WCDC Community Impact Report 2021-2022

Mission & Vision

At the Wilkinsburg Community Development Corporation (WCDC), we work to drive economic development in Wilkinsburg with an emphasis on strengthening the Central Business District.

We envision Wilkinsburg will be a prosperous, healthy, and inclusive community regarded for its strong business district and neighborhoods, historic charm, convenient location, desirable quality of life, and community pride.

At

Equity:

We will acknowledge and address structural barriers to economic empowerment, particularly for people who have been marginalized.

We will welcome and engage deeply with people of all backgrounds and races to create economic opportunity and provide access, especially for marginalized residents.

Our work is defined by community input, fact-based solutions, and an ongoing commitment to addressing structural barriers to economic opportunity for marginalized residents.

We will track and publish participation and impact data to ensure we are honoring our commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Board of Directors Staff & Consultants Interns

Bud Wise, President

Jason Cohn, Vice President

Ron Porter, Secretary

Michael Lefebvre, Treasurer

Steve Alschuler

Leslie G. Ledbetter-Patterson

Monique McIntosh

Patricia Pugh-Mitchell

Michael Rose

Brian Seiffert

Stefani Smith

Shawn Thomas

Tracey Evans, Executive Director

Marlee Gallagher, Director of Economic Development

Shannon Kurta, Director of Finance & Administration

Gordon Manker, Business Development Specialist

Evaine Sing, EKS Solutions, Vacant Property

Moses Workman, Office & Communications Manager

Grant Cullen, Merger Analysis Committee

Dominic Hart, Finance

Jaden Harvey, Program Assistant

Charlotte Pearse, Communications

Letter from Board President

Dear Supporters & Friends,

I joined the Wilkinsburg Community Development Corporation (WCDC) in 2016 as work was ramping up to raise funds for the multi-million-dollar Wilkinsburg Train Station restoration project. The WCDC was forming a committee to help rally support from Wilkinsburg High School alumni. This committee felt like the right fit for me, being an alum myself and having grown up down the street from Turner School.

During that first year, our committee’s work led to an outpouring of support from alumni and others with lifelong connections to Wilkinsburg, even if they now live across the country! It was heartening to see this project come together with the help of so many people who shared their stories, photos, and memories of this important community space.

I stayed involved with the WCDC and the Train Station project over the years, and am so proud that during my first year as board president, I got to witness the completion and reopening of this historic landmark – an iconic centerpiece and symbol of revitalization in Wilkinsburg. Thank you to all who made this project possible.

Beyond this achievement, this past year has been a transitional time for Wilkinsburg, and that feels true for all of us. Having weathered the worst of a global pandemic, our community stayed hopeful and somehow still found moments of joy through it all. We are now experiencing a return to normalcy as we slowly and safely bring people together to celebrate our achievements and make plans for the future.

I am pleased to share these successes with you in this impact report. In these pages, you’ll learn about an innovative new program we launched this year to help residents make home repairs, you’ll read updates about our work to educate and inform Wilkinsburg residents about a potential merger with the City of Pittsburgh, and you’ll get to know about a new partnership we forged to support local artists and make art more accessible in Wilkinsburg. These are just some of the many things the WCDC does each year to support Wilkinsburg’s revitalization.

The WCDC is able to continue this critical community work because of people like you. Thank you, our supporters and friends, for making this work possible, for encouraging us to take on more challenges, and for always celebrating our achievements alongside us.

Sincerely,

Bud Wise President, WCDC Board of Directors, 2021-22

Vacant Property

Providing Support to Residents Seeking Lasting Change

During 2020 and 2021, we worked directly with Wilkinsburg residents to form the first Strong Neighborhoods Committee, an initiative to tackle blight and vacancy issues specific to each of Wilkinsburg’s neighborhoods. This work was made possible through funding from a Pennsylvania Housing Affordability and Rehabilitation Enhancement Fund (PHARE) grant through the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency (PHFA).

While addressing blight and vacancy has been a core component of our work over the past 13 years, Strong Neighborhoods offers more opportunities for residents to get involved, learn more about the issues in their community, and seek resources to support local projects. Beyond that, the work of the Strong Neighborhoods Committee involved compiling the most current information so that neighbors, elected officials, and others interested in the future sustainability of Wilkinsburg fully understand the current state of blight and vacancy in our community.

