Pittsburg, PA
Pittsburgh City Council delays action on public-safety training center as controversy simmers
Pittsburgh City Council delayed action Wednesday on a controversial plan to convert a former Veterans Affairs hospital to a public safety training center — setting council up to revisit the debate after it returns from its August recess.
Council voted to hold off for seven weeks on approving a contract related to the proposal, first made during the administration of former Mayor Bill Peduto.
“In many ways, we really need … to go back to the drawing board and look at what the potential options are that we have for the use of that land,” said Councilor Khari Mosley during the 20-minute discussion. “Even though this is eight years into this, in some ways we can look at this as early in the process.”
The Peduto administration acquired the land from the federal government after the hospital closed, with plans to use it as a state-of-the-art training facility. In that vision, the center would include a “Hogan’s Alley” — a simulated urban environment for police to train in — as well as fitness equipment, shooting ranges, and other training facilities.
Those plans sparked alarms among some progressive activists in the wake of a bitter national dispute over “Cop City,” a controversial training facility in Atlanta.
Mayor Ed Gainey’s administration has said it has a different vision for the site, one that would offer training for all the city’s first responders.
Deputy Mayor Jake Pawlak told council earlier this month that cop city concerns “mostly reflect the previous vision for the site, which did include a relocation of police headquarters, the special deployment division [and] the Zone 5 police station … alongside training facilities. All of those uses have been removed from this proposal, in part to address those concerns.”
Pawlak said the administration’s new proposal “would replace existing training assets that we have elsewhere in the city,” including a defunct tower once used by city firefighters.
Pawlak also warned that under the terms of the city’s acquisition of the land, the site had to be used for public-safety purposes. And he said the city was required to have a master plan for the site completed by next June. If it didn’t, he said, the federal government could take back the property — and potentially use it for immigration-related purposes.
On Wednesday, however, council members still had doubts.
The vote before them Wednesday involved a comparatively modest sum: a $1.8 million contract with Henningson Durham & Richardson to perform a master plan for the site, complete with a review of underground utilities. But it was clear that broader concerns were also just below the surface.
“This just seems so entirely unnecessary,” said Councilor Barb Warwick. “And the idea of this larger-scale training facility — whether it be for the police, for fire, or for EMS — at this point in time just seems sort of pie in the sky.
“We have pools that need to be fixed. We have rec centers that need to be fixed,” she added.
Warwick said that fears of the Trump administration using the site for immigration detention sounded like an “excuse” because the administration had already shown an ability to ramp up detention facilities elsewhere.
Councilor Deb Gross said the original deal struck by Peduto left council facing a dilemma. Officials might want to use the site for other purposes entirely, she said, such as recreation or affordable housing.
“How do we not lose the site and have to give it back to the federal government, but then … how to do what Pittsburghers want and are asking us to do within the constraints of that contract?” she asked. “Is there still an opportunity to say … ‘Actually, we changed our mind and we’d like to do housing here?’ We don’t have the answer to that right now.”
Short of a sweeping change to plans for the site, councilors ruminated over the possibility that a public-safety center could be both opened up to the community, and used to support more community-based responses. The city has sought to include social-support professionals on some police calls, and it has long espoused better police-community relations.
“I do support our police officers, and I do think we need them,” said Councilor Theresa Kail-Smith. “And I do think we need to do things in combination to get people help.”
But with such broad questions unanswered, council members voted to delay action on the contract until after they return from their summer recess.
Anthony Coghill, who chairs council’s public safety committee and has often been a vocal supporter of more robust policing, was absent for the discussion Wednesday. But some public-safety union leaders said a new facility would help their members.
“We just don’t have enough classroom space to keep up with the training that we do,” Tim Leech, vice president of the city’s firefighter union, told WESA.
Firefighters currently use Allegheny County resources to train, he said, and “a new, updated training facility would be great. If we had adequate facilities that we could use like that, we wouldn’t need to take our training up to the county’s training facility.”
Jon Atkinson, president of Pittsburgh’s local paramedic and EMT union, agreed that EMTs could use updated training space. But he’s also concerned about where the city would find the money to provide that space, and whether it would come from other public-safety needs.
“The city’s got some budgetary issues, and I just don’t know how they would fund it,” he said. “Especially when you consider the more immediate needs of public safety, the fact that our fleet is in pretty rough shape right now.”
Many critics, meanwhile, appear to have few doubts that the proposal is a bad idea. Council’s move to delay the vote came after an hour-long public comment period, which was dominated by speakers who opposed the plan. Several said they had bad encounters with city police during the George Floyd-related protests of 2020, and they warned that the facility would instill a more militarist mindset among police.
“If we give military training to our police, they are more likely to act as military police,” said Daniel Dulaney of Shadyside.
