PITTSBURGH — Mayor Bill Peduto and his emergency committee of city, county and state officials laid out an action plan for residents of an East Liberty housing complex in an emergency meeting Saturday.
Residents of Penn Plaza Apartments told Channel 11 news Friday they are being forced out of their homes without any explanation.
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“I can’t imagine if I came home one day and checked my mail and somebody said you have to leave in 90 days,” Peduto said.
According to Channel 11's news exchange partners at TribLIVE, owners of East Liberty's Penn Plaza Apartments said they would postpone terminating the leases while they come up with a plan to redevelop the property.
The decision came after Peduto's office made a request to cancel the 90-day eviction notice.
“Ninety days is not enough. Not enough to move your whole life,” said Rich Fitzgerald, Allegheny County executive.
"In response to requests from the mayor's office, we agreed to a 60-day stay, so to speak, so we have time to work through a larger deal that will facilitate redevelopment of the property," LG Realty attorney Jonathan Kamin told TribLIVE.
Peduto also said that officials want to see a commitment to affordable housing from the developer.
"It makes no sense for them to unilaterally decide that they're going to tear the buildings down and then expect to get the type of support they'll need to redevelop this property,” Peduto said.
He also said that a fund to help residents who will eventually be forced to move will be created.
The plan is meant to help residents, but also to make the standard for other developers clear.
"We have to make sure this is a stand we're taking so other developers around the city know we don't do business this way," Peduto said.
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