URA Set to Clean Up Multiple Blighted Properties in Homewood

PITTSBURGH, PA (October 10, 2024) Today at its October 2024 meeting, the Urban Redevelopment Authority of Pittsburgh (URA) Board of Directors approved entering into an agreement with Minniefield Demolition Services, LLC to advance the demolition and remediation of 13 vacant properties owned by the URA and the City of Pittsburgh in Homewood South.

The goal of this work is to address publicly owned properties along the North Homewood Avenue business district that have been vacant and blighted for a long time and position them for future development opportunities. Six of the 13 properties have structures that will be demolished due to unsafe conditions.

Why is this work happening now?

The cleanup and improvement of these sites is made possible through $2 million in federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding allocated to the URA by the City of Pittsburgh in January 2024. The work is part of a larger, long-term strategic effort, in collaboration with the Homewood Community Development Collaborative (HCDC), that identified 35 publicly owned properties between Susquehanna Street and Frankstown Avenue that have potential for redevelopment.

“This is a great day for the residents of Homewood. This is the start of having years of blighted properties finally being addressed and increasing public safety in our community. We would like to thank the City of Pittsburgh, URA, HCDC members, and most importantly, the community for collaborating to bring this initiative to fruition,” said Rashad Byrdsong, president and CEO of the Community Empowerment Association and HCDC member.

“The URA is partnering with the City and Councilman Mosley’s office through initiatives such as Avenues of Hope and Crime Reduction through Blight Remediation to be better stewards of the properties we own and turn blighted parcels into spaces that are safe, productive and beneficial for the community,” said URA Executive Director Susheela Nemani-Stanger. “Thanks to federal ARPA dollars, we are able to take action on these properties. We envision a vibrant, welcoming, community-supported neighborhood business district with commercial, housing and mixed-use spaces.”

What’s next?

The demolition and remediation work is expected to start before the end of the year.

In the coming months, the URA will be hosting informational community meetings and collecting feedback from residents to hear what types of developments they’d like to see take place on these properties in the future. The first meeting, co-hosted with the HCDC, will take place on November 14, 2024. Additional meeting details will be posted online at www.ura.org/events, as they become available.

All future development of the 13 properties along N. Homewood Ave. will go through the URA’s real estate disposition process. The URA’s disposition process guides the sale and development of publicly owned property. The process requires engagement and input from the community and at least three rounds of approval from the URA Board of Directors to enable a developer to move forward with purchasing a property and with a development plan.

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About the Urban Redevelopment Authority of Pittsburgh (URA) 

The URA is the City of Pittsburgh's economic development enterprise. We are committed to building a prosperous and equitable economy for all of Pittsburgh. We help bridge public and private interests to invest in meaningful, equitable developments that promote housing affordability, economic mobility, entrepreneurship, and neighborhood revitalization. Our work creates and sustains quality jobs, thriving neighborhoods, healthy communities, and sustainable businesses for the benefit of all Pittsburghers.