PITTSBURGH — The City of Pittsburgh and the Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy celebrated the opening of the new McKinley Park Community Grove, completing a nearly $700,000 project in the park’s Chicken Hill section. Located below Michigan Street, the space replaces a historic resident-built baseball field with a flexible gathering area designed for outdoor learning and community events.
Pittsburgh Mayor O’Connor commended the joint efforts that led to the project’s completion.
“Our community parks are important places that bring families and neighbors together to enjoy, play and connect,” Mayor O’Connor said. “The new Community Grove at Park is a great community-driven project that honors the history of the park while creating new opportunities for future generations. Thanks to the community and the Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy for their partnership on this investment at McKinley.”
Chicken Hill previously housed a resident-built baseball field that served as a central gathering place for local residents who were not welcomed at other area parks. District three Pittsburgh City Councilman Bob Charland noted the historical significance of the location to the surrounding community.
“I’m so thankful to see this investment come to life, especially because it was driven every step of the way by the people who actually live here,” Charland said. “Park is one of Pittsburgh’s oldest parks and its history means a lot to this neighborhood. For years, when Beltzhoover and Knoxville residents weren’t welcomed or comfortable at other parks, Chicken Hill was their place. It was a site built by neighbors, for neighbors. The new Community Grove honors that history and brings back a natural gathering spot where our community can come together once again.”
The physical additions at the site feature a 20-foot hexagonal shade pavilion with an surrounding seat wall, open lawn areas for recreation and an outdoor learning space for education programs. Infrastructure improvements include upgraded stairs, pathways and trail connections, alongside stormwater drainage upgrades designed to curb soil erosion. The site also incorporates expanded ecological restoration zones and preserved historic baseball backstop posts intended for future community art projects.
The project connects to broader park updates, including work on approximately 1.5 miles of trails designed to link park destinations to surrounding streets. Catherine Qureshi, president and CEO of the Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy, emphasized the community’s role in guiding the development.
“The Community Grove has always been about creating a space that reflects the people who know and love Park,” Qureshi said. “From the beginning, neighbors helped shape the vision for what this place could become. Today, we get to celebrate that vision becoming a reality and open a space where neighbors can gather, learn, play and make new memories together.”
Funding for the project came from the City of Pittsburgh Parks Tax Trust Fund, the Henry L. Hillman Foundation, Pennsylvania American Water and the American Water Charitable Foundation. David Roger, president of the Henry L. Hillman Foundation, praised the park’s local focus.
“Neighborhood parks like McKinley are an indispensable part of what makes Pittsburgh a great city,” Roger said. “We know that parks give neighborhoods their character and charm and McKinley offers something for everyone in the Hilltop. We especially liked that the new Community Grove was developed in response to neighborhood input. It’s going to be a terrific and much-used new feature.”
While the Community Grove is now open to the public, full landscape maturation is scheduled for spring 2027, when seasonal growth and blooms are expected to add color and wildlife habitat to the space.
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