Updates

• Council voted unanimously to accept a $316,367 settlement for the Finland St. Bridge demolition
  • Councilperson Gross requested that the Department of Mobility and Infrastructure assess the related portion of Bigelow Boulevard for pedestrian safety after the loss of the pedestrian bridge.

This Week’s Top Agenda Items

• County officials report on winter services for unhoused people and share plans for the rest of the year.
• Council to Approve Funding for Recruitment Video Aimed at Addressing Police Shortages.
• The 14 Acre Bakery Square expansion moves forward with two key amendments ready for public hearing.
• URA reports to Council on 61 new and renovated affordable units created through the 2023 Housing Bond.

County Officials Report on Winter Services for Unhoused People and Share Plans for the Rest of the Year

• Director of Human Services, Erin Dalton, reported that the County and its partners helped house approximately 1,700 people in 2024.
  • This number includes the less visible population of people who are couch surfing or living in cars or abandoned buildings.
  • Efforts to mitigate camps along riverfront trails and in the Business District have resulted in 75 people moving into shelters, trending toward 100 by the end of the year (an increase from previous years).
• Three of the five seasonal overflow shelters closed on March 31; Second Avenue Commons will resume regular operations in mid-April; the Northside Partnership Project winter shelter close date is to be determined.
• They expect to meet the program’s goal of creating 500 affordable housing units in 500 days this October.
  • As of February 28, there have been 208 housing units created and 309 people moved into housing.

Council to Approve Funding for Recruitment Video Aimed at Addressing Police Shortages

• The Police Department is requesting approval to spend $32K from a State grant on a new recruitment video to be developed by Kicker, Inc.
• Videos are expected to include “exciting and proud images of Pittsburgh Police Officers at work in various positions, including Patrol, K-9 Unit, Investigators, SWAT, Motorcycle Unit, Mounted Patrol, River Patrol, Special Victims Unit, Narcotics/Vice, and Computer Crimes Unit” as well as iconic Pittsburgh imagery.
• Council noted the need for new recruitment efforts and was pleased to hear that the number of people taking the civil service exam has begun to increase. They hope the videos are as successful as they have been in other cities.
• The videos will primarily be used across social media platforms and YouTube.

14 Acre Bakery Square Expansion Moves Forward with Two Key Amendments Ready for Public Hearing

• The expansion will encompass 14 acres west along Penn Avenue in the Larimer and East Liberty neighborhoods.
• The standout initiative is the Build 100 program, which calls for Walnut Capital to contribute $6 million and commit to raising another $19 million toward creating 100 affordable homes for purchase.
• This work is the product of a Community Benefits Agreement between the Larimer Consensus Group, the Village Collaborative, and Walnut Capital.
• Council sent the proposed amendments to the Planning Commission on July 6 and July 12, 2023, and received the Commission’s report and recommendation for both on January 24, 2025.
• The 4/2 vote allows for two bills—one delineating new block and lot numbers and the other detailing building code and other requirements within the subdistrict—to proceed to a public hearing.

URA Reports to Council on 61 New and Renovated Affordable Units Created Through the 2023 Housing Bond

• The nearly $31.6 million bond, issued in partnership with the City, was provided to the Urban Redevelopment Authority(URA) in December 2023 to address the city’s housing crisis.
• Funds became available to developers in June 2024.
• The URA has used $3.25 million from the bond, with an additional $20.5 million from various sources for related projects, leading to:
  • 7 preserved units for sale
  • 23 preserved units for rent
  • 31 newly affordable units for rent
  • An average cost of roughly $51K per housing unit.
• Residents must have incomes at or below 80% of the Area Median Income (or $80,950 for a family of four) to qualify for the program.
• President Lavelle called for a follow-up meeting to discuss the report in more depth.

Tell The Council What you think

Let the City Council know how you feel about the above issues by taking this brief survey. We'll share everyone’s thoughts directly before they take a vote (We wont be presenting in person until we get to 50 respondents).

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