[ URA ] ANNUAL REPORT 2003–2004 ANNUAL REPORT 03–04 URA ANNUAL REPORT 03–04 On behalf of the City of Pittsburgh, I am pleased to intro- ment component to complement successful office build- duce this 2003–04 annual report of the Urban ings and residential complexes, and at Summerset at Frick Redevelopment Authority of Pittsburgh ... and to congrat- Park, where our sparkling new community continues to ulate the Authority for its leadership role in the City’s attract new City residents. development. The scope of development activity in our neighbor- These years were notable for exciting, multifaceted hoods may be unprecedented, for both its impact and its growth in our unique neighborhoods. In virtually every City involvement of so many Pittsburgh residents. As a result, neighborhood, our residents and community-based organ- our economy and our neighborhoods are stronger and izations, with key URA financing assistance, fashioned and more diverse than ever. implemented creative plans to improve their business dis- I would like to take this opportunity to thank and con- tricts and residential communities. gratulate Mulu Birru for his outstanding tenure as URA Our most significant developments—many of them executive director. While Mulu has gone on to other chal- neighborhood-based—advanced as well. We saw that at lenges, he has left an enduring legacy that includes devel- South Side Works, where we welcomed a retail/entertain- opment of our riverfronts, revitalization of our brownfields SECTION HEADER and a gratifying inclusiveness that now characterizes Pittsburgh’s development initiatives. 1 At the same time, I would like to welcome Jerome Dettore as the Authority’s acting executive director. Not only has Jerry dedicated his professional career to the work of the URA, but he also has played a significant role in all of the Authority’s key projects over the past several decades. Under his leadership, Pittsburgh is poised to achieve even more. Sincerely, TOM MURPHY Mayor, City of Pittsburgh [ The South Side Works—Poised to achieve even more] URA ANNUAL REPORT 03–04 2 [ The Pittsburgh Model for Neighborhood Development ] THE PITTSBURGH MODEL FOR NEIGHBORHOOD DEVELOPMENT 3 The Urban Redevelopment Authority of Pittsburgh plays a compelling town center. The URA continued the site’s key role in many facets of Pittsburgh’s growth. We help infrastructure development, including construction of new revitalize brownfields and transform them into exciting parking garages, to accommodate the growth at South commercial sites that provide jobs and local taxes. We’re Side Works. involved in invigorating our Downtown, assisting promising With its office buildings, residences and retail and businesses with expansion and attracting new employers entertainment venues, South Side Works already has gen- to our central city. We help develop our riverfronts. We erated more than $200 million in private investment. The assist faith-based organizations in improving their neigh- impact of this signature destination will only grow with the borhoods and community. We work to ensure that disad- next phases of development. vantaged groups participate in the City’s success and The same can be said of Summerset at Frick Park in enjoy affordable housing opportunities. And we provide the Squirrel Hill and Swisshelm Park neighborhoods. The valuable support to Pittsburgh’s growing technology sec- transformation of this industrial wasteland has progressed tor, a new source of employment and prestige for the City. rapidly. Ninety-eight of a planned 694 new homes have All are vital priorities, yet perhaps the most enduring been completed, and the URA has reclaimed many acres mission of the URA is to inspire and facilitate growth of the former Nine Mile Run site as an extension of Frick throughout Pittsburgh’s neighborhoods. As our neighbor- Park. Few residential communities can match the setting hoods prosper, the benefits ripple throughout the City. of Summerset. When newcomers acquire homes in our neighborhoods Elsewhere in 2003–04, the Authority was characteris- and homeowners improve their dwellings, they solidify tically active in assisting the City’s growth. On the residen- their communities and provide a customer base for neigh- tial front, the URA provided a total of $33,827,207 in borhood business districts. When merchants thrive in financing for the construction, acquisition and rehabilitation neighborhood business districts, they serve as a magnet of homes in the City. Through its Business Development for new residents ... who can take advantage of conven- Center, the Authority helped businesses throughout ient amenities. Pittsburgh launch or expand by providing a total of In the following pages, we’re pleased to detail the $16,613,306 in