Homestead, PA The Revitalization Strategy of a Rundown Steel Town

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Homestead, PAThe Revitalization Strategy of a
Run-down Steel Town

• Jon Harahush
• Bill McLain
• Kristen Wilson

William Serrin, The Glory and Tragety of an
American Steel Town
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Creating a Resolution for Homestead, PA

• Our group is working for the Steel Valley
  Authority in Duquesne, PA
• Designing a revitalization plan for Homestead, PA
• Recommending solutions for redevelopment

Judith Modell, Envisioning Homestead, A Town
without Steel
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History Of Homestead

• Homestead Works established on the Monongahela
  River in Southwestern Pennsylvania.
• In March of 1881, the plant opened
• Andrew Carnegie bought the Homestead Works in
  1883

1900 view of Homestead from Pittsburgh
Steve Mellon, After the Smoke Clears
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Immigrants

• Immigrants flocked to the Homestead
• 1870-1880s the majority of immigrants were
  English, Welsh, Irish and German.
• 1890-1920s the flux changed to Eastern
• 1890-1930 the blacks from the South.

Judith Modell, Envisioning Homestead, A Town
Without Steel
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Paternalistic Town

• U.S. Steel basically controlled the town.
• Carnegie Library, Charles H. Schwab for the
  Manual Arts, Frick Park in 1905
• In the 1980s, as in the 1880s, no matter where
  one walked, shopped or played, there were
  reminders of the boss and benefactor under whose
  initial vision the town had burst into successful
  industrial growth (Modell 41998).

Judith Modell, Envisioning Homestead, A Town
Without Steel
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Pictures Depicting Thriving Homestead
William Serrin, Homestead, The Glory and Tragety
of an American Steel Town
Judith Modell, Envisioning Homestead, A Town
Without Steel
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The Great Depression

• 1933 56 percent of steelworkers were unemployed
  in the Works
• Wages to half the amount of a decent living wage
• A soup kitchen was established in Homestead

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Boom Period1940-1960

• WWII
• Men left for war
• Blacks came to the Mill
• Productivity Increased
• Increased need for steel

Judith Modell, Envisioning Homestead, A Town
Without Steel
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Strike of 1946

• January 21, 1946
• Largest strike in U.S. History
• Workers demanded increased pay for increased
  productivity

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The Decline of Steel in Homestead

• 1960s
• Workers were steeling from the company
• Were sleeping on the job
• Were playing golf instead of going to work

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Shutting down Homestead Works

• Mill shut down in phases
• Final shutting of the gates was on July 25, 1986

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Homestead in 2003

• labeled as a distressed community
• main business district - 8th Avenue - is
  dilapidated and awaiting revival
• population is down to 3,569 as of the 2000 census

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Homestead Trying to Improve the Community
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Early Plans for Redevelopment

• In the past, Homestead has tried to better their
  community
• All attempts have failed

1996 Homestead View from Pittsburgh
Steve Mellon, After the Smoke Clears
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Early Plans for Redevelopment

• 1980 Redevelopment
• Former Leona Theater of 1966
• To be called Leona Shops Apartments
• 2.5 Million
• Converted into Mini Mall
• 10 Exclusive shops, restaurants, health club
• 40 deluxe apartments
• Never passed

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Early Plans for Redevelopment

• Local Rock Concert
• April 1982
• Sponsored by Tri-State Conference on Steel
• Town of W. Homestead was playing the State
  Lottery to raise money
• Food bank Established May 1983
• Operated out of Local 1397
• By Michael Stout

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Early Plans for Redevelopment

• Department of Housing Urban Development
• Moved families into apartments and houses
• Under Federal Government Section 8 housing
  program
• Program paid above market rents to slum landlords
• 250-300 for a walk up on 8th Avenue

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Problems

• Goodwill was established
• People were too stubborn to buy second hand
• Unemployment benefits
• Homestead people lost all pride
• Felt useless

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More Recent Attempts at Redevelopment

• Homestead council formulates 10-year plan for
  boroughwide improvements (December 2001)
• Art shows along the sidewalks of 8th Avenue (July
  2002)
• 8th Avenue businesses launch cleanup plan
  (February 2003)
• council doubled mercantile tax in attempt to
  raise more money (April 2003)

