TAKING THE CHAIRS AWAY
Merchants take aim at illegal activity in Market Square
Finding a place to sit in popular Market Square might become more difficult in the weeks ahead even when the restaurants aren’t jammed.
At the request of merchants, the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership recently removed all tables and chairs from the center of the city-owned public plaza, citing concerns about drug and alcohol activity in the historic gathering spot.
As a test, the partnership is now setting up tables and chairs in the square on a temporary basis between 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m., and then removing them for the rest of the day.
“This is a new strategy to see if we can prevent some of the bad behavior that happens in the square and make sure it’s a space that’s welcoming for everyone,” said Jeremy Waldrup,
the partnership’s president and CEO .
Mr. Waldrup added that the new hours aren’t carved in stone. The PDP, he said, will continue to experiment with the times that tables and chairs are set out.
Teeming with restaurants, the square has become one of the hottest destinations Downtown since the completion of a $5 million revitalization project in 2011 and an earlier crackdown on illegal activity, including drug sales, launched by Allegheny County District Attorney Stephen A. Zappala Jr.
It’s a place where countless residents and visitors have gathered to eat, to sip coffee or to meet with friends or family. While most of the restaurants have outdoor seating, the partnership also has put out tables and chairs in the middle of the open plaza for people to enjoy.
But merchants say some people have used the setting — and the seating — for illegal activity. They fear some of the old problems could be returning unless they are proactive in addressing the situation.
Mike Mitcham, head of the Market Square Merchants Association, said the action taken by the PDP was needed after several incidents last year, including a stabbing, “that kind of put a black eye” on the plaza.
He said there have been problems with public drunkenness and drug activity in the square.
Some people, he said, would come in the morning, grab a table and sit there the rest of the day. While some caused no harm, others would create problems.
“There are groups of people who cause no problems whatsoever. Then there are certain people, individuals, who come down to the square and take advantage of the space, dealing drugs and drinking all day long,” he said.
Between fights, people getting arrested and drug overdoses, last year was one of the worst in his 20 years in the plaza, said Mr. Mitcham, operations director for five Primanti’s restaurants including the one in Market Square. He said it is important that steps be taken to ensure the space remains inviting and safe.
“We can’t have another summer in Market Square like we did last summer,” he said. “It’s one horrible incident from keeping people from coming into Market Square.”
The district attorney’s narcotics enforcement team, in conjunction with Port Authority Police, made 150 drug arrests last year that involved incidents in the square or that started there, said Mike Manko, spokesman for the DA’s office.
That compares to 70 arrests in 2014 and 91 in 2015. Mr. Manko cautioned that the spike doesn’t necessarily mean there’s been an increase in the level of activity. Some of it could reflect the frequency in which operations were conducted.
“The only word I can use to describe drug activity in Market Square is constant,” he said. “I can’t tell you if it’s going up significantly or going down significantly. But it’s constant.”
In addition to the arrests made by the district attorney’s team, city police records show one arrest last year for drugs, excluding marijuana. There also were nine EMS calls for incidents identified as drug overdoses, compared to one in 2015 and one in 2014.
Mr. Zappala said he supports the decision to remove the tables and chairs, saying they can be part of the problem. He added that the square needs more attention to ensure it remains one of the premier spots in the city.
Removing the tables and chairs, at least on a temporary basis, is part of a larger strategy the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership is putting together toward that end, Mr. Waldrup said.
It also is planning additional programming for the warmer months and has been talking to the city about adding a beat cop to Market Square. There also has been talk about introducing different types of tables and seating, and even bringing in a park ranger.
The partnership is still discussing with police and stakeholders how it will handle the square — and tables and chairs — this summer. The goal is to have the space used at all times of the day while keeping it safe, he said.
“You can always assume that we’re going to want to see hundreds of people in that square. We just want to make sure it’s safe,” Mr. Waldrup said.
Given the revitalization of and substantial investment in Downtown over the past decade, the Golden Triangle probably should have its own police zone, Mr. Zappala said.