Mayor Announces TALKPGH Neighborhood Program from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
"Pittsburgh will send a vehicle into neighborhoods next month to ask residents what the city can do through public art and urban design to help their community. Mayor Luke Ravenstahl today announced the program, which will send a film crew into 90 neighborhoods beginning April 6. The program is known as TALKPGH and is part of the city's first-ever 25-year planning process called PLANPGH, which has 12 components and is expected to be finished in 2014."

$1M Tax Credits Awarded to Larimer Housing Plan from the New Pittsburgh Courier
"The Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency has awarded $1 million in low-income housing tax credits for a plan to redevelop Pittsburgh’s Larimer community.  The Housing Authority of The City Of Pittsburgh and the Urban Redevelopment Authority applied for the funding in September after selecting Keith B. Key as the developer for the first phase of the plan. As a result, construction of 40 new mixed-income housing units can begin this summer."

Teachers Union Supports Ravenstahl Tax Battle against UPMC from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
"""UPMC must clearly make a choice: to live up to its tax-exempt status and meet the criteria that the Pennsylvania Supreme Court has put forth, or to pay its share on taxes that would be enough to eliminate the deficits of both the Pittsburgh Public Schools and the Port Authority.""

Pittsburgh Ranks High for Consumer Banking from the Pittsburgh Business Times
"The competitive banking landscape -- 105 branches per 100,000 residents -- and what NerdWallet calls an "above average percentage of fully banked households (74 percent) -- landed Pittsburgh as No. 2 to only Cincinnati. On the downside is the high checking account fees, $14 a month.
Cincinnati, by comparison, had average checking fees of only $10 a month."

Pennsylvania Department of Education Puts Wilkinsburg, Aliquippa School Districts on Financial Watch list from the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review 
"Troubled finances have led the state Department of Education to put the Wilkinsburg and Aliquippa school districts on a financial watch list. Being on the list enables the department to offer school districts technical assistance to correct their financial problems,"

All Aboard: Corbett and Amtrak Swing a Deal on Train Service from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
"Gov. Tom Corbett knows how to keep the trains running. Last Thursday, the Corbett administration struck a deal with Amtrak, the federal rail agency, to maintain passenger service between Pittsburgh and the state capital."

Unfit for Work: The Startling Rise of Disability in America (Chana Joffe-Walt) from NPR's This American Life
"...people on disability don't show up in any of the places we usually look to see how the economy is doing. But the story of these programs -- who goes on them, and why, and what happens after that -- is, to a large extent, the story of the U.S. economy. It's the story not only of an aging workforce, but also of a hidden, increasingly expensive safety net."
Here's the This American Life program.  Here's a separate segment from All Things Considered.

Two Port Authority Transit Center Projects Slated for this Year from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
"Port Authority officials are hoping for groundbreakings this year on two long-awaited major transit-oriented projects. Construction could start as soon as late summer on a $34 million transit center at the East Liberty station on the Martin Luther King Jr. East Busway and in November on the $36 million Shannon Transit Village in Castle Shannon, said Michael Cetra, assistant general manager of legal and corporate services."

Environmental Groups, Industry Agree on Standards for Shale from the WESA program, Allegheny Front
"Think of it like ‘organic’ or ‘LEED-certified’ for fracking. A working group of environmental groups and oil and gas companies have announced a plan to develop a series of 15 standards for unconventional natural gas extraction like hydraulic fracturing. The Center for Sustainable Shale Development will develop standards it called "progressive and rigorous" for developing shale gas. Many of the standards are either already in use in the field."

Pittsburgh Starts Legal Battle with UPMC over Nonprofit Status from WESA 
"The Pennsylvania Supreme Court developed a nonprofit test as a result of the case Hospital Utilization Project v. Commonwealth. An organization must act within the following five "HUP" test parameters in order to be considered a purely public charity: ... Ravenstahl said UPMC fails three out of five. He added UPMC's city property and payroll taxes would amount to approximately $20 million."

