In May, Neighborhood Allies staff, community development leaders, and industry funders gathered to visit the sites of four active real estate projects where our partners shared their visions, work, and progress to date.
Learn more about each project site that we visited below!
Farmer Girl Eb
Farmer Girl Eb is a fresh food corner market founded by Ebony, offering locally grown produce, herbal products, and made-to-order food, with ingredients sourced from her farm in Manchester. After years of operating her business, Ebony has taken a major step toward ownership by acquiring 1461 Chartiers Avenue, a long-vacant property. This new location will serve as the permanent home and expanded headquarters for Farmer Girl Eb.
Why this project matters
- Expands access to fresh, healthy food in a historically underserved area
- Supports the growth and sustainability of a Black woman-owned business
- Activates a long-vacant property in the West End
- Creates opportunities for community education, food access, and local economic activity
Progress to date
- Property successfully acquired from the Pittsburgh Land Bank
- Predevelopment work completed
- Demolition phase completed through ARPA funding
- Design and planning processes completed
- Secured multiple funding sources to advance the project
How Neighborhood Allies supports this project
- Provided predevelopment funding to complete due diligence
- Supported capital stack development and funding strategy
- Led procurement processes for design and construction partners
- Provided small business support through GOGO and HomeBase
- Guided project coordination from early planning through demolition phase
Herron Village
Herron Village is a mixed-use redevelopment project led by Allen Enterprises & Development LLC, focused on expanding affordable housing and commercial opportunities in the Hill District. The project will transform a vacant building into seven affordable residential units and ground-floor commercial space. The housing will serve individuals experiencing homelessness and those with special needs, with all units remaining affordable at or below 50% of Area Median Income (AMI).
Why this project matters
- Expands access to affordable housing in a high-demand area
- Creates opportunities for local entrepreneurs through commercial space
- Supports residents facing housing instability and special needs
- Helps prevent displacement in a rapidly changing neighborhood
- Reinforces community ownership and long-term neighborhood stability
Progress to date
- Project planning and development underway
- Key funding sources secured to support construction
- Advanced critical predevelopment steps to keep the project moving forward
- Supported coordination with funding partners and stakeholders
- Publicly launched the project with a ribbon cutting event alongside funders and community leaders
How Neighborhood Allies supports this project
- Provides technical assistance through the Centralized Real Estate Accelerator (CREA)
- Supports project planning, development strategy, and coordination
- Helps navigate financing and funding opportunities
- Works alongside the developer to move the project from concept to implementation
- Provided much-needed up-front investment in the form of a recoverable grant for the project to be able to meet URA standards and close on financing.
Butch’s Barber Shop
Butch’s Barber Shop has been a staple in the Hill District for over 20 years, serving generations of residents. Michael Bryant recently purchased the mixed-use building after decades of operating his business there. The project includes renovating the residential units above the shop into three updated two-bedroom apartments while preserving the ground-floor space. This transition from tenant to owner represents a significant step toward long term stability and ownership.
Why this project matters
- Preserves a long-standing, trusted neighborhood business
- Supports small business ownership and long-term stability
- Prevents displacement of a legacy business
- Builds generational wealth through property ownership
- Strengthens the commercial corridor in the Hill District
Progress to date
- Successful purchase of the mixed-use building
- Transition from tenant to owner completed
- Renovation planning underway for three residential units
- Upgrades completed to stabilize and improve the barber shop
- Developed funding strategy and engaged potential funding partners
How Neighborhood Allies supports this project
- Provides technical assistance through the Centralized Real Estate Accelerator (CREA)
- Supports project planning
- Helps navigate financing and funding opportunities
- Works alongside the owner to stabilize and position the property for long-term success
- Provided predevelopment assistance through funding the architectural fees
Black Beauty Bar & Grill
Black Beauty Lounge is the longest-running bar and lounge in the Hill District, owned and operated by Roberta Brassell (Ms. Bert) for over 50 years. Since opening in 1975, it has served as a cornerstone of the community. In recent years, Neighborhood Allies partnered with Ms. Bert and her family to support the revitalization of the space, including interior renovations and the creation of an outdoor seating and entertainment area. Read more about the renovation of the restaurant here.
Why this project matters
- Preserves a legacy Black woman-owned business with deep community roots
- Reinforces a longstanding neighborhood gathering space
- Supports reinvestment in the Hill District corridor
- Demonstrates the value of sustaining legacy businesses alongside new development
Progress to date
- Completed full interior renovation and outdoor patio development
- Successfullymanaged and deployedmultiple funding sources, including ARPA and outdoor dining grants
- Provided over 100 hours of technical assistance and hands-on project support
- Navigated design, permitting, compliance, and contractor coordination
- Supported amulti-generational transition and reinvestment in the business
- Celebrated grand re-opening of Black Beauty Bar & Grill in October 2025
How Neighborhood Allies supports this project
- Provided technical assistance through the Centralized Real Estate Accelerator (CREA)
- Delivered hands-on projectmanagement and weekly coordination support
- Guided design, permitting, and compliance processes
- Managed and administered grant funding, including ARPA and outdoor dining programs
- Supported contractor selection and construction oversight
- Contributed to outdoor space design through Social Impact Design
