Community meeting next week to discuss sustainable solar farm in Swisshelm Park

A community meeting scheduled for next week will discuss the possibility of developing a solar farm in Swisshelm Park.

The Urban Redevelopment Authority of Pittsburgh (URA), City of Pittsburgh and city Councilman Corey O’Connor will host the meeting to share information about potentially installing a sustainable solar farm at Frick Park.

“This is an innovative project that will help create sustainable energy options for the neighborhood and the city,” Mayor Bill Peduto said. “We look forward to working with the community on the development and thank the URA and Councilman O’Connor for their partnership.”

The development is touted as one that would improve air quality and public health by providing pollution-free energy, while offering power to customers at a lower cost. City officials also said it could keep the lights on amid power outages by diversifying the energy sources that feed into the local power grid.

“I think it’s a great project,” O’Connor said. “I’ve always wanted to do a solar farm in the district.”

The project would involve expanding the borders of Frick Park to encompass the solar farm, he said. The solar farm would utilize the site that was previously slated to be Summerset Phase III, which would require another $18 million or so in funding, O’Connor said.

“It just seems like now’s the time to make this shift in that project,” he said.

O’Connor, who lives just a few houses down from the proposed solar park, said he’s spoken with neighbors who seem to share his excitement about the project. Specific details will be finalized at a later stage, he said.

“It’s something unique, and it’s the first solar farm in the city of Pittsburgh that I know of,” O’Connor said. “Neighbors would appreciate something like this, I believe.”

The community meeting is slated for 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 28. It will be held virtually via Zoom and Facebook Live. Residents who want to participate in the meeting can join online.