The reality is that, despite efforts to address and remediate blight and vacancy in Wilkinsburg, the issue continues to worsen over time. Wilkinsburg has seen a decline more drastic than any of its neighboring municipalities, with 22% of

properties currently vacant and blighted. Systemic, strategic change is needed to reverse course and give Wilkinsburg a chance to succeed. Strong Neighborhoods is a crucial step in ensuring this work is done equitably, with all areas of the borough represented by people who live in the community and/or have a deep understanding of Wilkinsburg’s history, culture, opportunities, and needs.

The goals of the Strong Neighborhoods Committee are to (1) build strong neighborhoods through an investigation of the causes and impacts of blight and vacancy in Wilkinsburg and (2) work with our team to develop a Vacant Property Reuse Plan to address vacancy and blight, mitigate threats of displacement and gentrification, and (3) create catalysts for reinvestment driven by community vision.

Through engagement, accountability, and borough-wide policy changes, Strong Neighborhoods seeks to rebuild Wilkinsburg’s neighborhoods, fairly and equitably, calling on the borough to support this work and enact meaningful change that will help the committee’s work move forward.

Early in 2022, with the support of the PHFA and PHARE, we announced that we would be able to offer ongoing and new resources to support community members in their efforts to acquire and rehabilitate vacant property in Wilkinsburg.

HARP Highlight

One of the most impactful programs we introduced this year was the Homeowner Acquisition and Repair Program, or HARP!

HARP provides funding directly to community members to support vacant property acquisition through the Vacant Property Recovery Program (VPRP) and/or to support exterior repairs and updates to their existing home.

In 2022, 34 Wilkinsburg residents received grants of up to $10,000. Grant recipients were required to provide a 10% match on their grant and work with a selected contractor to ensure the work was completed in a timely manner and in line with local regulations. In total, we awarded $127,740, which was used for home repairs, property acquisitions, and/or assistance creating a will.

One grant recipient was Dawn Brookins. Dawn has lived in Wilkinsburg all her life. She is someone who cares deeply about her community, and seeks opportunities to be more actively involved. Dawn has lived at her house on Chalfant Street for more than 20 years and is proud of her cute, brick home and the bright, colorful gardens she tends all around it. However, after so many years, she needed to make several costly repairs to her home, including a new roof and steps leading down to her driveway.

Since receiving a HARP grant this year, she has been able to make these critical repairs, creating a safer, more appealing home. “It’s been a blessing,” Dawn said. “It was a smooth experience, start to finish. I loved our contractor and project manager. Everything went very well.”

Our

BEFORE AFTER

Dawn Brookins

HARP initiative is one way we are working to create real change and leverage resources to ensure more investments are made in Wilkinsburg and the residents who dedicate their lives to our community. We look forward to continuing and growing this program in the coming years.

Train Station Opening

Wilkinsburg Train Station Reopens after nearly 50 years

What the Train Station means to me is that you can honor the past while moving forward. We don’t necessarily have to build a three-story mass retail building. We have all of these assets right here, and the Train Station really is the peak. It’s the light to show us that this can be done.”

On the lower level, we are currently working with Bridgeway Capital to build out a space for their Creative Business Accelerator, which supports entrepreneurial artists, designers, makers, and craftspeople building businesses that impact the regional economy in meaningful ways.

Approximately 2,000 square feet of the lower level has been earmarked for a second retail and/or office tenant. We are partnering with Bridgeway to secure a tenant that aligns with their mission and our shared values to combat injustices and advance opportunities by building capacity, investing capital, and developing underserved areas to grow businesses and revitalize places.

After decades of vacancy, changing ownership, and varying ideas for its reuse, we completed the seven year, seven million dollar restoration of the historic Wilkinsburg Train Station in September 2021. Many thanks to everyone in our community who shared our vision for the Train Station and contributed their time, money, and stories to the project.

The Train Station has been an important source of community pride in Wilkinsburg since it first opened in 1916. After working together to see it completed, we want to retain this sense of pride for another hundred years – or more! Today, we are working to secure long-term tenants for the building, including a restaurant on the main floor.

Based on the amount of restaurant spending occurring in neighboring business districts, like Regent Square and East Liberty, the Train Station offers the most significant opportunity to bring restaurant sales back to Wilkinsburg’s business district.

The restaurant capacity on the building’s main floor could seat up to 113 people. The size, history, and character of the Train Station, paired with its central location in Wilkinsburg, makes it a truly unique opportunity for the right restaurateur.

