East Liberty Development, Inc.

AscenderPGH has two exciting opportunities for entrepreneurs looking to build their best businesses! They are now accepting applications for their Incubator & Black Owned Business Mini Grant. Application deadline: March 17. Learn more here: https://lnkd.in/dzHnSvrq

Urban Academy, a Larimer-based charter school on Turrett Street, is putting the finishing touches on part one of a bold expansion plan. 123 Meadow Street, the former fraternity house of the Iota Phi Chapter of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Incorporated, will now serve as the school’s administrative offices and community space residents can use for meetings, events, healthy cooking demonstrations, student enrichment activities, and more. For Urban Academy CEO K. Chase Patterson, this is just the tip of the iceberg. The grand vision is a full-blown campus, complete with an early learning center, community building, offices, and potentially even affordable apartments or dormitories for high school students. Learn more through the link in the comments. #larimer #pgh #pittsburgh #urbanacademy URBAN ACADEMY OF GREATER PITTSBURGH CHARTER SCHOOL

?? Calling all homeowners who need to make critical repairs! ?? The Urban Redevelopment Authority of Pittsburgh is partnering with Action Housing and the City of Pittsburgh for the 2025 Homeowner Assistance Program. Grants of up to $35,000 will be presented to homeowners for critical repairs and improvements! Learn more and apply: https://lnkd.in/dC7kgaRH

The Hill District Federal Credit Union is one of only 23 Black-owned banks nationwide. Founded in 1971 by Mary Walker, who went door-to-door collecting 25 cent deposits, this fully community-run union has since grown to an impressive $15 million in assets—assets that directly benefit the Hill District neighborhood. Much of that growth can be credited to the organization’s passionate executive director Richard Witherspoon, who has guided the credit union for the last 36 years. Witherspoon was recently recognized at the Black Excellence in Real Estate Awards Gala, accepting the Community Bank of the Year award for the organization’s steadfast service. We sat down with Richard to learn more about the credit union and their holistic approach to banking and closing the racial wealth gap. Their story serves as an example for others looking to strengthen their communities and uplift families through financial education. Click the link in the caption to read the story, and check out this video from Black Excellence in Real Estate to hear Richard explain how he teaches people how to fish so that they can build lasting legacies. https://lnkd.in/dh6FqgbD #hilldistrict #pittsburgh #realestate #blackwealthgap #racialwealthgap

We invite all who wish to celebrate the life of ELDI Deputy Director Skip Schwab to join us on Friday, February 21st, at 4 pm for a memorial service in the Executive Boardroom of Hotel Indigo. The service will be followed by food and drinks at Wallace’s Whiskey Room + Kitchen. In lieu of flowers or gifts, Skip’s family requests that donations be made to ELDI in his honor, ensuring that his life’s work and impact continue for years to come. Contributions can be made through the ELDI website: https://lnkd.in/gVs9XSpp For those who feel inspired, leave your best Skip memory in the comments.

LG Realty, Walnut Capital are working to meet AI firms' real estate needs: "AI Avenue encompasses a one-mile stretch that runs from the Penn and Fifth Avenue intersection in Larimer to Duolingo Inc.’s headquarters in East Liberty. Along this avenue, more than 20 companies focused on AI have already set up shop, according to a blog post on Bakery Square’s website, bringing jobs and development to the East End. With continued growth in the sector expected, developers including LG Realty and Walnut Capital are gearing up." Learn more here: https://lnkd.in/dUnJTDWc #pittsburgh #ai #communitydevelopment

Some exciting ELDI partner news! Catapult pilots alumni entrepreneurship program with GoDaddy and PNC: Catapult Greater Pittsburgh successfully completed the Leap Ahead program, an innovative six-month pilot designed to help Catapult alumni entrepreneurs take their businesses to the next level. In partnership with Empower by GoDaddy and PNC Bank’s Center for Financial Education, this program provided 25 Catapult alumni with intermediate-level training, tools, and networking opportunities tailored to their needs. Learn more here: https://lnkd.in/dzCUd_Jb #entrepreneurship #Pittsburgh #minoritybusiness

It is with profound sadness and heavy hearts that we share the unexpected passing of William "Skip" Schwab on January 25th following a brief illness. Skip leaves behind his devoted wife, Sue, his children, Drew and Emily, and his cherished grandsons. He also leaves a huge void within his ELDI family, where many of us fondly knew him as "Uncle Skip." Skip was much more than a colleague—he was a bright spirit, known for his humor and warmth, but also a deeply respected expert in finance, funding, and investing. His remarkable contributions have left an indelible mark on Pittsburgh, from his impactful work at the Urban Redevelopment Authority of Pittsburgh and Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) to his dedicated 18 years at ELDI. Evidence of Skip's vision and dedication surrounds us—in the transformation of East Liberty, the blighted homes restored to life, and a neighborhood that now balances progress with purpose, proudly maintaining 40% affordable housing in developments like Cornerstone Village, Fairfield Apartments, and Dad’s House. Skip's passion for making a difference extended far beyond his official roles. Always content to remain behind the scenes, he lent his expertise and wisdom to many nonprofit boards, including Catapult Greater Pittsburgh, Rising Tide Partners, and Main + Elm Development Company. His knowledge and mentorship were invaluable, shaping not only the organizations he served but also the people he worked with—ensuring that his legacy will live on in those he inspired. Skip will be deeply missed by all who knew him, but his work and spirit will continue to guide us. We invite all who wish to celebrate his life to join us on Friday, February 21st at 4 PM for a memorial service in the Executive Boardroom of Hotel Indigo, followed by food and drinks at Wallace’s Whiskey Room + Kitchen. In lieu of flowers or gifts, Skip’s family requests that donations be made to ELDI in his honor, ensuring that his life’s work and impact continue for years to come. Contributions can be made through the ELDI website: https://lnkd.in/gVs9XSpp For those who feel inspired, leave your best Skip memory in the comments. ??

Banking as a calling? It may sound unlikely to some, but?Joseph M Tomaceski?from?First Commonwealth Bank?is an example of what it means to prioritize people over profit. For years, he has worked alongside ELDI and our partners to help low-income and minority buyers not only buy homes but also STAY in them so that they can build wealth for themselves and their families. Through First Commonwealth’s first-time homebuyer mortgage products and creative financing strategies, he has helped secure over 8 million dollars in grants and investments to help make homeownership affordable and sustainable for hundreds of homeowners. Click the link in the caption to learn more about Joe and First Commonwealth's transformative programs. #firstcommonwealthbank #pittsburgh #banking #affordablehomeownership #racialwealthgap #communitybanking

As the owner of Miller Frame at 6020 Centre Avenue for more than 40 years, Wendi Miller was a pillar of the East Liberty community. Wendi was widely known as a picture framer, but she was also a prominent advocate for transgender and LGBTQ+ rights in Pittsburgh and beyond. In fact, thanks to her, the Pittsburgh Human Rights Commission extended protections against discrimination in employment, housing, and public accommodations to transgender and gender-variant individuals. After her death on April 6th, 2023, her son, Cooper Miller, has now made it his mission to tell her story. Learn more about Wendi's inspiring life rooted in East Liberty, as well as Cooper's work to preserve her legacy through the Wendi A. Miller Legacy Project — link in the caption. #pittsburgh #communitydevelopment