  As published in NAOIP Summer 2024 Issue
Pittsburgh’s Greater Hill District is a community actively reckoning with decisions made decades ago during the postwar urban renewal era. Stakeholders are now looking to lay a new foundation using the three pillars of sustainability: social, economic and environmental. Socially Sustainable: Restoring Connections The federal government’s urban renewal practices began after World War II and targeted numerous historic, predominantly Black neighborhoods. Many urban renewal practices were the antithesis of sustainability, defined by racial redlining and demolition that isolated or fractured neighborhoods economically and culturally. In Pittsburgh, that story played out in the Hill District. Once called the “Crossroads of the World” by Harlem Renaissance poet Claude McKay, it sits between Pittsburgh’s downtown business center and the higher education hubs and medical centers of Oakland. “The Hill” was a flourishing community of jazz, art and commerce. Pulitzer-winning playwright August Wilson set most of his plays in the neighborhood where he was born and raised. The Lower Hill District was leveled in the 1950s to make room for Interstate 579 and the former Civic Arena. In the process, 8,000 people lost their homes and 400 businesses were shuttered. Bomani Howze is vice president of development for Buccini Pollin Group (BPG), a privately held, integrated real estate acquisition, development and management company that is leading the Lower Hill Redevelopment project. Howze is also a lifelong Hill District resident; his parents and grandparents were among those displaced from the Lower Hill in the 1950s. “The impact was devastating for my family and hundreds of others,” Howze said. “My grandparents spent years building a home and business that were bulldozed in a matter of days. A whole community was thrown off the path to sustained economic prosperity and segregated from the rest of the city.” Modern social sustainability requires reconnection, plus the reversal of past harmful practices and the promise of economic opportunities. In Pittsburgh, developers, consultants and community leaders spent years working together to formulate the Community Collaboration and Implementation Plan, a road map for community benefits that included guidelines on everything from site usage to workforce development. The team behind the project unites several prominent stakeholders in the commercial real estate industry: Wilmington, Delaware-based developer BPG, minority-owned investor Clay Cove Capital, F.N.B. Corporation, design firm Gensler, and the National Hockey League’s Pittsburgh Penguins, to which the city granted development rights for the site in the early 2000s during negotiations for the team’s new arena. The Penguins chose BPG to lead this redevelopment due to the company’s experience with urban, mixed-use and entertainment-anchored projects in other markets with similarities to Pittsburgh. The 28-acre mixed-use site will eventually include nearly 1 million square feet of state-of-the-art office space; market-rate and affordable housing units; a live music venue; and a public safety center, in tribute to Freedom House Ambulance, the nation’s first advanced life support ambulance service, founded just blocks away by Black Hill District paramedics in 1967. Where passersby once peered out over parking lots, the 26-story Class-A FNB Financial Center now connects the Hill District and downtown’s business district from its prominent location adjacent to the recently completed, $30 million Frankie Mae Pace Park above I-579. The tower, both LEED Silver certified and equipped with SMART technology, is a catalytic development for the project. Slated to open this summer, the $250 million FNB Financial Center will be Pittsburgh’s first modern, multi-tenant high-rise in four decades. The next area of focus will be the groundbreaking on entertainment and infrastructure elements on Block E (see site rendering, below), scheduled for later this year. “Ultimately, this project presents an opportunity for all stakeholders to collaborate and invest in the community’s future,” said Chris Buccini, president at BPG. “It is raising the standard for redevelopment in similar high-profile settings as development teams seek to integrate history and legacy with sustainability concepts.” The development partners envision the $1 billion Lower Hill District connecting the wider area through activated green spaces, pedestrian-friendly retail corridors and multi-modal, urban environments. The project includes convenient access to services and amenities within walking distance, and ample transit options encompassing bus, light rail and future bus rapid transit. Economically Sustainable: Reinvestment To be economically sustainable, a project must create shared prosperity and realize the potential for wealth-building. This is especially important in communities that have experienced disinvestment. A large project can be a catalyst for inclusive contracting opportunities and workforce development. The Lower Hill project team engaged diverse contractors. Forty percent of project contracts to date (approximately $45 million) have been awarded to minority- or woman-owned business enterprises. That includes $25 million to Black-owned businesses, many sourced from the Hill District and surrounding neighborhoods. At the same time, the construction firms on the