It was an absolute pleasure for the Lower Hill Development Team to host the MacedoniaFACE Seniors’ visit to the Lower Hill Suite at PPG Paints Arena! This was a first hockey game for all of them. It made us both sad and glad because it reflects the growth and change that has happened in our neighborhood and throughout this city to be far more responsive around community engagement. The Pittsburgh Penguins have been making significant efforts, lately, and there is more to come. One gentleman told us that he saw both the construction AND the demolition of the Civic Arena. As Director of Community, Arts and Culture for The Buccini/Pollin Group, Dr. Kimberly Ellis stated, in relation to that fact, “I am still the Historian of the Historic Hill District and for the Lower Hill District Team. Elders are libraries and I am trying to read them all! “
Additional Lower Hill Team members in attendance were new BPG employee Jessica Jeffries, BPG’s Senior Vice President of Development, Boris Kaplan, and new Senior Vice President of Development for the Pittsburgh Penguins, Craig Dunham. We look forward to hosting more community members in our Lower Hill Suite!
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![]() Another small business spotlight will shine upon Angelica Grant, the CEO of Prestige Cleaning. Ms. Grant and her business has been rising to the top, lately, after her success working in residential post-construction and office cleanings, she has acquired new, more widespread and higher contracts with the City of Pittsburgh, as she secured her new office and became a graduate of the Riverside Center for Innovation’s BizFit Program. Angela’s Prestige Cleaning became the cleaning company charged with cleaning Point State Park following the Juneteeth and Soul Food Festival events and we hired her business to clean up the Frankie Mae Pace Park after our Hill Community Celebration and BBQ. Ms. Grant has used the First Source Center to seek out new hires and we look forward to working with her in the future. This picture of her advertisement at a bus stop at the corner of Crawford and Centre Avenue tells us exactly where she wants to be in the future---in the Centre of Energy! ![]() Chef Cheyanne needed a kitchen to sell her delicious food. Cooking out of her house was unsustainable and Catapult Culinary offered a kitchen and business training resources. The Lower Hill first engaged with her as a caterer before she graduated from Catapult and have successfully contracted with Chef Cheyanne on several other recent events. Chef Cheyanne sells her award-winning greens and many other delicious items for pick up. Find her HERE! One Foot In The Past, One Foot In The Present, And Both Eyes On The Future
Soon, we will embark on the second phase of the Lower Hill District commercial development, Block E, which will include 900+ space parking garage and 4,500 person music venue, street-level retail space and community assets such as a retail business incubator. As we advance toward creating future opportunities with Block E, we also look back, and celebrate the M/WBE businesses that have been critical to advancing the FNB Financial Center on Block G. Together, The Buccini/Pollin Group and partners of the Lower Hill Development team, have achieved impressive construction contracting commitments for FNB Financial Center, which is now 200 feet in the air and growing taller with the continued installation of concrete and steel. To date, our initial contracts are valued at nearly $100 million and feature:
To participate in the upcoming Block E Info session: Click here to register and Click here to download the flyer Passing Score for Lower Hill Preliminary Land Development Plan and the proposed Block E projects10/17/2022 On Oct. 3rd, The Hill District Collaborative and Consensus Group hosted the Lower Hill Development Team to present Block E, the 900 space parking garage and Live Nation music venue.
Over 100 attendees were present at the Energy Innovation Center to listen to current updates of both the Preliminary Land Development Plan and the proposed Block E projects. After the presentation concluded, Hill residents asked questions and then weighed in to cast their votes on the plan. The Collaborative and Consensus Group circulated their scoring rubric for the community to cast their vote. The combined total resulted in a passing score! See the review rubric in the images below. F.N.B. Corporation, a partner in the Lower Hill team and anchor tenant in the FNB Financial Center, on Thursday, September 29, increased its total commitment to $1 million to the Pittsburgh Promise program. Five graduating Pittsburgh Public Schools seniors will be selected annually and named as the “F.N.B. Corporate Scholars of The Pittsburgh Promise.” They will have the opportunity to build mentoring and professional relationships with company leaders as they pursue their post-secondary degrees.
