On the campaign trail, Pittsburgh Mayor Corey O’Connor vowed to attract more businesses, housing and development.
On Tuesday, his first full day as mayor, O’Connor signed an executive order that he hopes will be a starting point for that goal.
The order gives various city departments — including the Department of Permits, Licenses & Inspections, the Department of Mobility and Infrastructure and the Department of City Planning — 60 days to report to the mayor on how to revamp the permitting process to make it quicker to build in Pittsburgh.
“We have to streamline this process,” O’Connor said.
Changes could include slashing the number of permits a developer needs to move ahead on a project or making the process more efficient so permits can be issued more quickly, the mayor told reporters.
O’Connor also has created a liaison position to help people navigate the permitting process.
The goal is not just to help major developers, O’Connor said. He also wants to make it easier and faster for residents to get permits for things like home improvements.
“This is going to be a full overhaul of the entire process in 60 days,” O’Connor said.
Complaints about the city’s permitting process being slow and outdated are nothing new. Former Mayor Ed Gainey fielded complaints about the topic before he took office four years ago.
Currently, O’Connor said, it can sometimes take about eight months to obtain permits. He worries some companies are deterred from building in the city because “it’s too much of an effort” to go through the existing processes.
But he hopes that speeding up the process will signal to developers — including those constructing much-needed affordable housing — that it’s worthwhile to invest in the city.
“Can we get to four weeks?” the mayor said. “That would be amazing. I think we have to set goals like that.”
O’Connor pledged to be accessible for developers who need help navigating the system. Two students from Harvard’s Kennedy School will be working on a data analysis to show where the city’s permitting could be improved.
“If you want to grow Pittsburgh, government has to be efficient,” O’Connor said.
