Development Review Panel

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 with the 2011 Plan, 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 seven (7) Hill District Community Based Organizations: Hill Community Development Corporation (Hill CDC), Center for Family Excellence, Hill District Ministers Alliance (HDMA), Uptown Partners, the Center that Cares, Macedonia FACE, and the Neighborhood Resilience Project that streamlines community level review while assuring transparency and sufficient community feedback.  

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 is presented to the broader community.

The DRP Committee 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.

After a Committee score of 80% or above is achieved the project is then added to the next upcoming Quarterly Community Meeting’s agenda where all residents of the Greater Hill District will be able to ask questions and vote on the project. The Committee and Community scores are then combined to establish a cumulative score, which needs to be above 80% for the Hill CDC to endorse a project and write a letter of support.

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. 

The Policy and Planning Associate 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@hilldistrict.org.