(PITTSBURGH) Nov. 13, 2012  Mayor Luke Ravenstahl today announced the first round of Pittsburgh Neighborhood Renaissance Fund (NRF) grants, which will award almost $275,000 to a dozen community organizations, and will provide resources to create and carry out development vision plans for their community, helping to ensure growth and success. 

“Neighborhoods that have successful community development plans are better positioned to attract investment, which then spurs job creation and economic development,” Ravenstahl said. “This program will help ensure that Pittsburgh’s Third Renaissance is felt in all of Pittsburgh’s 90 neighborhoods.”

The Fund was created by Mayor Ravenstahl, and is a collaboration between the Department of City Planning, the City’s Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) and the Design Center. Its goal is to assist targeted communities in creating neighborhood development plans, and to give community groups the expertise and guidance needed to pursue real estate development projects and other strategic initiatives. The NRF is administered by the Design Center through its signature Design Fund program, which awards competitive grants to community organizations and provides technical assistance to work with architects, planners, landscape architects and other design professionals toward neighborhood revitalization projects.

“We are delighted to be expanding the family of community groups we serve through the Design Fund, which supports catalytic projects in a number of neighborhoods that have suffered in recent years from blight, vacancy and deteriorating business districts,” said Stephen A. Glassman, Design Center President and CEO. "We appreciate the support of Mayor Ravenstahl and the foundation communities, and their understanding of the importance of working together to enhance community development in the City of Pittsburgh.”

Grants were submitted by 28 organizations following a series of informational meetings held throughout the City, which uncovered more than 130 potential development projects for future consideration. The funded applicants and their projects are:

• $25,000 to West End Alliance for an adaptive reuse study for a closed and vacant school
• $15,000 to Pittsburgh Musical Theater for implementation of façade improvements and expansion at its West End location
• $15,000 to Central Northside Neighborhood Council for sign and gateway design for its Allegheny City Central branding plan
• $15,000 to Troy Hill Citizens for implementation of their park plan and programming
• $25,000 to Community Alliance of Spring Garden-East Deutschtown for gateway design at the Route 28 exit at the 16th Street Bridge
• $25,000 to Brookline SPDC for a market study and branding for Brookline Boulevard
• $15,000 to Beltzhoover Civic Association for parklet design/build project on a historic streetcar turnaround site
• $35,000 to Hilltop Alliance for multi-year neighborhood housing strategy plan for blight and foreclosure mitigation in the south Hilltop communities
• $50,000 to Economic Development South for a plan for a destination “dairy district” on Brownsville Road in Carrick
• $18,725 to Polish Hill Civic Association for mixed use plan for Brereton-Dobson site of two vacant lots and four deteriorating, fire-damaged houses
• $10,000 to Focus on Renewal/Ujamaa Collective for project facilitation and workshops for Centre Avenue development in the Hill District
• $25,000 to Point Breeze North Development Corporation for Simonton Street study for infill housing and corridor design

About Pittsburgh Renaissance Fund
The Pittsburgh Neighborhood Renaissance Fund initiative was created by Mayor Luke Ravenstahl and established by the URA in April 2012 with an initial start-up grant of $300,000. The Design Center has raised matching funds through local foundations and other funding sources. To date, matching funds contributions have been committed by the Buhl Foundation, the Birmingham Foundation, Bridgeway Capital, and CDBG grants from City Council members Natalia Rudiak and Theresa Kail-Smith.

About the Design Center
The Design Center is a nonprofit organization that advocates for the value of good design, planning and public policy in support of more livable and sustainable communities in the Pittsburgh region through its three core programs: Design Fund, Design Consults and Design Allies.  For more information, visit designcenterpgh.org.