PITTSBURGH

The Renaissance City - Past and Future

A renaissance is defined as a rebirth or renewal. Pittsburgh did indeed renew itself in the 1940's from a smoky, clogged city to a clean, modern one, though even today some people think of it as it was 50 years ago. And today, Pittsburgh is just beginning another renaissance, perhaps as large as the first one.

The First Renaissance:
After World War II, when Pittsburgh's industries churned out so much of this country's war supplies, the city was a mess. Some days the streetlights would be on at noon because of the smoke and dirt from the factories. Railroad yards covered much ground right beside the downtown area. Traffic and parking were becoming increasingly impossible.

In 1943, political, business, and community leaders formed the famous Allegheny Conference on Community Development. This group studied the problems - and solutions - of Pittsburgh as well as Allegheny County and the surrounding Beaver, Westmoreland, and Washington Counties. Mostly under their direction, great changes were made in the area that changed the face of Pittsburgh and gave it the nickname of the Renaissance City.

Smoke and traffic control measures were put into place in the region. A limited access highway was built into and through the city to the suburbs. The snarl and smoke of the railroad yards were replaced with Point State Park, where the three rivers meet. A new office building development known as Gateway Center was built to help revitalize the downtown. A civic auditorium was built for concerts and sports events. Many other changes were made in lighting, housing, and sanitation that helped clean up the dirt and grime that had covered much of Pittsburgh for so long. Soon, Pittsburgh was a showcase for what other cities could do to improve themselves and the lives of their citizens.

Pittsburgh's Present and Future Renaissance:
Another Renaissance is now underway in Pittsburgh. Tremendous construction is now going on in the area, and much more is scheduled, with even more well underway in the planning stages. Here are some examples.

The Northside:
1999 saw the approval of two major league stadiums - PNC Park for the Pittsburgh Pirates, and Heinz Field for the Pittsburgh Steelers. The stadiums are both on the North Side, along the Allegheny River, near the site of the old Three Rivers Stadium. Between and around them will be built an assortment of restaurants, shops, apartments, offices, walking and jogging trails, and parks. The Carnegie Science Center is also beginning a major expansion, with centers for sports science, high technology, and an outdoor Discovery Park. ALCOA's world headquarters is brand new, and the H. J. Heinz Co. is renovating and expanding as it moves more of its divisions' headquarters to Pittsburgh and Del Monte Foods has moved into some of Heinz's buildings as part of their business partnership.

Downtown:
Directly across the river, on the downtown side, is a very large expansion of Pittsburgh's convention center which more than tripled its size. Nearby a new hotel is being constructed and another building is being converted to a hotel. A major area in the center of downtown will be renovated. This is a major construction job in the heart of the downtown area, first begun as the "Fifth and Forbes"project. Some of the most historic buildings and facades in this area will be saved, but the plan is still developing in cooperation with local business owners. Also downtown, two major Pittsburgh banks, PNC and Mellon, have recently completed new administrative buildings.

The South Side:
Along the other river, the Monongahelia, a dynamic new commercial and residential development known as the Waterfront is now underway on the site of an old steel mill. Included in this are residences, shopping, and an entertainment complex. Though nearly done, some new development is still underway. Also on this river is a new state-of-the-art practice facility to be shared with the Steelers and the University of Pittsburgh, including complete medical facilities and more.

High Tech:
Pittsburgh is implementing plans to develop its high tech base. After creating many successful companies, only to see many of them relocate to other cities, new companies are being coordinated with and helped by groups like the Pittsburgh Technology Council.
Also, established companies are expanding to Pittsburgh. A recent example is the world's largest disk drive manufacturer, Seagate Technology Co., which has erected a $40 million building in the trendy "Strip District", and FreeMarkets, one of the newest, which had one of the largest IPO's in history in 1999. Other companies may now be relocating to Pittsburgh to join the over 500 already in its high tech community, spurred on also by programs at Carnegie Mellon University and other area colleges and universities.

Highways
Now under construction, the Mon-Fayette Expressway will be a new link to points south of Pittsburgh. Coming north into the county, the Southern Beltway will then take traffic west, giving people easy access to the area of Pittsburgh International Airport, or north where it will branch once again, going to Monroeville or into downtown. This will also give the southeastern suburbs an alternate route into the city.

To Be Announced:
Just two of the major projects likely for the near future:
Pittsburgh's mass transit system is planned to be expanded, but it has not been decided exactly what form and location that will take. First will probably be a link across the Allegheny River to the North Side. Then, high speed links to the airport and to the Oakland and Monroeville areas are considered most likely.
A new indoor arena to serve as home to the Pittsburgh Penguins (National Hockey League) is expected by 2005, but plans are not developed as yet.