The upgrades planned for Point State Park will be ready sooner than expected. 

According to the construction crew doing the work, they're ahead of schedule, and they expect to be finished by the end of this month. 

The $3 million renovation at the point is just one of the projects underway, and crews are laying down new concrete, overhauling the fountain, adding new benches around the fountain, and replacing the trash cans. 

This all comes as the city spruces itself up ahead of the 2026 NFL Draft, which is coming to Pittsburgh in April. 

"It's going exceptionally well," said Point State Park Operations Manager Jake Weiland. "Most of the elements that we built out in the scope of this current project are going to be buttoned up by the end of November, so we are way ahead of schedule." 

The park has not hosted large events during the construction, but it has remained open to visitors. 

Point State Park undergoing several upgrades

This summer, for the first time in a long time, the iconic Point State Park fountain was not operational as the upgrades were underway. 

"We are changing all the lights out," Weiland said. There are 280 uplights in the fountain. And we're also changing all the conduit, all the wiring, all the controls within the pump house, so we have a fully operating fountain come 2026."

Next year will be a big year in Pittsburgh, and not just because of the NFL Draft; there will also be events for America250PA, celebrating the 250th anniversary of the United States. 

"The site improvement project is a much larger, much longer project that's actually going to impact a great deal of our operations, to include all events this year, after the month of May," Weiland said.

Will Point State Park be one of the sights for the 2026 NFL Draft?

As we inch closer to the 2026 NFL Draft in Pittsburgh, may Pittsburghers find themselves wondering where the draft will take place. Will it be the North Shore, Acrisure Stadium, Point State Park, or elsewhere? 

Earlier this year, some reports found that Point State Park would play home to the Draft Experience Zone. 

According to a venue letter of commitment with the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, the park would come rent-free to the NFL. The fees are covered by the organizing committee, which has a few million dollars already.  

"The commonwealth will make the investments we need to make there. We're prepared to make this an awesome experience for everybody," Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro said in 2024.

These are still preliminary ideas for the use of space. According to VisitPITTSBURGH, nothing is finalized. 

The draft is expected to bring hundreds to thousands to the area, prioritizing the Golden Triangle region. VisitPITTSBURGH said in a statement that the event will provide fans an opportunity to take part in immersive exhibits and games as part of the fan experience.