Pittsburgh’s landmark Allegheny Commons Park in the North Side is about to receive a $1.1 million historical facelift.
The Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy on Thursday announced plans for restoration of the North Promenade, a path paralleling North Avenue and running almost the length of the park.
Plans call for a paved, 15-foot-wide central walkway and landscaping from a restored Northeast Fountain near Cedar Avenue to a statue of George Washington on horseback near the National Aviary.
“Allegheny Commons has been central to life in Allegheny City and the North Side for more than 150 years,” Parks Curator Susan Rademacher said in a statement. “The rebirth of the North Promenade honors the park’s historical roots and makes it even friendlier for pedestrians, families and recreational visitors.”
The park was originally part of Allegheny City, once a separate municipality from the city of Pittsburgh. Pittsburgh annexed Allegheny City in 1911.
Work includes asphalt paving of the promenade, realignment of connecting paths, 30 benches, 29 LED pedestrian lamps, 100 trees, sidewalks near McCabe Field and a concrete pad near Federal Street for the return of the park’s 1910 Hartzell Memorial water fountain to its original location, according to the conservancy.
The project will progress in two phases with the first from Cedar Avenue to Federal Street scheduled for completion this year. Fundraising for the second phase from Federal to the George Washington Statue is underway.
The work is part of a long-range master plan for restoration of the park. Improvements have been ongoing for years through the conservancy, city, Allegheny Commons Initiative and Northside Leadership Conference.
