Groups Renovating Houses In North Side Neighborhood
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- Community groups are revitalizing a Pittsburgh neighborhood one home at a time.
"We're hoping to get rid of blight, we're hoping to get more people interested in our neighborhood," Diane Annis-Dixon with the Brightwood Civic Group said.
The Brightwood Civic Group and the Northside Leadership Conference have been trying hard to turn this neighborhood around.
They've purchased seven vacant houses to renovate and eventually put on the market.
On Thursday, the groups held a "nail pounding" ceremony to get the community pumped up about the project.
"We'll save as much of the original fabric of these old homes as we can, that gives it some character and then we're going to be updating all the systems and the mechanicals and what not," Mark Fatla with the Northside Leadership Conference said.
Leaders hope the homes have a trickle-down effect. They want more people to move in and current homeowners to clean up and take care of their properties.
"Folks are saying, 'Wait a minute. This is a neighborhood worth reinvesting in,'" Fatla said.
Several businesses have been on board providing funds, including the nearby Rivers Casino.
The hope is that casino employees will consider moving into the community.
Of the two houses currently being renovated, one of them is already sold. Once the group wraps up work there, they'll move to work on four other nearby properties.
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Brightwood Civic Group
Northside Leadership Conference
