PITTSBURGH — There’s progress being made in the fight against blighted properties in Pittsburgh.
11 Investigates told you there are nearly 2,000 condemned buildings in the city.
In Homewood blighted properties have plagued the neighborhood for years too long.
Efforts happening soon in Homewood will take a stab at more than a dozen buildings that have been a community thorn. Sometimes building a neighborhood up starts with tearing some of it down.
The Urban Redevelopment Authority just approved an agreement to demolish and remediate 13 vacant properties in Homewood South, all owned by the URA or the City of Pittsburgh.
Six buildings on North Homewood Avenue will be demolished because they’re unsafe.
The others, on Susquehanna Street, Bennett Street, Felicia Way and North Homewood Avenue, will be remediated and readied for future development opportunities.
Last month, we rode through Homewood with Ed Farley, a trustee with Pittsburgh Firefighters Local No. 1.
He pointed to vacant building after vacant building and many had caught fire.
“They’re not unoccupied until we say that are. Tell us that’s a vacant house, nobody is in there and then we find people in there,” Farley said.
City records show there are more than 1,800 condemned properties in Pittsburgh.
And the city’s efforts to demolish the most dangerous have been slow.
11 Investigates uncovered that despite a goal of demolishing more than 100 buildings in 2024, the city, as of late September, had only torn down six.
Bricks are expected to start coming down in Homewood as early as November, clearing the way for new life.
The URA’s efforts in Homewood are funded by $2 million from the American Rescue Plan Act.
The URA will be hosting community meetings to hear from you about the redevelopment of the properties.
The first is scheduled for Nov. 14.
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