Another speaker, Daniel Patel, decried the possibility of spending money on a police-training facility at a time when community needs such as public transit and social-safety-net programs such as food stamps were being threatened by cuts at other levels of government. When he hears the plan discussed, he said, “My heart tells me that this American dystopia is alive in my city, too.”
Other police reformers have yet to weigh in, in part because of uncertainty about what Gainey — long a standard-bearer for reform efforts — has in mind.
Brandi Fisher, executive director of the Alliance for Police Accountability, said her organization was initially against the plan back when it started under Peduto. She said that confusion surrounds the current proposal, and that activists are scheduling a meeting with Pawlak to understand it better.
“It seems like things have changed depending on who has been in power, and that’s where the lack of clarity is coming from,” she said.
You don’t need to have your eyes checked, you are seeing things right – the Cincinnati Reds have won a second straight game against a National League Central division opponent. The win in a back-and-forth game came down to the 9th inning and down to their last strike the Reds got a 3-run home run from Eugenio Suarez and they held on to beat the Pirates and pick up a series win in Pittsburgh with one game left on Sunday.
| Final | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cincinnati Reds (39-42) | 9 | 10 | 0 |
| Pittsburgh Pirates (41-42) | 7 | 11 | 2 |
| W: Ferguson (1-0) L: Soto (4-2) SV: Petty (1) | |||
| Statcast | Box Score | Game Thread | |||
After a delayed start due to some rain, the game started about 40 minutes after the originally scheduled time. Cincinnati didn’t take much time to grab a lead. Sal Stewart took the 4th pitch of the game and went the other way for a solo home run. Chase Burns had to work around two singles in the bottom of the inning but he got out of the jam to keep the lead.
Two innings later the Reds offense got back to it when Jose Trevino led off with a ground-rule double and later came in to score on a 2-out hit by Stewart as he picked up his second run batted in on the day. The Pirates put together a rally of their own in the bottom of the frame. Back-to-back singles got things started and then Brandon Lowe came through for the home team with a 3-run home run to put Pittsburgh in the lead. In the 4th inning they would tack on another run on a single by Jared Triolo that made it 4-2.
Cincinnati got back in the game in the 5th with plenty of help from the Pirates. Dane Myers walked and then took second base thanks to a balk. A wild pitch moved him to third base and he would later score on a double by Edwin Arroyo. A second wild pitch in the inning moved him up to third and then he scored when Brandon Lowe failed to come up with a grounder cleanly at second base with two outs and that tied up the game.
The next inning the Reds would take the lead. They would load the bases with one out thanks to a walk and two singles. That set things up for Jose Trevino who came through with a 2-run single that made it 6-4.
At 90 pitches on the day, Chase Burns headed back to the mound for the 7th inning with a lead but he gave up a leadoff double that just missed being a home run off of the top of the wall in right field. That ended his day and manager Terry Francona called on Sam Moll from the bullpen. He would get a groundout, but it moved Jared Triolo up to third base and he then came in to score on a sacrifice fly that made it a 1-run game. Moll then walked Bryan Reynolds and Nick Gonzales, bringing up left-handed hitter Ryan O’Hearn and he came through with a game-tying single into right field. Tejay Antone then entered the game and struck out Marcell Ozuna to end the inning.
Pittsburgh would see a new reliever to start the 8th inning as Caleb Ferguson took over for Antone. He got a line out to begin the inning but then Esmerlyn Valdez took the first pitch he saw and hit it into the seats in right field for a go-ahead solo home run to give Pittsburgh the lead.
Cincinnati entered the top of the 9th down by a run but they got the tying run on base immediately as Edwin Arroyo lined a single into right field. Elly De La Cruz was called out on strikes, but he challenged the call and it was overturned and turned strike three into ball four and the Reds had two men on with no outs. After Sal Stewart grounded into a double play, moving Arroyo to third base, JJ Bleday worked a walk to put runners on the corners for Eugenio Suarez. He came through in the biggest way as he took a 2-2 97 MPH fastball and went the other way for a 3-run home run to put Cincinnati up 9-7.
Now holding a lead the Reds sent Chase Petty to the mound. The first pitch he threw turned into a groundout. It took four pitches to get Bryan Reynolds to pop up for the second out. Petty fell behind the next hitter and wound up walking Nick Gonzalez, bringing Ryan O’Hearn to the plate as the tying run. He pulled a line drive down the line but Spencer Steer was standing right there to catch it and end the game.
Key Moment of the Game
Eugenio Suarez hitting a go-ahead 3-run home run in the top of the 9th inning.
Notes Worth Noting
Cincinnati had just two wins against the NL Central when this series began. They’ve now doubled that and have a chance at a sweep on Sunday.
Sal Stewart, Jose Trevino, and Edwin Arroyo all had 2-hit days.
Eugenio Suarez had been in a big slump, going 1-22 from June 16-23rd. But since then he’s been heating up a bit, going 4-11 with two doubles, a home run, and two walks in the last three games.
Chase Petty picked up his first career save.