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For more photographs of present day Homestead, PA

• http//www.personal.psu.edu/users/k/d/kdw1003/Geog
  20420w20Page.htm

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the evolution of the waterfront
Photos courtesy of Kristen Wilson
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the beginning

• 1986 - closing of the Homestead Works
• Homestead Works was located on a plot of that is
  part of three different boroughs - Homestead,
  West Homestead, and Munhall.
• the idea of the mill reopening in the future
  existed

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location
Map courtesy of MapQuest
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early redevelopment efforts

• Site designated as one of many brownfields in the
  area
• 1988 - Park Corporation purchases brownfields
  (including Homestead Works) on both sides of
  Monongahela River
• area eyed for development

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early redevelopment efforts

• 1988 to 1992 - Site was investigated for
  tourism/steel heritage type attraction, however,
  deal fell through
• 1994 - Park Corp. slowly started demolishing
  major buildings and clearing the land
• rumors about the redevelopment of the site
• site favorable for development because it is flat

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redevelopment plan

• 1997 Park Corp. and Continental Real Estate
  Companies announce plans for the waterfront
• 270 acres
• 300 million project
• mixed-use complex

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redevelopment plan change of hands

• 1998 - Park Corp. sells site to Continental Real
  Estate Companies
• Continental announces new partner Nationwide
  Realty Company
• definite plans begin to take shape

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redevelopment plan financing

• Homestead, Munhall, and West Homestead erase
  boundaries and create a unified zoning,
  planning, and taxing district (Lord).
• 21 million tax increment financing plan to pay
  for infrastructure
• state money

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redevelopment plan layout

• Originally two retail areas the stacks and
  the power center
• stacks pedestrian-friendly area with smaller
  shops and large theatre town center
• power center western end of site big box
  retailers
• Other plans included housing, office space, and a
  marina.

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redevelopment plan plan shapes up

• McDonalds, Lowes Theatre, Dave Busters, and
  Lowes Hardware among first businesses to open.
• The town square area has the ambiance of an
  elegant old town
• the stacks become a symbol of the development
• popularity increases

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redevelopment plan plan shapes up

• posh apartments built along the waterfront
• a few relics from the USX mill saved and on
  display at the waterfront - aim to (sort of)
  preserve history
• possibility of establishing portions of the
  waterfront as a national historic site

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redevelopment plan waterfront today

• Fallinpa.coms description of the waterfront
  today
• not only trendy retail stores - housing plans
  have materialized.
• office space exists as well

Courtesy of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
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redevelopment plan effects on the community?

• did the waterfront develop according to plan?
• many varying opinions of the waterfront
• time will tell..

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Economic Aspects of Homestead and the Waterfront
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What does the Waterfront Show?

• Development in an area that nobody thought would
  be developed
• Cooperative Revenue Sharing
• You cannot build Rome in one day

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Cooperative Revenue Sharing

• Waterfront as a Model for future economic
  development
• Division of revenue according to the amount of
  space taken up by the Waterfront
• 20 - Munhull
• 50 - Homestead
• 30 - West Homestead

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Indicators of Economic Growth in Homestead

• In the Mon Valley, 530 jobs were created between
  1994 and 2001
• Homesteads economy has improved much since those
  jobs were created
• Reflected in Revenue, Expenditures, and Debt
  Status of Homestead from 1986 until 2001

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Indicators of Economic Growth in Homestead
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Indicators of Economic Growth in Homestead
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Indicators of Economic Growth in Homestead
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Indicators of Economic Growth in Homestead
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Indicators of Economic Growth in Homestead
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Indicators of Economic Growth in Homestead
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Indicators of Economic Growth in Homestead
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Indicators of Economic Growth in Homestead
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Future Growth?

• Most jobs developed within the Homestead region
  are retail jobs
• These jobs are not the best, but they are jobs
  after all.
• Desire for other industries to enter the area
• Siemans is locating a plant in Homestead
• Growth is a slow process

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Recommendations

• Bill- Let time go by
• See what The Waterfront can do for the Community
• Kristen- Invest in a training facility in
  Homestead
• E.g. Bidwell/Manchester Craftsman Guild
• Jon- Continue reaching out to artists
• Forming an artsy community and gaining more
  residents may be a recipe for success.