Allegheny Conference on Community Development

We’re excited to see two Pittsburgh companies recognized by TIME for sustainability, one of our Regional Investors, Viatris, and American Eagle Outfitters Inc. With innovative practices, they’re helping to pave the way to a thriving future for the Pittsburgh region and beyond. Learn more: https://lnkd.in/enVSe9dW

With budget negotiations continuing in Harrisburg, we want to thank the House of Representatives for their bipartisan support of site development funding through the PA SITES program, which is particularly critical for southwestern Pennsylvania. For nearly two decades, the lack of shovel-ready sites and developable real estate was the leading reason existing and prospective businesses decided not to grow or locate in our region. Through PA SITES, Pennsylvania’s numerous greenfields, brownfields, and commercial centers will see immediate investment to attract companies in high-growth industries and spur job creation. We urge the Senate to improve the commonwealth’s competitiveness and support PA SITES funding to unlock the potential of our region through this crucial investment. Learn more about site development funding here: https://lnkd.in/ezWAJMjW

Focusing on the future and solving big problems are in the Pittsburgh region’s DNA. It’s exciting to see catalytic investment that will not only drive the repurposing of key industrial space – which opens the door to future economic development opportunities – but also intentionally advances equity and inclusion in the historic community of Braddock. It’s a win-win, and we’re excited to see what’s next! RDC Design + Build, Arctaris Impact Investors, Allegheny County Economic Development, Richard King Mellon Foundation #BraddockPA https://lnkd.in/eivFF5BK

We’re championing inclusive growth – opportunity for all – across the Pittsburgh region, as highlighted in this year’s Vibrant Index 5.0. Through our partnership with Vibrant Pittsburgh, we’re looking at what organizations are doing to spearhead and implement policies and practices that uplift diversity, equity and inclusion and discovering how we can improve as a region. Hear more from our CEO Stefani Pashman and what the Allegheny Conference is doing as part of our 2024-2026 agenda. 

We can’t wait to see what’s next, thanks to some significant federal funding, for this exciting riverfront project in Sharpsburg, which the Power of 32 Site Development – established by the Conference – helped to get moving with $6.9 million in gap financing that supported site preparation – the first step in site transformation. #brownfielddevelopment   https://lnkd.in/e5Yg_Fsr

Congratulations to our CEO Stefani Pashman for her recognition as a leader in downtown revitalization efforts at the Downtown Neighbors Alliance Annual Awards Dinner last night. We’re thankful for the partnerships with our elected officials, including County Executive Sara Innamorato, Mayor Ed Gainey, City Council President Robert Daniel Lavelle and downtown stakeholders who have made this vital work possible. We look forward to continuing our work together as we reimagine and rebuild downtown for the future.

Last year, IndexPGH launched a blueprint for how cities can track — and spur — urban revitalization. The online dashboard brings dozens of data sources from a variety of local agencies and departments under one roof. “We call it the ‘Pittsburgh way,'” said Allegheny Conference on Community Development VP Josie Schultz, “which means getting everyone — public, private, and nonprofit sectors — rowing in the same direction.”  https://lnkd.in/grhHXtXP #Pittsburgh #LocalData #CommunityDashboard #UrbanRevitalization

Welcome new board members of the Southwestern Pennsylvania New Economy Collaborative, which our CEO Stefani Pashman co-chairs with Farnam Jahanian, president of Carnegie Mellon University. Industry leaders joining the board include Troy Demmer, chief product officer and cofounder, Gecko Robotics; Victor Mroczkowski, executive vice president of operations, total production solutions; Re:Build Manufacturing, Danielle Proctor, CEO, Advanced Construction Robotics; and Damion Shelton, president and cofounder, Agility Robotics. We look forward to what we can accomplish together in advancing the adoption of robotics technology in southwestern Pennsylvania. https://lnkd.in/epqsNz2V

As communities across the commonwealth recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, state lawmakers are considering expanding a statewide incentive program to revitalize properties called the Local Economic Revitalization Tax Assistance, or LERTA, which empowers municipalities to offer tax abatements for up to ten years to accelerate investment. With this expansion, Senator Wayne Fontana has proposed allowing municipalities to extend tax abatements for up to 20 years. On Our Region’s Business, Senator Fontana and Tom Frank, executive director of NAIOP Pittsburgh , discuss the proposed update to the legislation and how it can support economic development and provide opportunities for developers. Watch it here: https://lnkd.in/gEQ-fgFk

Congratulations to Vibrant Pittsburgh’s 2024 Vibrant Champions, companies exemplifying best practices in creating inclusive environments, scoring high on the Vibrant Index 5.0. Of the 15, nine are Allegheny Conference Regional Investors: BNY, CCAC, DICK'S Sporting Goods, Giant Eagle, Inc., People's Gas/Essential Utilities, Inc., The Pittsburgh Promise, PNC, United States Steel Corporation and UPMC. “The findings of the Vibrant Index 5.0 give us cause to celebrate the progress that’s being made but they also remind us of the work we still need to do,” said our CEO Stefani Pashman. A panel discussion provided a deeper dive into the Vibrant Index’s data points and surfaced calls to action to further improve DEI in the region. Panelists included our Chief Equity Officer Majestic Lane, Robert Cherry, CEO of Partner4Work Pittsburgh, and Gus Faucher, senior vice president and chief economist, PNC. Learn more: https://lnkd.in/eXjgTFpu