Hill group outlines benefits it expects from new arena
The Hill District still hasn't recovered from the last arena project, longtime residents say.
This time, they are going to make sure they have a signed community benefits agreement before the first girder is hoisted into place.
"The agreement must be in place before there's approval of the master plan" for the development of the new arena, Carl Redwood, chairman of the executive committee for the One Hill Community Benefits Agreement Coalition, said.
Mr. Redwood and his committee held an introductory meeting yesterday with representatives of the Penguins, Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahl, Allegheny County Chief Executive Dan Onorato and Mary Conturo, executive director of the city-county Sports & Exhibition Authority.
The coalition's broad outline of what the community wants from the agreement had four points: social services and education; economic and community development; drug and mental health services; and environmental considerations.
More specifically, it is asking for a grocery store, historic preservation in the neighborhood and making Hill District residents the first source for the new arena's work force. The coalition is also looking for job training and youth programs.
Community benefits agreements have been successfully negotiated in other cities where large-scale developments have been built, said Tom Hoffman, the head of Pittsburgh United, which paid for the mailings and other costs of creating the One Hill coalition.
More than 7,000 hours of volunteer time have also gone into the effort to determine what the community would like to see from the development.
Khari Mosley, the campaign director for Pittsburgh United who worked on organization of the coalition, said the sudden rise of a group of ministers wanting to negotiate their own agreement concerning the arena development is not a distraction for the One Hill group.
"We're staying focused on the community process. That's what brought everyone together," he said.
While the Penguins have already held 10 meetings and a site tour regarding the construction of the new arena, Mr. Redwood said, so far the team has focused on issues that are not related to his group's concerns.
He said the meetings have addressed such issues as parking and traffic.
"Mainly the planning process has dealt with bricks and mortar and not people," he said. "We need to put people over parking. ... Our issue is to make sure the people who work there in the future have good jobs and the people in the Hill District have the opportunity to get those good jobs."
Kevin Evanto, Mr. Onorato's spokesman, said the county chief executive sat down with the One Hill group on Tuesday, talked about the process of putting together the agreement and listened to the concerns of residents.
"We're going to work to a consensus for one community benefits agreement that will cover the whole Hill District," Mr. Evanto said.
Mr. Ravenstahl said he believes the city has been doing a good job of getting community input about the new arena.
Residents were less interested in the drawings of the arena that were presented Tuesday night than they were in the impact on the community.
"It's a beautiful building," said Clyde Hefflin, 65, of the Hill District. "Our concern is the building of the building. ... We're hoping we have something to do with erecting the building and we're looking to have good-paying jobs."
He said the jobs should pay enough so that a family can live on the wages.
Betty Penny, 66, of the Hill District, who went to all 10 public meetings on the new arena, said Tuesday night that she was 18 or 19 and a new bride when the lower Hill District was demolished to build the Civic Arena, forcing residents and businesses to leave the community.
Mrs. Penny said she was opposed to a previous proposal that included a slots casino next to the new arena "because we already have enough problems with the drugs and the guns."
She said she is watching now to make sure the traffic that goes past her house on Bedford Avenue is kept to a minimum and that the value of her property does not fall, either.
Mr. Onorato, Mr. Ravenstahl, Ms. Conturo and the One Hill negotiating team are scheduled to meet again next Thursday.
This time, they are going to make sure they have a signed community benefits agreement before the first girder is hoisted into place.
"The agreement must be in place before there's approval of the master plan" for the development of the new arena, Carl Redwood, chairman of the executive committee for the One Hill Community Benefits Agreement Coalition, said.
Mr. Redwood and his committee held an introductory meeting yesterday with representatives of the Penguins, Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahl, Allegheny County Chief Executive Dan Onorato and Mary Conturo, executive director of the city-county Sports & Exhibition Authority.
The coalition's broad outline of what the community wants from the agreement had four points: social services and education; economic and community development; drug and mental health services; and environmental considerations.
More specifically, it is asking for a grocery store, historic preservation in the neighborhood and making Hill District residents the first source for the new arena's work force. The coalition is also looking for job training and youth programs.
Community benefits agreements have been successfully negotiated in other cities where large-scale developments have been built, said Tom Hoffman, the head of Pittsburgh United, which paid for the mailings and other costs of creating the One Hill coalition.
More than 7,000 hours of volunteer time have also gone into the effort to determine what the community would like to see from the development.
Khari Mosley, the campaign director for Pittsburgh United who worked on organization of the coalition, said the sudden rise of a group of ministers wanting to negotiate their own agreement concerning the arena development is not a distraction for the One Hill group.
"We're staying focused on the community process. That's what brought everyone together," he said.
While the Penguins have already held 10 meetings and a site tour regarding the construction of the new arena, Mr. Redwood said, so far the team has focused on issues that are not related to his group's concerns.
He said the meetings have addressed such issues as parking and traffic.
"Mainly the planning process has dealt with bricks and mortar and not people," he said. "We need to put people over parking. ... Our issue is to make sure the people who work there in the future have good jobs and the people in the Hill District have the opportunity to get those good jobs."
Kevin Evanto, Mr. Onorato's spokesman, said the county chief executive sat down with the One Hill group on Tuesday, talked about the process of putting together the agreement and listened to the concerns of residents.
"We're going to work to a consensus for one community benefits agreement that will cover the whole Hill District," Mr. Evanto said.
Mr. Ravenstahl said he believes the city has been doing a good job of getting community input about the new arena.
Residents were less interested in the drawings of the arena that were presented Tuesday night than they were in the impact on the community.
"It's a beautiful building," said Clyde Hefflin, 65, of the Hill District. "Our concern is the building of the building. ... We're hoping we have something to do with erecting the building and we're looking to have good-paying jobs."
He said the jobs should pay enough so that a family can live on the wages.
Betty Penny, 66, of the Hill District, who went to all 10 public meetings on the new arena, said Tuesday night that she was 18 or 19 and a new bride when the lower Hill District was demolished to build the Civic Arena, forcing residents and businesses to leave the community.
Mrs. Penny said she was opposed to a previous proposal that included a slots casino next to the new arena "because we already have enough problems with the drugs and the guns."
She said she is watching now to make sure the traffic that goes past her house on Bedford Avenue is kept to a minimum and that the value of her property does not fall, either.
Mr. Onorato, Mr. Ravenstahl, Ms. Conturo and the One Hill negotiating team are scheduled to meet again next Thursday.