Pitt commits $5M in new investments to city parks, neighborhood business corridors and public safety

The University of Pittsburgh and Mayor Corey O'Connor today announced a $5 million, five-year new investment in city priorities, deepening the University's role as Pittsburgh's anchor.

These investments build on a long record of collaboration and partnership between Pitt and the city, a relationship that dates back 239 years to the University's founding in downtown Pittsburgh. Pitt chose to direct its investments toward three areas that align not only with the mayor's vision for the city, but also priorities spelled out in the Plan for Pitt 2028, along with priorities of the University community.

The $5 million investment will be spread out over five years and will help support:

• Neighborhood parks: Pittsburgh's neighborhood parks are among the city's most democratic assets: open to everyone; relied upon by families, seniors and children; and full of green spaces that enhance the well-being and health of our local communities.
• Main and Main neighborhood business corridor program: This program is a commitment to revitalizing Pittsburgh's neighborhood commercial corridors through small business loans, facade improvements, permitting reform and gap funding. Pitt's Small Business Development Center has worked alongside neighborhood business owners for years, providing financing guidance, technical assistance and capacity building to the same entrepreneurs Main and Main is designed to reach. This investment puts Pitt's resources directly behind a mayoral priority that also aligns with work the University is already doing.
• Public safety: From the beginning, Mayor O'Connor has committed to building a safer city through investment in public safety. Pitt shares that commitment. A strong public safety presence in the surrounding neighborhoods matters as much to Pitt as it does to the residents who live there. This contribution supports the mayor's public safety agenda and will be directed toward areas the administration determines will make the most meaningful difference.

"Since our founding 239 years ago, the success of the City of Pittsburgh and the University of Pittsburgh has been intertwined," said Chancellor Joan Gabel. "As the city's anchor institution, Pitt has been steadfast over many decades, and we are proud of our active partnerships with nonprofit organizations, community initiatives and governmental collaborations. We serve the city and its residents, including our students, faculty and staff, through multiple programs and projects as well as with our daily operations that produce $1.8 billion of annual economic impact for the city. Mayor O'Connor has already expressed appreciation for the vital role the University plays in Pittsburgh, and from the first day of his administration, has sought opportunities to partner with Pitt for the benefit of the city. These new investments are another example of Pitt doing our part to contribute to healthy and vibrant communities throughout the region."

"I'd like to thank the University of Pittsburgh, Chancellor Joan Gabel and the Board of Trustees for this generous gift and recognize their longtime partnership with the City," said O'Connor. "Not only does Pitt bring pride and vibrancy to the city and engage with our communities, but they also have a history of investment in our shared vision for the future of our city. This contribution will help fund our initiatives in neighborhood parks, Main and Main neighborhood business corridors and promote public safety."

The investments announced today build on decades worth of collaboration and support between the University and the City of Pittsburgh. To that end, before a single community program is counted, Pitt's daily operations generate $1.8 billion in annual economic impact for the city. The University is the second-largest employer in both Allegheny County and the city, supporting 16,413 jobs within Pittsburgh alone. In fiscal year 2022, Pitt-related spending generated $65.5 million in local and state taxes for the city of Pittsburgh - revenue that flows to city government, city services and city residents.

In addition, the University has long-standing commitments in neighborhoods like Oakland, Homewood, the Hill District and Greater Hazelwood as well as Community Engagement Centers that are open to all city residents.

The University's tangible impact can also be seen with programs like our Buy, Build, Hire Local initiative, in which the University has a dedicated executive leader whose sole job is to keep Pitt's procurement department; planning, design and construction department; human resources; and Small Business Development Center aligned with and accountable to local economic impact. This means buying from Pittsburgh-based businesses, building with local contractors and trades workers, hiring city residents into family-sustaining jobs and helping small Pittsburgh businesses grow their capacity to take on University contracts and beyond.

Finally, it's critical to note that a university the size of Pitt touches this city in myriad ways - through research that shapes policy, clinics that serve patients, students who become residents, employees who sit on nonprofit boards and programs that stretch across every neighborhood. Together, the value of these contributions is inestimable.

"Pitt's investment of $5 million announced today aligns squarely with our mission and values, and it builds on existing long-standing neighborhood commitments and vital community programming in which the University of Pittsburgh invests more than $7 million each year," said Kevin Washo, Pitt's senior vice chancellor for external relations. "This includes hundreds of programs offered annually in health and wellness, entrepreneurship support, K-12 tutoring and enrichment and civic strengthening offered through Pitt's Community Engagement Centers, which are open to all. We are proud to support the city with real financial support in addition to our existing programmatic work because it will help fund initiatives that are critical for all Pittsburghers: They are important to the University community, align with Mayor O'Connor's vision and, most importantly, meet the needs of the residents who call Pittsburgh home."

Photography by Tom Altany