HILLFor decades, residents STREETS of Pittsburgh’s historic Hill District have pursued the goal of a just and thriving community. As new housing construction expands, renewed focus is on making sure those already in the neighborhood still have a place to call home. by Christine H. O’Toole

5865_TXT_C1.indd 34 12/19/18 2:29 AM 5865_TXT_C1.indd 35 the community. nearby andelsewhere in redevelopment isstillneeded Street shows, additional Avenue andKirkpatrick But asthiscorner atBedford housing intheHillDistrict. complex isamongthenew The Bedford Hillapartment 12/19/18 2:29AM

Michael Artman 35 The Hill District’s housing landscape ranges from Bedford Dwellings, Pittsburgh’s oldest public housing complex, to Skyline Terrace, below, a development that replaced other public housing and has a hilltop view of the city’s South Side neighborhood. ELCOME [TO] BEDFORD DWELLINGS,” PROCLAIMS A FADED WOODEN SIGN WHERE BEDFORD AVENUE BEGINS ITS WESTWARD PLUNGE TOWARD THE SKYSCRAPERS OF DOWNTOWN PITTSBURGH.

5865_TXT_C2.indd 36 12/20/18 1:09 AM 37 A block downhill, the name Bedford Hill “The Hill District doesn’t want to A shortage estimated at 10,000 homes is engraved in concrete on an elegant com- be East Liberty or Lawrenceville,” said forced families into slums. munity center fronting well-groomed streets Bill Generett, vice president of commu- When Franklin Roosevelt signed the and sidewalks. nity engagement for nearby Duquesne National Housing Act in 1937, Pittsburgh The two communities bookend 80 University, identifying neighborhoods built two of the nation’s fi rst public housing years of redevelopment in the city’s most that have boomed in recent years but have complexes in the Hill, Bedford Dwellings iconic African American neighborhood, priced out former residents. and Addison Terrace. The Housing with Bedford Dwellings, the oldest of the “We want to make sure there are jobs Authority of Pittsburgh set rents from city’s public housing complexes, fi nally at and opportunities for current residents, $18 to $23 a month, at a time when the the front of the line for a major revamp. and to fi nd the right mix of market and average steelworker’s pay was $36 a month. Gail Felton, a Bedford Dwellings resi- affordable housing,” noted the longtime Working families were encouraged to apply, dent, is among those enthusiastic about Hill District advocate. “It’s diffi cult.” alongside the unemployed. Locally and proposals for the neighborhood makeover For Rob Stephany, director of Com- nationally, public housing was viewed as and the opportunity she had to participate munity & Economic Development for The a temporary home. in the planning process. Heinz Endowments, the diffi culty is ensur- As more families — particularly white “The best thing about it is the homes,” ing equitable development that secures the ones — fl ed the Hill for the post-war sub- she said. “TREK Development is fantastic,” fate of long-term renters who often aren’t urbs, the economic and racial diversity of the referring to a developer working with included in local redevelopment strategies. neighborhood dwindled. The wholesale raz- Bedford residents and other neighbor- “The issue moving forward is develop- ing of the Lower Hill to make room for the hood and city stakeholders. Ms. Felton ing long-term housing for those vulnerable Civic Arena exacerbated the neighborhood’s also appreciates the options for private to economic displacement while making decline. Rebellions following the 1968 assas- ownership, which include both market-rate new housing available to others,” he said. sination of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King and affordable homes for the community. Many are hoping for better results from Jr. felled its remaining business district. It Although the Hill has always had the the Bedford Dwellings/Hill District Choice would take another quarter-century for the best views in town, even when some of its Neighborhood Transformation plan, city to move forward with plans in the Hill residential streets were unpaved, its steep based on a two-year community process for a New Urbanist development dubbed terrain challenged optimal development. that invited residents like Ms. Felton and Crawford Square, located near the arena. For decades, connecting the neighbor- neighborhood organizations to reimagine New Urbanism envisioned walkable hood a mile to the nearby Downtown or large sections of the Hill. Not only does the communities with streets and sidewalks Oak land business districts has meant facing strategy call for keeping current Bedford that encouraged higher densities, mixed physical and psychological barriers, though Dwellings residents in the neighborhood uses, public transit, and protected green efforts to overcome some obstacles — while the complex is redeveloped, the plan space. Instead of low-slung apartments such as creating a park between the Hill and also identifi ed other community aspira- with out individual doorways, designs fea- Downtown — are underway. tions for the Hill and those living there. tured private entries, patios and balconies. “What’s amazing about Pittsburgh The consensus is that affordable hous- Crawford Square redefi ned affordable is its topography, but it makes the Hill ing alone can’t provide the stable commu- housing for the city. A public–private District area inaccessible,” said architect nity and economic mobility local residents partnership created a variety of affordable Kai-Uwe Bergmann, who has consulted seek. Private investment, good transit, and mixed-rate townhouse rentals and on proposals to develop the section of the commercial activity, great schools, and private homes in the mid-1990s, close to neighborhood closest to Downtown and effi cient human services also are needed Downtown amenities and transit. reconnect the Hill to the urban core. “You for the community to achieve its potential. “We bought in 1999,” recalled DeWitt can’t push a baby carriage or a wheelchair Walton, a homeowner who is a labor activ- up a 14 percent slope.” NEW HOUSING, NEW PROMISE ist and Allegheny County council member. Acres of gleaming townhomes have Reaching these goals requires overcoming a “It was centrally located, affordable, and replaced barracks-style rental properties history of disinvestment and displacement we were committed to living in an African over the past 30 years. But the Hill’s isola- going back to Depression-era Pittsburgh. American community.” tion from the larger community remains That’s when a number of Hill District resi- Today, Crawford Square is a success ful real and vexing, especially when trying to dents had good blue-collar jobs, many in and stable model for mixed-rate hous- ensure that current residents benefi t from the steel industry, but didn’t have housing. ing. Now wholly owned by developer the changes and are treated fairly.