site work closely with trade schools, labor unions and local nonprofits to attract new workers through a range of workforce development and training programs. Large-scale neighborhood development also benefits from immediate, upfront investment. The Lower Hill team developed a unique financial process that conveyed property tax abatements from the developers into a community-directed reinvestment fund. By monetizing the tax incentive upfront using a loan, the team delivered more than $7 million into the Greater Hill District Neighborhood Reinvestment Fund upon breaking ground. The fund will be used, in part, to support urgent property improvements for existing neighborhood residents and gap funding for community-led, mixed-use development across the Greater Hill District. “A lesson of the Hill District experience is that development decisions reverberate for a long time. For my family, it’s had a negative impact for 70 years,” Howze said. “But the same can be true of positive opportunities. When a young person starts a career in the building trades, when an entrepreneur gets their big break with a large contract, when a resident can stay in their home because they had help replacing their roof — all those things are seeds that we have planted with this project.” Environmentally Sustainable: Resource IntegrityA major aspect of environmental stewardship for the project includes a highway cap project over I-579 that physically reconnects the Hill District with downtown via a public park named for Frankie Pace, a longtime Hill District advocate. “Stormwater runoff is a chronic problem in Pittsburgh. Our goal is to minimize the impact on streams and rivers,” said Craig Dunham, senior vice president of development for the Pittsburgh Penguins. “The Frankie Pace Park project is in part a storm-water project that directs the runoff back into the ground from what once was surface parking and the highway. A similar approach is being taken with our new streets and open areas. We are redeveloping an urban site that stitches together streets and neighborhoods into a healthy mixed-use community, which is by far the most sustainable way to go about development.” The master plan earned LEED Neighborhood Development Gold designation, and the team is pursuing a buildout of the development in support of this standard. FNB Financial Center features glass with high-insulating properties while delivering daylight and visibility to tenant areas to create a high-performance facade and more vibrant workspaces. To reduce energy consumption, the project is deploying high-efficiency HVAC systems and lighting throughout the building. “We’re trying to tell the story of what happened here and create cultural connections between the new neighborhood and the historic neighborhood,” Dunham said. “It’s now all about building sustainable, healthy communities.” by Boris Kaplan, senior vice president for development for Buccini Pollin Group. Find the full NAOIP Summer 2024 Issue here PDF here
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As part of the Community Collaboration and Implementation Plan, one of our goals is to work with the community to preserve and incorporate the history of the Greater Hill District in the design of the public areas within the Lower Hill Development Site. We were proud to support the Freedom House Citywide Celebration on Wednesday, May 15th, highlighting the pioneering spirit that birthed the first Emergency Medical Service (EMS) in Pittsburgh's Historic Hill District in 1967. This poignant tribute was presented by, The Historic Hill Institute, Veterans of Freedom House Ambulance, the National Association of Emergency Medical State Officials (NASEMSO) and the August Wilson House. It highlighted the bravery, innovation, and trailblazing efforts of Freedom House Ambulance, one of the nation’s first advanced-level ambulance services.
The festivities began at Frankie Mae Pace Park and included the prestigious Congressional Medals bestowed upon the esteemed Freedom House pioneers. Molly's Trolley's transported guests to The August Wilson House where attendees could view, “The Freedom House Legacy: Honoring the First Modern Ambulance Service and Why We Can ‘Call 911!” exhibit, curated by Historic Hill Institute founder, Dr. Kimberly C. Ellis. With Mayor Ed Gainey's official declaration, May 15th now stands as a beacon of recognition, to be celebrated annually as Freedom House Ambulance Service Day. This day holds a significant place in our community's history, inspiring pride and appreciation for the contributions of the Freedom House Ambulance Service. We were honored to participate in the recognition of Freedom House and share in the appreciation of the Historic Hill District and Pittsburgh. Watch clip below from CBS News / KDKA Pittsburgh below. FNB Financial Center Team Celebrates Milestone $40 Millionth Dollar Paid to Diverse Contractors5/13/2024  Pittsburgh, PA – May 14, 2024 – The FNB Financial Center team announced Tuesday that it paid out the $40 millionth dollar to diverse businesses as part of the construction of the 26-story tower. This major milestone reflects the culmination of years of investment and commitment to ensure the Lower Hill Redevelopment generates shared prosperity for the community. At project completion later this summer, the combined value of MWBE contracts for design and construction is expected to approach $50 million.
