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After 18 years without their community hub, Troy Hill residents finally got some good news in 2021 when the city announced plans to spend $6 million of its federal pandemic relief money on rebuilding the long-closed Cowley-Goettman Recreation Center.

Five years later, they’re still waiting for results ([link removed]) .

Design and community engagement work has gone ahead, but the city moved most of the original $6 million ([link removed]) to other projects to meet spending deadlines. It’s not clear when the city will begin demolition of the old, decrepit building and the construction of a new one.

For now, children play in the spray park and ballfields next to a boarded up, condemned building ([link removed]) .

“The mayor has been very clear that reopening the Cowley rec center is a priority,” city Chief of Staff Dan Gilman said. “And we're not going to stop until we do.”

✍️ Newsletter written by Charlie Wolfson ([link removed]) ,

Public Source local government reporter & newsletter editor


** OUR TOP STORY
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** Troy Hill is still waiting for its new rec center, five years after a $6M pledge ([link removed])
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Read more ([link removed])


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ReelAbilities Pittsburgh ([link removed]) celebrates independent cinema by and about people with disabilities. Join us Sept. 3 ([link removed]) at the Pittsburgh Playhouse for seven powerful short films, an Art Market, and after-party—then stream 13 additional films virtually Sept. 4–13. Discover stories of resilience, creativity, vulnerability, and hope.


** MORE STORIES
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Caught between a river, a water project and a railroad, a marina community tries to hang on ([link removed]) — Thomas Grubbs woke up on a Monday, checked the group chat and felt it in his stomach. “Oh, I’m actually trapped,” he said. “Like, I can’t leave.” His 50-foot houseboat floats in an Allegheny River marina that’s feeling pinched by a railroad and the water authority.

What Shapiro’s new data center order does — and doesn’t — force developers to do ([link removed]) — The new order isn’t a moratorium, but it does make it much harder for developers to build data centers without following strict standards.

Childcare’s high cost, low supply pushes Pittsburgh families to get creative ([link removed]) — Southwestern Pennsylvania households struggle to find affordable care for kids. A hybrid worker, a homeschooler, a nanny and a former daycare worker talk about their paths through a difficult space.


** IN OTHER NEWS
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→ Zappala rebukes judge over comments at Duquesne law school networking event ([link removed]) (TribLIVE)

→ Allegheny County Council bill could ban data centers on county-owned properties ([link removed]) (WESA)

→ Dolly Parton’s philanthropy was based on ‘her belief in the goodness of people’ ([link removed]) (AP)


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George Saunders. Live in Pittsburgh. Join the acclaimed author of "Vigil" on Sept. 14 for the first Ten Evenings event of Pittsburgh Arts & Lectures' 2026–27 season. ([link removed])


** TODAY IN HISTORY 📅
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Today is August 27.

35 years ago, 1991: Demolition of the Syria Mosque began in Oakland. (Post-Gazette)

115 years ago, 1911: 26 People were killed and scores were injured after someone yelled “fire” in a Canonsburg theater. (Post-Gazette)

143 years ago, 1883: The island volcano Krakatoa erupted with a series of cataclysmic explosions, resulting in tsunamis in Indonesia’s Sunda Strait that claimed some 36,000 lives. (AP)


** LOCAL EVENTS
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🎷 Jazz in the Garden ([link removed]) Aug. 27 and Sept. 17 | Phipps Conservatory, Oakland

🚲 Pedal PGH ([link removed]) Sunday | Allegheny Commons Park West, North Side

🥓 BaconBurgh ([link removed]) Saturday | Southside Works Town Square

🦁 Disney’s The Lion King ([link removed]) Sept. 9-27 | Benedum Center, Downtown

👋 Thanks for reading today’s newsletter! I hope you feel more informed about Pittsburgh and your community. For any questions or comments, feel free to email me at [email protected] (mailto:[email protected]) .
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