Part of promoting the availability of the space over the past year included opening the building up to the public for open houses, tours, and events. In May 2022, we kicked off the inaugural Summer at the Station, a series of community gatherings at the Wilkinsburg Train Station. In partnership with the Equity | Impact Center, we held a second event in June with additional events in July and August. The series aimed to highlight local organizations, businesses, musicians, and artists while sharing the Train Station with the community.

We look forward to securing two additional tenants who can give the Wilkinsburg community permanent cause to gather and connect at this historic, newly renovated location.

The restoration of this building right here demonstrates what can happen when we talk about rebuilding neighborhoods. If we rebuild and restore this transit center, we can do what we do best as people: restore hope.”

-Ed Gainey, Mayor, City of Pittsburgh

-Marita Garrett, Former Mayor, Wilkinsburg Borough

Volunteer Highlight

Thank You, Anne Elise Morris

Anne Elise Morris has lived in Wilkinsburg for 50 years and has spent much of her time volunteering in our community. Anne Elise is currently president of the Wilkinsburg Historical Society, a position she has held for the last 10 years and one that she takes pride in.

“It’s been a long time of learning more and more about Wilkinsburg and discovering we’ve got a truly amazing history, and I like being involved with that,” Anne Elise said. “I like knowing that I can help share for today’s people what was important about Wilkinsburg to those who came before us.”

The Wilkinsburg Historical Society, with Anne Elise at the helm, has used much of their own money to contribute to preservation projects in our community. Over the years, the Historical Society has published three books, and the $10,000 profit from those went towards restoring the Wilkinsburg Train Station.

Anne Elise and the Historical Society didn’t just contribute financially, however. They also were instrumental in spreading the word about the project and putting out information about our fundraising campaign. They sent out pamphlets and letters to their members asking for contributions.

“We’ve pointed out over and over again, every dollar matters, every dollar,” Anne Elise said. “Tracey and her team are true visionaries. They saw the potential there and they were willing to help share that potential with people that otherwise might not have known.”

Since our Train Station campaign wrapped up, Anne Elise has volunteered to give building tours, write letters of support, participate at events, and continue championing the Train Station and our other initiatives.

Anne Elise believes that both acknowledging and building upon the past are important, and she’s excited about her involvement in doing research for our many projects and, oftentimes, simply answering our questions about Wilkinsburg’s history and its many unique people, places, and buildings.

“I still believe, and I know the CDC must also believe, that history can hand the business potential [to] a community,” Anne Elise said. “Because when you see what something was, and you see old postcards or photos of what it was, you realize that not everything has to be brand new.”

On behalf of the board and staff of the WCDC, thank you, Anne Elise, for your many contributions to our organization and to the Wilkinsburg community. We have learned so much from you over the years, and we are grateful for your dedication and support.

“We wanted to do something significant with that money. That was always the goal, that we would help the preservation of something important to Wilkinsburg.”

Supporting Wilkinsburg’s Business Community & Network of Entrepreneurs

“It gives us a really, really strong start and we feel that we already have the building sort of stabilized with our tenants,” Brian said. “We were grateful to have the funding we had. The façade grants were ideal because storefronts are expensive. So, we were happy about all of that.”

Beyond financial resources, we also offer technical assistance and business workshops, the heart of which is Core Four, a free eight-week, cohort-based business planning program that we offer biannually in the spring and fall.

At the WCDC, we provide an abundance of resources to small businesses in Wilkinsburg as we continue building on our goal to revitalize our business district.

Early in 2022, we received a Keystone Communities grant from the PA Department of Community & Economic Development to renew our Façade Renovation Program. Through this program, we invite commercial property and/or business owners located within Wilkinsburg’s Central Business District to apply for matching grants of up to $5,000 to improve their exterior façades.

In addition to this funding, we received a grant from First National Bank to support our business programming, including renewing our popular Rental Assistance Program for commercial tenants.

Brian Seiffert, a resident who is redeveloping 1009 Wood Street, a 10-storefront building in the heart of Wilkinsburg, expressed gratitude for the façade grants and rent rebates he, his partners, and tenants received through the WCDC’s programs.

Core Four gives aspiring, new, or existing business owners an extensive overview of the fundamental aspects of business planning, including research, marketing, accounting, and cash flow. Since 2015, over 100 entrepreneurs have graduated from this program, a majority of whom have been Black women.

