Pittsburgh launches spring cleaning efforts Downtown

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — The city of Pittsburgh is making plans to pick up litter and increase public safety during a spring cleaning effort Downtown. 

Concerns about safety and cleanliness have been a topic of debate in Downtown Pittsburgh. Multiple businesses said they've had enough and are calling on the city to do more. 

Some businesses, like Weiner World on Smithfield Street, have had concerns about urinating or defecating in front of their businesses. KDKA-TV asked Mayor Ed Gainey about how his plan addresses those concerns.  

"That's something we are also looking to work with, with some of our Downtown stakeholders, is how do we address that we need to provide safe clean public restrooms for people to use?" said Maria Montaño, Mayor Ed Gainey's spokesperson.

Gainey says the city will not be arresting people experiencing homelessness, but they are working to have crews work with them.  

"We've still got a lot of work to do, but in terms of improving and making the necessary changes to make Downtown safer, we've done that," Gainey said.  

The mayor said Pittsburgh police will continue their patrols. They currently have about eight to 12 officers working Downtown whereas before it was four to five. Allegheny County police will continue to assist for the time being.  

"It has continued to improve. There are no microwave meals in this. If we continue to work hard on this, and we will, we will continue to get the change we seek," Gainey said. 

For vacant buildings, the Downtown Neighbor Alliance announced a plan to use art to create a more welcoming space, "so that the empty storefronts are not just there, they are beautified and show off our great city," said John Valentine with the Downtown Neighborhood Alliance said.  

For Downtown resident and business owner Dejan Kovacevic, a move like that is welcomed but it doesn't stop property owners who don't invest in the neighborhood.  

"There are building owners, individual building owners who could be chased a lot more aggressively by the city to take care of their own structures," Kovacevic said.  

One such property is 441 Smithfield Street, which has drawn the ire of Downtown groups because it has sat vacant for years. The mayor's office says there is not much they can do to a private property that wants to stay empty. Kovacevic said if the mayor's office wants Downtown to be the jewel it can be, holding landlords accountable will go a long way.  

"Anywhere that you have vitality, and you have real vitality and perceived vitality, you're going to have less of a problem," Kovacevic said.  

The Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership also touted the new Golden Triangle Ambassadors initiative, which includes eight full-time ambassadors, two supervisors and a dispatcher.

As for how much longer Allegheny County police will assist with patrols, there's no timeline on that. They are going to reevaluate that in a couple of weeks.