‘ Vibrant Uptown’ project entering its 2nd phase

Improvements add streetscape face- lifts

Mt. Lebanon’s “Vibrant Uptown” project is heading into its second phase.

Eric Milliron, Mt. Lebanon’s economic development and commercial districts manager, last week told the Mt. Lebanon Board of Commissioners that the first stage of conceptual design has been completed by LaQuatra Bonci Associates, a Pittsburgh- based landscape architecture firm.

Mr. Milliron called the first phase a “high level scan identifying various nodes of attention that we want to focus on.”

The $ 3.9 million project is pegged as a multiyear effort that will include streetscape improvements along Washington Road and Parse Way, which runs behind Mt. Lebanon’s light rail station.

Next comes the second phase of the project, which Mr. Milliron described as “starting to put some meat to the bone.”

The second phase involves workshops with community focus groups involved with the project, including a panel that will address accessibility issues along the streetscape for people with disabilities..

“The primary first focus is sidewalks, lighting and conduit,” said Ian McMeans, Mt. Lebanon’s assistant manager/ planner.

Once that is complete, work can start on flexible and temporary spaces for things like programs and dining in the Uptown area, he added.

“Even though we’re going through this large- scale planning effort for the Uptown district, we’ve still been doing some placemaking activities,” Mr. McMeans said, adding that the township has placed several benches along Washington Road in the past few weeks.

“That’s a placemaking exercise in and of itself,” he said.