Pittsburgh to begin selling officially licensed apparel, part of proceeds will go into city budget
Pittsburghers will soon be able to wear their hometown pride on their sleeves — and shirts and hats.
City officials on Monday announced the first officially licensed Pittsburgh merchandise will be available starting Tuesday.
The city last spring announced a partnership with Pittsburgh-based CommonWealth Press to sell the city’s first official merchandise. This doesn’t bar other companies from selling Pittsburgh-themed items, but it does create the first merchandise to be officially licensed by the city.
“Pittsburgh is our home, and there is an immense amount of pride that comes with that,” Mayor Ed Gainey said in a statement. “CommonWealth Press is not only providing residents with a way to show off their Pittsburgh pride, but it’s providing local shops with an opportunity to work together to offer these items across the city.”
The City has partnered with local union design and print space @cwpress to create a series of union-printed, officially licensed designs and products for Pittsburgh, with 10% of revenue coming back to the City of Pittsburgh General Operating Fund.https://t.co/7z6KoBo5Z4 pic.twitter.com/CbP0PvPyje
— City of Pittsburgh (@Pittsburgh) July 3, 2023
Ten percent of the revenue from the city’s new merchandise will go back into the city’s general operating fund.
Former Mayor Bill Peduto’s administration first outlined the plan for city merchandise in 2021.
The first merchandise items, including shirts, hats and mugs, are available online.
City officials said the first phase is focused on designs based on the city’s flag and five of the city’s historic parks.
The “Printed in Pittsburgh” line is set to officially launch during the city’s annual Fourth of July celebration, where items will be sold at Point State Park.
The City Sign Shop and City Archive will work with CommonWealth Press to identify additional iconography for new designs to be added to the collection. City officials said they hope to partner with other local designers on future products.
After Tuesday’s launch, merchandise will be available at several locations including:
- CommonWealth Press at 691 Washington Road.
- love, Pittsburgh at 805 Liberty Ave.
- love, Pittsburgh at 1728 Penn Ave.
- love, Pittsburgh at 301 Shiloh St.
Julia Felton is a TribLive reporter covering Pittsburgh City Hall and other news in and around Pittsburgh. A La Roche University graduate, she joined the Trib in 2020. She can be reached at jfelton@triblive.com.
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