Julia Burdelski stories, Page 21
‘We can do big things’: Shapiro unveils $600M makeover for Downtown Pittsburgh
Buoyed by nearly $600 million of investments, a new plan for Downtown Pittsburgh unveiled Friday by Gov. Josh Shapiro includes nearly 1,000 new housing units, improvements to public spaces in the Golden Triangle and increased public safety efforts. “To have a strong and vibrant commonwealth of Pennsylvania, you have to...
Pittsburgh leaders argue over discounts for landlords buying vacant city land
Pittsburgh City Council is considering halting a program to sell vacant blighted properties on the cheap while council members debate who should be allowed to enjoy the discount. The Side Yard Sale Program allows property owners to purchase certain vacant, city-owned properties adjacent to their own for $200. Some council...
Pittsburgh police chief plans pay cut so he can referee collegiate basketball
Pittsburgh Police Chief Larry Scirotto said Wednesday that he will take a salary reduction as part of his deal to return to refereeing NCAA college basketball games. Scirotto last week announced he would resume refereeing, something he had given up when Mayor Ed Gainey named him chief last year. He...
Carnegie woman identified as pedestrian killed when struck by vehicle in Point Breeze
Authorities say a Carnegie woman was killed when she struck by vehicle Wednesday morning in Pittsburgh’s Point Breeze neighborhood. The Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s Office identified the victim as Vira Petrakh, 51. She was a pedestrian who was struck at the intersection of South Dallas Avenue and Reynolds Street at...
Wanted: Buyer for Pittsburgh Municipal Courts Building with costly maintenance, jail views
Pittsburgh will try to sell the Downtown Municipal Courts Building, described by City Council as a money-sucking facility that will cost more than $1 million to maintain. But whether anyone wants to buy the building, and for how much, remain open questions. Council voted Tuesday to send legislation authorizing the...
Pittsburgh to implement new garbage citation system
Pittsburgh officials will more easily be able to cite people who leave garbage on their property, improperly store trash cans or leave their cans at the curb too long before and after trash pickup. City Council on Tuesday unanimously approved legislation that will allow inspectors to issue quality-of-life tickets to...
Pittsburgh councilman demands answers on police Chief Scirotto’s part-time refereeing gig
A Pittsburgh councilman called Tuesday for public answers about the police chief’s decision to referee NCAA college basketball games while running the 751-member force. Chief Larry Scirotto last week announced he would resume refereeing part time, something he had given up when he was named chief last year. “We need...
DA files felony charge against Mon View Heights owner
Allegheny County District Attorney Stephen A. Zappala Jr. has charged the owners of the Mon View Heights subsidized housing complex in West Mifflin with a felony amid allegations of failing water systems, rodent and insect infestations, mold growth and a child falling through the floor. The felony count of causing...
Steel truss concerns prompted Pittsburgh to close Panther Hollow Bridge
Pittsburgh’s top engineer said concerns about steel trusses spurred the closure this weekend of the Panther Hollow Bridge in Schenley Park. Eric Setzler, the city’s chief engineer, could not say when the bridge might reopen. The 640-foot-long bridge, which spans Panther Hollow near Anderson Playground in the city’s Squirrel Hill...
Second Avenue Commons homeless shelter to reopen after fire
Downtown Pittsburgh’s Second Avenue Commons homeless shelter is scheduled to reopen next week nearly five months after a fire forced it to close. People are expected to begin moving back into the shelter on Oct. 28, with full operations resuming the next day, according to Allegheny County officials. That will...
Gainey pitches vision of Downtown Pittsburgh as entertainment, residential hub
Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey made a pitch Wednesday for his vision of Downtown as a vibrant residential neighborhood that serves as a hub of art, culture and entertainment. During a forum on development held at Point Park University, Gainey trumpeted progress in revitalizing the Golden Triangle and painted a rosy...
Pittsburgh seeks early end to $24M tax break for Squirrel Hill parcel
A formerly blighted parcel of land in Pittsburgh’s Squirrel Hill neighborhood that enjoyed a 20-year tax break to spur development could return to the tax rolls next year — nearly a decade earlier than expected. If City Council agrees, Pittsburgh, its school district and Allegheny County will see estimated total...
