The U.S. Open is dominating the local press this week. While the coverage does provide a life-saving respite from Paris Hilton, it also raises some questions.

For instance, colleague Anya Sostek's piece about the economic impact of the U.S. Open on the regional economy , which cites VisitPittsburgh's estimate that the golfing mega-event will add nearly $60 million to local coffers, raises the question, "how much of that is coming to Homewood?"

The intuitive answer is, "there's no way to really tell, but probably not much."

I may be wrong in this. But from the article, it seems apparent that the economic impact flows to businesses and through those businesses to their employees.

Are there any businesses in Homewood that would have a presence at the Open or that would be positioned to benefit from the Open? I can't think of any, although I believe that Dana's Bakery could make a killing in pastries there. We certainly have no obvious candidates, like hotels.

The next question would be how many people in Homewood are employed by businesses that are benefitting from the Open. Since my employer, the P-G, presumably is benefitting from advertising related to the Open, the initial answer is, "at least one." (But since my paycheck is set by union contract, that $60 million windfall is passing me by.) Anybody out there know of any others?

Finally, this morning's article raises the question, "what types of businesses could exist in Homewood that would benefit from such events?"

There's certainly room in Homewood to build a hotel, and while the concept may strike many as indescribably bizarre, hotels have been popping up in nonobvious locations all over the city.

The article cites a business in Monroeville that has been hiring specifically for the event, an employment agency called Carol Harris Staffing. If a savvy go-getter had an employment agency in Homewood, that entrepreneur might have gotten a piece of the action.

Limousine services were not mentioned in the article, but surely they are profiting from the Open. And what is a limousine but a high-end jitney?

At a workshop on commercial development last week, Robert Rubinstein of the Urban Redevelopment Authority suggested that the neighborhood might be a good location for "neighborhood-serving retail" businesses. But perhaps there is also room here for businesses that can tap into Pittsburgh tourism and events like the U.S. Open and thus reach customers from around the world.

First Published: June 14, 2007, 2:00 p.m.