UPMC, Pittsburgh Stake Positions for Court Fight on Nonprofit Status from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
"Starting in January, staff at a longtime Pittsburgh law firm, Strassburger Mckenna Gutnick & Gefsky, researched whether UPMC met the "HUP test," a five-point test that the state Supreme Court reemphasized in a landmark ruling last year. The conclusion, firm President E.J. Strassburger wrote in a 13-page letter to city solicitor Daniel D. Regan on March 5: "As we have discussed, waging a legal battle against a behemoth like UPMC will be neither quick nor easy. However, we believe that both challenges are well-justified, because ... UPMC appears to fail the constitutional test for qualifying" as an institution of purely public charity."

Pittsburgh Lawsuit Challenges UPMC's Tax Status from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
"Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahl likened it to "the David versus the Goliath." The David, in this case, is the cash-strapped City of Pittsburgh, whose coffers are feeling the strain of burgeoning pension obligations and rising health care costs -- the plight of many municipalities across the state. The Goliath that Pittsburgh faces is UPMC, a $10 billion medical enterprise defined by superlatives -- largest health care provider in the region, biggest property owner in Allegheny County."
Here are the legal justifications for the lawsuit.

Ongoing Growth Touted for Downtown from the Pittsburgh Business Times 
"A completed Point State Park and riverfront trail. More than 2,000 apartments now in development. And a time frame for construction to begin at the 28-acre site of the former Civic Arena in the Lower Hill. Those were just a few of the new developments to look forward to in Pittsburgh’s growing downtown as presented by a host of panelists at Tuesday morning’s annual meeting of the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership."

Can Shale Boom Really Boost Manufacturing? from the Pittsburgh Business Times
"Earlier this week, we wrote about an article in The Wall Street Journal looking at the shale boom and its impact on manufacturing. One of our sibling newspapers, the Houston Business Journal, explores the Journal article's contentions and how it's playing out in Houston and elsewhere."

$1M Tax Credits Awarded to Larimer Housing Plan from the New Pittsburgh Courier
"The Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency has awarded $1 million in low-income housing tax credits for a plan to redevelop Pittsburgh’s Larimer community.  The Housing Authority of The City Of Pittsburgh and the Urban Redevelopment Authority applied for the funding in September after selecting Keith B. Key as the developer for the first phase of the plan. As a result, construction of 40 new mixed-income housing units can begin this summer."

Keith Key and Ricky Burgess

$175M in 3 Port Authority of Allegheny County Transit Projects in Talks from the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
"Port Authority of Allegheny County is negotiating with developers to start three projects on its property this year costing more than $175 million. Although the agency will neither spend nor make a lot of money on any of the projects, all stand to add substantially to the tax rolls."

PA Loses Out on $90M Movie Studio from the Pittsburgh Business Times 
"The Pittsburgh region and the state have lost out on $90 million movie studio and entertainment facility projected to create 1,000 jobs to Effingham County, Ga., according to a news report in today’s Savannah Morning News. The company pushing the studio plan is called Medient Studios Inc., which also considered Savannah and Atlanta within Georgia as well, along with New York state, according to the report."

NEWS CONFERENCE!!

Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahl is Expected to Challenge the Tax-exempt Status of Health Care Giant UPMC at a News Conference on Wednesday from the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
"Officials in Ravenstahl's administration declined to discuss details, but spokeswoman Marissa Doyle said an announcement is set for 11:30 a.m."

Mayor Luke Ravenstahl

New Wave of Development in Store for Downtown Pittsburgh from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
"A Downtown apartment building with a rooftop pool, a spa and a yoga room. A dining and entertainment complex near the Consol Energy Center. And a playhouse that never sleeps.
They are among the projects on the drawing boards or getting ready to start in the heart of the Golden Triangle or its fringes -- some 60 in all worth an estimated $2.2 billion in investment, according to the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership."