Read more here We were delighted to attend Mayor Gainey’s announcement on September 16, of the “Prepare to Prosper” program – a new partnership between the City and Pittsburgh Public Schools’ Career Technical Education Program, highlighting students focused on workforce development. Soon, they will move out of shadowing workers and begin paid internships not only with the city, but in other industries as well, according to Angela Mike, CTE’s Executive Director. The Lower Hill Redevelopment’s Buccini/Pollin Group is one of forty companies to have partnered with the PPS-CTE Program and held a “Career Exploration Day” event earlier this year at PPG Paints Arena with other members of the Development Team. We provided boots for the seniors going into the Carpenter’s Apprenticeship Program, paid senior EMT students’ drivers licenses to become an EMT, which helps to build a pipeline for the development and public safety in the region and especially the Lower Hill Development. In addition, the Lower Hill Team won an Industry Partner Award through both the Pittsburgh Penguin’s David Morehouse and The Buccini/Pollin Group’s Dr. Kimberly C Ellis, for our enthusiastic support and partnership. We will report in coming newsletters regarding exciting internship programs for 2023.
Read more here Members of the Development Team, family and friends attended Pittsburgh Playwrights Theatre Company's presentation of August Wilson's classic drama, "Jitney" during its August - September run. Performed in the back yard of the newly renovated August Wilson House, "Jitney", one of Wilson's earliest and most famous plays, drew crowds from near and far.
This was an especially special event for two members of the The Buccini/Pollin Group (BPG) as August Wilson is the maternal uncle of BPG's Director of Community, Arts and Culture, Dr. Kimberly C. Ellis and BPG's VP of Business Development, Bomani Howze's father, Mr. Sala Udin, starred in the role he originated in the 1980's. The August Wilson House is a treasured community building in the Historic Hill District and childhood home of playwright, August Wilson. Tuesday, September 13, was a joyous day of food, fun and fellowship at the Historic Hill Community BBQ Celebration at the new Frankie Mae Pace Park, in the Lower Hill District. The event was catered by six Hill District businesses that spoiled us all----Z-Best BBQ’s succulent ribs, Beyond Blessed Catering Co.’s five cheese macaroni and cheese, Eminent Hospitality’s brisket and burgers, Phat Girlz a Cookin’s award-winning greens, Grandma Joan’s Italian iced lemonade and banana pudding, which left us all spoiled and full! Working together with The M Robinson Group, our Director of Community, Arts and Culture, Dr. Kimberly C. Ellis, put together a wonderful event with over 100 attendees enjoying games, dancing, conversation and even a pop-up scene from August Wilson’s 1982 play, “Jitney.” Representatives from the Lower Hill Redevelopment team: The Buccini/Pollin Group (BPG), Pittsburgh Penguins, and Clay Cove Capital welcomed community members to meet, informally, and provide the opportunity to learn more about what’s happening on the 28-acre Lower Hill District site and to join in on learning and the workforce, job and business resource hub---the Lower Hill First Source Center. Handouts on our Community Reinvestments and our M/WBE numbers were provided as well. Presentations were followed by a review of Block E contracting opportunities in the "Contractors Circle", with the construction team, featuring presentations by Boris Kaplan, Bomani Howze, Wesley Schwandt, Matt Corace and Olivia Grunseich of BPGS, as well as by M/WBE consultant e.Holdings and the Block E architect Desmone.
Thank you to community members, contractors, food vendors, partners, and friends for making this gathering a success, including the surprise performance by “Jitney” actors, Kevin Brown (Mr. Becker) and Jonathan Berry (Booster). A very special thank you to other Historic Hill District-based business vendors, including DJ Blakk Steel and Prestige Professional Cleaning, Thanks to Northside Tables and Chairs, Family Tent and Zters Port-a-Potty and CDI Printing. See all the pictures here! Equitable Development is Possible! The Lower Hill Story.
