A proposal introduced Monday before Pittsburgh City Council would establish an improvement district along East Carson Street in the South Side, part of a broader effort to attract investment and reshape the corridor’s image beyond its reputation as a troubled nightlife destination.
The proposal would provide funding to enhance maintenance, public safety, marketing, storefront activation, beautification and community events along East Carson Street, Councilman Bob Charland, D-South Side, said in a news release.
The legislation introduced Monday followed a yearlong outreach effort with South Side property owners and business leaders, Charland’s office said.
“Having owned an operated a business in this community for over two decades, I’ve seen both the challenges our neighborhood has faced and the resilience of the people who call it home,” said Rebecca Kasavich, who owns Copies at Carson. “The formation of this managed business district represents an important step toward revitalization, investment, and long-term stability.”
Kasavich said she hoped the effort would create “a cleaner, safer, and more vibrant commercial corridor that supports existing businesses while attracting new opportunities.”
A coalition of business owners and residents in recent years have pushed back on a narrative that South Side is dangerous and out-of-control. A new business district manager hired in early 2025 helped paint a more positive image of South Side, fill empty storefronts and beautify the business district.
The effort has had some early success. In March of 2025, nearly a quarter of the storefronts along a stretch of the South Side business district were vacant. That vacancy rate has now dipped to 16.5%, according to Charland.
The new improvement district would follow in the footsteps of similar programs elsewhere in the city that fund the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership and Oakland Business Improvement District.
“East Carson Street is the heart of my district, and I’m proud to represent it with all of its ups and downs,” Charland said. “However, a corridor this active and this complex requires dedicated, full-time attention that no council office can provide on its own.”
A South Side steering committee formed last year and funded by the Hillman Foundation conducted a series of stakeholder surveys. Of those surveyed, 94% favored forming the improvement district with an estimated cost of about $1,000 per property owner each year.
More than 90% of respondents agreed with the proposed business district boundaries, and 71% backed using linear frontage measurements to assess how much each property owner would pay.
The improvement district would fund an organization to push for improvements in the area. Its estimated annual budget would be around $500,000, funded by contributions from property owners in the area.
Single-family, owner-occupied residential properties and tax-exempt properties would not be required to contribute.
The improvement district would operate for five years. Both property owners and city council would need to reauthorize it to continue longer.
The district includes the entirety of the East Carson Street Local Neighborhood Commercial district, portions around Bedford Square and commercial properties along 10th and South 14th streets.
The effort would focus on improving and maintaining public spaces with expanded litter and graffiti removal, landscaping, holiday decor, planters and public art. It also would launch a public relations strategy to pitch East Carson Street in a positive light, host temporary pop-up activations, put up storefront displays, recruit new businesses, provide technical assistance for entrepreneurs and expand seasonal programming.
“I love East Carson Street and am deeply invested in its future,” John DeMauro, who owns Urban Tap, La Bodega and El Dorado, said in a news release. “We’ve made meaningful progress over the last year with very limited resources, and we don’t want to lose momentum.”