Release Date: Wednesday, February 6th 2008

Tribune- Review: Downtown Pittsburgh to get a taste of Paris

Downtown is about to get a taste of Paris.

Under a plan to be formally announced next week by the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership -- called Paris to Pittsburgh -- $1 million in grant funding from the Colcom Foundation is being made available to encourage restaurants and retailers to expand their operations onto sidewalks -- similar to venues popular with tourists in the French capital.

"Paris to Pittsburgh will be especially valuable for coffee shops, book stores, florists and restaurants, to expand their space onto their sidewalks and attract more customers," said Michael Edwards, partnership''s CEO and president in an interview with the Tribune-Review today.

It is one of two new economic development projects being announced by the Downtown business advocacy organization at its annual meeting on Tuesday.

The partnership also is unveiling a new Upstairs Fund, a $3.4 million program designed to advance its effort to help property owners convert the vacant upper floors in Downtown buildings into residential opportunities.

The new fund, created with the help of the $1.7 million from the Howard Heinz Endowments and a like amount from the city''s Urban Redevelopment Authority, will provide market rate loans to owners of Downtown buildings with less than eight stories.

The funds will help owners developing residential projects by providing financing for such things as new elevators, fire safety equipment, and roof replacement.

"We hope to do about five to six loans this year, which will provide in excess of 50 units of housing Downtown," Edwards said.