Pittsburgh to clear Downtown homeless camp due to drug problems
Pittsburgh officials are clearing out a Downtown homeless camp after reports of drug use there, Public Safety Director Lee Schmidt said Tuesday. The camp sits next to the Fort Pitt Commons office building off Grant Street and Fort Pitt Boulevard. People living at the camp will be offered shelter elsewhere...
Gotta go? Pittsburgh pushes for more public potties Downtown
Pittsburgh officials want to expand access to public bathrooms Downtown, where restrooms can be hard to find. City officials and the nonprofit Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership last September rolled out the “Pittsburgh Potty” initiative, which saw temporary bathrooms installed near the Gateway Center T Station Plaza and the intersection of Smithfield...
JD Vance to visit Pittsburgh this week
Ohio Sen. JD Vance, the Republican candidate for vice president, is set to visit Pittsburgh Thursday. Vance is expected to deliver remarks at 12:30 p.m. at The Pennsylvanian on Liberty Avenue Downtown, according to GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump’s campaign. Doors will open for the event at 10:30 a.m. Vance...
‘This is the place’: Tech leaders, Shapiro tout Pittsburgh as AI hub
With top-notch universities, a plethora of tech companies and support from local and state leaders, Pittsburgh is at the forefront of innovations in artificial intelligence, industry experts said Monday during an artificial intelligence summit in the city’s East End. Artificial intelligence is becoming increasingly prevalent in daily life, bringing conveniences,...
Christopher Columbus statue in Schenley Park now uncovered as legal battle drags on
Pittsburgh officials are allowing a controversial statue of Christopher Columbus to remain mostly uncovered as a lawsuit over the monument’s future stretches into its fifth year. The controversial monument that stands in Schenley Park was wrapped in plastic in October 2020 as it became the center of a legal battle...
$55M project will turn historic Pittsburgh government building into affordable housing
A historic former government office building in Downtown Pittsburgh is on track to be turned into affordable housing as part of a $55 million project. The 200 Ross Street site — formerly known as the John P. Robin Civic Building — will be revitalized to include 68 apartments, community space...
Troy Hill Fire House to become office space after cafe, market fell through
After plans to convert Pittsburgh’s historic Troy Hill Fire House into a taphouse, market and cafe fell through, the building is now set to be converted into commercial office space. The redevelopment will include efforts to preserve and restore historic elements of the building, said Chad Chalmers, co-founder of local...
Developer interested in revitalizing former steel mill site in Lawrenceville
A New York-based developer is entering negotiations with the Urban Redevelopment Authority to buy and revitalize a former steel mill brownfield in Pittsburgh’s Lawrenceville neighborhood. Golden East Investors is looking to develop a 14.2-acre property on 62nd Street into two separate high-bay structures. The $20 million project also would include...
Ex-Pittsburgh building inspector gets probation, avoids prison in bribery case
A former Pittsburgh building inspector will not go to prison after pleading guilty in federal court to accepting bribes. U.S. District Court Judge Mark Hornak on Wednesday sentenced Walter Eiseman, 59, to 18 months of probation and 90 days of home confinement. Eiseman also must pay a $1,500 fine and...
Pittsburgh councilman pitches selling Municipal Courts Building to Allegheny County for $9M
A Pittsburgh councilman wants to sell the Municipal Courts Building to Allegheny County for $9 million to save the city the costs of upkeep and utilities at the Downtown facility. Councilman Anthony Coghill, D-Beechview, introduced legislation Tuesday that would instruct the city to scrap its existing lease agreement with the...
Allegheny County launches new respiratory virus dashboard
The Allegheny County Health Department on Monday announced a new respiratory virus dashboard where people can find data on covid-19, influenza and RSV. The new tool replaces the county’s prior covid-19 infections dashboard. The interactive platform includes data on reported infections, emergency department visits, hospitalizations and deaths related to the...
New apartment complex in Uptown to aid homeless
Pittsburgh-based nonprofit Bethlehem Haven on Wednesday broke ground on an Uptown site that will provide affordable housing to the homeless. Dubbed Uptown Flats, the four-story building will include 34 apartments, various services to support residents and administrative offices for Bethlehem Haven, which offers housing and other support to homeless people....
Pittsburgh approves $1M outlay for 2026 NFL Draft
Pittsburgh will pay $1 million to support the 2026 NFL Draft, which the city will host. City Council on Tuesday unanimously voted to spend the money despite initial criticism from some members that Mayor Ed Gainey committed taxpayer dollars without first seeking their approval. The vote also commits the city...
