Historic Plan to Revitalize Downtown Pittsburgh

Published on October 25, 2024

County Executive Innamorato Joins Governor Shapiro, Mayor Gainey and Others to Announce Historic Plan to Revitalize Downtown Pittsburgh with Targeted Investments from the Commonwealth, Local Government, the Private Sector, and Philanthropic Organizations

The Commonwealth is investing more than $62 million behind these local efforts in the first four years – helping spur nearly $600 million in total investment

PITTSBURGH – Today, County Executive Sara Innamorato joins Governor Josh Shapiro, Lieutenant Governor Austin Davis, Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) Secretary Rick Siger, Mayor Ed Gainey, and additional elected officials, corporate leaders, private developers, organized labor, nonprofits, and artists from Pittsburgh to announce a major collective effort to improve Downtown Pittsburgh and realize the neighborhood as a thriving center for economic growth, culture, and industry.

The announcement includes that nearly $600 million has already been committed toward specific, shovel-ready projects as part of the initial phase of this plan – all of those projects scheduled to be completed by the end of 2028.

As part of this effort, the Shapiro Administration is investing $62.6 million and the City of Pittsburgh is committing $22.1 million through the Urban Redevelopment Authority. A broad coalition of private sector leaders and regional foundations have committed more than $40 million – and counting – in additional funding for this plan, including partners like BNY; Dollar Bank; Duquesne Light Company; Federated Hermes; FNB Bank; Giant Eagle; Highmark; Pitt Ohio; PNC Bank; PPG Industries; Reed Smith; the Buhl Foundation; the Eden Hall Foundation; the Heinz Endowments; the Hillman Foundation; the Jewish Healthcare Foundation; the Pittsburgh Steelers; the Pittsburgh Pirates; and the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Those public and nonprofit dollars will help spur an additional $376.9 million in private sector investment from real estate developers Downtown. DCED estimates the investments announced today as part of this plan will create over 3,500 construction jobs over the next 4 years.

“Pittsburgh is a great city, and in order for our Commonwealth to thrive, we need to ensure Downtown Pittsburgh is a hub of innovation, opportunity, and culture,” said Governor Shapiro. “With the Commonwealth’s significant support, we have a plan to invest in and revitalize Downtown – and help it reach its full potential as a great neighborhood where thousands of Pennsylvanians can live, work, enjoy safe public spaces, and contribute to our vibrant culture. Pittsburgh’s elected officials, corporate leaders, sports teams, nonprofits, union workers, and artists are all behind this plan –and together, we will write the next chapter of this great city’s story.”

One of the first pieces of legislation of the Innamorato Administration was to pass a County tax LERTA for downtown residential conversions, joining with the City of Pittsburgh and Pittsburgh Public Schools LERTA to catalyze investment.  

“I’m thrilled to be a partner in this work and today’s announcement of nearly $600 million to be invested in Pittsburgh’s downtown to make it a more livable, vibrant, safe and clean neighborhood for everyone,” said Allegheny County Executive Sara Innamorato. “Allegheny County is working hard to incentivize conversions from commercial to residential buildings, and through our Department of Human Services we are leading the way on providing help to our unhoused neighbors and people in need of mental health and substance use disorders so everyone can feel safe and welcomed downtown.”

“Central business districts across the country are facing enormous challenges in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. What sets our experience in Pittsburgh apart is the partnerships we’ve built to lead Downtown Pittsburgh into the future,” said Mayor Ed Gainey. “When I came into office, I promised we’d get to work, not only to restore, but to reimagine a more vibrant downtown, filled with opportunity. A goal this ambitious couldn’t be met without convening every stakeholder to create a plan for businesses, residents, and visitors alike. In close partnership with the County Executive, we convened our regional leadership and presented the Commonwealth with a united vision for Downtown and the resources needed to achieve it. I’m thankful that Governor Shapiro believed in our vision and provided the critical investments that will position Downtown Pittsburgh to secure and deepen its role as the economic and cultural heart of Southwestern Pennsylvania.”

“Building and renovating residential projects, reinventing and reinvigorating major public spaces, and creating a cleaner, safe and relevant downtown further the Allegheny Conference’s vision for the region,” commented David L. Holmberg, president and CEO of Highmark Health and Chairman of the Board of the Allegheny Conference and the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust. “With this vote of confidence and support as well as the determination of such strong public/private partnerships, I am confident we will succeed in the bold and ambitious work ahead of us to transform Pittsburgh, capitalize on emerging industries, and offer a world-class destination to live and work.”

Those significant investments will help implement a locally-developed 10-year strategy to revitalize the Golden Triangle by focusing on three primary objectives to make Downtown Pittsburgh a more livable, more vibrant, safer, and cleaner neighborhood for Pennsylvanians to live, work, and play.