Pittsburgh City Council OKs Pursuit of Major Tax Package for Hazelwood Project; Deal Will Provide Tax Benefits for $900 Million Development from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
"Pittsburgh City Council today gave the Urban Redevelopment Authority the green light to pursue the largest tax increment financing deal in the city's history, an arrangement that would provide upwards of $90 million in tax benefits for a proposed $900 million residential and commercial development in Hazelwood. The proposal would allow a portion of the tax dollars paid on the property to be earmarked for roads, utilities, parks and other public improvements on the riverfront land, the former site of the LTV coke works."

LTV Coke Works site

Pittsburgh Planning Commission Delays Hearing on Oakland Project from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
"The developer of an office and hotel complex that's to be part of the Oakland Portal Project today was granted a postponement of a scheduled hearing before the city Planning Commission. The hearing has been tentatively rescheduled for 2 p.m. April 2 in the first floor conference room at 200 Ross St. LW Molnar Associates expects to develop land between Forbes and Fifth Avenues just south of Robinson Street into three high-rise office buildings with a hotel. The buildings as proposed include one at 13 stories and two at eight stories."

Walkabout: West Oakland Aims to Remain Viable for Residents, Too; The Neighborhood Wants to Preserve a Residential Identity While in the Shadows of Pitt and UPMC from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
"The Corner -- the former property of Breachmenders, a housing rehabilitation nonprofit -- was bought by the Friendship Community Presbyterian Church when Breachmenders dissolved in 2009. Barbara Brewton, a member of the church and the West Oakland Community Council, said the church wanted to make sure the building could become a resource: "We weren't sure at the time what we were going to do with it, but we didn't want to let it go." The Corner represents a neighborhood stand, of sorts. In Pittsburgh's big picture of population loss, West Oakland's shrinking numbers are ironic. The neighborhood has been consumed largely by institutions that are cited among icons of the city's comeback."

The Corner in West Oakland.

Ellsworth: Pittsburgh's People Make Impact from the Pittsburgh Business Times
"Laura Ellsworth, chair of the Pennsylvania Economy League of Greater Pittsburgh and partner-in-charge of the Pittsburgh office of Jones Day, said while most of the focus of the Pittsburgh region's future has been placed on energy, it is really the people that will have the greatest impact. "There is something unique about Pittsburgh," she said. "Part of what I think makes it unique is that we are a people, all of us, who roll up our sleeves and accomplish things that have never been done before.""

Laura Ellsworth of the Pennsylvania Economy League

EDITORIAL!!

Onward and Upward: The 911th Airlift Wing Wins a Reprieve from Closure from the Editorial Board of the Pittsburgh Post Gazette
"After local supporters demonstrated the efficiency of the 911th Airlift Wing, the Air Force had no choice but to keep the base open."

EDITORIAL!!

Hidden Tolls: Indictments Describe a Turnpike of Corrupt Practices from the Editorial Board of the Pittsburgh Post Gazette
"A state grand jury and Attorney General Kathleen Kane have lifted the lid on a Pennsylvania Turnpike tarnished by corruption and bid rigging."

NEW STUDY!!

IBM Report: Transit Key to Future of Pittsburgh from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
"A good transportation network is vital to Pittsburgh's economic health, and several low-cost improvements are within the city's reach, according to a report prepared by IBM's Smarter Cities Challenge. "Pittsburgh's successful renaissance into a technology-based, green community should not be stalled by a lack of transportation," said the report, which was made public by the office of Mayor Luke Ravenstahl last week. "Active transportation options, such as biking or walking, high-quality transportation infrastructure, availability of parking and efficient public transit will empower citizens and visitors to contribute to the vibrancy of the economy," it said."
The full report can be found HERE.

REPORT!!