Chris O’Toole is a Pittsburgh-based freelance writer and frequent contributor to h. Her last stories for the magazine were in the first issue of this year, with one examining family support services in Pittsburgh’s Homewood community and the other exploring efforts to create an environmentally healthy neighborhood for Homewood residents.

5865_TXT_C1.indd 37 12/19/18 2:29 AM 38 McCormick Baron Salazar, it has preserved Her father ran a meat market; she the new units are built. That’s been the case 148 of its 348 units as affordable-rate hous- joined her mother, a waitress at the famed in just about every other affordable housing ing. Families own another 72 homes. Crawford Grill nightclub, for lunch each redevelopment project in the city, where “It brought people back to the commu- day. Her neighbors from nearby Whiteside residents were asked to leave substandard nity. That was a plus,” Ms. Felton explained. Street still gather for summer reunions, housing and promised the opportunity to But other sections of the Hill District did which drew more than 300 old friends return once new housing was built. But not fare as well during the close of the last back to the neighborhood this year. In most never came back. century. Among the neighborhoods-within- 1980, she moved to Bedford Dwellings. “Life gets in the way,” explained Mr. the-neighborhood — Bedford Dwellings, She is not only the decade-long president Stephany of the Endowments. “Families Terrace Village, Crawford Roberts, the Upper of the tenant council but also a vigilant settle into new schools and new neighbor- Hill, the Middle Hill and the Lower Hill — community guardian. Three generations hoods and only a very small fraction return. the Middle Hill has the city’s highest rates of her family live in the aging complex, with Regrettably, they often move to places that of poverty, vacant homes, and vacant land. long barracks-style units facing bare lawns separate them from family, schools, social While the handsome, new affordable devel- or parking lots. supports, transportation assets and job opments like Oak Hill and Skyline Terrace “Why do I stay? It’s community,” she centers. The old development model might have supplanted former public housing said. “People left the Hill for better schools generate some housing units, but it more complexes, vacant homes and deteriorat- and good homes. I say stay here and fi ght often than not puts low-income, vulnerable ing apartments like Bedford Dwellings are for those things. Better this community.” families in more precarious situations.” a barrier to sustainable transformation in Energy-effi cient, free of mold and lead Bedford Dwellings, however, has room the Middle Hill. contamination, and surrounded by gardens to grow. Construction of new units could The Bedford Dwellings/Hill District and recreation opportunities, the new units start immediately on nearby vacant land. Choice plan focuses on redeveloping under the Bedford Dwellings/Hill District “The big idea here is ‘build fi rst,’ ” said Bedford Dwellings, a substantial portion Choice plan will follow the lead of next- Bill Gatti, president of TREK Development. of the Middle Hill, and a small section door neighbor Bedford Hill Apartments, As units are completed, residents are of Crawford Roberts. The Endowments which opened in 2007 under public-private guaranteed one-for-one replacement of committed $50,000 to support the planning management. Individuals and families who federally subsidized housing onsite or process. The work was folded into what was moved there found a handsome complex offsite nearby. This means instead of being called the Bedford Connects proposal that that offered spacious, air-conditioned units, forced to move outside of the community was submitted to the federal Department of fi tness and business centers, modern fl oor with small likelihood of returning, families Housing and Urban Development. plans and green space. are only relocated once and are able stay The city hopes to win a $30 million For Marcus L. Brown, Bedford Hill within the neighborhood. grant for the $250 million project, which was a good fi t. At age 43, he has multiple includes 320 new housing units. The city’s sclerosis and is unable to work full-time; BEYOND HOME CONSTRUCTION Larimer neighborhood won the same grant some 45 percent of his fellow residents are As Crawford Square and subsequent Hill for a similarly comprehensive plan in 2014. also disabled. When a vacancy for an ADA- redevelopments followed the New Urbanist Now the Hill District, having been the sub- compliant apartment came up, only a template, one feature was notably absent: ject of several ambitious redevelopment month after he joined the waiting list buildings that incorporated retail offerings proposals and projects, is hoping that the in 2009, he moved from East Liberty to at ground level, encouraging street life. Hill city’s intentions for commercial develop- Bedford Hill. Despite relying on a walker residents have long complained about the ment in the part of the neighborhood and ACCESS transit, he can easily navigate dearth of shopping and entertainment closest to Downtown and for bus rapid the hallways of his ground-fl oor home and opportunities along the business corridors transit through the Hill will dovetail with the side walks of the community. of Centre and Wylie avenues, but retailers the community-developed plan. “I was born in East Liberty and I bleed have not followed public investment. East Liberty,” said Mr. Brown, who still “The Hill District has more new NEIGHBORHOOD COMMITMENT misses his family home, razed in that neigh- afford able housing than other city neigh- Ms. Felton, 66, has lived the history of the borhood’s makeover 15 years ago. “But I’m borhoods. But Oak Hill, Skyline Terrace, Hill. As a child, she had the run of Wylie blessed to be here.” Craw ford Square and Bedford Hill —they Avenue, then a busy retail and cultural As plans for replacing the old Bedford all are islands. There’s not a lot of offsite center. “Children were never allowed there Dwellings units emerge, some skeptics have redevelopment that connects them,” by themselves, but my parents both worked wanted to know whether families living in Mr. Stephany said. on the street,” she recalled. the complex will be forced to move before

