$7 million investment to further revitalization efforts in Pittsburgh’s Hill District

PITTSBURGH — An already massive project to revitalize Pittsburgh’s Hill District keeps getting bigger, now including a new multimillion-dollar program.

Developers say they see the potential of the former Civic Arena site and are looking to invest, all while giving back to businesses and the community.

F.N.B. Corporation, which is already building a new headquarters at the Civic Arena site, announced it will pump $7 million into neighborhood investments.

Officials said $5 million will be for a gap lending program and $2 million has been committed to the Urban Redevelopment Authority of Pittsburgh and its Invest PGH program.

The Hill District Gap Lending Program will help with future projects in the area, offering loans of up to $400,000 for local businesses to expand or move to the neighborhood.

The announcement of the new program comes as a neighborhood jobs center is in the works. The Lower Hill First Source Employment Opportunity Center is set to open in mid-May to offer assistance to people looking to work on the reconstruction projects.

“Money needs to be coming into this area. The area needs to be taken care of because so much that used to be here is no longer here, and it would mean a lot to the people in this neighborhood,” Charles Pendleton, of Wilkinsburg, said.

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Cox Media Group