Hamnett Place

Hamnett Place

 

Background

The Hamnett Place Neighborhood Association (HPNA) has been working together for over 20 years, championing the needs of Hamnett Place’s residents and promoting public safety and blight reduction, attractive public spaces and home ownership, and unification against predatory development.

Focus Areas:

  • Conservatorship for site control
  • Improvements to Radio Way
  • Repairs for post-storm damage to neighbor properties
  • Transfer of vacant structures to new ownership

 

Acquisition & Stabilization

HPNA’s plan for acquisition of vacant, tax delinquent properties for stabilization is aimed at ridding the neighborhood of blighted properties while preserving the historical character of the neighborhood, building the tax base, and providing affordable home-ownership opportunities and stable rental options and creating a beautiful, walkable community. The current focus will be used for a more extensive analysis of neighborhood properties to determine feasibility for rehabilitation and stabilization – boarding up structures, securing roofs and clearing overgrown landscaping.

HPNA’s development plan began with a series of neighborhood meetings in 2019, kicked off by a walking tour focusing on the 700 blocks of Whitney and Lamar Avenues, and continues with the WCDC Strong Neighborhoods Initiative.

In 2024, the Young Preservation Associates produced the Hamnett Place Housing Stabilization & Vacant Property Re-Use Plan, fulfilling a promise to assist with a community development plan. The plan identifies resident concerns and outlines an approach to reducing blight and vacancy in Hamnett Place. The report provides HPNA with the strategy to bring their vision to fruition, with assistance from their working partners: WCDC Strong Neighborhoods Initiative, Rising Tide Partners, and DJS Ventures.

HPNA’s ultimate goal is to evaluate the tax-delinquent and vacant properties on every street in the neighborhood to create an overall development plan for “best use” of neglected properties in Hamnett Place.

 

Conversatorship

HPNA worked alongside Rising Tide Partners to acquire conservatorship of six properties throughout Hamnett Place. Conservatorship grants eligible parties the legal right to bring a blighted property into compliance, even if they do not own the properties.

Conservatorship has enabled the HPNA to work on stabilizing and making renovations to the properties using funds from the Allegheny Foundation through the WCDC Strong Neighborhoods Initiative.

The major highlight of this process has been the sale of a conservatorship property to a Hamnett Place resident, who is actively rehabbing and renovating the home. Another conservatorship property went to a neighbor who demolished the unsafe building and is repurposing it as a sideyard. HPNA aims to sell the additional properties to neighborhood residents or local developers who will preserve the spirit and character of Hamnett Place.

Through these improvements, the HPNA is transforming vacant and blighted properties into safe, livable homes and spaces in their neighborhood. 

 

Radio Way

HPNA acquired and tore down four vacant properties to repurpose the lots into a “walk-through park” honoring Frank Conrad, a Westinghouse engineer and Pittsburgh native who is credited as the father of the modern radio. Previously, residents would cut through the vacant abandoned properties. Rising Tide Partners assisted with acquiring one of the key properties, assumed conservatorship, and facilitated demolition. 

Radio Way is beautifully-maintained by the Hamnett Place community group, yards away from Conrad’s childhood home, which has been renovated by the homeowners. The new park features a path including a bike repair station and air pump kiosk, trees, and wildflowers.

 

Resident Support

With summer storms wreaking havoc in the neighborhood in past years, many homeowners sustained damage to their homes. The HPNA provided support and helped neighbors with repairs caused by storm damage.

The HPNA continues to solicit input from the community on how they can improve their neighborhood and support their neighbors.

 

About Hamnett Place

Hamnett Place lies in the south-central portion of Wilkinsburg with the Edgewood borough directly to its south. The neighborhood spans 44.58 acres and has a total of 257 properties belonging to 216 individual owners.

While mostly residential, Hamnett Place is home to several important assets of the Wilkinsburg community such as the Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Foundation (PHLF). PHLF has been involved within the community since 2004 and has had success restoring several historic buildings in Hamnett Place.

 

For more information, or to get involved with the Hamnett Place Neighborhood Association, please contact hamnettplace1@gmail.com

 

 

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