More development coming to Hill District (Pittsburgh, Penn Hills: crime, houses, neighborhoods)

[PIT2MAD]

News on the New Granada Theatre, nice to see there's been work going on behind the scenes these past several years when it appeared that not much was being done when I would occasionally pass it (I believe WPipkins claimed as much when I inquired a few months ago but it's nice to see something somewhat official)

Hill group leads effort to redevelop New Granada Theater block | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

[wpipkins2]

This is excellent news. Centre Ave is starting to come along slowly but surely. The Hill House Kaufmann Center addition and renovation turned out better than I expected. The new Carnegie Library, Thelma Lovette YMCA and Shop and Save enlivened that stretch of center. The Hill has had continuous development from Console to Kirkpatrick Street. The intersection of Centre and Kirkpatrick has an intact block across from the new Carnegie Library. There are plans to historically preserve the remaining buildings but I am not sure of the timeline.

[PIT2MAD]

I was thinking that this project will really bridge the gap between the redeveloped parts between the arena site and the library. It's nice to hear they are trying to save that intersection at Kirkpatrick although I remember them knocking a nearby building down on Centre right around there a few years ago.

Considering this area isn't likely to have an influx of white people moving in anytime soon (usually one of the indicators of gentrification), I think this is a great opportunity for the black community of Pittsburgh to continue gentrify it on their own and really take back this neighborhood and turn it into a safe place for black middle class families to raise their kids etc (I've read your posts and I know enclaves and some actual neighborhoods like this do exist, but I think you'd agree a rebirth of the Hill in this sense would be on a different level than say, Stanton Heights).

The first step over the next 5-10 years will really be not to screw up a good thing. If the dregs of the neighborhood start robbing Shop N Save or harassing women at the YMCA or vandalizing the library, then all of this effort and investment will be for naught. I am cautiously optimistic however, as the entire area has seen a slow rebirth over the past 10-15 years, including the houses on Dinwiddie and even the renovation of that odd looking building in the extreme northwest corner, not to mention the crawford-Roberts development (not even sure when that was built since it was before my time of being a city nerd). A lot of public investment, not sure when we will finally "know" if it was a smart investment or not, but for now I like the foundation being built.

[wpipkins2]

I live in the hood and we have a black owned Giant Eagle (Penn Hills / East Hills). The store has been open for some time now. At least a decade or so. No robberies or rapes so far. That is a misconception that keeps black communities under served by quality food retailers. The only issue we had was resolved a few years back by a joint effort with the Pittsburgh, Wilkinsburg, and Penn Hills police. Suburban white addicts used the Giant Eagle parking lot for a pick up spot. It was quite noticeable since the shoppers and staff of the GE are primarily black and working to middle class. A VW full of white folks parked in the distance draws attention. There was a crackdown and no problems since.

No robberies or harassment of women to date at the Shop N Save or Y. A woman is more likely to get harassed in Oakland or Carson St. Most crime on the Hill is in close proximity to public housing. Most streets including Centre are pretty safe.

Crawford Square dates back to the early 90s.