Students and Student Government Board members have expressed support for a new program aimed at revitalizing business districts and supporting local businesses in Allegheny County.<\/p>\n
Last month<\/a>, County Executive Sara Innamorato announced the Main Streets Allegheny<\/a> program. The project will distribute over $4 million through public funding and grants to municipalities, neighborhoods and local businesses to help stimulate the economy within county business districts.<\/p>\n Allegheny County Economic Development <\/a>Deputy Director Allan Sisco defined main streets as places that foster connection \u2014 something this initiative is hoping to expand.<\/p>\n \u201cA Main Street is a neighborhood commercial district, downtown business corridors, or anywhere small businesses grow, neighbors connect and local pride shows up every day,\u201d Sisco said.<\/p>\n Evan Levasseur, SGB Chief of Staff, president-elect and junior molecular biology major, expressed his enthusiasm for the county-wide project. Levasseur said he especially supports its promise to financially fund local businesses over chains.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat\u2019s exciting about [Main Streets Allegheny] is its emphasis on small businesses,\u201d<\/p>\n Levasseur said. \u201cIn Oakland, some of our local businesses are closing<\/a> and just being replaced <\/a>by either Pitt businesses or chains, which is unfortunate.\u201d<\/p>\n Emma Mihok, Urban Planning Club<\/a> board member and junior urban planning major, raised gentrification concerns<\/a> she thinks the initiative should consider.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cA lot of people read \u2018economic revitalization\u2019 and get a little bit worried because, in general, that\u2019s kind of led to gentrification of areas,\u201d Mihok said. \u201cFor the purposes of this initiative, I think because it\u2019s fully publicly funded, I think it can provide a lot of benefits to people.\u201d<\/p>\n Mihok said she is particularly excited for the part of the program that focuses on funding public art.<\/p>\n \u201cI also think it\u2019ll be really, really great for local artists to be able to show their work because there would be no city or no towns without art,\u201d Mihok said. \u201cThey\u2019re mutually as important as each other.\u201d<\/p>\n Mihok said Pittsburgh\u2019s history of redlining<\/a> is closely tied to her gentrification concerns in neighborhoods like East Liberty, a historically redlined area<\/a>. Gentrification in these areas often consists of outside groups buying property and developing it privately<\/a>, which often prices original residents out of historically disadvantaged neighborhoods<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cThe areas [in Pittsburgh] that have been the most gentrified that are being bought up and turned into all private development are the areas that were redlined as the \u2018least desirable\u2019 neighborhoods,\u201d Mihok said. \u201cThe city stepping in to do something that\u2019s not just a private-public partnership or full private development in order to benefit neighborhoods is good.\u201d<\/p>\n Sisco noted that certain grants are limited to areas of Allegheny County outside of Pittsburgh city limits. Other categories are open to all locations, including the city.<\/p>\n \u201cImplementation and Placemaking<\/a> grants are open only to municipalities outside the city of Pittsburgh,\u201d Sisco said. \u201cThe Events and Activation grants<\/a> are open to organizations and neighborhoods throughout the city and county.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Available grants will also include the Technical Assistance for Main Streets Districts<\/a> and Small Business Support and Capital grants<\/a>. Technical Assistance grants will provide support for communities to plan and implement revitalization efforts, and Small Business grants will give local businesses direct monetary support.<\/p>\n The Events and Action grants<\/a> and Implementation and Placemaking grants<\/a> are currently accepting applications. Other grant applications will open later this spring.\u00a0<\/p>\n Sisco said the program\u2019s intended outcomes lie in building a larger sense of community.<\/p>\n \u201c[There will be] community events, festivals and pop\u2011up activities that will bring people together and encourage residents and visitors to spend time in the district,\u201d Sisco said. \u201cMurals, lighting, signage and wayfinding projects [will] provide visual interest while contributing to a welcoming and vibrant environment.\u201d<\/p>\n