July 2026 community meeting: Hazelwood public art trail in the works for a September launch | The Homepage

Also: Architecture summer program focuses on ideas for the Gladstone Annex; a new neighborhood employment center

Young architects in the UDream program present ideas for future uses of the Gladstone Annex at the July 14 Greater Hazelwood community meeting. Photo by Tiffany Taulton

By Managing Editor Juliet Martinez

A small crowd of stalwart Hazelwoodians braved the day’s heat to attend the July 14 Greater Hazelwood community meeting at Community Kitchen Pittsburgh. Joined by about a dozen online participants, they learned about a new neighborhood employment center, tree planting, and a project to generate ideas for the Gladstone Annex. But first, two familiar presenters talked about a new public art trail in Hazelwood.

Arts trail

Nikki Martin works with Hazelwood Local, and Edith Abeyta is the co-founder of Arts Excursions Unlimited. They have been working together to create a guide to Hazelwood’s public artworks.

Ms. Abeyta said Hazelwood has at least 17 permanent public artworks. These include the Tonee Turner mural on Second Avenue, the “Time Travelers” mural on the Elizabeth Street Bridge, the sculptures “Hazel the Bird” on the grounds of Propel School and “Dandelion” on the grounds of Gladstone Residences, to name a few.

The project has an advisory committee composed of different people with a connection to the neighborhood and the arts. Hazelwood residents Dasawn Gray, Denise Johnson, Tameeka Jones-Cuff and Kjerstin Pugh are members of the committee. Maura Bainbridge from Industrial Arts workshop, Lauren Coursey of Hazelwood Initiative Inc., artist Ben Grubb, neighborhood planner Austin “A.J.” Herzog, District 5 legislative director Clara Weibel, and Jacob Zabela from the University of Pittsburgh are the other members.

Hazelwood resident and professional photographer Heather Mull will photograph each of the artworks. Kylie Tokar, a mapmaker in Greenfield, will create a map of their locations. Finally, website designer Hilary Meurer will make graphics and icons for the map, and a web page for the project.

The goal is to launch the project in September. If you have ideas, questions or suggestions about it, please contact Edith Abeyta at edithabeyta@gmail.com or Nikki Martin at nikki@streetplans.org.

Annex ideas

The UDream architecture program from Carnegie Mellon University is offering ideas for the Gladstone Annex.

UDream is a free academic and workforce development program for recent graduates with a bachelor’s or master’s degree in architecture, planning or design. The program’s goal is “retaining diverse talent in Pittsburgh” according to the CMU website. The six-week summer session gives participants a chance to work on projects as a team. In the fall, they will intern with local companies and organizations.

Hazelwood Initiative Inc. Executive Director Sonya Tilghman said the architects in the program are offering ideas that can help start a conversation about the future of the building.

The Gladstone Annex was built in 1926 and remained an active part of the school until 2001. After a community input process, Hazelwood Initiative Inc. bought the building in 2016. The main part of the former school is now a mixed-income housing development, but the annex remains unused and empty.

The young architects’ first suggestion was to turn the annex into a grocery store with other business uses on the upper floors. They also envisioned a child-care facility because Hazelwood has a lot of children under age 9. Another idea they floated was business suites for beauty and wellness entrepreneurs who might share a receptionist, Wi-Fi, bathrooms and other amenities. They discussed the importance of “third spaces” where people can gather. An idea for that was to put in a gym on the upper floor. The building already has a large gymnasium and a small one.

To offer your ideas and/or join a focus group for the Gladstone Annex, please visit tinyurl.com/gladstone-annex-ideas.

Employment center

Hazelwood native Danielle Davis, Ph.D., is the founder and president of Davis Consulting Solutions. This employment agency is now the official neighborhood employment center for Hazelwood. They are recruiting for city job openings now.

Davis Consulting Solutions’ mission is to “provide diverse business and workforce solutions to drive collective economic impact,” and to “build next-generation organizations and leaders” through community economic development, servant leadership and management practices.

As the neighborhood employment center, the company’s mission is to bridge the gap in wealth distribution and improve quality of life.

To learn more about job openings and other opportunities through Davis Consulting Solutions, call 412-407-2499.

Get a tree

City Forester Lisa Ceoffe and Tree Equity Lead for the City of Pittsburgh Hana Kneiser joined the meeting to invite residents to request a street tree to help cool their neighborhood and improve air quality. Visit treepittsburgh.org/resources/street-trees to learn more.

Hazelwood Initiative Inc.

Project Manager Calvin Dziewulski said the nonprofit has houses for sale in the neighborhood. Low- and moderate-income home buyers for these properties can apply for a $90,000 soft second mortgage from the Urban Redevelopment Authority to drastically reduce the cost and their payments.

• For sale now: 314 Renova St. is listed for $192,000 and has two bedrooms and one bathroom.

• For sale soon: 183 Marsden St. is listed for $204,250 and has four bedrooms and one bathroom.

• For sale soon: 425 West Elizabeth St. is listed at $204,250 and has four bedrooms and two bathrooms. See facing page for details.

For more information, email nnoszka@hazelwoodinitiative.org.

National Night Out will be Tuesday, Aug. 4 from 5:30-7:30 p.m. See the ad on this page for details.