One Hill Details Preliminary Agreement
A Hill District group seeking corporate and public subsidies to improve the area around a proposed $290 million multipurpose arena announced details Wednesday of a tentative agreement with city and county officials.
Carl Redwood, chairman of the One Hill Community Benefits Agreement Coalition, said the preliminary deal must receive approval from its 100 members on May 3.
"This is a historic event in terms of Pittsburgh because the Hill District has taken a stand to help look at how development is done," he said.
The proposal needs OKs from Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahl and Allegheny County Chief Executive Dan Onorato.
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Both declined to say negotiations with One Hill have reached the level of a tentative agreement.
"We feel like we're close," said Yarone Zober, Ravenstahl's chief of staff. "We're supportive of the progress that we've made so far."
According to a statement from the One Hill Coalition, the community benefits agreement contains the following proposals:
• A "Neighborhood Partnership Program" that would aim to generate $500,000 a year for six years from corporations willing to sponsor economic development in the Hill District in exchange for tax credits;
• Guarantees from the Penguins that the team will not block the formation of labor unions and that businesses that open in the neighborhood will pay employee wages between $12 and $30-plus an hour with benefits;
• Requirement that residents of the Hill District are included in approving a master plan for development in the neighborhood;
• A career resource center modeled on Milwaukee's "Big Step" program. The city and county will provide $90,000 a year for at least two years to build the center.
Carl Redwood, chairman of the One Hill Community Benefits Agreement Coalition, said the preliminary deal must receive approval from its 100 members on May 3.
"This is a historic event in terms of Pittsburgh because the Hill District has taken a stand to help look at how development is done," he said.
The proposal needs OKs from Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahl and Allegheny County Chief Executive Dan Onorato.
story continues below
Both declined to say negotiations with One Hill have reached the level of a tentative agreement.
"We feel like we're close," said Yarone Zober, Ravenstahl's chief of staff. "We're supportive of the progress that we've made so far."
According to a statement from the One Hill Coalition, the community benefits agreement contains the following proposals:
• A "Neighborhood Partnership Program" that would aim to generate $500,000 a year for six years from corporations willing to sponsor economic development in the Hill District in exchange for tax credits;
• Guarantees from the Penguins that the team will not block the formation of labor unions and that businesses that open in the neighborhood will pay employee wages between $12 and $30-plus an hour with benefits;
• Requirement that residents of the Hill District are included in approving a master plan for development in the neighborhood;
• A career resource center modeled on Milwaukee's "Big Step" program. The city and county will provide $90,000 a year for at least two years to build the center.