Panelists from The Lower Hill Development Team spoke about the history of The Lower Hill project and The Buccini/Pollin Group's innovative reinvestment plan to channel at least $50 million to the Historic Hill District at the Netroots Nation conference August 18-20th. Longtime organizers and activists, who are now working in development and education to realize the full potential of their communities, Dr. Kimberly C. Ellis, Director of Community, Arts and Culture, Bomani M. Howze, Vice President of Development, R. Daniel Lavelle, City Councilman, District 6, Tracey McCants-Lewis, General Counsel and HR, The Pittsburgh Penguins and Dr. Diamonte Walker, Historic Hill resident were in attendance. Background: In the 1950s, the City of Pittsburgh was chosen to be the recipient of federal funds to address post-World War II urban renewal. Hence, the first Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) in the nation was created and, in 1957, they cut the ribbon for what was to be a brand new cultural district. Urban planning began but was not finished. Promises were made but were not kept. Protests and resistance ensued and in the end, at least 8,000 African Americans, in particular, were displaced. Today, the second chance at development of the Lower Hill site is afoot. With an organized community, government accountability and corporate citizenship resulting in a "CCIP," The Buccini/Pollin Group discusses how they have the best reinvestment plan in America for the Historic Hill District. Watch the presentation here The weekend of August 12-14 was a BIG DEAL for the Historic Hill District, City of Pittsburgh, America and the international community, due to the heavily anticipated Grand Opening of the August Wilson House at 1727 Bedford Avenue. Friday August 12th kicked off celebrations with the premiere of August Wilson’s, “Jitney” in the Backyard Theater of the newly renovated boyhood home of August Wilson, which received standing ovations and rave reviews throughout its entire run. On Saturday, Founding Executive Director, Attorney Paul Ellis, along with his sister and original Digital Director, Dr. Kimberly C. Ellis, stood alongside architect Rob Pfaffman, August Wilson House Board members, and Hollywood stars Russell Hornsby and Denzel Washington, alongside Mayor Ed Gainey and others, for the ribbon cutting.
Just prior to the cutting of the ribbon, the crowd cheered with elation when Paul A. Ellis received a Commemoration from the City of Pittsburgh from Councilman Danielle Lavelle and Mayor Ed Gainey noting it was “Paul Anthony Ellis, Jr. Day” in the City of Pittsburgh! The large crowd that swept around the August Wilson House heard speeches from Denzel Washington, Wilson’s widow, Constanza Romero, his niece, Dr. Kimberly C. Ellis (who is also Lower Hill Team Director of Community, Arts and Culture) and his daughter, Sakina Ansari-Wilson. At one point, there was not a dry eye in sight. The entire Grand Opening was a phased day of twelve hours of activities that began with taking a jitney shuttle to 1727 Bedford Avenue, hitting the red carpet, the celebrity ribbon cutting ceremony, the private tours of the August Wilson House, the catered lunch by Roxanne’s Catering, the African drumming to DJ Blakk Steel, August Wilson Monologue Competition performances and dancing all night long under the tent. The Lower Hill District Team was proud to sponsor this event and we look forward to continuing to support the August Wilson House. The news coverage of this event was seen in national and international news, including the New York Times! ![]() The weekend of August 12-14 is the Grand Opening of the August Wilson House! This is a BIG DEAL for the Historic Hill District, City of Pittsburgh, America and internationally! Friday, August 12, is the beginning of the celebrations and also the premiere of August Wilson's "Jitney," one of his earliest and most famous plays. This is an especially special event for two members of the BPG Development team as August Wilson is the maternal uncle of BPG's Director of Community, Arts and Culture, Dr. Kimberly C. Ellis and Mr. Sala Udin, father of BPG's VP of Business Development, Bomani Howze will be starring in "Jitney" playing the role he originated in the 1980's. This is a family affair you do not want to miss! Friends of August Wilson House invite you to the official Grand Opening Celebration of the August Wilson House on Saturday, August 13, 2022 at 8PM! The Community House Party will feature DJ Selecta from 8 - 11 PM To purchase tickets: CLICK HERE Tickets are $100 per person and include food and one complimentary beverage from the cash bar with curated cocktails, wine and beer. $500.00 - 5PM to 8PM - VIP Reception with special guests $100.00 - 8PM to 11PM - Community House Party with DJ Selecta and more FNB recently increased its Closing Cost Assistance Grant to $5,000, advancing its commitment to borrowers who have low or moderate income or who are purchasing a home in a low- to moderate-income (LMI) community. The Closing Cost Assistance Grant further builds on FNB’s overarching focus on promoting economic equality since the majority of the LMI areas where it is available include historically underserved minority communities.
