Mayor Ed Gainey Announces Pittsburgh Awarded $56.8 Million In RACP Funds

Community development grants will go towards improving city parks and rec centers, expanding affordable housing, and improving infrastructure.

PITTSBURGH, PA (April 25, 2022)  – Today Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey announced that the City of Pittsburgh has been awarded $56 million in community development grants from the State of Pennsylvania that will go towards 54 different projects across the city.

“This is an important and critical investment for the future of our city,” said Mayor Ed Gainey. “These funds will help us improve our parks and rec centers, expand affordable housing, and will help bring affordable healthcare into new areas of our city. We recently went to Harrisburg to let our partners at the state know what we need for our city, and now we have $56 million in grant funds for critical projects. We are very thankful to the Governor, State Senators Lindsay Williams, Wayne Fontana, and Jay Costa, State Representative Dan Deasy, as well as Pittsburgh City Council President Theresa Kail-Smith, and Pittsburgh City Councilmen Ricky Burgess, Daniel Lavelle, and Bruce Kraus who all played an influential role in helping us secure this vital funding.”

Key Projects Being Awarded Funding:

• Centre Avenue – Avenues of Hope Site Preparation and Development: $1,00,000
  This project will address the site preparation needs, engineering, rehabilitate dilapidated structures for community development, and new construction of mixed-use structures.
  
  
• Centre-Heldman - $500,000
  This project will split the 40,000 SF grocery store space in the Centre Heldman Plaza into 2 retail spaces, one side for a grocery store and the other for community and entrepreneurial programming.
  
  
• Pittsburgh Sheraden Park Rehabilitation - $500,000
  The project includes improvements to the Rest Area/Park Building, Grill Area, Hiking Trail Additions, Children's Discovery Garden, Hillside Dog Park, Wilderness Education Area, ADA-Accessible Community Garden, and Apiary. The funding will also include site preparation, grading, landscaping, signage, stair repair, pedestrian lighting, and safety improvements. Renovation and improvements to the rest area building, include electronic locks and restrooms. Also included is the addition of roughly 6,800 linear feet of cleared, graded trail additions and water control elements within Sheraden Park. 
  
  
• Pittsburgh Warrington Recreation Center - $1,000,000
  The project will completely renovate the current 3-story building and site to update the existing structure to meet contemporary building codes, including greatly increasing ADA accessibility, and properly protect the health, safety, and welfare of the public. Improvements needed include new HVAC, plumbing, electric, fire safety, and data/security systems. New fixtures, finishes, and equipment (FFE) are also included.
  
  
• PCHA Homewood Medical Complex - $750,000
  The project will construct a new medical center and office building on a surface parking lot adjacent to the current facility. Site utilities & stormwater management; site improvements; and building core/shell will be specifically addressed. The new center will house physician offices, treatment rooms, administrative offices, and a pharmacy. Outdoor spaces and landscaping will honor the residential neighborhood and encourage visitors. 
  
  
• Hilltop Community Center Phase II - $1,000,000
  The project will construct a new, multi-purpose building with parking underneath. It will provide space for a market, classroom and office, wellness and fitness space, bathrooms, and a common area. The two vacant structures currently on the properties will be demolished.
  
  
• Community Kitchen Pittsburgh Property Acquisition and Renovations – $1,350,000
  The plan calls for the purchase of the building and renovation of the third floor. It will also open the 1st floor to be dedicated to retail and café space for the community. The anticipated scope of work includes construction of new drywall partitions at the unfinished exterior walls of the space, new underlayment and flooring, construction of two toilet rooms, and related sprinkler, plumbing, HVAC, lighting, and electrical work to support the renovated areas.

The full statewide list of projects and awards can be found at: Office of the Budget.