As part of this milestone, the project team celebrated the mobilization Tuesday by Butler Landscaping & Construction, which will prepare the plaza and terrace areas around FNB Financial Center. The building’s grand opening will take place in Summer 2024. Roy Butler owns Butler Landscaping & Construction, which he founded in 1984 and grew into one of the region’s premiere landscaping companies. This week, his company began work to landscape and irrigate the grounds around FNB Financial Center, a job he expects to be his company’s largest in 2024. He said diverse contracting practices helped him get his start. “I started my company decades ago, and it has succeeded because of a commitment to quality. I’m proud of that success. At the same time, thinking back on my big, early projects, I know that diverse contracting opened doors that otherwise would have been closed to me. Looking around the site of FNB Financial Center, I get a sense of growth. Not just for my company and my employees, but for all the companies and workers who got their first big opportunity here.” FNB Financial Center: Diverse Contracting and Workforce Numbers
Vincent J. Delie, Jr. is Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of F.N.B. Corporation, the anchor tenant and largest equity investor for FNB Financial Center: “With our investment in our new headquarters, FNB Financial Center, we are very proud to be the catalyst behind a chain of development that will lead to the prosperity for our region. We are creating opportunities for diverse businesses and Pittsburgh residents that will have a broader positive impact on economic expansion for years to come.” Bomani M. Howze is Vice President of Development for Buccini Pollin Group, and a lifelong Hill District resident: “I came into the project with huge aspirations. I want contractors to look at FNB Financial Center for years to come and think: that’s where I got my big break. To make that goal a reality, we worked closely with small- and medium-sized contractors to grow their capacity to perform well on this project and compete fiercely on future projects. We also brought new people into careers in the construction trades by working with partners in the public sector, private sector and labor unions. This project is a catalytic spark that has helped charge revitalization in the Greater Hill District and the region.” Craig Dunham is Senior Vice President, Pittsburgh Penguins: “Central to advancing the redevelopment of the Lower Hill we embraced a bold plan with our public and community partners setting out historic goals for community reinvestment in the framework of the community reinvestment plan. It is rewarding to see that plan realized through the hard work of our development partners from the early design to the finishing touches of the landscaping. “ Amachie K. Ackah is Co–Founder of Clay Cove Capital and an investor in the FNB Financial Center. “Today is a proud day for our team. FNB Financial Center is a model, in Pittsburgh and beyond, of a major project that creates lasting opportunities. This milestone is proof that when people of good faith and good will work together, we can build great things that endure and can inspire others.” About FNB Financial Center:
*Workforce numbers as of April 1, 2024. Tuesday, April 30, 2024 the Lower Hill Redevelopment team's commercial developer, Buccini Pollin Group and Pittsburgh Penguins led a virtual community meeting updating attendees on the 28 acre Lower Hill Redevelopment project, home of the former Civic Arena. Notable updates for Block G FNB Financial Center, and Block E Parking Garage and Music Venue were given by Buccini Pollin VP of Development, Bomani Howze and SVP Pittsburgh Penguins, Craig Dunham. This was the first Community Meeting of 2024 held by the development team, a trend that will continue throughout 2024. Scroll through the presentation deck below to see all the exciting news.
Download the April 2024 Community Meeting PDF here Watch the virtual meeting recording here Participation in the August Wilson Birthday Celebration Block Party has become an annual tradition for the Lower Hill Redevelopment team. For the third consecutive year, Lower Hill's First Source Center (FSC) representatives tabled at the family-friendly event celebrating the late August Wilson - a Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright who grew up in the Hill District.
Dakota Roberts, Diamond Beck, Lorenzo Alexander, and Janise Zenmon, actively greeted attendees and passionately discussed upcoming training and opportunities available through the FSC partners. This dynamic group of local youth from the Hill District make up a strong segment of the First Source Center's Street Team. They are the friendly faces who engage with community members, distribute literature at local events and shed light on partner organizations such as Pittsburgh Gateways ITCT, A. Phillip Randolph Institute Breaking the Chains of Poverty, CARP and Bankwork$. These organizations provide ongoing workshops, trainings, apprenticeships and cohorts focused on everything from construction trades to professional service opportunities. This free event, held on April 27, 2024, featured over 150 vendors, children's activities, a foam party, a lip sync battle, food trucks, musical performances, and more. Buccini Pollin Group proudly sponsored the grand reopening of The August Wilson House, an arts center for the Hill, in August 2022. Hill District community events like the August Wilson Birthday Block Party, are an integral part of the FSC outreach mission to grow awareness about jobs, training, and career advancement opportunities to residents of the Hill District. For additional information about upcoming events and opportunities, follow the First Source Center on Instagram and Facebook or call: 412-223-7890 or email: [email protected]
Block F2 Urban Open Space is the westernmost gateway of the Lower Hill Master Plan’s comprehensive Urban Open Space framework that stretches eastward to Crawford Square and the historic Hill District Neighborhood, as well as historic and cultural sites such as the August Wilson House and Freedom Corner nearby. Situated at the corner of Washington Place and Centre Avenue, and stretching to Logan Street, the Block F2 is part of a connected series of open spaces that will link the Lower Hill along the re-established Wylie Avenue corridor to the recently completed Frankie Pace Park and Pittsburgh’s downtown business district, and beyond.
