Council Okays Bakery Square Grant

City Council approved application for a grant that would have the Urban Redevelopment Authority of Pittsburgh construct a parking garage for a development in Bakery Square of East Liberty. Council passed that measure with a vote of eight to one, with Councilman Bruce Kraus giving the only “no” vote.

URA Executive Director Rob Stephany says the area’s job market and property tax value will be given a boost by the project. However, Kraus contends that not all is as it seems with this particular development. “There’s an argument being made that this is intended to help East Liberty. This isn’t intended to help East Liberty, ‘cause those people that will work these jobs, they’re not going to earn a living wage... This is being built next to Shadyside for a reason. There’s a very upscale demographic that’s going to benefit from a development like this,” says Kraus.

Councilman Bill Peduto says there are many other things to spend money on in East Liberty, but this grant is better than nothing. Councilwoman Tonya Payne says things will change for East Liberty after this development is built. “Those residents, through the good, the bad, the ugly – and right now they’re with the bad and ugly – they’re hanging in there, but they’re just asking for us to help them hang even a little bit longer, because they see, eventually, this project turning the community around. This is the start,” says Payne.