Up Next for the Cincinnati Reds
Cincinnati Reds vs Pittsburgh Pirates
Sunday June 28th, 1:35pm ET
Brady Singer (3-6, 4.81 ERA) vs Mitch Keller (5-5, 4.89 ERA)
The Pittsburgh Penguins got what they wanted.
Friday night was life-changing for Pittsburgh Penguins’ first-round pick Liam Ruck of the Medicine Hat Tigers. The organization selected him with the 22nd overall pick. Saturday morning was life-changing for his identical twin brother Markus Ruck as the Penguins used the first of their second-round picks to select him.
And the twins and teammates in Medicine Hat, who have spent only four days apart in their first 18 years, got what they wanted, too. They’re both Pittsburgh Penguins.
Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas told reporters Friday night, following the conclusion of Round One, that it appeared more likely in the days leading to the draft that the team would not be able to trade up and that Liam Ruck would be available to them.
There were credible rumors emanating from the league side that some teams considered taking Markus to spur trade talks with the Penguins, but eventually, the other half of the WHL’s high-scoring duo was available Saturday morning with the 39th overall pick.
While Liam had 45 goals and 104 points in 68 games, Markus was the slick playmaking center who kept him fed. Markus Ruck had 108 points with 87 assists. Both brothers need to both add bulk but also improve their skating, which scouts consider a weakness.
Liam is the slightly larger twin, at 6-foot, 177 pounds. Markus weighs in at 6-foot, 167 pounds.
The story is developing, and Pittsburgh Hockey Now will update the story after Markus Ruck speaks with the media.
Categorized:2026 NHL Draft Pittsburgh Penguins
The South Side Street Fest added additional metal detectors and ID scanners, plus a dedicated line for locals, to help people get in faster after long lines were reported for the event’s first outing last weekend.
There were no lines at 11 p.m. on Friday, the event’s second night, but an organizer said Saturday, when they usually see larger crowds, will be a better test of the new measures. While attendees praised the event’s first night from a safety standpoint, with no arrests and an average number of citations issued, some criticized how long it took to get in on June 20.
“It’s a little overkill. I kind of had to wait 30 minutes,” Justin McCord said. “The line was just startling to me.”
John DeMauro, a business owner and member of the South Side Hospitality Partnership, which is working with the city to put on the event, said leaders have heard the feedback.
“We got more people than we thought there [would be],” DeMauro said. “There was a little bit of a wait to get into the entrances.”
They’ve since added four ID scanners and two more metal detectors, he said.
“We should be able to move those lines along fairly quickly this week,” DeMauro said.
The event is restricted to people 21 and up, but anyone under 21 who lives within the footprint can still get through. They’ll be escorted to their homes, a police commander told KDKA-TV, adding that few kids live inside the event’s footprint.
They also have a new solution for South Side residents to enter the footprint faster: a local lane pass. Acting just like a fast pass at an amusement park, those who have it can go through a dedicated entry line.
“Wanted that to be quicker, wanted that to be not as cumbersome,” he said.
Anyone who lives in the 15203 zip code, which covers the entire South Side, can register for the pass online, he said. At the 18th Street security checkpoint on Friday, residents had to show their ID with the 15203 zip code to go through the local lane.
Because the zip code is used, it means it’s not just for people who live inside the footprint. Anyone who lives on the South Side can enter using the pass, for instance, if they want to grab something from a corner store. Fifty people had registered as of 7 p.m. on Friday.
The line also helps to get delivery drivers through, Zone 3’s police commander said.
A bar owner within the footprint told KDKA-TV last week that during the fest’s debut, they saw a lot of people on the street but fewer in bars. But because it’s so early, they said they weren’t concerned.
“I think that’s the general consensus,” DeMauro said. “It was a really good start to it, but our intention is to make it grow. I think that’s the biggest thing we want people to understand.”
He added that the intention moving forward is to keep listening to feedback and making changes to improve the festival. He also encouraged people to come down to test the improved security measures themselves.
-
Movie Reviews1 minute agoHollywood Pariah Kevin Spacey Opens in a Straight to Video Movie with 25 Producers, 1 Review, No Theaters, No Press – Showbiz411
-
World13 minutes ago
Rescue Workers and Aid Arrive in Venezuela, Official Says
-
Lifestyle51 minutes agoThis mindset shift can help you get better at using up your leftovers
-
Technology1 hour agoTMD’s keyless bike lock is a $280 solution to a $60 problem
-
World1 hour agoAmerican rescue teams pull infant alive from rubble in Venezuela days after devastating twin earthquakes
-
Politics1 hour agoTrump scores another endorsement win with Louisiana Senate runoff victory
-
Health1 hour agoNew blood test detects 90% of aggressive prostate cancer cases, beating current screenings
-
Sports1 hour ago2026 World Cup Round of 16 Odds: Which Teams Will Make It?
