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TAB 7
Pittsburgh Post Gazette.com
July 11, 2012 10:14 pm
Wilkinsburg Council OKs county grants to cut blight
By Pamela E. Walck / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Wilkinsburg Borough Council unanimously approved Wednesday night grant applications, that
if funded, would assist the community in its ongoing battle against blight and abandoned
properties.
Part of an Allegheny County Community Development grants package seeking more than
$853,000, Wilkinsburg officials hope to reconstruct streets, make aesthetic improvements to a
retaining wall along Ardmore Boulevard and demolish some 39 dilapidated buildings across the
borough. "In the future, I wish we could focus on one street at a time," said Councilwoman
Pamela Macklin, prior to voting. "If we are ever to stop the constant slide, we need to stop
selecting houses so randomly."
But Council President Jason Cohn countered that despite appearances, there was a method to the
selection process for the $280,000 grant application -- namely, dilapidated properties that
appeared to be most dangerous to residents. "Sadly, we can't even get all the ones that are
currently endangering our residents," Mr. Cohn said, adding that the borough's code office was
consulted in the process for selecting which abandoned homes to hopefully demolish.
Wilkinsburg officials are also seeking $133,000 to repair three borough streets, including South
Avenue, from Trenton Avenue to Peebles Street; Hill Avenue from Coal Street to Swissvale
Avenue; and Rebecca Avenue, from Wood to Mulberry streets.
Borough Manager Marla Marcinko said borough officials won't know whether their
applications to the county were successful until early 2013.
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