On May 17, 2009, the 20-story high rise Penn Circle Towers building was demolished, drawing dozens of bystanders. In an instant, the former home of several hundred families was reduced to dust in order to make way for a Target that remains there to this day.
It was the last of three Section 8 high-rises in East Liberty demolished since 2005, privately built but government subsidized in the 60s-70s.
The destruction of the Penn Circle Towers was part of a larger trend of Pittsburgh demolishing public housing high rises and the growing gentrification of East Liberty.
To see the destruction of the Penn Circle Towers, watch the video below.
It was the last of three Section 8 high-rises in East Liberty demolished since 2005, privately built but government subsidized in the 60s-70s.
The destruction of the Penn Circle Towers was part of a larger trend of Pittsburgh demolishing public housing high rises and the growing gentrification of East Liberty.
To see the destruction of the Penn Circle Towers, watch the video below.
Housing Projects
Housing projects are government-owned and operated housing provided to low-income families for a reduced cost of rent depending on a number of factors. To be eligible for this public housing, an individual must make less than a certain income (currently $44,000 annually in Pittsburgh for a single person), have no outstanding balances, and no criminal history including drug use or sales, disorderly conduct, violence, or other activities that would "would adversely affect the health, safety or welfare of other residents."
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The video to the left from PBS provides a thorough history of public housing projects in America.
In recent years, housing projects all over America, primarily originating in the 1960s and 70s, have been destroyed and replaced with mixed-income developments that often shut out the displaced low-income residents. The justifications for this destruction have been notably tied to racial discrimination, with fearmongering about crime and the buildings as a "blight." |
The reality for most people living in housing projects, however, is far more nuanced. Here are some thoughts from that perspective:
"The projects were more human. I saw humanity because everybody knew each other. They walked amongst each other and their kids played together. You didn’t know who had money and who did not have money. So, I saw the positive aspect of being together as a group of people. You actually knew each other."
Olu Dara, musician/recording artist. Former resident of the Queensbridge Houses in Queens.
"I tend to feel that people think [housing project residents] don’t want to go anywhere. You get the feeling that the minute you tell somebody that you’re receiving public assistance, it’s a thumbs down. There is no respect for people who live in the projects. I live in the projects but I want better things for myself. With the assistance you get, for every penny you make, they’re taking a dollar. At least that's how it feels."
Yvonne Shields, sous chef. Resident of the Highbridge Gardens in the Bronx.
"One of our favorites was a photograph of two women, one on the first floor of an apartment looking out the window talking to a neighbor on the street, which I think captures in one frame almost a novel about life in the projects—the sense of community, the sense of caring about your neighbors and your friends."
George Carrano, editor of Project Lives, a book formed of pictures taken by young people living in the NYC housing projects.
"The thing about living in the projects is that everyone knows a lot about everyone. You know whose mom is a crackhead, prostitute or drug dealer. While everyone around you obviously has a fucked-up life, some people are way worse off.
If you don’t live in the projects, it’s easy to believe that everyone around you has a better life. But you know who’s fucked up if you live in the hood. This knowledge makes you appreciate whatever little good shit that you do have."
Ed Latimore, writer. Former resident of Terrace Village and Northview Heights in Pittsburgh.
For more information on the experience of living in housing projects, you can read more interviews from residents in NYC, hear more about Project Lives, and read Ed Latimore's full first hand account.
The video below features one woman's experience living in Washington, D.C.'s Potomac Gardens.
"The projects were more human. I saw humanity because everybody knew each other. They walked amongst each other and their kids played together. You didn’t know who had money and who did not have money. So, I saw the positive aspect of being together as a group of people. You actually knew each other."
Olu Dara, musician/recording artist. Former resident of the Queensbridge Houses in Queens.
"I tend to feel that people think [housing project residents] don’t want to go anywhere. You get the feeling that the minute you tell somebody that you’re receiving public assistance, it’s a thumbs down. There is no respect for people who live in the projects. I live in the projects but I want better things for myself. With the assistance you get, for every penny you make, they’re taking a dollar. At least that's how it feels."
Yvonne Shields, sous chef. Resident of the Highbridge Gardens in the Bronx.
"One of our favorites was a photograph of two women, one on the first floor of an apartment looking out the window talking to a neighbor on the street, which I think captures in one frame almost a novel about life in the projects—the sense of community, the sense of caring about your neighbors and your friends."
George Carrano, editor of Project Lives, a book formed of pictures taken by young people living in the NYC housing projects.
"The thing about living in the projects is that everyone knows a lot about everyone. You know whose mom is a crackhead, prostitute or drug dealer. While everyone around you obviously has a fucked-up life, some people are way worse off.
If you don’t live in the projects, it’s easy to believe that everyone around you has a better life. But you know who’s fucked up if you live in the hood. This knowledge makes you appreciate whatever little good shit that you do have."
Ed Latimore, writer. Former resident of Terrace Village and Northview Heights in Pittsburgh.
For more information on the experience of living in housing projects, you can read more interviews from residents in NYC, hear more about Project Lives, and read Ed Latimore's full first hand account.
The video below features one woman's experience living in Washington, D.C.'s Potomac Gardens.
East Liberty
Pittsburgh's East Liberty neighborhood formerly held several housing projects built in the 1960s in what Chris Ivey describes as "disastrous urban planning...[that] saw both the central business area decimated and tower blocks erected leaving residents isolated in the sky." These residents were primarily low-income Black families.
But in the early 2000s, this began to change. New development programs entered the neighborhood, and one of their first targets was tearing down the the high rise housing projects. Two went in 2005, replaced by privately owned, mixed-income housing. The introduction of Home Depot in the neighborhood and Whole Foods in nearby Shadyside signaled a major change, with more and more "higher end" shops and businesses entering the area. In 2009, Penn Circle Towers was the last to fall, making way for a brand new Target. Many public officials label this a positive change for the neighborhood. However, many residents disagree.
But in the early 2000s, this began to change. New development programs entered the neighborhood, and one of their first targets was tearing down the the high rise housing projects. Two went in 2005, replaced by privately owned, mixed-income housing. The introduction of Home Depot in the neighborhood and Whole Foods in nearby Shadyside signaled a major change, with more and more "higher end" shops and businesses entering the area. In 2009, Penn Circle Towers was the last to fall, making way for a brand new Target. Many public officials label this a positive change for the neighborhood. However, many residents disagree.
Chris Ivey's TEDxTalk on East of Liberty.
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Chris Ivey, a filmmaker working in Pittsburgh since the 1990s, has documented the gentrification of East Liberty in his film series East of Liberty. He focuses on a wide array of perspectives and opinions, highlighting the voices of the neighborhood residents who are being displaced and silenced.
For more on the redevelopment of East Liberty, you can read Rich Lord's article in the Pittsburgh City Paper, Njaimeh Nije's article in the Public Source, and visit the East of Liberty site, and watch the clips from the documentary featured below. |
East Liberty residents and developers discuss the changes coming to East Liberty, the resulting displacement, and the history of these events in Pittsburgh.
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Pittsburgh youth discuss their thoughts and frustrations about the changes in East Liberty, especially in their lack of voice in the conversation.
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