Playground Removal
The Department of Public Works will be removing the playground in the West Commons (near the deer pit/Gus & Yia Yia’s) due to safety concerns. The Swings were replaced a few years ago so they will stay open. DPW will be putting the replacement of the safety surface and playground in the 2021 capital budget request.
WHAT THE MUCK!?
(volunteer clean up of Lake Elizabeth)
The Parks Conservancy in partnership with Allegheny CleanWays and the City are hosting a cleanup of Lake Elizabeth in Allegheny Commons Park on the Northside. Volunteers will be working alongside staff to remove debris from the recently drained lake on the following days/times:
West Ohio Street Bridge Construction
PITTSBURGH, PA (June 18, 2020) The City of Pittsburgh Department of Mobility and Infrastructure (DOMI) is pleased to announce the start of construction on the new West Ohio Street Bridge over the Norfolk Southern Railroad in Allegheny Commons Park in the Allegheny Center neighborhood of the City. The bridge has been closed to traffic since January 2018 due to deterioration of the 117-year-old structure. When construction is completed in the Fall of 2021, the new West Ohio Street bridge will support a full return of service between Allegheny Commons and Allegheny West.
In the coming weeks, a temporary pedestrian bridge will be installed to allow for continuous pedestrian access over the railroad during the project.
For questions, please contact the Department of Mobility and Infrastructure at zachary.workman@pittsburghpa.gov.
Erin Tobin
Community Engagement Manager
I just spoke with the Dept of Public Works and have the following information to share:
- DPW will begin draining the lake today or tomorrow. It will take a week or so for the lake to drain and fully dry out before we can have a clean up event.
- The Parks Conservancy will coordinate some volunteer events in the coming weeks to assist with the cleaning of the lake
- DPW will not be able to work alongside volunteers but will work on separate days to further clean out the lake.
- These events will be permitted given people are practicing social distancing and all the proper safety measures which will be shared on our website and on site at the lake during the event.
Please stay tuned for a date and additional information coming soon.
Thank you,
Erin Tobin
Community Engagement Manager
Speak up in favor of the parks at the City Council meeting. Call the City Clerk at (412) 255-2138 to sign-up. Please register prior to the meeting to be allotted a 3 minute time period to speak. Those who don’t register will only be given 1 minute to speak, as time allows.
Attend the meeting in person on Wednesday, October 23 at 6:30 pm at the City County Building, located at 414 Grant Street and show your support for your neighborhood or community park.
Tell Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy why you’re in support of additional parks funding. Visit the link below!
Submit Your Comments
Please join us on October 16th for a presentation on the Phase Two of the Parks Listening Tour.
Phase Two of the Listening Tour will detail the plan for improved park safety, increased fair funding and access, and upgraded maintenance and facilities for all existing city parks to leave a legacy for our children and grandchildren. This parks plan is being developed with community input. We will be talking about the parks system as a whole and can answer questions about individual parks anywhere in the city.
Upper Northside Meeting
October 16th, 6:00 pm-8:00 pm
3505 Perrysville Avenue
Please register here so we have an accurate headcount for food.
Please indicate your need for childcare when registering.
Thursday, May 2nd – Grand Reopening of the Northeast Fountain: The Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy, in partnership with the City of Pittsburgh, Allegheny Commons Initiative and Northside Leadership Conference, invites you to attend the grand reopening of the historic Northeast Fountain. We hope to make this a fun celebration with activities and food. Event will take place at the corner of Cedar Avenue and East North Avenue in Allegheny Commons Park. Please register in advance at their website, pittsburghparks.org.
Saturday, May 4th – 2019 PNC Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy Spring Hat Luncheon: This year’s event will be held in Allegheny Commons Park.The event will be held on Saturday, May 4th in Allegheny Commons Park. Tickets may be purchased online at pittsburghparks.org or by calling their office (412) 682-7275.
Later this week, weather permitting, the contractor for the Northeast Fountain Project in Allegheny Commons Park will be removing the majority of the chain link fencing that is encompassing the project footprint. The chain link fencing will remain around the fountain basin. Orange temporary fencing will be placed along the pathways to keep people from walking on the lawn. Please see the attachment for a visual of how the site will look after the update. The blue line indicates the chain link fencing and the orange lines indicate the temporary plastic construction fence.
We look forward to the grand reopening of the Historic Northeast Fountain this spring. Stay tuned for more details about that event! Please don’t hesitate to reach out with any questions. Thank you!
Erin Tobin
Community Engagement Manager
We couldn’t be more grateful for Pittsburgh’s wonderful greenspaces, and for park friends like you.
Are parks something that you’re thankful for this Thanksgiving? We invite you to take part in one of our favorite annual traditions – writing notes of thanks to parks!
Here are a few notes that we loved:
“Thank you for all the fun we had there year after year! You made our life so much better! :)” -Cheng C.
“Dear Frick Park, if it weren’t for you, I don’t know that I could live in the city. Thank you for your vast canopies, your burbling creeks, your soaring red-tailed hawks, your great horned owls in the winter dark. You are the best!” -Ryan W.
“I am giving thanks to Highland Park for the beautiful way it embraces all people and connects us to each other and the landscape we live in.” -Susan R.
Thank you for being a friend. Happy Thanksgiving from all of us at the Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy!
Say Thanks to Your Favorite Park
The Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy has been awarded a Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program (RACP) grant for $1 million dollars by the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development for the Allegheny Commons Park Fountain & Infrastructure Project Phase I. The funds will be used to help defray construction costs related to the Northeast Fountain and Promenade renovation project in Allegheny Commons Park that is currently underway.
The Northeast Fountain and Promenade Project is a neighborhood revitalization and public park improvement project that includes construction to add infrastructure to 1,000 feet of public green space in Allegheny Commons Park. The project will complete the next phase of the Allegheny Commons Master Plan (2002) and is consistent with the updated Action Plan (2017). The project site spans from the northeastern section of Allegheny Commons Park at Cedar Avenue along North Avenue. The project includes improved lighting and walkways, and other park site furnishings. The project is currently in progress with recreating an historic fountain at the intersection of North Avenue and Cedar Avenue that includes trees, plants and an infiltration bed that will aid in storm water management and site amenities.
The Northeast Fountain project will bring new energy to Pittsburgh’s oldest park. The new fountain will mirror its original 19th century design and will include a 50-foot circular basin, a one-foot rim of heavy cut stone, a large Grecian urn in the center, a tall central jet with smaller jets. The Northeast Fountain project, designed by Pashek+MTR, is under construction and scheduled for completion late fall 2018 with a grand reopening celebration being scheduled for spring 2019. The North Promenade project is in final design with construction scheduled to begin in spring 2019.
This project is a collaboration of the Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy, Allegheny Commons Initiative, Northside Leadership Conference and City of Pittsburgh Department of Public Works. The Allegheny Commons Northeast Fountain and Promenade project is a public park improvement project that has been supported by many elected officials, community partners and dedicated community members, including Allegheny Commons Campaign Co-Chairs Patricia Rooney and Jeremy Leventhal.
Jayne Miller, CPRP
President & CEO