Recent Spring 2022 graduate Toni Watkins, the new owner of Radcliffe’s Change of Color at 619 South Avenue, appreciates the help she has received from us over the years.

“Working with the WCDC and Gordon has made it a lot easier because they have supported me,” Toni said. “They’re across the street from me, so if I have any questions or whatever, they are definitely the people to have on your team.”

We also continue offering single-topic workshops, which provide in-depth support in specialized areas like marketing, sales, and taxes. Sixteen entrepreneurs participated in these advanced workshops in 2021.

Community

Wilkinsburg Merger Analysis Committee: What’s next Wilkinsburg?

In 2020, we launched a focus group to have an open conversation with residents about Wilkinsburg’s future. Over 150 people participated in discussions over the course of three months. This work led to the formation of the Wilkinsburg Merger Analysis Committee, a group of 40 residents who wanted to investigate the civic, economic, and cultural impacts of merging Wilkinsburg with the City of Pittsburgh.

Following 43 committee-led meetings with Wilkinsburg community members, a website, wilkinsburgmerger.org, a brochure, and several fact sheets were developed to share information about a potential merger more broadly in the community.

In June and July 2021, the Merger Analysis Committee led a petition drive to give Wilkinsburg residents the right to vote on a potential merger, formally an annexation, with the City of Pittsburgh. Over 1,000 registered Wilkinsburg voters signed on in support of this initial effort.

Given the broad community support around this issue, together with the Merger Analysis Committee, we held several productive meetings with Pittsburgh City Council and community stakeholders to come up with a plan for moving this initiative forward while ensuring that more Wilkinsburg residents were engaged in the process.

During Fall 2021, we held two in-person community listening

sessions moderated by Jasiri X, 1Hood Media, and documented by Emmai Alaquiva, Ya Momz House. Due to COVID, both sessions were capped at 75 attendees and both were at capacity. During the listening sessions, Wilkinsburg residents, business owners, and others interested in the annexation issue were encouraged to share their perspectives, concerns, support, and questions. Both sessions are available to watch at wilkinsburgmerger.org/learn/get-involved.

In addition to community meetings, the Merger Analysis Committee sent out several emails and a borough-wide letter to inform residents about the annexation issue. The committee organized a group of 29 resident volunteers and completed a successful second petition drive between September and November 2021. Over 1,200 Wilkinsburg voters signed the petition – or 10% of registered voters, which was double the required number of signatures. In December, the petition was submitted, approved, and sent to Pittsburgh City Council. On February 2, 2022, City Council held a press conference to announce that they would vote down the annexation of Wilkinsburg for now, but confirmed that they would vote in favor of annexation in a year.

Since then, we’ve continued our work to educate voters and provide the most up-to-date information so that Wilkinsburg residents can make an informed decision once they are given the opportunity to vote on this issue.

“[Wilkinsburg is] special, but it’s time for us to be called to do special things, and this is a chance that we can use to really do something big, something daring and bold for our community… I believe that it will also en hance Pittsburgh itself, which is something that isn’t really talked about much. Adding our 15,000 people means that Pittsburgh as a municipality gets more attention from Harrisburg, and it also means more federal funding. I believe that we just add to the greater good of what’s going on. Wilkinsburg is really prime in its location between down town as well as Monroeville, and if you can incorporate a town like this, I mean, it’s just a benefit for everybody.”

- Michael Rose, Wilkinsburg Resident, Wilkinsburg School Board Director, Former Wilkinsburg Councilman

Art All Over

Supporting Local Artists Through Collaboration

This year, we collaborated with Casey Droege Cultural Productions (CDCP) to curate the second year of Art All Over in our Lohr Gallery space on Wood Street. CDCP produced four shows featuring local Wilkinsburg-based artists, including:

Kelly Malone

a multimedia artist who runs Workshop PGH, a DIY school and shop with locations in Garfield and Wilkinsburg. W. Randy Rice a photographer who creates abstract images from everyday places and objects. Centa Schumacher an artist who uses a lens-based practice to create images that distort light and perspective.

“The show is primarily based on one series of my older work, where there’s just two hands reaching into the sky to grab some paper cranes. With that artwork, I was really talking about dreams and thinking about reaching for your dreams and struggling to get to those goals… and then, when you finally reach them, is it really what you wanted? Or was the outcome actually worth it? In this show, you see a lot of imagery that is based on dreams and daydreaming and really thinking about existence… and also there’s a lot of imagery of Japanese paper cranes. There’s a story about Japanese paper cranes, and if you fold 1,000, your wish will come true. That was really my first idea for the initial set of paintings.”

