New mayor, new effort by Pittsburgh council to kill master plan contracts

Pittsburgh City Council is trying once again to kill two controversial contracts.

Legislation introduced Tuesday proposes to terminate a pair of costly contracts totaling about $6 million for consultants working on a citywide comprehensive plan meant to guide zoning and development for the next 25 years.

Council already passed the same legislation in November.

But then-Mayor Ed Gainey refused to abide by council’s decision. The contracts were never canceled.

Mayor Corey O’Connor — who ousted Gainey in last year’s Democratic primary — said he wants to ensure the plan is finalized and hopes to get an update on how far along it is.

But when asked whether he would cancel the contracts if City Council voted to do so again, O’Connor was noncommittal. He told TribLive he had to “figure out the legality of the contract first.”

Council members last year criticized the plan’s cost and a community engagement process many felt was subpar.

Councilman Anthony Coghill, D-Beechview, has led the charge on the effort to claw back a portion of the money. He has said he still wants to see the plan finished, but he believes the Department of City Planning’s staff could complete the work more affordably.

Coghill has estimated the city could get about $2 million back in total.

Council was divided in February 2024 when it authorized the $2.6 million contract with Pittsburgh-based Common Cause Consultants, which is handling community engagement, and the $3.2 million deal with HR&A Advisors, which is preparing technical elements of the plan.

Opponents have said the plan was too costly, particularly as the city faces financial challenges. They argued the plan was vague and may not even be implemented.

But supporters have said the city needs a blueprint for development and zoning.

Gainey staunchly supported the effort. Even when council voted to scrap the contracts, he refused.

“Once authorized by council, the mayor and the executive branch have sole authority to negotiate, execute and carry out the terms of a contract, including terms relating to termination,” Gainey said in a statement last month.

He argued the council bills looking to end the contracts “reflect a legislative overreach that is at odds with the legal foundation of Pittsburgh’s city government.”