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Housing, Infrastructure & Investment Still Iffy As Pittsburgh Readies For 'Amazonian' Growth Spurt

Gene J. Puskar
/
AP
Construction on a new apartment complex continues on Pittsburgh's South Side in this photo taken Tuesday, March 31, 2018.

Stakeholders heralded transparency, sustainable development and potential plans for rapid city growth at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center this week as part of the 4th annual P4 Conference. The event came as city leaders continue to balk at sharing their Amazon HQ2 proposal.

WESA's Margaret J. Krauss and Chris Potter reported that inside the convention center, talk focused on inclusive economies and the importance of cooperation among municipalities. But outside, the message shared by three dozen protesters was much more blunt.

Next in the program...

Amazon launched in-car delivery Tuesday for Prime customers in 37 cities, including Pittsburgh. The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review's Aaron Aupperlee reports the service is only available for especially trusting souls who drive qualifying makes and models.

Coming up...

Pittsburgh home sale prices climbed nearly 9 percent in the last year, but the number of houses listed dropped by more than 10 percent. Reporter Tim Schooley of the Pittsburgh Business Times and Tracy Certo, founder and publisher of NextPittsburgh, explain the trends, plus what's driving increased demand.
 
Later on...

A study commissioned by the state legislature recommends dramatic changes to the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education, including merging the 14 state owned universities regionally. The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's Bill Schackner breaks down the options and what could happen next.
 
And finally...

Prices at the pump in the Pittsburgh area hit $3.09 this week, while the statewide average topped $3 a gallon. Energy reporter Amy Sisk with StateImpact Pennsylvania explains why.
 
The Confluence, where the news comes together, is 90.5 WESA’s weekly news program. Each week, reporters, editors and storytellers join veteran journalist and host Kevin Gavin to take an in-depth look at stories important to the Pittsburgh region. Find more episodes of The Confluence here.

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