After a two-hour meeting Friday, some Braddock officials say they have a better understanding of Allegheny County's redevelopment proposal for UPMC Braddock and will decide next month whether to support that concept.

Last month, council's initial reaction swift and negative to the proposed demolition of the hospital and construction of a $25 million complex with housing, medical offices and retail/restaurant space. Members said the county was being too quick to demolish the hospital and they wanted more time to try to attract someone else to operate the facility.

Some of them joined a pair of lawsuits attempting to reverse UPMC's decision.

UPMC closed the hospital at the end of January because it said not enough local residents used it. County Executive Dan Onorato set up a committee that included local residents and, after a consultant could find no other hospital operator, recommended redeveloping the site.

Mr. Onorato met Friday with Braddock Council President Jesse Brown and Councilwoman Tina Doose, who opposed the redevelopment plan, District Attorney Stephen Zappala Jr., state Sen. Sean Logan, and state Rep. Paul Costa to discuss the consultant's report and the proposed redevelopment plan.

"We have heard the plan and we are taking it under advisement," Mr. Brown said. And council, he added, will officially consider its position on the proposal at its meeting next month.

Mr. Onorato said the county's proposal remains unchanged "because it is the only real plan that has real financial backing."

"We all want to do what is right, here, what is the best end result," Mr. Onorato said.

Mr. Zappala, who initially came out against the plan, on Friday said he was more concerned with how the redevelopment plan would enhance his office's efforts to curb crime and blight in the borough.

"I think the county will be a good partner," he said. "They have committed to finding money for things like eminent domain," he said.

Under the county's proposal, UPMC would pay the cost to demolish the hospital building -- possibly as early as June -- and the site would be redeveloped as complex with housing for senior citizens, space for doctors' offices and classrooms for job training offered through the Community College of Allegheny County.

As part of the redevelopment proposal, Allegheny County would receive $3 million from UPMC, which would help leverage another $3 million from the state to be applied toward redevelopment.

The borough also would receive $90,000 a year for five years as payment in lieu of wage taxes that had been paid by UPMC employees who lived in the borough.

Braddock Mayor John Fetterman, who supports the redevelopment plan, said he hoped the Friday sit-down would be the final "coming together" on this issue.

"We need to move forward for the community's sake," he said.

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