'Yinzers deserve nice things': Officials celebrate halfway point of Market Square remake

Market Square’s revitalization is about halfway complete, officials said Wednesday, hailing progress in ongoing efforts to reenergize Downtown Pittsburgh ahead of the NFL Draft in April.

Jeremy Waldrup, president of the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership, said Market Square’s $15 million facelift is on budget and on track to be done before the city welcomes an expected crush of hundreds of thousands of visitors for the draft.

“This is what progress looks like, and it’s only the beginning,” Waldrup said, standing in a portion of the square where new pavers have already been placed.

On the square’s north side, the curb has been removed and the road has been regraded to make the street flush with the sidewalk, which will eventually be the case around the entire plaza.

Officials have said a curbless square will be better for pedestrians and events.

Under the road, upgraded electrical and water systems are in place, along with enhanced irrigation that will hydrate the new trees that will be planted this spring.

The steel-and-glass pavilion that is set to be a new focal point of the square is taking shape, with steel beams rising over construction fencing behind the site of Wednesday’s press conference.

On Monday, crews will transition to the south side of the square as work wraps up on the northern portion. A full shift of vehicle traffic is expected Nov. 10.

The Market Square project also includes new lighting, additional seating and more outdoor dining opportunities.

Officials on Wednesday highlighted progress on Market Square construction — as well as work at nearby Point State Park and Arts Landing — only a year after Gov. Josh Shapiro unveiled a $600 million Downtown revitalization plan.

“I cannot believe what has happened in this short period of time,” Kendra Whitlock Ingram, CEO of the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust, said.

The broader Downtown plan includes converting empty offices to mixed-income housing in the wake of the covid-19 pandemic, which popularized remote work. The Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership this week released data showing high residential occupancy rates in the Golden Triangle.

Whitlock Ingram said work at Arts Landing — a new outdoor civic area that will bring green space, playgrounds and public bathrooms — also is on time and under budget. It, too, is expected to be finished before the draft.

A $3.4 million upgrade to Point State Park will be wrapped up in time to host portions of the NFL’s biggest off-season event.

“While the draft is important, the point of these projects is not just about making the house look good before the guests arrive,” said Rick Siger, secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Community & Development.

Even after the draft, he said, Downtown improvements will benefit city residents and businesses.

“It’s great for tourism, but it’s also great for Pittsburghers because yinzers deserve nice things,” Allegheny County Executive Sara Innamorato said, pitching Market Square as a “premier destination” that will attract visitors and events year-round after construction is complete.

The improvements come after local leaders heard a “drumbeat” of people calling for improvements to Downtown in recent years, said Stefani Pashman, CEO of the Allegheny Conference on Community Development.

Officials last year pitched their sweeping plans for new public spaces and increased housing, but they were met with skepticism, she said.

“So many people said, ‘It’s never going to happen, no one’s going to fund this thing, it’s not real, it’s going to die,’” Pashman said. “And guess what? It’s happening.”