Shapiro Administration Marks Major Progress in Historic Plan to Revitalize Downtown Pittsburgh with Targeted Investments to Make the City Cleaner and Safer

(Photo Courtesy of Commonwealth Media Services)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Pittsburgh, PA) Governor Josh Shapiro, several other leaders including Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey, community leaders and law enforcement had an event outside Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh on Friday to highlight their progress in making Pittsburgh a neighborhood that is cleaner and safer for everyone as well as making that neighborhood more vibrant for everyone. This event happened one year after the Shapiro administration launched a plan to revitalize Downtown Pittsburgh. According to PAcast on their website, here are some results that have been produced over the past year in Pittsburgh from partners from across Western Pennsylvania:

  • Reducing homelessness encampments by 93 percent – All major encampments have been closed, creating safer public spaces and new housing opportunities with supportive services for unhoused residents.
  • Cleaning streets – The Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership power-washed more than 3 million square feet of sidewalks and alleyways, while also providing rent abatements and pop-up storefronts to support small businesses and reduce vacancies.
  • Improving public safety – With Commonwealth support, the City of Pittsburgh has hired more than 50 new police officers and expanded its public safety presence Downtown. The Steelers and Pirates each contributed $1 million to strengthen co-responder mental health teams, expand youth outreach at the Jordan Miles Youth Center, add patrol officers, and support homelessness outreach.
  • Reducing crime – To date this year, reported homicides have fallen down 30 percent compared to last year, and are down 55 percent over the same time period in 2022, creating a safer environment for residents and visitors.
  • Moving forward with residential projects – Seven mixed-use developments are moving forward, creating or preserving nearly 1,000 residential units – almost a third of them affordable for residents with low-to-moderate incomes. Six of these projects are converting unused office space into housing, bringing new vitality to the Golden Triangle.

Shapiro noted during his remarks that a $62.6 million investment through the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania will be incorporated “to spur on nearly $600 million in investments for new apartments, better parks and public spaces” which will cause visitors to visit Pittsburgh from across the region, across the state of Pennsylvania and across the country for events in Pittsburgh like the 2026 NFL Draft taking place in the North Shore from April 23rd through April 25th, 2026.

Some of the other leaders that were present at this event were Pennsylvania Lieutenant Governor Austin Davis, Allegheny County Executive Sarah Innamorato and Mayor Ed Gainey. Leadership from the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Pittsburgh Pirates were also present at this event, while David Morehouse, the Executive Vice President for Strategy for the Pittsburgh Steelers and Travis Williams, the President of the Pittsburgh Pirates, spoke at it.