Julia Felton stories, Page 57
Pittsburgh earns international award for work addressing climate change
Pittsburgh won second place in an international competition known as the Climate Challenge Cup, part of COP26, the ongoing United Nations conference focused on finding solutions to climate change. The award was presented to Mayor Bill Peduto and Chief Resilience Officer Grant Ervin in Glasgow, Scotland, on Wednesday. The city...
Proposal would move Public Works division out of Pittsburgh’s Riverview Park
Pittsburgh is looking to relocate the Department of Public Works’ First Division from Riverview Park to a new North Side site. The proposal, presented to City Council on Wednesday by Mayor Bill Peduto, would involve buying property on River Avenue from the Urban Redevelopment Authority to serve as the location...
Pittsburgh looks to create new Office of Immigrant and Refugee Affairs
Pittsburgh is looking to establish a new city office dedicated to helping the growing immigrant and refugee population. City Council legislation introduced Monday would create the Office of Immigrant and Refugee Affairs. The office would help connect immigrants and refugees with resources and benefits offered through the city, county, state,...
Wolf announces funding for 70+ revitalization projects in Southwestern Pa.
Nearly $36 million from the state’s Neighborhood Assistance Program will help 220 community revitalization projects across Pennsylvania, Gov. Tom Wolf said Tuesday. Seventy-seven of the projects receiving funding are in Southwestern Pennsylvania. “These projects make the state stronger as a whole and keep it the best place to live, work...
Proposal to name park over Pittsburgh’s Crosstown Blvd. after activist Frankie Pace advances
A proposal to name a park over Pittsburgh’s Crosstown Boulevard after the late community activist Frankie Pace is one step closer to gaining final approval. City Council on Tuesday advanced the proposed resolution to name the 3-acre park after Pace. The resolution could receive final approval as soon as next...
Pittsburgh’s Roberto Clemente Drive one step closer to being renamed to also honor icon’s late wife
Pittsburgh City Council advanced legislation to rename Oakland’s Roberto Clemente Drive to also honor his late wife Vera, and the proposal could be finalized as soon as next week. The street between South Bouquet Street and Schenley Drive, which passes what remains of the Forbes Field outfield wall, would be...
Pittsburgh City Council weighs changes to parking code
Some Pittsburgh residents are skeptical of proposed changes to the city’s parking code that they say would do more harm than good. The proposed amendments would apply to the city’s 39 residential parking permit areas, most of which are near commercial areas, universities or hospitals. While officials say the amendments...
Display recognizing Pittsburgh veterans unveiled on Boulevard of the Allies
A display featuring the images of Pittsburgh veterans who served from the Civil War through the present day now adorns a portion of the Boulevard of the Allies in Downtown Pittsburgh. Mayor Bill Peduto joined Soldiers & Sailors Memorial Hall & Museum on Monday to unveil the display in advance...
Peduto administration announces additional departures
As Mayor Bill Peduto’s administration winds to a close, city officials announced two additional members of the administration are leaving city government. Philip Savino has served as the assistant director of technology operations in the Department of Innovation and Performance since 2020. He assisted with a major overhaul of network...
Peduto outlines budget priorities, touts accomplishments in last State of City addressVideo
Outgoing Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto reflected on his administration’s accomplishments Monday as he introduced spending plans for 2022 during his final State of the City Budget Address. Peduto formally introduced a $613.2 million operating budget and a $158.2 million capital budget with no proposed tax increase. Mayor @billpeduto is addressing...
Proposal would prevent Pittsburgh police from pulling over drivers for minor, secondary violations
Pittsburgh police would no longer be allowed to pull over drivers for secondary violations such as headlights or brake lights being burned out or license plates being improperly displayed, under legislation introduced Monday. The measure is meant to make traffic stops more “equitable and fair,” according to the legislation sponsored...
$16M project to replace Pittsburgh streetlights with LEDs gains final approval
Pittsburgh’s 35,000 streetlights will be converted to LEDs as part of a $16 million project approved Monday by City Council. Proponents say the conversion will be environmentally friendly and cost-efficient, though some council members have questioned whether the lights will be reliable and popular with residents. The project could cut...
3 more Peduto staffers leave for new positions ahead of new Pittsburgh administration
As Mayor Bill Peduto prepares to leave office in January, three additional members of his staff have announced they’ll be leaving their posts for new positions. • Gisele Betances has worked with the Office of Community Affairs since May 2020, following a fellowship with the office. She worked directly with...
