PITTSBURGH — There are a little over 49 daysuntil the NFL Draft, and Pittsburgh is preparing to welcome the world.
To make sure everything runs smoothly, the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership met on Thursday to talk about a strategy.
RELATED COVERAGE >>> Fan registration opens for NFL Draft in Pittsburgh
This meeting not only highlighted all of the positive changes in the city in preparation for the NFL Draft, but also talked about what we could see in the future, like roller skating in Market Square.
“When we talk about the draft and being on national TV, it’s the people who come to Pittsburgh. Our goal is to take care of the details and put pride back in our communities,” Mayor Corey O’Connor.
O’Connor spoke to a room full of fellow Pittsburgh leaders at the annual Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership meeting.
They all agree that their goal is to transform Downtown Pittsburgh into a mixed-use neighborhood.
A big focus right now is Market Square, which has been under construction for months.
For the first time, we heard the agency’s plan to put in a roller-skating rink, plus more outdoor dining, and use Market Square as a true event space.
“There’s a lot of momentum. We are filling spaces for startups for pop-ups throughout downtown. We have to make it feel more vibrant,” O’Connor.
There have been several updates downtown already, with a deadline of being completed before the NFL Draft.
There’s a brand new space called Arts Landing, which is expected to be finished before the draft
Plus, Point State Park has had $3.4 million in upgrades, including fixing leaks and improving the lighting at the fountain.
“The draft is here in a couple of weeks; we don’t have to be anything but Pittsburgh,” O’Connor said. “The more we welcome people, the more people are going to come downtown and support businesses and grow companies.“
Leaders also talked about increasing living downtown with a goal of getting more than 15,000 people to move there.
Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts.
Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW