City auto pound up for bid

The city of Pittsburgh has issued a request for bids to privatize the city impound lot. Mayor Luke Ravenstahl says the goal is to provider better service at the lot and to open the land along the Allegheny River next to the 31st street bridge to new development. The RFP calls for the new operator to keep the lot open 24 hours a day and to be open for owners to claim their cars from 8-6 week days and 9-5 weekends. The bids must be back May 9. If the bids come back favorable Ravenstahl says a request for proposal for development of the 2-acre parcel could comer early next year. The pound sits next to the environmental services lot and Ravenstahl says he is also looking for a new home for that facility which could open up 10 acres of land for development. The parcel is separated from the river by a set of train tracks. Ravenstahl says he hopes to build a master plan for the river fronts to give direction and assurance as investors eye up new parcels.