PITTSBURGH — Two massive development projects are book ending the Hill District: the 579 Cap project and related construction on the former Civic Arena site; and now the new sports-oriented Victory Heights with the University of Pittsburgh on the Upper Hill.
Channel 11 dug into police reports to compare the Hill District to other city neighborhoods.
According to the 2018 Pittsburgh Bureau of Police Statistical Report, the Middle Hill saw 117 violent and property crimes including one murder, 23 burglaries, two rapes and 56 thefts. There were also 75 simple assaults, 37 vandalism incidents and 24 drug offenses.
The same report says the Upper Hill saw three robberies, three aggravated assaults and 29 thefts along with 36 simple assaults and 28 vandalism incidents.
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The 2018 data shows parts of Squirrel Hill and the South Side had more than four times as many crimes reported than the Hill District as a whole.
Considered the “Lower Hill,” the former Civic Arena site is now home to a massive new project that will include a 3-acre park over I-579, along with roads linking the Hill District to downtown Pittsburgh. There will be walking paths, bike lanes and local art.
On the other end, the Victory Heights project will include an indoor track and a new facility to replace the Fitzgerald Field House. There will be an arena for gymnastics, volleyball and wrestling and a new physical location for the Pitt Athletics Hall of Fame.
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