Pittsburgh Mayor Corey O’Connor on Tuesday promised to help rebuild neighborhood business districts, like the stretch of Homewood Avenue in the city’s East End that he toured as he launched his Main and Main initiative.
Main and Main, O’Connor said, will promote revitalization and investment in business districts throughout the city.
Every main street is unique, O’Connor said, and the city has a plethora of tools to offer each one, including small business loans, facade improvements, better lighting, housing incentives, zoning reform and support for entrepreneurs looking to start or grow their businesses.
“We all know that when business districts thrive, our businesses are stronger and entrepreneurs have more and more opportunities across the city,” O’Connor said.
O’Connor said his efforts to speed up the permitting process also can be a benefit for local business districts.
His Tuesday tour of Homewood’s business district started in an empty lot at the intersection of Homewood and Hamilton avenues that once housed a gas station.
A new development, the Homewood Gateway Project, is expected to bring 44 units of housing — 85% of which will be earmarked as affordable for low-income residents — and 4,000 square feet of ground-floor retail.
The Urban Redevelopment Authority helped with environmental cleanup at the site and is providing about $7.75 million to support the $26 million project, according to its executive director, Susheela Nemani-Stanger.
Developer McCormack Baron Salazar is expected to break ground in the spring or summer.
It’s an example of the kind of project O’Connor envisions in his Main and Main program.
O’Connor said the development will show how the city can revitalize neighborhoods without displacing residents.
He pointed to the affordable housing component of the project, which includes one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments, ideal for families.
“We have to grow Pittsburgh, but we have to do it in a way that blends with the existing community,” the mayor said.
O’Connor campaigned on growing the city, encouraging more businesses and making Pittsburgh a top choice for families.
Councilman Khari Mosley, D-Point Breeze, said the Homewood Gateway Project will enhance Homewood’s business district while addressing housing affordability and combating displacement of longtime residents.