Media[]
Board OKs negotiation of schools' sales[]
- May 28, 2009, by Joe Smydo, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Pittsburgh Public Schools board voted to try to negotiate the sale of the former Connelley and Letsche school buildings in the Lower Hill District in June 2009 to a company that wants to turn them into a center for green innovation.
The 6-2 vote followed a protracted debate over whether Hill District residents would have adequate input into the development proposal and whether the board gives better treatment to more affluent neighborhoods.
Board member Bill Isler was absent, and Mark Brentley Sr. and Randall Taylor voted against the agreement with Pittsburgh Gateways Corp., a business incubator that has proposed using the adjoining buildings for education, research and other green initiatives.
Mr. Brentley and Mr. Taylor proposed tabling negotiations for 15 days, so a community meeting to vet the proposal could be organized.
Heather Arnet said some community outreach efforts already had been made and noted that some Hill District leaders already support the development proposal. She nonetheless proposed that Pittsburgh Gateways be required to hold a series of community meetings, including one within 30 days, and a majority of board members accepted that suggestion.
The district and Pittsburgh Gateways have as long as a year to negotiate a sale. The final agreement would have to come back to the board for another vote.