ALLEGHENY CONFERENCE AND PITTSBURGH DOWNTOWN PARTNERSHIP HAVE LAUNCHED INDEXPGH, A DIGITAL DASHBOARD THAT GIVES VISITORS SNAPSHOTS OF THE CITY’S VIBRANCY, CLEANLINESS, ECONOMY AND PUBLIC HEALTH AND SAFETY AS A TOOL TO HELP WITH DOWNTOWN REVITALIZATION EFFORTS. | PHOTO: COURTESY OF ALLEGHENY CONFERENCE

The launch of a digital dashboard and allotment of at least $2 million in investments are aimed at further revitalizing Downtown Pittsburgh.

IndexPGH, the digital tool that gives Downtown visitors a snapshot of the city’s economy, cleanliness, safety, public health, overall energy and liveliness, was launched Wednesday, Aug. 16. 

The Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership also announced investments in public safety and health outreach, as well as bolstered programming in Market and Mellon squares, temporary public restrooms and enhanced beautification and lighting.

The restrooms will be located in three Downtown locations (to be announced at a later date) in trailer facilities with heat, running water and lights. They will be staffed 16 hours a day for cleanliness and safety.

According to the Allegheny Conference, public and private sector leaders will evaluate how to transition to permanent public restrooms during the six-month trial.

THE 500 BLOCK OF SMITHFIELD STREET IS PICTURED THURSDAY AFTERNOON. DOWNTOWN STAKEHOLDERS ARE HOPING A NEW DIGITAL TOOL AND MORE INVESTMENTS WILL HELP WITH DOWNTOWN REVITALIZATION EFFORTS. | PHOTO BY DENISE BONURA

IndexPGH was launched after the PDP recently released a report indicating the city saw close to 100% visitor recovery last month, the highest number of visitors since 2019.

The report also indicates the number of employees returning to Downtown Monday through Friday has reached 63%, which is also the highest since the beginning of the pandemic.

A recent report by real estate firm Jones Lang LaSalle shows office vacancy rates Downtown increased for the seventh consecutive quarter to a record high of 22.5%. It was just 14.9% in the second quarter of 2019.

Outside of the office buildings, the PDP reported an average of 95,000 visitors per day in July, or an 81% recovery compared to pre-pandemic numbers.

While more visitors may be returning to the Golden Triangle this summer, some business owners say crime, drug abuse and mounting homelessness remain significant obstacles. 

Denny Scott, owner of the longtime Downtown establishment Wiener World at Smithfield Street and Strawberry Way, says he recently decided to put the business up for sale in hopes of moving to a better location.

“We have been here 58 years and we are hoping to still be located Downtown, but we are looking all over,” he adds.

While Scott has been candid about witnessing drug deals, overdoses and lewd acts outside of his business, he stresses he only speaks about his business’ area and not the greater state of Downtown.

“We have received some help from the police and the Downtown partnership and a lot has improved since April. I think this is a very complex issue and I’m not trying to bring any negativity. We want to keep our business here.”

Scott adds if city stakeholders wish to improve Downtown for everyone, then it needs to be safe everywhere, “not just in Market Square and the Cultural District.”

Fragasso Financial Advisors, another Downtown staple, opted to move out of its Smithfield Street building because of the violence, according to CEO Robert Fragasso.

“We were at the epicenter of crime and homelessness,” he says. “It wasn’t the homeless that caused the problems, but the criminals who prey on them. We had fights, drug deals, needles, feces and urine outside of our building. I spoke with the administration and they did nothing, so we made arrangements to leave after 51 years.”

Fragasso says Downtown needs humane policing coupled with the appropriate social services paired with the police department to sort out those who need care and to prosecute the criminals.

“I give credit to the Allegheny Conference and the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership, as well as the private sector, for their work to help revitalize Downtown. I think this is a step in the right direction. But how much more effective would it be if it were actually a true partnership with the city administration?” he asks.

According to data on IndexPGH, 76 arrests were made in Downtown in June. Eight of those arrests were for “Part 1 Crimes,” which include homicide, rape, robbery, assault and burglary.

“Challenges across many issues exist: real estate, employment, crime and unhoused populations,” Stefani Pashman, CEO of the Allegheny Conference, acknowledges. “While these struggles are very real, so are the efforts — often behind the scenes — of public and private stakeholders to address them.. There is still work to be done in returning Downtown to vibrancy, but we are seeing a positive shift and, I believe, we are gaining momentum.”