In June of 2020, just as the COVID-19 pandemic was still in its initial stages, the city’s Mexican War Streets Historic District saw a major expansion of its boundaries. It was the end result of years of municipal legal drama, but perhaps got overshadowed in the moment by the global outbreak.

However, for home and business owners in the historic district’s boundaries, understanding the expansion and what it means can be incredibly important. The designation comes with a set of guidelines for certain kinds of renovation work, and adds on an additional process for altering how a building looks in some cases.

The historic district dates back to December of 1972, when the city assigned an area of the Mexican War Streets to be given the designation, according to Audrey Wells, communications and engagement coordinator for the City of Pittsburgh.. That same area was designated a National Historic District in May of 1975, and for the next 30 years, those boundaries remained until 2008, when the National Historic District’s borders were expanded.

In 2012, a trio of citizens filed a nomination to have the city’s historic district boundaries expanded to match the national ones. This nomination was submitted on Oct. 2, 2012, and the city’s Historic Review Commission, following a public hearing on Dec. 5, 2012, made a recommendation to city council that the expansion be approved.

However, Pittsburgh City Council did not hold a public hearing on the nomination until June 17, 2013, and voted against it unanimously on June 25, 2013.

This time gap caused the legal issues. Under city code, the city was required to hold a public hearing on the nomination within 120 days of the council receiving the recommendation from the Historic Review Commission. If it did not, according to city code, the designation is considered to have been approved.

The original nominators took the city to court over the issue, filing in the Court of Common Pleas of Allegheny County. It took until Dec. 12, 2018 for a decision to be rendered in favor of the nominators. The city appealed to the Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania, but an Oct. 24, 2019 ruling was also in favor of the nominators.

Finally, the city appealed to the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, but the court refused to take up the case on April 21, 2020, allowing the expansion to go into effect in June.

So what does the expansion mean for buildings that now find themselves within the borders? As Wells explained, the designation applies to any “exterior alterations that are viewable from the public right-of-way.”

The Historic Review Commission of Pittsburgh has put out a set of guidelines, covering both general rules and specifics for everything from roofs and masonry to signage and storefronts.

Under the guidelines, property owners in the districts make “every reasonable effort” to provide a use for a property that “requires minimal alteration of the build- ing, structure, or site and its environment, or to use a property for its originally intended purpose.”

The guidelines state that “distinguishing original qualities or character of a building, structure, or site and its environment shall not be destroyed,” and the “removal or alteration of any historic material or distinctive architectural features should be avoided when possible.”

These guidelines can extend beyond just renovation and also dictate how the building is cared for. As an example, the guidelines state that cleaning of structures shall be “undertaken with the gentlest means possible” and says methods such as sandblasting should not be utilized.

The complete guidelines can be found on the City of Pittsburgh’s website, at pittsburghpa.gov/dcp/mwse.

Wells explained that whenever someone decides to renovate a property within the district, they must submit an application to the Historic Review Commission. Minor changes, she said, can be approved by commission staff within a few days.

“Larger additions or construction, that will be reviewed by the Historic Review Commission,” she said, explaining that the group meets monthly and makes decisions on a case-by-case basis.

Decisions by the commission can be appealed, however, such as through a certificate of economic hardship.

Wells said since the expansion went into effect, 23 “certificates of appropriateness” have been approved by the commission or its staff.

Applications for renovations can be made through onestoppgh.pittsburghpa.gov.