Development Review Panel

Welcome to the Hill District's community development review process!

Proposed development plans for the Hill District can be submitted through this website to begin the Development Review Panel (DRP) process. Submitted plans will go through an initial review by the Hill CDC and will then be transferred to the DRP for formal review.

This process will ensure that development in the Hill District moves forward with transparency and is well received by the community in early stages. It also assures that plans align with the Greater Hill District Master Plan.

Thank you for your partnership and we look forward to working together to redevelop the Hill District!

Step 1:

Download and complete the Project Executive Summary and Self Evaluation Form

Step 2:

Review and Complete Proposed Development Checklist.

Step 3:

Submit the proposal: Executive Summary, Self Evaluation, and attach applicable Checklist documents.

Step 4: 

After submitting, please e-mail policy [at] hilldistrict.org (subject: DRP%20Submission%20Review%20Request%20) to inform the Hill CDC that you have completed the submission process. Please include the name and date of the submission you would like to have reviewed.

Please Note:

If your project is comprised of a single-family home or residential development with less than four (4) units of housing, your proposal will only need to include the following:

  • Executive Summary
  • Project Narrative including the scope of work for the project, AND
  • Project Illustrations or Schematics (if available)

*If your development project was reviewed more than two years ago, you are required to resubmit the development project to the Development Review Panel.

Submit a Proposal

View Development Projects
 

Approved Projects

Under Review

Declined Projects

Special Projects

Resource Documents

Hill House RFP Process Update

After much negotiation, the Hill House Association signed an option agreement with the Hill District Development Growth Fund for operating funding support and the initiation of a community review process involving the DRP. The Request for Proposals (RFP) from the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) was released on January 18, 2019. Bids closed at 5 pm on February 27, 2019.

About The Development Review Panel

Since September 2011, the Hill District community has been utilizing its comprehensive master plan to guide development. The Greater Hill District Master Plan envisions the revitalization of one of Pittsburgh’s most historic neighborhoods. To ensure the alignment of any new development within the Greater Hill District, the Hill District community collaboratively created the Development Review Panel (DRP).   

The DRP is the Hill District’s unified and comprehensive community review process that gives every Hill District resident a voice in the redevelopment of their neighborhood.  It is a partnership with eight (8) Hill District Community Based Organizations: Hill Community Development Corporation (Hill CDC), Hill District Education Council (HDEC), Hill District Ministers Alliance (HDMA), Uptown Partners, the Center that Cares, Macedonia FACE, Neighborhood Resilience Project, and Ujamaa Collective that streamlines community level review while assuring transparency and sufficient community feedback.  The goal is not to stop development, but rather to facilitate development in alignment with the Greater Hill District Master Plan (GHDMP) by establishing a working mutual relationship between developers and the community. This process is designed to enhance a project, add value to it, create partnerships, find solutions, and build community consensus and support.  Each organizational member appoints residents to the DRP Committee to conduct the first level of review in the community review process.  The DRP Committee’s primary role is to determine whether there is sufficient alignment of the project with the GHDMP before it presents to the broader community.

The DRP meets monthly to review development plans for alignment with the master plan by considering adherence in areas such as: honoring cultural legacy, providing community appropriate housing, following best urban design practices, meeting economic development goals, ensuring project market viability, and complying with city codes and community plans.

The Programs and Policy Manager at the Hill CDC staffs and facilitates the community review process.  If you have questions about the review process, the community master plan or development within the Hill District, please email policy [at] hilldistrict.org

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