By Councilman Wilson

Hello everyone, Last month, Chestnut Street officially reopened to the public with a brand-new brick surface, new sidewalks, new ADA compliant curbs, and an updated drainage system. I, along with Mayor Ed Gainey and the Department of Mobility & Infrastructure (DOMI) held a ribbon cutting ceremony to celebrate the completion of this $1.6 million project. It was always my priority to keep the historic brick surface of the street and I’m thrilled with how it turned out. I also am thankful to the community, especially Community Alliance of Spring Garden-East Deutschtown (CASGED), for their support and patience during this project. I encourage everyone to drive, walk, or bike down this newly restored street!

I also want to announce that the City of Pittsburgh’s newest round of applications for Neighborhood Economic Development (NED) grants are now open. These are federally-funded grants made to local organizations serving Pittsburgh residents with low and moderate incomes. Only Registered Community Organizations (RCOs) and community- based organizations working on economic development (CBOs) are eligible to apply for these funds, which will be used to benefit eligible census tracts around the City. NED projects must further one of the following goals: main street revitalization, affordable housing improvements, vacancy rate reduction, and organizational development to increase service provision in one of the other three areas.

I invite all eligible applicants on the Northside to take advantage of this resource. NED grant application and program details are available online at engage.pittsburghpa.gov/neighborhood-economic-development-grant. Applications will be accepted until Aug. 5, at 5 p.m. If you have more questions, please contact the Office of Management and Budget, Community Development division at community.development@pittsburghpa.gov.

In 2023, a nationwide online contest titled “Every Court Has a Story” was held where one basketball court would receive a full renovation courtesy of Five-Star Basketball, Project Backboard, and Local Hoops. The voting came down to two courts, one located in Brooklyn, New York, and the other located on Arch Street, right in the heart of the Central Northside. Due to overwhelming support, both courts received the prize which included crack repairs, patch fill, resurfacing, color coating, and new backboards and rims to the basketball court.

On Aug. 3, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., a grand reopening ceremony will take place at the basketball court, affectionately known as “The Jungle.” This event will feature a ribbon-cutting ceremony, live music, food, local organization booths, kids’ skills clinic & a basketball tournament. More details about the project can be found here: engage.pittsburghpa.gov/updating-arch-basketball-court. I look forward to seeing everyone on the court!

Finally, I would like to share that Julianne Hluska is now serving District 1 as my Chief of Staff. Julianne has been the Community Relations Manager since November 2022 and has established positive working relationships with many D1 community groups and organizations as well as internal city departments. If you would like to discuss any community needs or scheduling matters, please contact her at julianne.hluska@pittsburghpa.gov. This change also means that my former Chief of Staff, Mohammed Burny, has moved on from the office to pursue his career in law. Mohammed has worked for D1 since I took office in January 2020 and has been instrumental in crafting numerous legislations that have positively impacted residents of the Northside and the City of Pittsburgh. I look forward to seeing the great things he will do next for the people of our city.

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 known as Twitter). My staff and I look forward to hearing from you!