By: Carlos Cristian Flores, WTAE Reporter | April 15, 2025 | Read the full article
“The Hill District has sustained so much, which they say so much. And we know that when we invest in housing, we are investing in people and children and our health and wealth. All of those things are tied up in just one unit,” Congresswoman Summer Lee said.
Herron Village Apartments will be separated into two phases.
Phase one will create five affordable housing units and a laundromat on the first floor. The second phase will add seven more units and space for a beauty salon.
“This project is not just about rejuvenating vacant buildings; it’s also about fostering housing opportunities and economic growth in this neighborhood,” Quianna Wasler, chief housing officer of the Urban Redevelopment Authority of Pittsburgh said.
“This is the epitome of people-centered development. Development by the people, for the people in our own neighborhoods,” President and CEO of Neighborhood Allies Presley Gillespie said.
The units will be priced between 50 to 30 percent of the area median income. The developer added that around $4 million will be the overall cost of the project.
The first phase of the project is already underway and is expected to be done within six to nine months. The next phase starts shortly after. However, no matter the size, many people agreed it was a step in the right direction.
“So five units, I think personally, is remarkable. That’s five families that will be touched by this project to start. And then we know that there are other investments going on throughout the hill, and that is just going to start to multiply. So we start with that,” Lee said.
“It shows our commitment to pro-growth and continuing to want to build a city where everybody belongs,” Mayor Ed Gainey said.
