PublicSource | News for a better Pittsburgh (https://www.publicsource.org/tag/economic-development/)
“Much of what I heard today was the same sort of fight that brought me here to council, that I was fighting 20 years ago,” said Pittsburgh City Council President Bruce Kraus. “It was protect the integrity and the sweat equity of generations of homesteaders that made that piece of real estate ripe for development.”
A newly announced committee will conduct a national search to replace Robert Rubinstein, departing executive director of Pittsburgh’s Urban Redevelopment Authority. Rubinstein’s last day in the role will be July 31, the mayor’s office and URA board of directors jointly announced Thursday.
Richard Morris, housing director of The Urban League of Greater Pittsburgh, said the program is an opportunity for seniors in particular “to get some extra cash.”
“If you ask five questions on the same subject, you get five different answers. It's frightening, it really is.”
The changes of five key Pittsburgh neighborhoods seen through the eyes of residents and developers.
Celine Barnickel reflects on the developmental changes she's seen throughout Pittsburgh in a poem.
Given that our streets are one of our largest public assets, can we do more to use them? The city has already embraced some aspects of the open streets concept. There are models for increasing temporary recreational spaces on streets and open lots in cities like New York and Minneapolis. What would it take for residents to take greater advantage of streets on a regular basis, especially in areas with fewer play options, where streets could be connectors instead of barriers?
Urban design expert Alan Mallach believes owner Prasad Margabandhu was trying to “milk” the failed property by attempting to eke out rent revenue while spending as little as possible on repairs or taxes.
Property owner Prasad Margabandhu’s practices serve as a prime example of the challenges municipalities and tenants face when trying to hold landlords accountable for failed properties and dangerous conditions.
The Urban Redevelopment Authority board voted Thursday to disburse $1 million in loans from the Housing Opportunity Fund for two rehabilitation projects. The action comes a year after Pittsburgh City Council voted to allocate $10 million for the fund and one day after council began reversing a plan to steeply cut city funding for the authority.