Pittsburgh Today Report Finds Population Shift as Young People Move to City from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
""Lawrenceville has changed drastically over the last 10 years," Ms. Byrne said. "Not all of the development has been as welcomed, but everybody seemed to be excited about the dry cleaner. That's the kind of business they want to see." The annual Pittsburgh Today report released last month, "Pittsburgh Today & Tomorrow 2013," highlighted Lawrenceville as a growing area experiencing a substantial shift in population as younger people move into the area. The study (available at pittsburghtoday.org) ranks Pittsburgh against 15 cities of similar size across the country."
The Pittsburgh Today report can be found HERE.

Budget Cuts Could Spell Trouble for Montgomery Lock from the Beaver Times 
"The triggering of automatic budget cuts in Washington known as sequestration could have dangerous consequences for the Montgomery Locks in Beaver County, which could topple without much-needed maintenance, according to a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers official. Colonel Bernard Lindstrom, the commander of the Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District, told a meeting of the Port of Pittsburgh Commission last week that it is likely the corps will have to defer maintenance to the region’s 23 locks and dams, which are among the oldest in the nation."

AmeriCorps Participants Help Local Nonprofit from the Observer-Reporter [of Washington & Greene counties]
"Public Allies Pittsburgh took a group of about 12 participants to the office of the nonprofit Dress For Success on North Main Street, where they sorted and boxed clothes for the organization that matches low-income and underprivileged women with suits tailored to help them gain access into the business world. The young men and women participating are enrolled in a 10-month AmeriCorps program."

PERSPECTIVE!!

Health Care to Stay Crucial to Pittsburgh Economy from the Pittsburgh Business Times
"Medicine will continue to drive the western Pennsylvania economy, despite intense pressure to curb health care spending, PNC Economist Mekael Teshome said Friday. Pittsburgh’s population has been increasing, albeit slowly, and the city will continue to be a hub for sophisticated medical care, attracting patients from outside the region, Teshome said. Studies have shown that Pittsburgh’s health care utilization rates are higher than other areas with comparable demographics, which Medicare is trying to curb through innovative pilot programs and cost-cutting. In addition, hospitals and other health care providers are facing cuts in Medicare reimbursement."

Mekael Teshome

AT&T Plans to Close Pittsburgh Call Centers from the Pittsburgh Business Times
"Two Pittsburgh call centers for AT&T are set to lay off employees in the spring, according to media reports. The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reported that 200 jobs are on the line with the changes at the centers, which were announced in a news release by the Communications Workers of America Local 13500."

Downtown Pittsburgh Shifting to Full-Fledged Neighborhood from WESA, Essential Public Radio [of Pittsburgh]
"It’s often said Pittsburgh is a city of neighborhoods. There are the bustling neighborhoods of Oakland and Squirrel Hill, the struggling neighborhood of Homewood, and the transitioning neighborhoods in between. Then there’s a shadow neighborhood. Some people call it the Golden Triangle, some call it the business district, and others call it home. “It’s not just a thoroughfare for the buses, or somewhere where you go to your office from 9 to five, but I actually live here and love it a lot,” said Gina Mucciolo."

'Lost Triangle' Targeted for Acute Face-Lift; Area Called Important Confluence of Hill District and Uptown from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
"On a map of the Hill District and Uptown, a small triangle wedges itself between orderly rectangles of street grids. Its boundaries are Reed, Dinwiddie and Colwell streets. Architect Daniel Rothschild calls this piece of the Hill "the lost triangle." Bill Gatti, president of TREK Development Group, says it is "an important confluence of the two neighborhoods.""

Pittsburgh Region Population Slightly Up from the Pittsburgh Business Times
"The Pittsburgh region's population rose by 4,448 in the past two years, according to a new estimate released Thursday by the U.S. Census Bureau. The region's population was 2.36 million in July, ranking it as the 22nd most populous metropolitan area in the U.S. and the second-biggest in Pennsylvania behind Philadelphia. The population was 2.356 million in July 2010, the last time the data was collected."

STUDY!!