Pittsburgh to host global climate and energy meeting next year
Pittsburgh will serve as the host city for a global climate and energy meeting next year, officials announced Thursday. The city will be hosting the 2022 Clean Energy Ministerial and the ministerial for Mission Innovation next September, U.S. Department of Energy Secretary Jennifer M. Granholm said. She made the announcement...
City Council debates proposal to replace all of Pittsburgh’s streetlights with LEDs
Pittsburgh City Council on Monday debated a proposal to replace all of the city’s streetlights with LEDs — a measure proponents say will cut costs and help the environment, despite concerns that they could be unreliable and unpopular. The plan calls for a $16 million revamp of the city’s 35,000...
Pittsburgh officials celebrate purchase of Hays Woods, city’s newest public parkVideo
Pittsburgh officials on Friday celebrated the city’s purchase of Hays Woods, a 624-acre site that will become the city’s next public park. It will be the second largest public park in the city — second only to Frick Park, said City Councilman Corey O’Connor. If officials were to count the...
Food truck serves oddly shaped pizza slices in Pittsburgh as lesson on gerrymandering
A food truck called Gerry’s Partisan Pizza served up free slices of pizza in Oakland on Friday — but there was a catch. The slices were cut into odd shapes, rather than the standard neat triangles. Their sizes varied. Each piece was meant to serve as a reminder about gerrymandering,...
Pittsburgh’s Roberto Clemente Drive could be renamed to also honor legend’s late wife
Pittsburgh City Council could vote as early as next week to rename Roberto Clemente Drive in Oakland as Roberto and Vera Clemente Drive to recognize the baseball legend’s wife, who died two years ago. Roberto Clemente, a beloved icon in Pittsburgh, was a Hall of Fame outfielder for the Pittsburgh...
Pittsburgh City Council OKs composting pilot program
Pittsburgh City Council has authorized spending $90,000 in grant money to launch a two-year pilot program on composting. The program will focus on educating the public about composting and supporting organizations that provide composting services. It also will include efforts to incorporate composting into the city’s farmers’ markets and parks....
Black Pittsburghers hopeful Ed Gainey’s mayoral win marks new day
Ed Gainey is poised to become Pittsburgh’s first Black mayor, something community activists and residents say they hope will lead to more representation for the city’s minority residents. Gainey, a Democratic state representative from Lincoln-Lemington, handily defeated Republican challenger Tony Moreno. Gainey garnered about 70% of the vote, according to...
Renovations proceed at city-owned 412 Blvd. of the Allies in Downtown Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh officials said this week that progress is being made on renovating 412 Boulevard of the Allies, which the city bought three years ago to house offices for several city departments. The city bought the nine-story Downtown building so it could relocate several offices and services there from the John...
Pittsburgh City Councilman Anthony Coghill declares victory with wide lead in reelection bid
In the only contested race for a Pittsburgh City Council seat this year, first-term Councilman Anthony Coghill led challenger Connor Mulvaney by a wide margin late Tuesday. Coghill, 55, a Democrat from Beechview, and Mulvaney, 28, a Green Party candidate from Brookline, are vying to represent District 4, which includes...
Ed Gainey to make history as Pittsburgh’s first Black mayor
Democratic state Rep. Ed Gainey declared victory Tuesday night while holding a commanding lead in the Pittsburgh mayoral race. With more than 96% of precincts reporting unofficial results shortly before midnight, Gainey had collected nearly 71% of the votes counted compared to nearly 29% for Republican nominee Tony Moreno. Gainey,...
Resolution would name park over Pittsburgh’s I-579 after activist Frankie Pace
A park being built over Interstate 579 in a $32.3 million project linking Pittsburgh’s Hill District to Downtown would be named after community activist Frankie Pace, under a City Council resolution proposed Monday. Born in 1905, Pace was a longtime community activist and head of the Hill District Community Council....
Pittsburgh City Council approves requiring registration, inspections of rental units
A proposal to create a rental registration and inspection schedule for Pittsburgh’s rental units gained final approval by City Council on Monday, advancing a measure that had been stopped by a judge when officials previously tried to implement it. The proposal, approved by all six council members present Monday, would...
