For Pittsburgh, the time is here, and it?s now.
That was the message conveyed by Mayor Luke Ravenstahl at a Wednesday news conference outlining his vision to revamp the city?s Golden Triangle in the coming years.
?The message of the strategy is really short and simple: Pittsburgh here and now. This statement acknowledges and embraces the direction and momentum of the city and its many assets. Our time has come and the rest of the world has taken note,? said Ravenstahl.
For the past year, the mayor?s Downtown Stakeholders Working Group has been developing a 3-year plan, known as the Downtown Action Strategy, to attract and retain retail businesses by revitalizing the city?s key corridors, such as those along Smithfield Street, Forbes Avenue and Wood Street.
?Going forward, this will be a partnership between local government and the private sector. Today is about a vision and what we want to see happen. From there, that vision will be fulfilled through funding sources," said Ravenstahl.
The mayor said the issue isn?t so much about the money, but rather having a vision for what downtown can become.
?To have all these retailers working together in a way they haven?t before, I think is important and a great step,? he said.
Ravenstahl said adding trees, lighting and other amenities will first improve street infrastructure and encourage more foot traffic in targeted areas.
?Right now, some of our primary corridors in downtown Pittsburgh do not provide the atmosphere that encourages people to walk around and to enjoy the quality of shopping and dining that?s available,? he said.
The mayor acknowledged that competing with malls in suburban areas won?t be easy, but cited Market Square?s renewed success as an example of what the future could hold for other areas.
?That?s why we want to create that environment -- the walkable streets, the good areas where folks can come together, like we?ve done in Market Square -- because there is a sense of community when you?re in an urban core like downtown Pittsburgh. That?s really the attraction, we think, that we can have versus a suburban mall experience,? he said.
Ravenstahl said another important step would involve the creation of a Downtown Retailers Association to encourage businesses to communicate and work together on joint marketing.
?One of the things that surprised me was that all of these retailers had their own marketing plan, but never seemed to coordinate with one another,? said Ravenstahl.
The mayor said the Downtown Action Strategy also calls for creating a database of space, vacancies and lease statuses in the city, as well as targeting locally-owned businesses to invest in downtown.
?We?re not just talking about mom and pop stores, though they are targeted business as well. Pittsburgh is home to great, large retailers -- places like American Eagle and GNC and others -- and we?re encouraging them to consider downtown as a great place to continue to invest,? said Ravenstahl.
When asked about parking in the city, he said they?re aggressively working with the Pittsburgh Parking Authority to find creative ways to attract people to downtown.
It currently costs $5 to park in the city after 5 p.m. during the week and on weekends.
?A $5 fee in the evenings or on the weekends, to us, isn?t really an impediment. Sure, it?s a small fee, but to have the experience you?ll get downtown, especially during the holiday season, is something we think folks are willing to pay if we provide them with good service when they get here,? Ravenstahl.
But the mayor acknowledged none of the details mentioned in the 3-year plan will matter if they can?t convince people that the time for Pittsburgh?s newest renaissance has truly come.
?Unless we sell downtown, nobody will buy it,? he said.
Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/49826179/ns/local_news-pittsburgh_pa/
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