$11.3M in federal funding to go toward infrastructure improvements in Hill District

A neighborhood infamous for being splintered by highways and parking lots is getting a boost from the federal government to help make its streets safer for pedestrians, motorists and other road users.

Acting Federal Highway Administrator Stephanie Pollack said at a news conference Thursday that Pittsburgh’s Hill District is receiving a $11.3 million grant that includes funding for reconstruction of intersections, streets and city steps.

Money is also included for installing sidewalks, traffic calming measures and green infrastructure throughout the neighborhood.

Pollack said the funding is part of the $1.2 trillion infrastructure law that lawmakers passed last year.

Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey spoke about the history of displacement that came to the Lower Hill District and how this grant is part of a process to right that wrong.

In the 1960s, thousands of Hill District residents, overwhelmingly Black, and hundreds of businesses were displaced to make way for construction of the former Civic Arena and Interstate 579 overpass.

“This is how we rebuild the vibrancy of the Hill District,” Gainey said. “This is what we do in order to restore what was taken from this neighborhood.”

The federal funding is part of the Federal Highway Administration’s RAISE grant program, which has allocated $2.2 billion to 166 projects in all 50 states in 2022, according to Pollack.

Pollack said the Hill District and communities across the country have infrastructure that is used daily but is in disrepair.

“People ask, ‘Why can’t I get from the Hill to Downtown easily and safely?’ and ‘Isn’t the government supposed to fix that?’” she said.” Well, we believe the answer is an emphatic yes.”

Pollack said the Federal Highway Administration was only able to provide grants to a small percentage of the projects that sought funding. She described Pittsburgh’s application as one of the “best of the best.”

Specific improvements planned in the Hill District include creating safer pedestrian crossings over Centre Avenue, closing gaps in the neighborhood’s sidewalk network, reconstructing Chauncey Steps near Bedford Dwellings and planting trees along streets.

Pollack said in addition to improving mobility for Hill District residents, the project also wants to make it more attractive to bring development and amenities to the neighborhood. The Hill District is slated to bring a grocery store back to the neighborhood when Salem’s Market & Grill expands to the former Shop N’ Save location on Centre.

Gainey believes the projects will improve the lives of current Pittsburghers and new residents.

“This is about building a welcoming city,” he said. “This is about making sure that when people come here, they never want to leave.”