Pittsburgh steering new development toward neighborhoods

Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto on Wednesday introduced the city’s new economic team to a group of local leaders and outlined plans for steering development toward neighborhood business districts and blighted, city-owned property rather than large-scale projects.

Peduto noted that the city owns nearly 17,000 vacant lots, houses and buildings. He said he has seen little progress in transforming those properties into affordable homes and businesses that will attract new residents and help rebuild poverty-stricken neighborhoods.

The city in the future will provide incentives for small entrepreneurs to start businesses in city-owned buildings that line neighborhood business districts and steer funding toward companies that provide good-paying jobs for the educated and uneducated, he said.

“It’s time that we dream small,” Peduto said. “We have a lot of economic growth happening around us, but we don’t see the direct benefits within the neighborhoods of the city of Pittsburgh that we should be seeing. With that we really need to focus in on what the community deems are the needs that they have and individualize that into practical programs that will help them to achieve their goals.”

Joining Peduto were newly-hired Urban Redevelopment Authority Director Greg Flisram and Deputy Executive Director Diamonte Walker; Pittsburgh’s Chief Development Officer City Marty LaMar; and Monique Pierre, the chief development officer for the Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh.

They met for about one hour with neighborhood leaders, union officials and developers.

“It was more about people introducing themselves and getting to know like who’s who, who the new team is … just sort of an introduction,” said Mark Masterson, executive director of the Northside Community Development Fund. “I think this is going to be a great opportunity for the city. I think Pittsburgh’s got a lot of opportunity right now. I think we want to see how that works in an equitable way across the city so neighborhoods that haven’t seen as much investment are getting more investment.”

LaMar, who will answer to Peduto and his Chief of Staff Dan Gilman in guiding new development policy, said he wants Pittsburgh residents to realize dreams of owning a home or opening a new business.

“The first thing I would say is get ready, because we’re coming, and when I say we’re coming, meaning we’re coming together,” he said. “As we come together, we’ll definitely be able to chase some dreams that maybe people have had in the past that they didn’t think would ever come to fruition. I would tell people to get ready. Come with their ideas.”