The landscape design is molded into the site’s steep topography and uses a series of switchbacks pathways to facilitate universal accessibility throughout the space. It draws on the Lower Hill PLDP’s sustainability strategies, using the open space for stormwater management and infiltration, as well as a primary native planting and a rich palette of materials that complement the other public open space improvements in the Lower Hill. This Final Land Development Plan (FLDP) for Block F2 Urban Open Space is part of a cohesive and contiguous framework of parks and public spaces for the Lower Hill redevelopment. Block F2 is a 1.27-acre tract that will extend the open space now under construction and approved as part of an earlier FLDP submittal for Block G4 and will provide community gathering spaces featuring an event lawn, overlooks, informal amphitheater, seating terraces, gardens, plazas, and pavilions which support active and passive uses. Block F2 will also provide continuous universal accessibility throughout the entire site from Washington Place to Logan Street when fully built out. The proposed uses and programming conform to and are consistent with the recent Preliminary Land Development Plan (PLDP) Amendment approved by City Planning in January 2023. Development Activities Meeting November 20 | 6:00 pm | Zoom Link here Join us for a presentation on the Block F2 Urban Open Space being hosted by the Hill District Consensus Group, Hill District Community Development Corporation and the Hill District Collaborative November 20th at 6:00 pm for a Development Activities Meeting. For the fourth year in a row, Buccini Pollin Group, Development Manger, Matt Corace, will be sharing his construction management expertise teaching a class on bidding and estimating as part of Riverside Center for Innovation's (RCI) BizFIT Tier 2 Construction program. As a native Pittsburgher, Matt feels right at home working on the Lower Hill redevelopment project and finds working with the budding entrepreneurs in RCI's BizFIT program very rewarding. This comprehensive program combines training, connections, and expertise to enable entrepreneurs to grow sustainable enterprises. The program runs November 28, 2023 - February 6, 2024, Tuesdays and Thursdays: 6 pm - 8 pm, offered Online via Zoom. If you want to learn more about construction management and gain confidence in your trade, and master your skills, sign up today!
BIzFIT Tier 2: Construction and Trade November 28, 2023 - February 6. 2024 Tuesdays and Thursdays: 6 pm - 8 pm Attendance is required for graduation Online via Zoom Registration Deadline: 11/28/2023 9:00 AM (EST) Fee: No Fee Point of Contact: Victoria Snyder 14129748215 Location: Pittsburgh PA 15212 Bomani Howze awarded, 'developer of the year' at Black Excellence in real estate 2023 gala9/21/2023 The Lower Hill Development team's, Bomani Howze, VP of Development for the Buccini Pollin Group and CEO and President of OLMEC Development was named Developer of the Year at the 2023 Black Excellence in Real Estate Awards Gala, September 21st, 2023. Black Excellence in Real Estate, founded in 2021 by Mary Hester, Owner of LifeVenture Real Estate Solutions, and Tammy T. Thompson, Founding Executive Director of Catapult Greater Pittsburgh promotes collaboration, partnership, and advocacy for the benefit of increasing Black homeownership in Pittsburgh. 2023 Black Excellence in Real Estate Honorees Developer of the Year: Bomani Howze, VP of Development, Buccini Pollin Group President and CEO, OLMEC Development Non-Profit of the Year: Action Housing Inc. Legacy Award: Richard Snipe, Executive Director, Pittsburgh Housing Development Corporation Trailblazer of the Year Award: Gloria Besley, Broker of Record, Regency Crest Realty Community Bank of the Year: PA Housing and Finance Agency Congratulations to all honorees for your demonstrated dedication to the real estate industry, advocacy, and leadership in the community and beyond!
Pittsburgh, August 10, 2023 – The Lower Hill Redevelopment Project team members hosted a community conversation with residents and stakeholders in the Lower Hill District at the Energy Innovation Center to discuss – and community members to ask questions about – the development.
