City housing director defends site for Homewood’s center

The director of the city housing authority is defending a plan to build a community center on land owned by a church whose pastor is an authority board member.

That location, on Hamilton Avenue in Homewood, is ideal because of its proximity to other community amenities such as the YMCA and Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh’s Homewood branch, and because it is contiguous to other land the authority already owns where housing will be built, said Caster Binion, executive director of the Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh. That land is also already vacant and can be used without displacing any residents, authority officials have said.

The land must be contiguous to qualify for the tax credit financing the authority wants, Mr. Binion said.

“The footprint that we have — and trying to achieve the goal of integrating our residents into the community with other partners — what other place would you put it?” Mr. Binion said Tuesday.

The Rev. Ricky Burgess, a member of city council and the Housing Authority’s board of commissioners, is pastor of Nazarene Baptist Church, 7053 Hamilton Ave. The church owns the land where the community center will be built.

The housing authority will buy the land at a price determined by a thirdparty appraiser, officials have said.

“The appraisal price is the price we must pay,” Mr. Binion said.

Last week, officials hosted a groundbreaking for the site, where 58 units of housing will be built, along with the 2,530square-foot community center. The homes are being developed by the housing authority and its nonprofit development arm, Allies and Ross Management and Development Corp., and developer KBK Enterprises.

“I think that the 58 units will be a plus for the community,” and will be a catalyst for other development, Mr. Binion said.

Rev. Burgess was not at the housing authority board meeting last year when the plan was unanimously approved by other board members, as part of a larger resolution to authorize funds for the fourth phase of the redevelopment of the former Addison Terrace site in the Hill District.

Rev. Burgess said he has recused himself from all matters involving the deal.

“I have had no conversations with the church or the housing authority or anyone,” he said.

The resolution board members stated the units would be in Homewood. It also authorized the authority’s executive director to take a number of actions to carry out the development, including acquiring property, though this specific property was not spelled out in the resolution.

Board members were aware this was part of the plan, according to an authority spokeswoman.