Water Contaminants Increased Near Marcellus Activities but 2011 Rules May Have Helped from WESA's program, Allegheny Front
"A study found that shale gas development increased contaminants in Pennsylvania’s waterways from 2000 to 2011. Did the state's new policies clean up the rivers? "

Professor Tries to Clear Up Murkiness on Fracking Fluids from the Beaver Times
"An area professor and his research team aim to clear up the murkiness that surrounds the chemical components of fracking fluid with their newest research project. Fred Fochtman, director of forensic science and law in the Bayer School of Natural and Environmental Sciences at Duquesne University, and Paul Carlson, adjunct faculty member at Duquesne University and scientist reviewer, and their research team are compiling data on the various chemical components used in fracking in an attempt to consolidate the various sources of information available on the subject. The project, which will be in the form of a book, is expected to be released this summer."

How Is Your School Doing? from the WESA program, Essential Pittsburgh  
"How Is Your School Doing? is an interactive tool that allows parents and residents to see how their district is performing. Enter a child's grade and demographic subdivision — white, black, male, female, etc. — and you'll be able to see how your school compares to others in your district, how your child's demographic is being served and where your school stacks up statewide.  Developer and Pittsburgh Post Gazette Reporter, Andrew McGill talks about how the program works."

The Women's Rights Movement in Pittsburgh: 1967 to Today (Deanna Garcia) from the WESA program, Essential Pittsburgh
"“There were no bras burned at that pageant, it was a protest about the image of women and how women are portrayed as sex objects, so I would just like to dispel that, that’s a bit of an urban legend,” said Pat Ulbrich, director of In Sisterhood, the Women’s Movement in Pittsburgh."

Energy Innovation Center Kicks Off Trainings Around Region; LEED-certified Hill District Center Opens in 2014 from Imagine Pittsburgh Now
"The work of further aligning education with workforce development moves forward this month, as the Energy Innovation Center’s first training sessions begin. The center, or EIC, is a collaboration of the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Energy Technology Laboratory, the Pittsburgh region’s research universities, economic development organizations and corporations, including Eaton Corp., Bayer MaterialScience, EQT, Duquesne Light Co., PPG Industries, Johnson Controls, Burns & Scalo and Mascaro Construction.  In addition to the Penn State Center, the University of Pittsburgh, Carnegie Mellon University and Duquesne University, other partners in the center include Operating Engineers Local 95 and Urban Innovation21."

Rust Belt Renaissance: The Future American City (Josef Goodman) from The Politic: The Yale Undergraduate Journal of Politics
"Faced with deindustrialization and demographic decline, Rust Belt cities looking to reverse their fortunes need look no further than Pittsburgh."

How Much Water It Takes to Frack a Well (Yan Lu) from State Impact Pennsylvania

URA Buys Pittsburgh's 'Skinny Building' and its Plumper Neighbor from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
"Both buildings, owned by Garland Real Properties Inc., sit in the heart of the Fifth and Forbes retail corridor, across the street from the $400 million Tower at PNC Plaza skyscraper now under construction and a block from the entrance to Market Square, with its multitude of restaurants."

The "skinny building."

Old Diesel Equipment Still Spewing Soot into Pittsburgh's Air from the WESA program, Allegheny Front

"Pittsburgh City Council passed a local law in 2011 requiring construction companies to retrofit equipment that runs on diesel fuel in order to reduce emissions. But to date, no dozers, diggers, or dump trucks have had to comply."

Bakery Square 2.0 construction taking place.

• 
  

Admission to Pittsburgh's Charter and Magnet Schools Becomes Difficult from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
"For parents looking for a creative, outdoorsy education for their future kindergartners -- with beautiful food in a beautiful building -- the Environmental Charter School seems like a dream. Increasingly, it's nearly an impossible one."

Environmental literacy kindergarten teacher Jennifer Porter works with Joey Bosh, 5, at the Environmental Charter School in Regent Square.

The Young People Myth (Jeffery Fraser) from the Pittsburgh Quarterly
'Just as Pittsburgh was undergoing a facelift that turned abandoned mills and factories and under-used riverfront into upscale shops, restaurants, apartments and bike trails, it was quietly experiencing a demographic shift that belied the hand wringing over whether it had become a place that young people would rather flee than want to be. Far fewer young people were leaving."

