Nonprofit director aims to rebuild Hazelwood
Sonya Tilghman wants to put her experience with neighborhood development, affordable housing and banking to work in Hazelwood, where several projects offer hope for a brighter future in the distressed area.
Tilghman, 43, of Swissvale became executive director of the nonprofit Hazelwood Initiative in January. She replaced Jim Richter, who retired last year after 14 years.
“It's an opportunity to pull together what I learned here and elsewhere and try to help the community do something good,” Tilghman said.
Tilghman, a native of suburban Washington, moved to Pittsburgh in the mid-1990s to pursue a master's degree in public policy at Carnegie Mellon University. She never left.
Tilghman focused on affordable housing for five years, working for the city's Urban Redevelopment Authority and Housing Authority. She worked for the nonprofit East Liberty Development Inc. for four years, helping to secure financing for commercial projects, and did development-related work as a vice president with two banks for five years.
For the past two years, Tilghman ran a consulting firm, whose contracts included work with city and state governments on Hurricane Sandy recovery programs in New York.
“The fact that she has experience in so many different areas will be really beneficial,” said Councilman Corey O'Connor, whose district includes Hazelwood.
“There is a lot going on in Hazelwood right now, and it's not just bricks-and-mortar work. Having someone with experience putting properties together, with banking, with affordable housing — that will be key,” he said.
The biggest undertaking in the neighborhood involves $1 billion in anticipated development on the former LTV coke works site along the Monongahela River. The Hazelwood Initiative isn't directly involved in developing the site, but it's one of several community groups that meets regularly with the developers and plays a role in keeping residents informed.
A partnership known as Almono LP, which includes Downtown's Regional Industrial Development Corp. and four foundations, bought the former mill site for $10 million in 2002 and spent $20 million on environmental cleanup. Last year, it began a $27 million road project there. It has yet to announce any tenants.
“It could be a tremendous asset for the neighborhood if ... the development connects to the rest of the neighborhood,” Tilghman said.
As for Hazelwood Initiative projects, a top priority is closing on a $250,000 deal to buy the former Gladstone Middle School on Hazelwood Avenue. A group that includes Hazelwood Initiative, the nonprofit human-services agency Center of Life, Pittsburgh Community Reinvestment Group and New Orleans' Make It Right Foundation has an option to buy the building, which has been vacant for 14 years. It remains unknown what would be done with it, but Tilghman estimates it could take $30 million to $40 million to redevelop it for uses that could include housing and incubator or workforce development space.
“It could be transformative for the neighborhood. It's a key property on a key street,” Tilghman said.
Working with neighborhood groups in an effort to breathe new life into Second Avenue, the neighborhood's main artery, is a priority.
Tilghman said the initiative wants to create new affordable housing in a three- to- four-block area surrounding Gladstone, using about three dozen vacant lots and about 15 vacant or abandoned houses.
Tilghman is determined to make the Hazelwood Initiative more transparent and engaged with the community in ways such as improving the group's onlineb presence and newspaper.
“I'm very heartened by Sonya's enthusiasm and commitment to Hazelwood,” said Linda Metropulos, acting deputy director of Downtown-based ACTION-Housing, which is working on several redevelopment projects in the neighborhood.
Tom Fontaine is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach him at 412-320-7847 or tfontaine@tribweb.com.