Topics included the FNB Financial Center on Block G; the live music venue and garage on Block E; the Curtain Call public art project on Block A; an update on plans for housing on Block B, however, the most exciting announcement came in the form of a new opportunity made available to homeowners in Pittsburgh’s Hill District. The URA plans to use $465,000 from the Greater Hill District Neighborhood Reinvestment Fund to launch a grant program for homeowners to receive up to $20,000 to cover the cost of home repairs. The cash being used for the grant program is part of a $7.1 million contribution by the Lower Hill Redevelopment team made back in September 2021 that went into the fund. This marks the first time Greater Hill District Neighborhood Reinvestment Fund money will be available directly to Hill District residents. The Greater Hill District Neighborhood Reinvestment Fund takes diverted tax revenues from the Lower Hill redevelopment project — which is set to include a new live music venue, public safety station and other amenities — and provides funding for community needs throughout the Hill District. Its board is comprised of 12 Hill District community stakeholders.
For questions call 412-676-7550 voicemail system (calls will be returned within 48 hours) or email: [email protected]
Mail Paper Applications to: Urban Redevelopment Authority of Pittsburgh Residential Lending & Investments 412 Boulevard of the Allies, Suite 901 Pittsburgh, PA 15219  PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - People living in the Lower Hill District will soon start to see direct investment in the neighborhood from those leading the redevelopment of the former Civic Arena site.
Folks living throughout the Greater Hill have wondered how the Lower Hill redevelopment at the site of the former Civic Arena could help them. Many tell KDKA, a vote on Thursday is a step in the right direction. "We don't want it to be like Homestead when they built the Waterfront," said Dorian Moorefield, who lives and owns a business in the Hill District. Moorefield went to the Energy Innovation Center with an open mind to learn more about future Lower Hill redevelopment projects. He lives in the Lower Hill and owns a business in the neighborhood, but has concerns. "The people who live in the top of Homestead never benefited from that in regards to housing and funding and upgrades and things like that," he added. Members of the public were invited to weigh in on the projects at the site of the former Civic Arena, which includes a music venue, multi-level garage, space for local businesses, and affordable housing. But they also learned just hours earlier the Urban Redevelopment Authority unanimously approved a $465,000 fund for homeowners in the Hill District. "This is for the people in the older houses who need a roof fixed, who need plastering done, who need a new door, who need handicap accessible entries," says Dr. Kimberly Ellis, director of community, arts, and culture for the Buccini/Pollin Group. Read more from CBS News Pittsburgh KDKA
Download the presentation deck here
 As featured in Pittsburgh City Paper by By Kahmeela Adams-Friedson
Community members have not forgotten what the Hill District once was, and what it could be again. Among those set on revitalizing the area are Dr. Kimberly Ellis and her employer, the Buccini/Pollin Group, a development firm based in Wilmington, Del. Ellis is also very concerned with other area neighborhoods being rebuilt well before “one of the oldest and most famous neighborhoods in the country.” A large part of Ellis’ motivation can be attributed to the people who call the neighborhood home. “I just wanted to keep the mothers in the community that I knew who walked around the Lower Hill, who saw The Hill as still a safe haven, I wanted to keep them safe,” she says. Read the full story here as posted in Pittsburgh City Paper, June 7, 2023
May 18th 2023 marked a significant day for the Lower Hill Redevelopment and Pittsburgh region with the Topping Off Ceremony for the FNB Financial Center, a 26-story commercial office building, home to the new headquarters of anchor tenant, First National Bank. Working with construction manager, PJ Dick, and MWBE consultant, E Holdings, lead developer, The Buccini/Pollin Group, and project partners, the Pittsburgh Penguins, Clay Cove Capital and First National Bank are proud to announce that one-third of construction contracts for the project have been awarded to minority-owned businesses.
Watch partners, community stakeholders and elected officials give remarks before signing the last structural beam then step back to view the crane lift it over 400' to it's permanent home at the crown of the building structure. Speakers in order of appearance: • Bomani Howze , Vice President of Development for Buccini/Pollin Group • Deputy Mayor Jake Pawlak • Vince Delie, Jr., President, Chairman and CEO, F.N.B. Corp • Kevin Acklin, President & CEO, Pittsburgh Penguins • Theresa Giacomino, PJ Dick • City Councilmember Daniel Lavelle • Amachie Ackah, Managing Partner, Clay Cove Capital • Missy Johnson, Owner, Diverse Industrial Solutions • Janai Williams, Managing Partner, E.Holdings Inc. • Dr. Kimberly C. Ellis, Director of Community, Arts and Culture, Buccini/Pollin Group • Chris Buccini, President, Buccini/Pollin Group Special thank you to guest speakers and contractors working on the site: • Curtis Morehead, Owner, Emerald Electrical Services LLC • Roy Butler, Owner, Butler Landscaping • PJ Dick, Mascaro Construction, Massaro Construction For more information www.fnbfinancialcenter.com |
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