5865_TXT_C1.indd 38 12/19/18 2:29 AM 39 “The coveted asset is Centre Avenue. The Hill Com- munity Development Corporation has a great vision for WHAT MAKES FOR Centre Avenue that could be the zipper that connects past investments together. They’re calling for a mix of uses with BETTER COMMUNITY housing, entertainment, retail and cultural amenities. This next phase of redevelopment could build the fabric of the historic neighborhood, keep longtime Hill residents in IN THE HILL? place, and generate a great Main Street.” Plans for Centre Avenue emphasize a walkable business AFFORDABILITY district, with the city Urban Redevelopment Authority New housing in the Hill District includes subsidizing commercial build-outs and providing loans to townhomes on Dinwiddie Street businesses in those storefronts. Residential and commercial constructed by TREK Development Group. This project, which included building owners will be eligible for repairs of façades, roofs, work on other nearby streets, consisted sidewalks and steps, along with other improvements. The of a mix of new construction and rehabilitation of historic brownstones. work complements acquisition of vacant and blighted homes that will be rehabbed and resold for between $75,000 and $110,000, promoting home ownership. Other infrastructure improvements will rebuild GREEN SPACE the derelict Chauncey Street Steps, one of Pittsburgh’s Redevelopment in the Hill District unique public staircases, with LED lighting and stormwater emphasizes the creation of an attractive, welcoming environment diversion. Transit improvements under the city’s plans that includes well-maintained lawns, will include rerouting buses through the Hill District to trees and pleasant sidewalks, such as those found on the grounds of the provide more frequent service. Crawford Square development. Bedford Avenue, the broad thoroughfare through the residential part of the community, also is slated for a makeover. With pedestrian-scaled lighting, existing historic SCHOOLS markers and public art, it will be the renewed community’s Community development plans in signature boulevard. the Hill District call for investments In the proposal to federal HUD offi cials, high-quality in schools like Pittsburgh Miller public education is highlighted as an essential long-term PreK-5, where teachers and staff gave students an enthusiastic welcome on goal, along with access to well-paying jobs, affordable the fi rst day of classes. housing, commercial development and improved infra- structure. The plan calls for an active Communities in Schools program in the neighborhood, with full-time staff to connect students to social services. WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT At the Downtown terminus of Bedford Avenue, Converting an aging trade school in the former Connelly Trade School is now the Energy the Hill into the Energy Innovation Innovation Center. Bob Meeder, president and CEO of Center, a LEED�—�Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design�—�Platinum Pittsburgh Gateways Corporation, which developed EIC, building, involved installing color-coded, said that the center is working with UPMC to add three visible HVAC and plumbing pipe as a teaching tool for students and a showcase more neighborhood training programs in environmental to visitors of the building’s systems. tech services: pharmacy tech, surgical tech, and mold and infection control. Other courses, in 3D printing and rapid prototyping, are also planned. PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION Ms. Felton believes the time has come for the Hill Eff orts to enhance the Hill District’s District to look forward to future growth and opportunities. quality of life include transit improvements such as providing more “What’s gone is gone. It’s not coming back,” she said. frequent bus service in the community. “Let’s be real, and offer what our young people want.” h

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