Jan. 17 (UPI) — Demolition of Pittsburgh’s Tree of Life synagogue has begun, some five years after it became the site of the deadliest anti-Semitic attack in U.S. history.
Crews began tearing down the building Wednesday morning. Plans for the site will see 80% of the old building demolished, leaving one of its four congregants intact to act as the main sanctuary for worship services in the new multipurpose Tree of Life facility and memorial that will be constructed in its place.
“It’s a very emotional day,” Tree of Life Congregation President Alan Hausman told Pittsburg’s WTAE.
“There’s a lot of memories into this building. Lifecycle events, bar mitzvahs, bat mitzvahs, weddings, many Shabbat services, people being together. And then it’s also on the other side, a very exciting day to see a new beginning, rebirth. A chance to really make a big difference in the world as we know it today.”
On Oct. 27, 2018, the synagogue became a site of tragedy when a gunman armed with a Ar-15-style rifle opened fire on those attending religious services, killing 11 people.
The gunman, identified as Robert Bowers, was found guilty in June on 63 federal charges, including 33 related to the 11 deaths. In August, Bowers was sentenced to death.
Demolition of the site is expected to take months, with construction of the new facility planned to begin sometime in the middle of the year and take two more years to complete at a cost of some $75 million, of which Michael Bernstein, chair of the Tree of Life Interim Governance Committee, told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette $30 million had so far been raise.
“It’s one of the few sites in America where you can come and visit where history was made,” Bernstein told CBS News. “Unfortunately, it’s a dark history but a history nonetheless, and I think an opportunity to learn from that is going to draw quite a few visitors.”
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President Joe Biden has rejected the nearly $15 billion proposed deal for Nippon Steel of Japan to purchase Pittsburgh-based U.S. Steel — affirming his vow in March to block the acquisition.
“We need major U.S. companies representing the major share of US steelmaking capacity to keep leading the fight on behalf of America’s national interests,” Biden said in a Friday morning statement.
His decision comes after the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States, known as CFIUS, failed to reach consensus on the possible national security risks of the deal last month, and sent a long-awaited report on the merger to Biden who had 15 days to reach a final decision.
The committee, chaired by Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and made up of other Cabinet members, can recommend that the president block a transaction, and federal law gives the president that power.
A U.S. official familiar with the matter, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told The Associated Press last month that some federal agencies represented on the panel were skeptical that allowing a Japanese company to buy an American-owned steelmaker would create national security risks.
The decision, which comes just weeks before the Democratic president is set to leave office, could potentially damage relations between the U.S. and Japan, which is America’s biggest ally in Asia. Japan is also the largest foreign holder of U.S. debt.
Biden previously came out against the deal last March — and was backed by the United Steelworkers, concerned over whether the company would honor existing labor agreements or slash jobs as well as the firm’s financial transparency.
Public works crews in the City of Pittsburgh are preparing for another round of snow that’s expected to impact tomorrows morning commute.
Some people hope it won’t be a repeat of how the city handled last week’s snowfall.
With more snow on the way, some people in the City of Pittsburgh are concerned and still frustrated over last week’s wintry mess.
Several cars got stuck on Negley Avenue in Squirrel Hill the morning of Dec. 21.
Some people say a lot of roads were unsalted across the city.
“It’s Pittsburgh, they are supposed to be ready for stuff like this you know, should be out the day before night before salting everything,” DoorDash driver Robert Dennis said.
Dennis uses Negley Avenue daily.
“It’s the main drag. I go down it everyday. I don’t see why they wouldn’t come out and salt it. That’s crazy,” Dennis said.
The City of Pittsburgh said that day public works was responding to unexpected heavy snowfall.
A Ring camera video showed a car sliding on ice, nearly hitting an SUV and slamming straight into the side of a house on Parkwood Road in Mount Oliver that same day.
By that afternoon, the city deployed 40 plow trucks.
“I have friends who live on the slopes and Mount Oliver area that did have a big problem couple weeks ago. I’m glad they are gonna do a better job this time,” Lucy Leitner said.
Today, Allegheny County’s Department of Public Works said when the snow starts early Friday morning, they will have 30 salt trucks with plows deployed.
The city said they are also prepared and will have 60 trucks out overnight to treat the roads.
The city says the bulk of the snow is expected to hit during rush hour tomorrow morning so they will have crews out around the clock to make sure the roads are safe.
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