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About Us
 What
is the Allegheny Together Program?
In September 2007, Chief
Executive Dan Onorato launched Allegheny Together, a new
pilot program designed to assist traditional
pedestrian-based business districts throughout the county.
The new program stresses community organization and
data-driven planning as a way to direct public investment,
spur private investment and revitalize our communities.
Elizabeth Borough,
Stowe Township,
Swissvale Borough,
and
Tarentum Borough will be the first four pilot
communities to take advantage of the program.
The focused, three-year approach led by
Allegheny County
Economic Development aims to build the capacity of community
groups in these neighborhoods with the support of a
professional staff of architects, real estate experts,
community planners, community development specialists and
project managers.
Pittsburgh History and Landmarks
Foundation and
Town Center Associates, primary consultants
to the program, both have a wealth of experience and
successful track records in commercial revitalization
activities.
A principle objective of Allegheny Together is to help
existing businesses in our county’s traditional, downtown
shopping districts. By helping existing enterprises succeed,
Allegheny Together hopes to attract new entrepreneurs to the
market thus increasing district vibrancy. Public
support will encourage private investment in areas that are
plagued by disinvestment. Similar programs at the national
and state level have succeeded in leveraging two dollars of
private funding for every public dollar spent.
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Why
Downtown-based Communities are Important to the region
Statistics show that the economic might of our region, our
Commonwealth, and our nation lies in the success of our small
businesses. Allegheny County alone contains 55,390 small businesses
with fewer than 100 employees, representing 99% of all businesses in
the county employing over 265,000 workers. Dense concentrations of
these businesses are found in the commercial districts of our older
communities (and, increasingly, in newer ones as developers seek to
replicate them). In Allegheny County, we are fortunate to have over
40 such districts that are home to everything from high tech
start-ups to small niche retail stores and restaurants.
We encourage you to visit the individual downtown webpages on our
website—Elizabeth,
Stowe,
Swissvale and
Tarentum—to learn more about
the wide array of services and resources provided to Allegheny
Together communities.
If you are interested in learning more about Allegheny Together, or
contacting a specific organization involved with the program, you
will find contact information on the “Contact
Us” page.
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