financing that leveraged $82,620,688 in progress in 15 Pittsburgh neighborhoods — a representa- development. tive number rather than a complete list. In each case, The URA is pleased to play this supportive role ... development follows the model that Pittsburgh pioneered and our role is appropriately described as supportive. In and refined. A community-based organization or coalition Pittsburgh, the impetus for growth in our neighborhoods of groups takes the initiative, based on its knowledge of comes from those neighborhoods themselves. The vision neighborhood needs. The URA participates through site and energy of Pittsburgh residents make our neighbor- assembly and financing and technical assistance. A broad hoods unique ... and assure impressive development in public-private-neighborhood partnership provides funding the future. and, in many cases, managerial and operational expertise. It’s been a successful model but never moreso than in the Sincerely, remarkable achievements of 2003–04. Two of the City’s most notable developments pro- gressed in 2003–04. At South Side Works, Soffer Group introduced its residential/retail/entertainment component with a flourish. The Cheesecake Factory restaurant JEROME DETTORE THOMAS E. COX became an instant landmark and soon will anchor a Acting Executive Director Chairman LEFT: 279 45TH STREET, A BDC STREETFACE RECIPIENT URA ANNUAL REPORT 03–04 4 IN THE MID 1990’S the City of Pittsburgh, Allegheny Conference for Community Development, Allegheny County and civic leaders came together to address Pittsburgh’s serious competitive disadvantage. From these meetings came the Southwestern Pennsylvania Strategic Investment Partnership. In November 1995, The Strategies for Strengthening Southwestern Pennsylvania’s Regional Core and Restoring its Manufacturing Base was produced. The Authority adopted from this report the following four key strategies to build strength in the region’s core and create new jobs for the future. [ Development STRATEGY 1 [ Neighborhood Development ] STRATEGY 2[ Riverfront Development ] STRATEGY 3 [ Industrial Site Reuse/Brownfield Development ] STRATEGY 4[ Downtown Development ] DEVELOPMENT STRATEGIES 5 SINCE ITS CREATION IN 1946 as the engine for renewal and revitalization in the City, the Urban Redevelopment of Authority of Pittsburgh has significantly expanded its role. The City has changed dramatically since then, and those changes are reflected in the URA’s broadened mission of high quality urban development, creating and retaining jobs, generating increased tax revenue, eliminating slums and blight, and creating housing and home ownership opportunities. The URA focuses much of its efforts in Pittsburgh’s neighborhoods, where financial and technical support may have the most direct benefits for City residents. Yet URA’s initiatives often advance several strategies simultaneously. At the South Side Works, for example, the Authority is collaborating with community-based organizations to energize an important neighborhood ... and at the same time revitalize a brownfield, develop a riverfront and provide attractive new space for tech- nology-based companies. These strategies characterized development throughout the City in 2003–2004. The highlights of that progress are captured in the following pages with special attention paid to our supporting initiatives.The developments detailed here touch nearly every Pittsburgh neighborhood, and the URA is pleased to be in the vanguard. Strategies ] SUPPORTING INITIATIVE 1 [ Faith-Based Initiatives] SUPPORTING INITIATIVE 2 [ Supporting Advanced Technology ] SUPPORTING INITIATIVE 3 [ Providing Opportunities for Disadvantaged Groups ] URA ANNUAL REPORT 03–04 6 HELPING PITTSBURGH’S UNIQUE NEIGHBORHOODS is at the center of the Urban Redevelopment Authority of Pittsburgh’s multiple missions. Stabilizing and modernizing the City’s housing stock, providing affordable residential opportunities, revitalizing and enlarging neighborhood business districts—all are activities that contribute to population and economic growth. Thus, the Authority focuses much of its attention and resources on Pittsburgh’s neighborhoods, knowing that vitality in the neighborhoods ripples throughout a healthy City. A number of the Authority’s programs are narrowly focused; in virtually every Pittsburgh neighbor- STRATEGY hood, the URA is helping families acquire and renovate homes. Still other programs cut across many com- 1 munities, providing fundamental support for both merchants and business development organizations. [ Neighborhood Development ] LORI HOLLIS AND NEPHEW, KYROS THORPE, NEW HOMEOWNER NEIGHBORHOOD DEVELOPMENT 7 AMONG THESE COMPREHENSIVE INITIATIVES ARE: acquisition and expansion or working capital, technical and planning assistance, and