“I’m so pleased to join with Rep. Gainey to bring these critical grant funds back to Homewood,” Costa said. “Homewood is a growing, thriving community that has so much potential. This project opens the door to new opportunities for businesses and industrial partners to expand their operations. New business ventures mean new job opportunities for residents. What more could we ask for?”
The building, which sat idle for years, houses 150,000 square feet of space spread over five floors. Each of these 30,000-square-foot floors either has been, or will be rewired, framed, dry walled and painted, and subdivided to fit the lessees’ needs.
And, as the New Pittsburgh Courier previously reported, all the work has been supervised by Rashad Byrdsong’s Homewood-based Ma’at Construction firm, which Bridgeway hired as the general contractor for the project in 2014.
Not only has this allowed Byrdsong to hire additional African American tradesmen and crews like electrical contractor Louis McCullough, it affords students of the construction training program he runs though the Community Empowerment Association the chance to get hands-on experience.
Bridgeway gets it, he said.
“This is true empowerment; when you’re able to build your own organizations and institutions and businesses,” said Byrdsong. “Now, these kids out here will see people who look like them working and contributing, and rebuilding and beautifying their community. Instead of takers, they’ll see makers—they’ll be makers.”
Adam Kenney, director of Bridgeway’s Craft Business Accelerator, said the building is currently about two-thirds filled with tenants. The grant will help refit the remaining third, which includes half of the first floor and the entire fifth floor.
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