State invests more than $3 million in Downtown Pittsburgh

A multimillion-dollar investment from the state is coming to Pittsburgh to revitalize Downtown. 

This new investment is designed to keep the long term in mind and revitalize Downtown to where it was before the pandemic.

Origin Story Coffee Shop had its grand opening in December of last year. They came to the Pittsburgh area from Asheville, North Carolina. The store's owner, Christian Watts, said it wouldn't have been possible without the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership.

"This is the best-kept secret in America. You come here, and the Midwest kindness and authenticity that pervades the culture here is really what makes me so lucky to be a part of it," Watts said.

In all, $3.32 million will come through the state's Neighborhood Assistance Program. It will be spread over the next six years to help the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership with revitalization efforts.

"I think this just continues to build momentum for Pittsburgh long after the draft. We have some anchor tenants who have always wanted to invest in our city, and now they can," Pittsburgh Mayor Corey O'Connor said.

The money will be used to help with efforts to fill the storefronts. That's something Mayor O'Connor continues to push. He said attention to detail can help with this effort.

"That's got to be the image that we project," Mayor O'Connor said.

Other uses of the money will go to keep areas clean and address vulnerable populations, such as people experiencing homelessness.

"So that they are on a pathway to success," Allegheny County Executive Sara Innamorato said.

According to Innamorato, there's such a focus on Downtown because it's more than just a neighborhood; it's a driver for the region.

"It's our economic engine. Not only for the city of Pittsburgh but for the county and the entire western Pa.," Innamorato said.

According to the state's Department of Community and Economic Development, Downtown Pittsburgh has seen seven residential and mixed-use projects recently, along with 240 residential units added in the past two years.