O'Connor talks NFL draft, says it's a "big showcase" for Pittsburgh

It's crunch time for the NFL draft, and while preparations are underway on the North Shore, work is expected to start this weekend at Point State Park. Pittsburgh Mayor Corey O'Connor said he's confident and excited about the big event. 

"This is a challenge," he said. "Pittsburgh has never hosted anything like this. I think we've been able to plan for a very long time, and public safety feels very confident."

Pittsburgh City Council moved legislation to have 18 police agencies help with safety during the event, along with assistance from the FBI and Department of Homeland Security. With 500,000 to 700,000 people estimated to attend the draft, it's not lost on officials that tensions with Iran are high. 

"This is obviously probably the largest event in the U.S. in the next couple of weeks," O'Connor said. "So, we really have to make sure that everything is safe, from highway protocol to various things like that. Everything is being secured right now."

City finances are in a tight spot, and this event will be an all-hands-on-deck situation for the city's public safety. Overtime will most likely be part of the coverage plan.

O'Connor said state money and Visit Pittsburgh will help to cover that cost. The hope is that with all the effort put into this, the long-term dividends pay off. According to the mayor, some of that is happening now.

"We're getting calls almost weekly now about larger conferences, larger sporting events that might want to be hosted here," O'Connor said. "I think it's great. I think that's why this is a big showcase for us."

Once the event is here, the mayor plans to attend and see what people have to say about the region.

"I actually like walking through the crowd," O'Connor said. "To me, I'm asking you, 'what do you think about our city?' It's a learning experience for me too." 

To see KDKA's full conversation with O'Connor, watch the Draft Command show on CBS News Pittsburgh at 7 p.m. on Friday.