PERSPECTIVE!!

Walkabout: Blighted Properties are a Pox on Our City (Diana Nelson Jones) from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
"In two decades, Pittsburgh has become a city that deserves accolades, one that can boast of another "renaissance." We're cleaner, greener and more progressive. We're getting younger, and investment is growing. But of the many feathers in our cap, the "most livable" boast would be easy to ridicule if you have to look at 502 Chester Ave. every day. In Perry South, it's one among thousands of city properties that are not only unlivable but destructive.

Beaver Water Woes Tied to Ohio Drilling from the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
"A Beaver County drinking water supplier says liquid drilling wastes dumped illegally in Ohio are linked to water problems in his county, where local and state officials claim Ohio investigators failed to tell them about pollution headed their way. "

Pittsburgh to Rent Bikes Around the City Next Year from the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
"Pittsburgh residents, commuters and tourists will be able to hop on a publicly owned bike and pedal across the city under a $4 million bike-share program Mayor Luke Ravenstahl announced on Monday. Pittsburgh Bike Share will feature 500 bikes with 50 docking stations throughout the city."

The Next Page: High Point Pittsburgh's Lofty Ambition from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
"Three years of study have yielded a workable concept for a one-of-a-kind public space atop the U.S. Steel Tower. But while public support is growing, the building's owners aren't on board."

Seeking Office with Bill Peduto from WESA's program, Essential Pittsburgh 
"A conversation with city councilman Bill Peduto. We’ll discuss the mayoral primary and the search for a new police chief."

Bill Peduto

Pittsburgh Mayor's Race a Free-for-All from the New Pittsburgh Courier 
"When Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahl announced last week he would not seek re-election, it seemed to set up a two-man race between declared candidates Councilman Bill Peduto and Controller Michael Lamb for the Democratic Primary. Then the floodgates opened. Yesterday, sources close to state Rep. Jake Wheatley, D- Hill District, said he would be circulating nominating petitions for the Mayor’s race.  Calls and emails to Wheatley and his office seeking confirmation have not been returned. If confirmed, Wheatley would be the first African-American mayoral candidate since Carmen Robinson ran as an independent in 2009."

Jake Wheatley

Health Care, Manufacturing Jobs Rise as U.S. Unemployment Falls from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
"The national unemployment rate ticked down slightly in February by one-tenth of a percentage point from 7.8 percent to 7.7 percent as the country added 236,000 new jobs."

¡Hola, Pittsburgh!/¡Pittsburgh Te Invita! Campaign Introduces Pittsburghers to Latinos, Vice Versa from Imagine Pittsburgh Now
"The Latino population in the Pittsburgh region may be small, but it is growing steadily and many of its professionals are making a positive mark here. A few of them are highlighted in a series of videos as part of the new Latino outreach initiative by Vibrant Pittsburgh, an organization working to grow the regional economy by attracting diverse people to the workforce. The “¡Hola, Pittsburgh!” (Hello Pittsburgh!) portion of the campaign began last month, introducing the region to four Latinos who have opted to build their careers and lives here."

EVENT!!

NAACP Regional Convention Announced for April in Pittsburgh from the New Pittsburgh Courier
"NAACP Pittsburgh Unit President Connie Parker told the New Pittsburgh Courier today that the National Convention for Region II will be held in Pittsburgh at the Westin Convention Center Hotel April 25-27. “We’re going to have quite a few things going on across the city, and it’s coming right before our annual Human Rights Dinner May 2, so It’s really going to give us a nice boost,” she said."

