On Monday, Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey’s administration announced a deal to advance the controversial Oakland Crossings development. The changes include new promises to provide affordable housing.
“From the first day we walked into office I told my team that any development must move us forward on making Pittsburgh more equitable and affordable for everyone,” Gainey said in a release.
Shortly after his inauguration, Gainey called a halt on Oakland Crossings in order to convene discussions with developer Walnut Capital and community members. Some residents worried the nearly 18-acre development would remake the feel of Oakland and increase the cost of living. The development proposal also leapfrogged an ongoing community planning process.
After two months of meetings, the city has proposed changes to the legislation that would put more limitations on Oakland Crossings, including lower building heights. In addition, Gainey said Walnut Capital had committed to making 10% of the project’s housing affordable to people who make less than half the region's median income.
Gainey and his staff listened to residents, said Wanda Wilson, executive director of Oakland Planning and Development Corporation.
“Mayor Gainey and his staff worked hard to negotiate a compromise which addresses many of the neighborhood’s concerns,” she said.
However, OPDC is still reviewing the changes, which were published Monday afternoon. In a letter to its constituents, OPDC encouraged people to attend a hearing on the project at the Planning Commission’s Tuesday meeting.
“We are concerned that Oakland neighbors will not have had sufficient time to study the changes – and we intend to deliver those concerns to the Planning Commission tomorrow,” the letter said.
While the press release from the mayor’s office said the parties had reached an agreement about other community benefits, that agreement has not yet been released.
OPDC is not a party to any agreement or contract, Wilson said.
