The Elm Street Program was created by the State of Pennsylvania’s Department of Community and Economic Development to complement the Main Street Program. The program was designed to strengthen older historic neighborhoods adjacent to business districts with the understanding that healthy communities have both strong commercial and residential counterparts.
In 2005, following a successful proposal for Elm Street designation, the section of Lawrenceville bounded by Stanton Avenue, Dresden Way, Keystone Street, and 55th Street became designated as an Elm Street district. An Elm Street Plan was created by the LC, Lawrenceville United, and the Lawrenceville Stakeholders, and this plan is being implemented by the LC’s Elm Street Committee.
The Elm Street mission is to revitalize the neighborhood on five main points:
- Clean, Safe, and Green: encourages residents to take pride in their neighborhood landscape and safety through increased awareness, volunteerism, and resident partnerships with police.
- Neighbors and Economy: promotes the area as a community of choice to current and potential residents through reinvestment and the elimination of blighted properties.
- Design: connects homeowners to home repair and home improvement resources while proposing suggestions and guidelines for new design.
- Image & Identity: improves the neighborhood perception for non-residents (image) while working to improve a positive “sense of place” for residents (identity).
- Sustainable Organization: establishes stability in leadership, governance, finances, and staffing for the program to “graduate” and continue the revitalization efforts upon the completion of the five-year program.
Accomplishments include:
- Ten street trees planted along the 5200 block of Carnegie Street.
- “Rebuilding Day 2007”: a one-day home repair blitz with Rebuilding Together Pittsburgh. 450 volunteers helped repair fourteen homes within the Elm Street area (roofing, plumbing, electrical, and carpentry repairs).
- 21 blighted alleyway properties acquired; six demolished.
- Development of an alleyway/vacant lot strategy.
- Vacant lot maintenance during monthly community clean-ups.
- Facilitation of the URA’s Home Emergency Loan Program (HELP) to help residents receive forgivable loans for emergency home repair.
- Installation of custom-designed benches and trash cans on Butler Street, adjacent to the neighborhood.
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2008 Weed and Seed funding for seven programs within the district. Programs include youth development, greening initiatives, and photography/arts activities.
Managed by the LC, the program functions through a committee of residents and Lawrenceville United representatives. Funding is made available through the Department of Community and Economic Development, administered by the Pennsylvania Downtown Center and the Urban Redevelopment Authority of Pittsburgh. |
