Development and rehabilitation projects throughout Pittsburgh continue to change the city’s fabric. City Council voted Monday to ensure historic structures are protected in the process.
Council authorized the administration to accept a $25,000 grant from the Pennsylvania Museum and Historical Commission to inventory Pittsburgh’s historic buildings.
It’s an ongoing effort, said Councilwoman Deb Gross, who chairs the committee on land use and economic development.
“We want to make sure we protect the places that are real places for real people ... we obviously have big beautiful buildings and we want to protect those, too,” she said. “But there are so many other corners of the city that are meaningful to people, we want to know about them.”
The department of city planning will match the amount of the grant.
Council also approved the mayor’s office to move forward with agreements to finance the Liberty Avenue Infrastructure Improvement Project, expected to cost nearly $5 million.
Construction is expected to begin in 2019, and will reduce the road from four lanes to three, add sidewalks, update traffic signals and signage.
“It’s part of a safety enhancement,” said Amanda Purcell, a municipal traffic engineer for Pittsburgh. “The lanes are narrow. Lots of buses and trucks use it.”
Shortly before they adjourned, city council members also discussed a recent study on how football affects the brain, and what, if any, stance the city should take toward football played on its athletic fields.
Due to the August recess, City Council will next convene Friday, Aug. 25 at 10 a.m.
