Avenues of Hope American Rescue Plan Act Grant Program

The Avenues of Hope American Rescue Plan Act Grant Program assisted with place-based initiatives that stimulated revitalization along historically disinvested commercial corridors within the seven Avenues of Hope communities.

Please note, the URA is no longer accepting applications for this program.

About the Program

In 2023, the Avenues of Hope American Rescue Plan Act Grant Program provided grant funding to advance community projects and programs that would spur revitalization in Pittsburgh's Avenues of Hope corridors.

The program encouraged the improvement of public infrastructure, vacant commercial spaces, neighborhood investment that improved health and safety outcomes through the creation or improvement of parks and open spaces, and/or other eligible efforts.

Awarded projects aligned with the Avenues of Hope initiative goal to support equitable development within the city's minority communities and businesses, and with Federal American Rescue Plan Act final ruling.

About Avenues of Hope

The Avenues of Hope initiative is a place-based, people-first approach that seeks to intervene across all layers of successful, healthy, and sustainable main street development. The Avenues of Hope will be:

Black-owned
Centers of arts, culture, and business
Mixed-use, transit oriented, and pedestrian friendly
Healthy communities supported by education, health care, senior care, recreation, and human supportive services.

This initiative focuses on seven major business corridors, in which the goal is to invest in existing small businesses and residents, supporting the inclusive growth of the neighborhoods. The Avenue of Hope corridors are:

Centre Avenue (Hill District) 
Chartiers Avenue (Elliott, Sheraden, Windgap, Chartiers City) 
Homewood Avenue (Homewood) 
Larimer Avenue (Larimer) 
Perrysville Avenue (Perry Hilltop, Observatory Hill) 
Second Avenue (Hazelwood) 
Warrington Avenue/Brownsville Road (Knoxville, Mt. Oliver, Beltzhoover, Allentown)

Program Highlights

28 grants awarded to community nonprofits or CDCs
31 grants awarded small businesses
5 grants awarded to small developers/property owners
Grants ranged from $10,000 to $200,000
7 grants awarded for public space improvements
26 grants awarded for interior building improvements
24 grants awarded for small business improvements/expansion
2 grants awarded for COVID relief

Chartiers Avenue Grants

Paramount Pursuits—Building Strong Communities Through Entrepreneurship
Out of the End—1 Sound Urban Farm
Schuler’s Service Center—Upgrade and Expansion
Reflextions Barber Shop—Reflextions Reface
DaVillage—DaVillage Growth Project
Farmer Girl Eb—Fresh Food Market
Nature’s Crown—Creative Space
Lola Sims—Rehab of 635-37-39 Hillsboro Street
Martha’s Playhouse—Learning Center

Centre Avenue Grants

Allen Enterprises—Herron Village
HH Main LLC—Hill House Redevelopment
Black Beauty Café—Café and Lounge
Catapult Greater Pittsburgh—Gallery on Centre Improvements
Hill District Federal Credit Union—Building Renovation
Salem’s Market—Centre Avenue Market
Butch’s Styles and Cuts—Renovation

Hilltop Grants

Hilltop Alliance—Small Business Grants
Paramount Pursuits—Building Strong Communities Through Entrepreneurship
6Sixx Details—Building Improvements
Abiding Missions—Building Updates
Onion Maiden—Optimization
Hilltop United Methodist Church—Streetscape
Array Hair Studio—Array Advanced Hair Care
Soil Sisters—Siblings Market
Studio AM—Creative Urban Homestead
Hilltop Rising LLC—Warrington Marketplace
Brashear Association—Creative Play Space

Homewood Avenue Grants

Operation Better Block—Givner Building Commercial Space
Community Empowerment Association—Community Plaza and Façade, and External Stabilization and Improvements
Bible Center Church—Community Playground
Ascender—Thriving Founders
Dirty Birds Chicken—Storefront
Alfred Group LLC—VYBZ Restaurant and Lounge