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Friday, April 18, 2003

By Tom Barnes, Post-Gazette Staff Writer

New Markets LLC, the out-of-town consultant hired to revitalize the Hill District's rundown commercial corridor, plans to enlist the help of local groups for the massive renewal project.

New Markets, which has offices in Las Vegas, Atlanta and Philadelphia, will work on the Centre Avenue project with companies including Turner Construction Co., Urban Design Associates, Burt Hill Kosar Rittelman Associates, JSA Architects & Engineers and Ebony Development, said the firm's Robert Farmer.

The firm will also work with the Hill Community Development Corp., a nonprofit community improvement group, and the Urban League of Pittsburgh.

The city's Urban Redevelopment Authority last week gave New Markets a 90-day exclusive deal to be "master developer" for the Centre Avenue project. It involves coming up with a proposal for redeveloping the area that extends eastward on Centre from about where the Hill House is to beyond Kirkpatrick Street and that has a number of empty, dilapidated buildings and vacant lots.

Farmer said the firm is still in the preliminary stages of the renewal planning and doesn't have any concrete ideas for new stores yet, except it agrees with the URA that a full service grocery is necessary on Centre so Hill residents can do their food shopping in their own community.

He said New Markets has already begun to meet with neighborhood residents and existing business owners to learn what they would like and how those plans might fit in with the master plan for renewal. Such sessions will continue, Farmer added.

"New Markets is very excited about the opportunity to participate in rebuilding the spirit as well as the bricks and mortar of what we feel is one of America's most significant urban core neighborhoods," he said. "We are committed to helping bring the Hill District back to the prominence this community once enjoyed."