Tribune-Review headlines of Downtown Pittsburgh as of late paint a picture of the Golden Triangle that is equal parts accurate and disturbing. Stabbings, drug arrests and homelessness have plagued the heart of a neighborhood still reeling from a global pandemic. While numerous companies scramble to fill the growing void in the workplace as “remote” jobs become all the rage, businesses like McDonald’s and Weiner World are also vacating the area, citing safety and sanitation concerns.
Local officials, meanwhile, proudly display their lack of foresight. After putting their faith in the Second Avenue Commons (a new low-barrier shelter opened in November) to provide ample accommodation for the unhoused, the shelter was filled to capacity in less than a week.
Now with a hoard of aggressive panhandlers and drug abusers slumming along the streets, the county has announced a “decentralization” strategy which will ultimately disperse the population to other undeserving neighborhoods — this coming after the government already lured them Downtown with their shelter system.
Does foolishness have limits? How long will those holding public office continue to fumble the ball? At this rate, I see that skyline eroding into the hands of urban decay as we, the taxpayers, watch.
Michael Hughes
Shadyside