Pittsburgh seeking $1.8M grant for Grandview Avenue improvements

Pittsburgh is applying for state aid to help rehabilitate one of its most iconic streets known for its panoramic views of the city.

City Council on Wednesday advanced a resolution authorizing the Department of Mobility and Infrastructure to apply for a $1.8 million grant that would fund improvements to Mt. Washington’s Grandview Avenue. The resolution calls for Pittsburgh to put up an additional $792,000.

“There’s a whole laundry list of things that we would use that for to really kind of do a more comprehensive improvement,” said DOMI Director Karina Ricks. “We’re doing some of it on an emergency basis now. This will allow us to do the rest of it, to really bring it up to snuff and make it the premier street that it should be.”

Pittsburgh in June closed sidewalks along the street that features a panoramic view of the city and its rivers. The Mayor’s Office allocated $800,000 for emergency sidewalk repairs that are expected to be finished by November.

Ricks said the additional $2.6 million from the grant and city match would be used to fix a retaining wall near the Monongahela Incline, improve curb ramps and upgrade fences and railings along the walks, among other things.

The city would have to allocate future funds for expensive preventative maintenance to several overlook platforms along the street, Ricks said.