 Connie Parker, head of the Pittsbugh branch of the NAACP

NAACP Seeks Young Adult Leaders from the New Pittsburgh Courier
"On Feb. 28 as part of a two-day Black History Month celebration, the Pittsburgh Unit of the NAACP hosted a networking mixer at the Savoy Restaurant in the Strip District. The event, which also featured an art auction, is part of the NAACP’s latest effort to increase membership and attract younger members. “It’s about bridging the gap. All the beautiful artwork here, the young people did that,” said NAACP President Connie Parker. “We intend to change the face of the NAACP, bring the young people in, so then we’re alive again. I think we’re moving in the right
direction.”"

Mental Awareness from WESA's program, Essential Pittsburgh
"We’ll look at the impact mental health issues can have on college student success. Also, business contributor Rebecca Harris observes women’s history month and talks about what it means for women in business."

Sequestration Will Cost Allegheny County About $100,000 in Federal Clean Air Funds from the Pittsburgh Post Gazette
"The federal government's inability to agree on a budget will cost the county Health Department's air pollution program about $100,000."

Larimer/East Liberty Grant Project Seeks Partnership with Pittsburgh Public Schools from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
"Pittsburgh Public Schools has been asked to become a partner in the efforts of Larimer/East Liberty to win a $30 million federal Choice Neighborhoods transformation grant. At a board committee meeting tonight, Sandra Moore, president of Urban Strategies Inc. of St. Louis, Mo., said she is working with the Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh and the neighborhood on planning efforts to apply for the grant. Urban Strategies already has been successful in helping three other communities win the competitive grants."

PERSPECTIVE!!

Political Spin: No Ravenstahl Puts a New Twist on the Mayoral Primary and the City's Future (Lauren Daley and Chris Potter) from the Pittsburgh City Paper
"Ravenstahl dropped a bid for re-election that had launched just 11 days prior. He insisted the decision wasn't based on a federal investigation into the police bureau, or because he didn't think he could win. In fact, Ravenstahl told reporters, "I'm more confident" than ever that victory was in grasp. But while Ravenstahl put to rest speculation about his election prospects, he opened the door to more questions."

Pittsburgh Public Market Moves Closer to Securing New Home in the Strip District from the Pittsburgh Tribune Review
"The Pittsburgh Public Market is moving closer to securing a new home in the Strip District. Mayor Luke Ravenstahl's office announced Wednesday that the market plans to move from its home in the more than 80-year-old Pittsburgh Produce Terminal Building to a cinder-block, 25,760-square-foot office building at 2401 Penn Avenue this summer."

PNC to Shut 200 Branches as Part of $700 Million in Cuts from the
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
"PNC Financial Services Group disclosed plans on Tuesday to close about 200 retail branches this year as part of a plan to reduce expenses by $700 million in a tough operating environment for banks. PNC spokeswoman Amy Vargo said it is too early to say how many Pittsburgh-area branches and jobs will be eliminated."

Beaver Falls Muncipal Authority Could Have Avoided Fracking Dump Contamination from the Beaver Times
"It could have taken as little as two or three hours for the thousands of gallons of fracking wastewater dumped in Youngstown in January to completely bypass the Beaver Falls Municipal Authority and its 17,000 customers, officials said Monday."

North Hills Project Lands First Area Carrabba's from the Pittsburgh Business Times
"AdVenture Development LLC is ready to get going on the 500,000-square-foot town center of the mixed-use master plan called McCandless Crossing on a northern stretch of McKnight Road at Duncan Avenue, offering as appetizer the announcement of three new restaurants and a new store signed on for the project. The company soon will begin site work on the fourth phase of the 1.2 million-square-foot project that will include the region’s first Carrabba’s Italian Grill, along with Bonefish Grill, Longhorn Steakhouse and Home Goods, a home furnishings retailer operated by the owner of TJ Maxx."

Probably good for McCandless; not so good for anyone who needs to drive on McKnight Road.

TECHNOLOGY!!

