During my tenure in the state Senate, I am proud to have secured and supported well over $100 million in funding for economic development projects across the district that continue to revitalize communities and put people to work.

I have consistently served as a champion for all the neighborhoods within the district and have worked with all levels of government, stakeholders, and community members to secure necessary funds that help reinvent communities. One by one these projects spur job creation, increase the local tax base, and lead to further reinvestment and development. Together, these projects rebuild communities. Just a few of the recent projects include:

-Waterproofing the Brookline Teen Center

  • Construction of a new Davis Avenue Pedestrian Bridge, connecting Brighton Heights with
    Riverview Park.
  • Construction of a new Jefferson Recreation Center & transformation of the McNaugher School
    in Northside neighborhoods. 
  • West End Trolley Trail Project that connects the West End business district with the Great
    Allegheny Passage, the Montour Trail and the Three Rivers Trail system.
  • Business incubator project for the Pittsburgh Hispanic Development Corporation in Beechview
  • Transformation of the former Suburban General Hospital in Bellevue to a business incubator
    that supports biotech startup companies.
  • Upgrades to senior center in Brighton Heights.
  • Community healthcare center & pharmacy with outdoor space in the city’s Uptown
    neighborhood.
  • Spray Park in the Nelson Mandela Peace Park in Garfield.
  • New monument in the Beechview Memorial Parklet that honors fallen soldiers since Vietnam
    and promotes a message of peace.
  • Expansion of the Energy Innovation Center in the Lower Hill District.
  • Construction of a new Light of Life Rescue Mission building that provides critical services to
    men, women and families experiencing homelessness, poverty, or addiction.
  • Site preparation project for an industrial site in Fairywood.
  • Affordable housing & market rate housing development in the city’s Uptown neighborhood
  • Construction of mixed-use office tower in the Lower Hill District.
  • Renovations to Crafton Borough Municipal Building.
  • Projects that address stormwater in Crafton, Dormont, Kennedy, Avalon, Scott, Reserve,
    Neville, Carnegie, Castle Shannon, and Bellevue.
  • Replacement of a retaining wall in Stowe Township.
  • Innovative Arts program for children in Coraopolis.
  • Renovation of pool house in Avalon.
  • Construction of DekHockey rink in Bellevue.
  • Major renovations/expansions to important healthcare facilities including Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, the Midwife Center for Birth & Women’s Health, and the Blind & Vision Rehabilitation Services of Pittsburgh.
  • Streetscape projects in Carnegie, Green Tree, Scott, Coraopolis, Northside, Beechview, Castle Shannon, Mt. Washington and McKees Rocks.
  • Infrastructure improvements including: road construction, intersection upgrades and water/sewer lines in Sharpsburg; water/sewer lines in Stowe and McKees Rocks; dock improvements in Sharpsburg and Reserve; sidewalk/lighting upgrades in Sheraden and Uptown; street redesign in the Lower Hill District; light rail/parking in Castle Shannon.
  • Enhancing recreational and community assets like parks in neighborhoods like Scott, Mt. Washington, Crafton Park, Lawrenceville, Northside, Bellevue, Carnegie and the Josh Gibson Heritage Park at Station Square.
  • Mixed use development (retail, office, residential) in downtown Pittsburgh, Strip District, Northside, Morningside and the Hill District.
  • Improving community libraries including in Beechview, downtown, Brookline, Mt. Washington, Dormont and Knoxville neighborhoods.
  • Human service organizations in the Hill District (Hill House) and a senior center in Lawrenceville.
  • Enhancing regional assets include the renovation and preservation of August Wilson’s childhood home in the Hill District; and upgrades to facilities like the Northside’s Mattress Factory, Children’s Museum, Carnegie Science Center, Prime Stage Theater, Heinz History Center in the Strip, Pittsburgh Musical Theater in the West End, National Aviary, Andrew Carnegie Free Library & Music Hall, Pittsburgh Opera, Pittsburgh Symphony, and a multiplex development downtown.
  • A grocery store in Beechview that serves as the centerpiece of the ongoing redevelopment of the neighborhood’s business district.
  • Renovation and construction of the renowned Father Ryan Arts Center in McKees Rocks.
  • Redevelopment of downtown Pittsburgh’s Market Square, which serves as a premier destination venue for the region.
  • Creation and development of a housing community in Pittsburgh’s Manchester neighborhood that transformed a vacant industrial brownfield into a community of homes.
  • Refurbishing the Allegheny West Community Center on Pittsburgh’s Northside.
  • Transforming the decaying South Hills High School into the South Hills Retirement Residence on Mt. Washington, creating a 106-unit living facility for the area’s senior citizens.

I have also co-sponsored and supported legislative action that supports economic development initiatives:

  • Supported legislation, that became law, that funded economic development projects using 5% of casino revenues.
  • Sponsored legislation that would double the funding for the highly successful Neighborhood Assistance Program.
  • Co-sponsored a bill, that became law, that extended the First Industries Fund, a loan, loan guarantee and grant program that strengthens the agriculture and tourism industries.
  • Co-sponsored legislation, that became law, that extended tax breaks available in Keystone Opportunity Zones.
  • Co-sponsored the Downtown Location Law that requires more coordination between state and local community development groups.