Thursday, Jan. 8: Downtown Blitz + Short-Term Rules + Strip District Condos
Thursday, Jan. 8
Your local news briefing
5 Headlines You Should Know Today
🎧 Prefer to listen to the news?
Find Wake Up, Pittsburgh! on
Spotify,
Apple Podcasts,
YouTube,
or wherever you get your podcasts.
Post-Gazette to publish final edition May 3
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette will publish its final edition on Sunday, May 3, ending nearly 100 years of service. Block Communications, the paper’s owner, cited sustained financial losses—over $350 million in the past two decades—as a driving factor. The company also pointed to recent court rulings requiring a return to a 2014 labor contract, which it described as outdated and inflexible. This decision comes just six weeks since about 25 guild members returned to their jobs for the first time in more than three years, after a court ruling upheld a prior National Labor Relations Board judgment in their favor. No word on whether there’s an opening for a buyer to come in and save the paper. If the Post-Gazette does, indeed, stop operations in May, Pittsburgh would become the largest US city without a flagship daily publication of any kind.
O’Connor launches “Safe and Clean Downtown” blitz, permitting overhaul
Newly sworn-in Pittsburgh Mayor Corey O’Connor wasted no time getting to work this week, kicking off his term with a “Safe and Clean Downtown Enforcement Blitz.” Joined by city officials, O’Connor walked through Downtown on Tuesday, flagging infrastructure issues and calling for aesthetic and safety improvements. He also signed his first executive order to overhaul the city’s sluggish permitting system, aiming to attract more families and developers. Earlier that day, he joined a local family on a school walk to highlight pedestrian safety.
North Side pushes short-term rental rules after shooting
Pittsburgh’s North Side is once again calling for stricter oversight of short-term rentals following a New Year’s Eve shooting linked to a party at one such property. A woman was shot in the leg on Constance Street, just blocks from the site of a deadly 2022 Airbnb-related incident. Despite earlier legislative attempts, no regulations have been enacted. Residents say these rentals—often venues for disruptive parties—are degrading neighborhood quality of life. Councilmembers Bobby Wilson and Deb Gross are revisiting proposals, though past efforts have stalled in court or expired.
Strip District’s Bittner building to become W Lofts condos
A new $20 million condo project is coming to Pittsburgh’s Strip District. Developer John Watson and Fourth River Development are converting the historic redbrick Bittner building at 80 26th Street into a 33-unit condominium complex called W Lofts. The plan includes one- to three-bedroom units, rooftop additions, private balconies, and parking. Prices are expected to range from under $500,000 to $1.5 million. The developers aim to begin construction this summer, pending city approvals. The project joins a growing trend of condo redevelopments along Smallman Street.
PRT rail grinding, Downtown tunnel closures start next week
Two long-term transit projects will begin next week, affecting light rail riders. Pittsburgh Regional Transit resumes its multi-year rail grinding program next Wednesday, focusing on the Red Line between Overbrook Junction and Allegheny Station. Work will occur Wednesdays through Sundays, mostly overnight, though some daytime work is planned early in the project. In tandem, the Downtown subway tunnel will close on weekends starting Jan. 16 for electrical maintenance, with shuttle buses replacing service at key stations. Both efforts aim to minimize rider disruption by coordinating schedules.
* Subscription or free account may be required.
✉️ Do your neighbor a favor — forward this newsletter or send them to our signup page.