The Lower Hill Redevelopment Team is searching for a project coordinator with a great skill set! Are you detail oriented? Love charts, forms and reports? An excellent writer? Then this may be the job for you! Please see the job description and how to apply by clicking the button below!
The Lower Hill Team welcomed artists to Frankie Mae Pace Park on Saturday, July 9, for the in-person, Artists Meetup in response to our Call for Artists. Event Planning Team, The M Robinson Group, originally from the Historic Hill District, planned our event and the setup was beautiful. Catering was completed by Grandma Joan’s Catering and Events and the layout was beautiful. The First Source Center table and check-in with Street Team Manager, Denna Zenmon, was in full operation and ran seamlessly and efficiently. The artists were impressed!
The program was great, from the ambience that was created to the professionalism. Director of Community, Arts and Culture, Dr. Kimberly Ellis, welcomed everyone and gave overall expectations. Fred Bonci of LaQuatra Bonci, the landscape designers, came up and shared some introductory thoughts on the meaning and purpose of the future Open Space in the Lower Hill Redevelopment Site, after which Project Manager from Dunham ReGroup, Craig Dunham, shared the process and perspective on the journey ahead. The entire body proceeded to tour the park and, along with Dan MacDowell (of LaQuatra Bonci), it was filled with interesting facts about the creation of the park. Each speaker took turns educating the artists about every section of the Frankie Mae Pace Park, as well as its purpose, function and source of inspiration. One artist works in the Steel Building and said he sees the Sankofa Bird from above on a regular basis and the entire park is a site to behold! He applied before coming! Baba Art Amir, another artist who helped design the park, told a story in the children's garden and musical area he helped create and after we finished the tour, we had a lovely lunch, did a bit of networking and then departed. The artists said they were very excited and inspired to be a part of the Lower Hill project and they are creatives in many different fields. It appears as though we will have some great submissions for the call for artists! The questions that the artists asked were all answered and it was great to be able to point across the street to the big pile of dirt next to the tower crane and let them know, “we are going to create something beautiful!” The Frankie Mae Pace Park and its creation set a new standard for the city of Pittsburgh. The demand for local Historic Hill artists inclusion was a demand from Hill leaders, in much the same way that the later CCIP was formed. The collaboration between the SEA, the engineers, the landscape architects, the Office of Public Art, the artists and even PennDOT created a new standard and we should use it as a model throughout the city of Pittsburgh and nationally. Although it was not the intent, due to the timing of the completion of the park (we began in Fall 2015, opened November 2021), the Frankie Mae Pace Park is the first realization of President Joe Biden’s “Build Back Better” plan, which includes funding to specifically address the highways that divided communities. Project Manager, Craig Dunham, reminds us that the creation of the Park was under President Obama’s “Ladders of Opportunity” program, designed to provide funding for projects that would connect communities. This is a great project and the call for artists highlights how this is a wonderful opportunity for the artists, future tenants and the general public, who will enjoy the fruits of their labor. |
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