Gainey backs Point Park plan for Downtown Pittsburgh events center

By Mark Belko / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey is embracing Point Park University’s plan to build a community events center in Downtown, saying the proposal could “make a difference” in revitalizing the city’s core.

At the end of a developers forum Wednesday on the college’s campus in the heart of the Golden Triangle, Mr. Gainey said he believes in the vision, even as he acknowledged that funding would be a challenge.

“I do believe that it removes blight. I do believe when you talk about cities growing and reimagining exactly what could happen, you need that if you want to improve the nightlife Downtown,” he said.

Point Park unveiled plans for the $80 million-$100 million venue last week in discussing the university’s role in reshaping the Golden Triangle in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, high office vacancies and plummeting property values.

The center would host athletic events and concerts and serve as a training ground for students interested in careers involving live entertainment.

Point Park is considering four to five sites for the venue, including a parking lot it owns at 340 Boulevard of the Allies next to its student center, a former YMCA.

The university hopes to fund the events center, which would seat about 2,000 people, through a combination of public, foundation and university resources similar to the way it financed the $60 million Pittsburgh Playhouse on Forbes Avenue.

During Wednesday’s forum, university President Chris Brussalis doubled down on the college’s desire to be a major player in repurposing the Golden Triangle.

As downtowns reinvent themselves in light of the pandemic and hybrid work, they will be driven by the “creator economy” — in other words centers of arts, entertainment and recreation, he suggested.

“And guess what? That so happens to be our sweet spot as a university,” he said. “We feel we can be a catalyst in revitalizing Pittsburgh, Downtown.”

Toward that end, Point Park engaged the Urban Land Institute to make recommendations on ways the university can be just that.

The suggestions, released last week in conjunction with the community events center announcement, included better branding; finding ways to enliven the Boulevard of the Allies, the major thoroughfare that slices through the college’s campus; and making better use of the Monongahela riverfront now dominated by the wharf.

Mr. Brussalis on Wednesday also floated the idea of establishing a “cultural corridor” connecting Point Park on the south side of Downtown to the Cultural District at the north end.

“I think there’s opportunities that we can focus on this arts, entertainment, entertainment technology and media to develop entrepreneurship, to develop intellectual property coming out of Pittsburgh. It’s a workforce development plan,” he said.

In addition, Point Park has talked about being part of an initiative to use some of the failing office buildings in Downtown to create more housing, not only for its students but those at the University of Pittsburgh and Carnegie Mellon University once the bus rapid transit line from Oakland gets up and running.

Mr. Brussalis said the university is the largest provider of housing in the Golden Triangle, with about 1,000 people living in its facilities. He sees the potential for affordable housing not only for students, but for artists and single parents.

“We’d love to have those single parents and their families living on our campus. We’d love to have retirees living on our campus,” he said.

As mayor, Mr. Gainey has been pushing developers to build more affordable housing throughout the city, including in Downtown.

While some of the mandates have been controversial, Mr. Gainey defended his efforts during Wednesday’s forum.

Affordability, he argued, “doesn’t mean all low income.” He said it’s also geared toward young professionals and workers who have the choice between living in Downtown or in the suburbs.

“They might play Downtown but they live on McKnight Road because it’s cheaper. Instead of paying $1,200, they’re paying $800. We’ve got to be competitive. If we’re not competitive, it’s not going to work,” he said. “Young professionals coming out of school and moving here, they don't want $1,200. They’re looking for $800.”

Wednesday’s forum was sponsored by the Downtown Neighbors Alliance community group. Panelists were Mr. Brussalis, Mr. Gainey, and Kyle Chintalapalli, the mayor’s chief economic development officer.

Since taking office, Mr. Gainey has been dogged by concerns about crime, safety, homelessness and lewd behavior in Downtown, with some blaming him for not doing enough to combat such issues.

The concerns have promoted some businesses to relocate to other spots in the city’s core or to move out altogether.

But the mayor argued Wednesday that he has taken steps to improve conditions. He said he has beefed up the police presence in the city center, with more officers walking a beat, and that it has “created a different scenario than it was when I came into office.”

Mr. Gainey said he gauges the state of Downtown based on what he sees during visits on Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday evenings when restaurants, bars and venues are filled.

“If the bars Downtown are booked and people are drinking and having a good time, then the fear factor is more perception than reality,” he said.

John Valentine, the Downtown Neighbors Alliance executive director who moderated the event, said 23 new retailers moved into the Golden Triangle last year and 15 have done so this year so far.

The NFL choosing Pittsburgh for the 2026 draft over cities like Washington D.C. and Charlotte is another indication that Downtown is on the rebound, Mr. Gainey said.

“All of those are things that [show] we’re headed in the right direction or they wouldn’t be happening,” he said.

Mr. Gainey initially was criticized by some council members for earmarking $1 million in city funds and committing in-kind services toward the draft. Those members said they did not know the city’s bid included a monetary obligation, although they ended up approving it. The money will be spent on things like street beautification, public safety and marketing.

During Wednesday’s discussion, Mr. Chintalapalli noted that more than 775,000 people attended this year’s draft in Detroit.

He said the mega event can showcase the city and be a recruiting tool for businesses and residents. “That’s really what the NFL draft can represent,” he said.

Mr. Gainey added that it also could be a way to woo people who have left for other cities. He noted that he often talks to people who departed Pittsburgh but still consider it home.

The draft gives the city an opportunity to re-engage with them or other family members. He suggested one of the slogans for the event should be “welcome home.”

“The NFL draft gives us the opportunity to really market it that way, to tell people, welcome home, to show them how we moved from a city of steel mills to a city of technology,” he said.