Vision

Preservation Pittsburgh will consider itself successful when Pittsburgh communities embrace their unique character and sustain their future through careful stewardship of their historic resources.

Mission

Preservation Pittsburgh advocates for the protection of Pittsburgh’s historic architecture, culture and landscape. We fulfill our mission by:

• identifying resources and collaborative opportunities for preservation in our region’s neighborhoods and with partner organizations;
• developing innovative ideas and incentives for stewardship of our region’s unique sense of place and heritage; and
• advancing sound public planning and development policies that recognize preservation as an integral part of healthy sustainable communities.

History

Preservation Pittsburgh began with the demolition of a City landmark ¾ the Syria Mosque in the Oakland section of our city. The loss of this acoustically perfect and much-loved concert hall [the location is now a surface parking lot] convinced a group of concerned citizens that there needed to be a grass-roots, activist preservation organization to complement existing preservation groups to work in tandem or alone when necessary.

Priorities

We are proponents of sustainable development, and preservation is a basic tenet. It is preferable and more sustainable to “fix-it-first” whenever possible. Pittsburgh’s lively and diverse communities continue to be a key component of our city’s economic vitality and its ability to attract and maintain its residents. We endeavor to work with community groups and developers during project planning stages to ensure good design, neighborhood sensitivity, and respect for our shared heritage. This is a model for innovation and efficiency in economic development. We strive to protect and improve our region’s communities by focusing on four main projects:

• Community Preservation Collaborative
• Redo The Arena: Civic Arena Preservation & Adaptive Reuse
• Route 28/St. Nicholas Church
• Preservation policy advocacy with local and state government

Key Contacts:

Civic Arena: Rob Pfaffmann

Sacred Places: Jack Schmitt

Communications: Tom Baxter

Membership: Chad Krawtz

Advocacy: Mike Eversmeyer

Development: Noelle Badertscher, Melissa McSwigan

Upcoming Meetings

Bi-Monthly Board Meeting

Wednesday, March 4th

Preservation Advocacy Committee Meeting

Monday, March 9th

Community Preservation Collaborative Committee Meeting

Monday, March 9th

Communications Committee Meeting

Monday, March 23rd

Development Committee Meeting

Monday, March 23rd

Recent Press

Trib-Review LTE 1/6/09

Trib-Review LTE #2 1/6/09

Preservation Nation12/10/08

Post-Gazette12/4/08

Post-Gazette LTE 9/15/08

To learn more about Preservation Pittsburgh, choose from one of the menu selections on the left, including Contact Us, Heritage Projects, Success Stories, and About Us.

We look forward to your active participation in Preservation Pittsburgh.

View board meeting schedule.

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