Dear Neighbors,
In my last neighborhood message, I outlined my plan to provide fresh ideas and bold leadership for a new Pittsburgh today and a better Pittsburgh tomorrow. It is a plan that puts our neighborhoods first by increasing police visibility and giving communities the policing tools we need to ensure the safety of our streets. It is a plan that revitalizes our neighborhoods, block by block. We began with the purchase of $64 million dollars worth of tax-liens which advanced and will make way for new housing, retail and commercial developmental projects in our neighborhoods. I am continuing my neighborhood’s first agenda by furthering the safety of our streets and by creating several new economic development initiatives to advance the prosperity of our city.

With the removal of development inhibiting tax liens, the construction of a new multi-use arena, and my announcement of several new revitalization initiatives, the economic development climate in Pittsburgh has gone from hot, to on fire! Now, more than ever, our city needs to be business friendly. My newly created Blue Ribbon Economic Development Panel will help businesses cut through red tape and resolve issues related to city services including; permits, zoning, parking, loading, public safety, and trash removal. I have also created main street revitalization initiatives to boost the renewal of all eighty-eight neighborhood business districts. Five different business financing programs are now available under my plan through the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA). Some of these include new storefront renovation grants of up to $5,000 dollars and City real estate tax exemptions for new businesses. You can learn more about the business financing programs at www.ura.org/businessdevelopment.html. This is just another step in our effort to be the most business friendly city in America.

While the housing market in some of our neighborhoods is strong, others are struggling. That’s why I recently announced a tax exemption program to help spur investment in 22 neighborhoods across the City. This program will reduce the city property tax bill for new homes as well as substantial renovation projects. Most importantly, it will stimulate the market for new residents while encouraging those who already live here to invest more in their homes.To find out if your neighborhood is eligible, call 412-255-0760. As an added incentive, to speed up construction and improvements of new buildings and homes, I set forth a new “walk-through permitting” procedure that will allow contractors and homeowners to submit their building application to the Department of City Planning and receive a permit the same day. For small commercial projects, I have implemented walk-through permitting, as well. This procedure differs from the residential “walk throgh process” in that small commercial review is by appointment only. The appointments are available on Thursdays only, and are required to be attended by the Professional of Record, (a PA Registered Architect or PA Licensed Engineer).

Ensuring the safety of our citizens is still my number one priority. Therefore, I urge you to spread the word about the “Free Smoke Detector” program. This program provides that every City resident, homeowner and renter, can request a free smoke detector to be installed in their home, free of charge, by calling my 3-1-1 Response Line. 3-1-1 will send the information to the appropriate zone and have a firefighter come to the residence.

In the coming months I will continue top put our neighborhoods first by announcing public safety initiatives aimed at eliminating crime and taking back our neighborhoods. A safe and friendly atmosphere, coupled with my proposals to improve our city’s booming economic development, will make Pittsburgh the most business friendly city in America.