Pittsburgh Now

Wednesday, March 4, 2015

I always love it when do gooders try to do good. Wednesday morning I found myself in a section of downtown Atlanta that I had never been before. Known as the Pittsburgh community that sits in the shadow of Turner Field, it is one of the city’s oldest neighborhoods. It’s also one of the city’s most impoverished and threatened by crime, blight and neglect. Many efforts have been made to turn it around — all without much success. Now, a new effort to buy up boarded up homes and refurbish them is about to get underway. Known as Pittsburgh Now, community groups, the city of Atlanta and Wells Fargo are teaming up to try to buy and rehab dozens of shotgun homes to add to others that have been turned around in recent years. The stabilization effort follows a turn around in the economy and the coming Beltline leg. As of now the coalition owns 53 houses and Wednesday three of the homes were actively being worked on.

Solomon West washes his car at his home off of Rockwell St. in the Pittsburgh community of Atlanta that sits next door to a condemned property on Wednesday, March 4, 2015.

Solomon West washes his car at his home off of Rockwell St. in the Pittsburgh community of Atlanta that sits next door to a condemned property on Wednesday, March 4, 2015.

Jose Garcia looks for a tool as he works to rehab the space that used to be the front porch of the house at 880 Beryl St. in the Pittsburgh community of Atlanta on Wednesday, March 4, 2015.

Jose Garcia looks for a tool as he works to rehab the space that used to be the front porch of the house at 880 Beryl St. in the Pittsburgh community of Atlanta on Wednesday, March 4, 2015.

Jose Garcia (left) and his brothers Jamie and Julian work to rehab the space that used to be the front porch of the house at 880 Beryl St. in the Pittsburgh community of Atlanta on Wednesday, March 4, 2015.

Jose Garcia (left) and his brothers Jamie and Julian work to rehab the space that used to be the front porch of the house at 880 Beryl St. in the Pittsburgh community of Atlanta on Wednesday, March 4, 2015.

Repairs are still ongoing inside the house at 880 Beryl St. in the Pittsburgh community of Atlanta on Wednesday, March 4, 2015.

Repairs are still ongoing inside the house at 880 Beryl St. in the Pittsburgh community of Atlanta on Wednesday, March 4, 2015.

Jamie Garcia works to rehab the space that used to be the front porch of the house at 880 Beryl St. in the Pittsburgh community of Atlanta on Wednesday, March 4, 2015.

Jamie Garcia works to rehab the space that used to be the front porch of the house at 880 Beryl St. in the Pittsburgh community of Atlanta on Wednesday, March 4, 2015.

Luis Domingez makes repairs to the roof of the house at 595 Rockwell St. in the Pittsburgh community of Atlanta on Wednesday, March 4, 2015.

Luis Domingez makes repairs to the roof of the house at 595 Rockwell St. in the Pittsburgh community of Atlanta on Wednesday, March 4, 2015.

Ray Scarboro measures the space in between a doorway inside the house at 595 Rockwell St. in the Pittsburgh community of Atlanta on Wednesday, March 4, 2015.

Ray Scarboro measures the space in between a doorway inside the house at 595 Rockwell St. in the Pittsburgh community of Atlanta on Wednesday, March 4, 2015.

Ray Scarboro cuts a door down to size inside the house at 595 Rockwell St. in the Pittsburgh community of Atlanta on Wednesday, March 4, 2015.

Ray Scarboro cuts a door down to size inside the house at 595 Rockwell St. in the Pittsburgh community of Atlanta on Wednesday, March 4, 2015.

Macarao Alvardo cleans yard debris from the house at 575 Rockwell St. in the Pittsburgh community of Atlanta on Wednesday, March 4, 2015.

Macarao Alvardo cleans yard debris from the house at 575 Rockwell St. in the Pittsburgh community of Atlanta on Wednesday, March 4, 2015.

Marcos Allala (right) and Macarao Alvarado walk a pile of yard debris to a nearby dumpster as they work on one of the many homes in disrepair in the Pittsburgh community of Atlanta on Wednesday, March 4, 2015.

Marcos Allala (right) and Macarao Alvarado walk a pile of yard debris to a nearby dumpster as they work on one of the many homes in disrepair in the Pittsburgh community of Atlanta on Wednesday, March 4, 2015.

Garry Fancher brings heating and air conditioning supplies into the house at 868 Beryl St. in the Pittsburgh community of Atlanta on Wednesday, March 4, 2015.

Garry Fancher brings heating and air conditioning supplies into the house at 868 Beryl St. in the Pittsburgh community of Atlanta on Wednesday, March 4, 2015.