelines
created in 2004-05.
According to Hill House Association Executive Director,
Evan Frazier, the site was the primary focus of the Economic Development
Corporation. “We new that this commercial property offered
a real opportunity to bring a neighborhood-serving business into
the community,” he said. Following a lead from the URA, the
Economic Development Corporation approached Family Dollar, and found
that the store was receptive to the idea of a Centre Avenue location.
Full Story
Over
300 Attend Community Development Summit
by
Allison Haley and Sarah Dieleman-Perry, Pittsburgh Partnership for
Neighborhood Development
On October 20, PPND, LISC and CDCP convened over 300 people for
a “Town Hall Meeting for Pittsburgh’s Future.”
Concerned residents, community organizers and public officials gathered
to discuss issues impacting the city’s neighborhoods and how
local government and communities can work together to help neighborhoods
grow.
Kim Burnett from the Surdna Foundation and Michael Rubinger from
LISC gave remarks that offered a national perspective on community
development. Full
Story
Benchmarking
Chattanooga
by
Jason Vrabel, Community Design Center of Pittsburgh
In a 2003 PCDN article,
we examined the value of publicly-funded enhancements to the public
realm during a time of a severe financial crisis and great uncertainty
about Pittsburgh’s future. A basis for comparison was found
in an unlikely place – Chattanooga, Tennessee. With a history
similar to Pittsburgh’s in many ways, Chattanooga had begun
to implement a long-term vision for change by investing vast resources
into improving the public realm based on the belief that private
investment would follow.Full
Story
National Interest in Town Square
by
Breen Masciotra, Community Design Center of Pittsburgh
This fall, East Liberty Development, Inc. (ELDI) approached the
New York-based Project for Public Spaces (PPS), a nonprofit organization
dedicated to creating and sustaining public places that help build
communities. This has led to excitement all around as PPS plans
a visit to Pittsburgh. Full
Story
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