UPMC Brings Telemedicine to Rural County Hospitals from the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

"magine living in a rural county but getting the expertise of doctors at Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh without having to travel to the city. A webcam and Internet connection that debuts on Monday will allow that to happen for parents who take their children to one of five hospitals, courtesy of UPMC and the University of Pittsburgh Schools of the Health Sciences. The Outreach program, short for Optimizing Utilization and Rural Emergency Access for Children, brings telemedicine to UPMC Northwest Hospital in Venango County, UPMC Horizon Hospital in Mercer County, Washington Hospital, Armstrong County Memorial Hospital and DuBois Regional Medical Center in Clearfield County."

EDITORIAL!!

Want Choice? from the Editorial Board of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette 
"The fight is over whether people and businesses will be able to keep choice on medical care and health insurance, or be doomed to a high-priced UPMC monopoly that eventually controls both. It's just that simple."

Women of Courage' Awardees Arrive Today in Pittsburgh from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
"Four woman who have been picked to receive the 2013 Secretary of State's International Women of Courage Award will arrive in Pittsburgh today. Chatham University is partnering with GlobalPittsburgh and the U.S. Department of State to host a public forum featuring the women."

LOCAL LEADERSHIP!

Champion Bush: The Urban League Chief Gets White House Attention from the Editorial Board of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
"Esther Bush, president and CEO of the Urban League of Greater Pittsburgh, has received awards before, but nothing like the Champion of Change title bestowed on her and nine others at the White House. Ms. Bush was honored Tuesday by President Barack Obama and Education Secretary Arne Duncan for her activism on behalf of education equity."

Shovels in the Ground for Another Round: Bakery Square 2.0 from Imagine Pittsburgh Now
"A twice-baked opportunity for Pittsburgh’s resurgent East Liberty neighborhood is being readied for the oven with the recent groundbreaking for Bakery Square 2.0 – a “world-class development … offer[ing] amazing office and housing opportunities that will attract new businesses and residents,” according Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahl."

Pittsburgh Mayor Ravenstahl Won't Seek Re-election from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
"Mayor Luke Ravenstahl, whose chance political ascendancy made him one of the youngest heads of a major American city, announced this morning in a news conference that he would not seek re-election, just 11 days after formally announcing his run. ... He said that all had come at a cost. "Those who have paid the greatest cost are those who are closest to me." Mayor Ravenstahl's news conference.  Mayor Luke Ravenstahl held a news conference today to announce he would not seek reelection. ... He said he'd decided the pressure of the job was too much and had made the decision not to seek re-election."

Gas is Good for Allegheny County, Vision Team eports from the Pittsburgh Business Times
"Natural gas stole the show for the Energy & Environment Vision Team, which is a group of industry and county stakeholders assembled by County Executive Rich Fitzerald to make recommendations to Allegheny County. The Marcellus Shale leads the list of recommendations put out by the team, and its findings conclude that: “since natural gas is a low-cost, cleaner burning fuel that is being extracted locally, we should encourage the use of natural gas within the county at current and future industrial sites and in vehicles.”"

Pittsburgh Housing Authority Names COO as New Executive Director from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
"Caster Binion, who has served the Pittsburgh Housing Authority since 2006 as its chief operating officer, was named its new executive director after a vote of the agency's board today. ... Mr. Binion, 59, is a former paratrooper, said Mr. Burgess. He has been in public housing for around 20 years, including a stint as deputy executive director of Kansas City's agency."

Washington County Touts Economic Development, Tourism Successes from Imagine Pittsburgh Now
"Energy continues to be significant economic driver, with Washington County being ranked first the greater Pittsburgh region and fourth in the state in both natural gas wells drilled and drilling permits issued in 2012. The county’s booming energy sector’s reach extends far beyond drilling rigs, with the Southpointe mixed-use business park in Canonsburg as an example. It has become the epicenter of corporate activity that supports the industry – everything from regional headquarters to law firms."

Pittsburgh Public Schools board votes to sell former Pittsburgh Schenley High School from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
"In a controversial 5-4 vote tonight, the Pittsburgh Public Schools board has decided to sell the former Pittsburgh Schenley High School to a developer who plans to turn the historic Oakland building into luxury apartments."