Billy Porter linked to plan to redevelop Pittsburgh’s Homewood Coliseum
Porter, alongside television personality Rachael Ray and developers, have come together with a plan to revitalize the historic Homewood building.
Billy Porter may help out his hometown of Pittsburgh. According to a recent report, the Tony- and Emmy-winning actor is involved with a team to help redevelop Pittsburgh’s Homewood Coliseum.
Per the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Porter alongside television personality Rachael Ray and developers Herky and Lisa Pollock are planning to redevelop the historic Pittsburgh staple. The plan includes using the space to bring back a roller rink while also creating a “workforce training hub for film and theater.” A space for the Billy Porter Foundation and a restaurant are also included in the plans.
In a statement shared with the outlet, Porter said, “For youth in crisis, an opportunity to succeed in life, to add vitality to a struggling community, to activate a site that is a daily reminder of how underprivileged and overlooked communities have been neglected, and to provide a path and a lifeline for a way out of harm’s way all will be the trademarks of this development.”
According to the Pittsburgh Urban Redevelopment Authority’s (URA) website, the Homewood Coliseum is a ” treasured community asset” in the neighborhood, and is a relic of the Homewood streetcar system.
At one point in the 1890s, it “housed over 100 streetcars” and drew in much of the middle class that transformed Homewood into one of Pittsburgh’s “most vibrant neighborhoods” by the 1930s. By the 1950s, it became an important and thriving neighborhood for the African-American community in the city.
Per the Post-Gazette, this is not the first plan presented regarding the historic building. The URA did not move forward with two proposals for the space just 10 months ago.
In a statement to the outlet, the URA said it is “interested in having the development team engage with the community in the coming months, further refine their proposal, and begin conversations with potential partner agencies.”
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