Pittsburgh’s historic buildings are irreplaceable treasures that make our city unique and give it a character and presence that many newer cities spend millions of dollars to try to replicate. We must start to recognize the incredible value of these architectural gems and use them to our advantage to serve as cornerstones for neighborhood revitalization and economic growth. Too often we discard one-of-a-kind historic buildings in the name of “progress” and replace them with cookie-cutter developments that add nothing to the character of the city. That has to stop.

SEIU Local 32BJ, the Laborers’ District Council of Western Pennsylvania, Construction, General Laborers & Material Handlers Local Union No.1058, and Construction General Laborers Local Union No. 373 have endorsed Peduto as their candidate of choice for Mayor of Pittsburgh.

Tax Increment Financing (TIF) is a powerful and important development tool used successfully across the country. However, because it involves diverting millions of dollars in tax revenue from the public coffers and investing in private development it must be used responsibly. It is time that we take the investment of public dollars much more seriously and put our money to its best and highest use.

Pittsburgh’s nonprofit organizations are some of our most valuable resources. They have sustained the City through tough economic times and have helped us build new economic sectors that are positioning us as a world-class city of the 21st century. However, the proliferation of nonprofit organizations and the vast tracts of land they now own throughout the City has put serious pressure on our budget – which relies heavily on property taxes – and our ability to provide services to our residents. We have to find new ways to create sustainable partnerships with these organizations that will help all of us thrive in the coming decades.

I hope to see you at our official campaign headquarters opening tonight as we kick off the petition drive for the Mayoral Primary. We will be opening the doors of our office at 200 N. Highland Avenue in East Liberty at 6:30 PM.

Pittsburgh’s narrow streets and working-class row houses are part of its charm and are part of what make our neighborhoods special. But we all know how difficult it can be to keep up the alleyways behind these row houses and narrow streets. We have hundreds of miles of alleyways in Pittsburgh that have fallen into total disrepair, many of which are too full of potholes, debris, and overgrowth to even drive through safely.

We’ve been telling you about the TEDx event in Pittsburgh since last spring. If you don’t already have a ticket — it’s too late — they’re booked solid. But, you can still sign up to attend a webcast party!

Snow removal is always a touchy subject in Pittsburgh. Communication between the city and residents leaves much to be desired. It often seems there is no coherent plan within or between Public Works zones. Lack of coordination and professional management has even led to tragedy in the past when public safety officials could not pass snow-covered roads. We should be able to effectively communicate plans for snow removal and get the job done in a reasonable amount of time.

My Council district grew by 10% between 2000 and 2010 – the only Council district to increase its population in the last 40 years. As we welcome these new residents to the city and encourage more to follow, we must provide resources to help them and current residents become responsible property owners and contribute to safe, clean, and attractive neighborhoods.

Our local government has more than 100 boards or commissions with hundreds of representatives serving on them. Can you name 10? Why do we have so many and what do they actually do? While many of these boards and commissions do important work, there is also a great deal of duplication of efforts and inefficiency inherent in having so many of these entities, especially when their work is not public and never makes it into the hands of those in city government who could use it to inform policy or service delivery.