South Shore Park Extension Transforms Riverscape Into Vibrant Relaxation Spot
Follow KDKA-TV: Facebook | Twitter
SOUTH SHORE (KDKA) -- Could Pittsburgh's South Shore soon resemble its counterpart to the north?
With the cut of a ribbon, the celebrating began Monday for the South Shore Riverfront Park's new gateway and improvements.
"These enhancements that continue to happen, like this Riverfront Park extension, just adds to the vitality of what makes this place so special," Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald said.
Located on the former LTV Steel site at Southside Works, the 3-acre, $14 million public park has transformed the industrial riverscape into a vibrant spot for recreation, relaxation and special events.
The site sits next to the Southside Works complex, which was developed by the Soffer Organization.
Amenities including hiking and biking trails, a piazza and a 1,000-seat amphitheater, to name a few.
It connects the Hot Metal Bridge, Three Rivers Heritage Trail system and Great Allegheny Passage.
"Here we are today, making one more amenity that helps bring folks down to the river, really taking one of our most amazing assets -- our scenic beauty, our rivers -- and helping make one of our best assets something all Pittsburghers can all get to more," small business and redevelopment manager Henry Pyatt said.
Assets that could bring an appeal to new businesses that thrive on city living for its employees.
"Every week there's a new enhancement that makes Pittsburgh more special and why any company, not just Amazon, should want to locate with their employees right here," Fitzgerald said.
"Projects like this don't happen without lots and lots of funding and lots of partners on that funding," Robert Rubenstein, with the Urban Redevelopment Authority of Pittsburgh, said.
Funding support has come from multiple donors to make projects like this possible.
"When I think about the proposal we're gonna be making for that Amazon competition that the whole country and all of North America set off on, we're doing this every day," Fitzgerald said.