The Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) has received a $2.5 million Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program grant from the state to create a large public park from a 123-acre brownfield along the Monongahela River, adjacent to
SouthSide Works.
When completed, the $30 million South Shore Riverfront Park will provide access to the Monongahela waterfront, including boat docking, six acres of green space, and a link to the ten-mile Three Rivers Park Trail.
“The goal is to get pedestrians down to the river. It is an opportunity to reclaim industrial sites along the water,” says Jerry Dettore, director of the URA. “The end benefit is enormous.”
Governor Rendell secured the funds in order to support new leisure opportunities for the area, improve quality of life for the community, and meet the recreational needs of the South Side’s residents and employees.
The downtown-based firm
Environmental Planning and Design is designing the park in phases. “The design is trying to incorporate some of the remnants of the industrial mills, the old relics and parts of the walls,” says Dettore. The project is close to reaching seventy percent of its funding goal.
Writer: Jennifer Baron
Source: Jerry Dettore, executive director, URA
Image courtesy of the URA