Building and Renovating Mixed-Use Residential Projects in Downtown Pittsburgh to Attract More People to Live Downtown

With a significant backing of state dollars, Downtown Pittsburgh will move forward with seven major mixed-use development and housing projects, using $501.1 million in combined capital to create or preserve nearly 1,000 residential units – nearly a third of those units being affordable for residents with low-to-moderate incomes. Those projects include:

1. Gulf Tower: Converting the iconic former Gulf Oil headquarters into 225-unit apartment building with a 147-room hotel and street-level commercial space.
2. City Club Apartments: Building a 294-unit residential complex at the site of the former YWCA headquarters, which will include new restaurant and retail space for downtown residents and visitors.
3. The Porter: Converting an office complex into 165 new residential units and preserving of street-level retail space along one of the city’s main commercial corridors.
4. 933 Penn Avenue: Converting an office complex into 70 new residential units with an accompanying street-level commercial space.
5. Smithfield Lofts Building: Converting unused offices into 46 new residential units with additional improvements to its remaining office space.
6. First and Market: Converting a former office complex to become a 93-unit affordable apartment building.
7. May Building: Preserving 86 existing apartment units.

Breathing New Life into Major Public Spaces Downtown

To complement the new mixed-use developments, this plan invests significant public and private funding to transform three iconic public spaces in Downtown Pittsburgh and ensure that the neighborhood is a great place to live, welcome more visitors, and encourage more business.

1. 8th Street Block Civic Space: Led by the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust, this $30 million project will convert underutilized parking lots and open space in the city’s Cultural District into a new outdoor destination. The 8th Street Block Civic Space will host festivals and performances on its main lawn with a bandshell, provide amenities like a family play area and restrooms for visitors and residents, and offer green space and public art for everyday recreation and exploration.
2. Market Square & Liberty Avenue Medians: $30 million dollars in private, public, and philanthropic investment will fund a major renovation of Market Square and the Liberty Avenue Medians, improving paving and adding benches and tables for visitors, expanding dining spaces, and building capacity to host more events and markets. The median project better connects Point State Park to Market Square, spurring private investments in the heart of Downtown.
3. Point State Park: The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania will invest $25 million into a series of short- and longer-term projects that will improve pedestrian access to Point State Park, update the lighting at the park’s landmark fountain, and add recreational activities to its cityside lawn. Shorter term projects on walkways and the fountain will be complete in time for the upcoming 2026 NFL Draft, when Pittsburgh will host hundreds of thousands of sports fans from across the country.

Creating a Cleaner, Safer, and a More Culturally Vibrant Downtown Neighborhood

County Executive Innamorato, Governor Shapiro and Pittsburgh leaders also recognize that for Downtown to be a great place to live, work, and play, it needs to be clean, safe, and vibrant. That’s why the Commonwealth, Pittsburgh’s sports teams, business leaders, and philanthropic  foundations are backing a series of initiatives run by Allegheny County, the City of Pittsburgh, and their partnered nonprofits to support local businesses, invest in public safety and street cleaning, and grow the thriving local arts scene.

1. Boosting local business: Thanks to contributions from Duquesne Light, FNB, and Giant Eagle; tax credits from DCED’s Neighborhood Assistance Program, and investments from the Hillman Foundation; the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership (PDP) is able to recapitalize its small business support programs, further enhancing the work PDP does for small businesses looking to relocate to or expand in the city. PDP will also expand its efforts to clean up sidewalks and alleyways to attract more visitors to spend their time and dollars into our shops and restaurants.
2. Investing in public safety: The Steelers, Pirates, and Penguins, in addition to the charitable initiatives they already support in the city and across the region, have also stepped up as part this Downtown plan. Led by significant commitments of $1 million each by the Steelers and Pirates, Pittsburgh’s local sports teams are partnering to supplement necessary supports for at-risk populations over the coming years. This investment will fund a number of initiatives, such as the onboarding of trained co-responders who will join law enforcement on calls related to individuals suffering from mental illness or drug addiction, the creation of a dedicated youth violence intervention team who will serve thousands of young people who live, play, and go to school in downtown Pittsburgh, and funding for additional police officers for both daytime and evening shifts to downtown patrols.
3. Fostering the local arts scene: The Shapiro Administration is also awarding $400,000 to the Downtown Arts District through funding from the Pennsylvania’s Council of the Arts (PCA) – the largest Creative Communities commitment in Commonwealth history. Paired with a matching investment from local government and regional cultural organizations, the City of Pittsburgh will create an Artist-in-Residence program to host events and coordinate activities where local artists, musicians, and creatives can showcase their art.

The Shapiro Administration, through the Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED), worked closely with local partners to identify and fund the projects and initiatives that align with Downtown Pittsburgh’s revitalization plan.

The Commonwealth’s $62.6 million investment includes:

1. $22 million for five mixed-use projects that will result in 800 total new residential units, including 135 new affordable units
2. $25 million for improvements to Point State Park that include infrastructure upgrades and new recreational amenities for the park’s cityside lawn
3. $15 million from the state and over $35 million from local corporations, regional philanthropies, and the Allegheny Regional Asset District to reimagine Market Square and transform underutilized open space in the city’s Cultural District into the 8th Street Block
4. $400,000 from the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts to bring together the different arts and cultural organizations and structure new programming to support the city’s creative entrepreneurs through an artist-in-residence program

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