Exclusive: Shapiro talks Downtown progress and NFL draft
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Gov. Josh Shapiro toured the site of Downtown's newest park on Monday just as construction was starting. Photo: Ryan Deto/Axios
Gov. Josh Shapiro came to Pittsburgh on Monday ready to bet on Downtown's revitalization — and he wants others to invest in the city's comeback, too.
Why it matters: Pittsburgh's Downtown is making progress but still struggling to fully rebound, and Shapiro says the state will help cut through red tape and keep momentum going to ensure the area's civic projects get across the finish line ahead of next year's NFL draft.
Driving the news: In an interview Monday with Axios at De Fer Coffee on Penn Avenue, Shapiro praised the pace of construction and the city's focus on supporting small businesses.
What they're saying: "We are ahead of schedule on a number of these Downtown projects. I am all in on Pittsburgh's Downtown," Shapiro told Axios.
Between the lines: Pittsburgh has a grand opportunity to boost its image when it hosts the 2026 NFL draft next April. Civic projects to show off to swarms of football fans include:
- Arts Landing park on Penn Avenue, which began construction Monday.
- A Market Square revamp should begin next week, said Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership CEO Jeremy Waldrup.
Zoom in: Local tourism leaders anticipate Pittsburgh could attract 500,000 to 700,000 people for next year's draft. Mayor Ed Gainey has gone as far to say that 1 million people could visit for the event, citing the national and international might of Steelers Nation.
State of play: Shapiro told Axios he's sending staff to Green Bay — host of this year's NFL draft — to study operations and logistics. He plans to compare notes with governors in Michigan and Wisconsin.
- "I expect when it's over to talk to [Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers] to understand what they learned, as well as [Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer] and what they learned a year prior in Detroit. To make sure we learn from their experience and we put on an amazing show here in Pittsburgh," he said.
What's next: Shapiro added that he wants to encourage Pittsburgh to continue moving downtown projects through the pipeline and not let them get bogged down in bureaucracy.
- "I want developers to know that these are good bets to develop in Downtown Pittsburgh, in keeping with the needs of the community and the desires of the community. We're going to continue to make those infrastructure investments," he said.
The bottom line: Shapiro and his family are still recovering from the arson attack on their home in Harrisburg last week, and he is trying to focus on the future.
- "I am trying to be a good dad, a good husband, and a good governor, in that order."