District 1 News: Councilman Wilson

Hello everyone and Happy New Year!

I’m happy to share that at the end of 2023, Pittsburgh City Council passed the City of Pittsburgh’s 2024 operating and capital budgets. In addition to the projects noted in last month’s column, my colleagues on council and I funded an additional $2.6 million towards capital projects in the Northside. Those include an added $400,000 for Marmaduke Park Playground and Spray Park Reconstruction, $420,000 for traffic signal improvements on Western Avenue, $200,000 for planning and design to improve the Department of Public Works’ First Division facility, $800,000 for renovations at the Brighton Heights Healthy Active Living Center, and $800,000 for reconstruction of Fire Station 35 located on Orchlee Street in Brighton Heights. I’m grateful for the total $12.4 million investment by the Mayor’s Administration in the entirety of District 1.

The start of a new year is the perfect time to sign up as a volunteer with the city’s Snow Angel Program. The program pairs nearby neighbors with older residents or residents with disabilities to assist them with snow removal on their sidewalks and walkways. Along with fostering stronger community relationships and relieving some of the stress that comes from a snowfall or freeze, Snow Angels make the city’s sidewalks safer for those who are outside during the winter weather, like postal carriers, firefighters, police officers, and other neighbors.

To request a Snow Angel, you must be at least 62 years old, or have a physical disability, live within the City of Pittsburgh, and do not have resources (financial or family and friends nearby) to assist with snow removal. Full details on how to become a Snow Angel or to request one, can be found online at engage.pittsburghpa.gov/snow-angels or by calling 311. Residents can contact the Snow Angels Program directly at (412) 255-2626 or snowangels@pittsburghpa.gov.

Also, the Public History, Art, & Design Division within the Department of City Planning recently launched their new Public Art Hub on the Engage PGH platform. This allows residents to stay informed about upcoming and ongoing public art projects, find information about the city’s collection of public art and memorials, learn about calls for artists for new projects, offer feedback, and more, all found here: engage.pittsburghpa.gov/public-art-hub.

I’d like to highlight the two current public art projects taking place within the Northside. At Riverview Park, artist collective Sans façon (Tristan Surtees & Charles Blanc) and Steve Gurysh are currently working on “Pictures of the Future,” a multi-faceted public artwork consisting of a series of interwoven public artworks that reframes Riverview Park’s existing elements, landscape, and history. Full details on this project and its location within the park can be found here: engage.pittsburghpa.gov/art-parks/sans-faconsteve-gurysh.

As I mentioned in last month’s column, artist Lori Hepner is currently designing a new public art project that is part of the design of the rebuilding of the new Davis Avenue Bridge. This project is made possible by the City of Pittsburgh’s Percent for Art Program. More details on the project and to provide feedback can be found here: engage.pittsburghpa. gov/davis-avenue-bridge/davis-avenue- bridge-public-art.

Lastly, I’d like to highlight an upcoming Immigrant Workforce Program sponsored by Jewish Family & Community Services and Literacy Pittsburgh. The program is designed to provide foreign-born professional job seekers with the knowledge and career skills to succeed in the American job search. The winter cohort starts on Jan. 17 and ends on March 7. It is a free eight-week virtual program occurring on Wednesdays and Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. To register, email iwp@jfcspgh.org or call (412) 235-8065. Please share this information with your network.

If you have any questions or concerns, call us at (412) 255-2135, email us at district1@pittsburghpa.gov, or find us on Facebook and X, formerly Twitter. My staff and I are looking forward to serving all of you in this new year!