-Rell, Artist, discussing her show at the WCDC

Rell a painter and fiber artist who explores Black/African American identity, beauty standards, and representation.

Each installation featured a virtual artist talk and weekly gallery hours so Wilkinsburg residents and visitors could experience the artwork on display first-hand. We are excited to share that we will partner with CDCP for a second year to bring another round of local artists into the Lohr Gallery. Visit wilkinsburgcdc.org/artallover for more information about what’s currently showing at the Lohr Gallery.

“There are a lot of artists living in Wilkinsburg. For Art All Over, we’ve done open calls for artists and have received a lot of varied applicants in medium, age, income, and general experience. It’s been kind of a catch-all to meet, interact, and learn from artists, and because the call stipulates a connection to Wilkinsburg, we get people who have unique experiences, some have lived there a long time, others are small business owners or have run a gallery of their own. It’s been very exciting to see everyone’s unique relationship with the area.”

-Dave Zak, Project Manager, CDCP

Wilkinsburg Youth Initiative

Providing Funds to Support Wilkinsburg Kids & Local Organizations

Each spring, we host our annual Youth Initiative Mini-Grant Program to provide funds to local organizations that support the academic and civic endeavors of Wilkinsburg youth. We provide grants of up to $3,000 to Wilkinsburg

organizations for summer youth activities.

Since starting this initiative 12 years ago, we have supported more than 3,000 youth who participate in summer and

after school programs in Wilkinsburg.

Just this year, we funded five groups and supported hundreds of youth through our program. We are proud to support these organizations:

to provide creativity kits to youth in Wilkinsburg at no cost.

Pittsburgh Center for Creative Reuse Pittsburgh Urban Christian School Wilkinsburg Baseball Association

Creative Kidz Meshwork Press

to purchase a desktop photo printer for children at the center to use in their art studio.

to support a summer workshop series, which worked with Wilkinsburg youth to grow their personal creative processes.

to support Wilkinsburg students participating in an all-day education and enrichment summer camp.

to support the 2021 season, including equipment purchases and uniforms for the youth.

Thank You to

Major Donors

Foundations

• Henry L. Hillman Foundation

• Howard & Nell E. Miller Foundation

• Eden Hall Foundation

Businesses & Organizations

• Bridgeway Capital

• C.S. McKee

• Community LIFE

• First National Bank

• Greater Wilkinsburg Community Advancement Association

• Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield

• Hosanna House

• Humana

• James Flower Shoppe

• Metro Community Health Center

• PA Housing Finance Agency (PHFA)

• Pennwood Paint & Supply Company

• Pittsburgh Regional Transit

• Salvatore’s

• The Halifax Center for Holistic & Cosmetic Dentistry

• United Way of Southwestern PA

• Wilkinsburg Chamber of Commerce

Individuals

Warren

Christine

Lynn Sicheler

Jeffrey Leech

Carol Lewis

Fred

Steven Alschuler

William N. Andrews

Lee Ann Antol

Faith M. Bartley

R. Bechhoefer

& Joseph Bettinger

Michael J. Boyle

Susan & Gerald Brandt

Paula Breuer & Victor Pregel

Jay R. Brewster

Linda & Bob Burns

Chad & Bridgette Chalmers

William & Diane Chessman

James Cunningham Frank & Linda Davoli

Ashley Deal

Alexander Denmarsh

Gary Greiff

Robert Griffin

Thomas & Jacqueline Grim

Nancy Hamilton

Kristin Hauman

Susan Henry

John & Margaret Hill

Carole & Charles Holahan

Alan Hornell

John & Nancy Jacobs

Edie Klebacha

Curtis Kovach

Robert Kraftowitz & Janice Gordon

Irene M. Kugler Christine Kush

Nicholas Kyriazi

Edwin Leach & Gertrude Cohn

Jeanine Lindberg Paul E. Long Daniel Majewski

Miller Bill & Mary Anne Mistick

Audrey & Erik Mosley

Pamela & Christopher Murray

Leslie & Elmore Patterson

Lynne & John Perrella

Jim & Barb Pesante

Ross G. & Judy B. Farris Phares Suella Pipal Ron Porter

Greg Sciulli

Jason Cohn

Gail Manker