Member Highlight: Polish Hill Civic Association

 

1. Organization:Polish Hill Civic Association (PHCA)
2. Founding Date:September 1969
3. Executive Director:None -- the PHCA has never had an executive director.  PHCA operates with an all-volunteer board that consists of residents.
4. Current Staff Size:One full-time staff person.  A consultant is currently working for us on a contract basis for a development project.  A great deal of work is done by the four members of the executive committee, who essentially work as unpaid part timers, and each put in anywhere between 5 to 25 hours each week.
5. What geographic area do you serve?The neighborhood of Polish Hill.  We don't just consider that the area within the official City boundaries, but a somewhat larger area which is connected through social and cultural ties.
6. What is your mission statement?The PHCA's mission is to respect and preserve the sense of community in Polish Hill while promoting economic and housing development opportunities, and improving the quality of life in our community.
7. What is one project, program, or event that you are really excited about?We are currently in the planning stages for our Fire Site development project. The fire site consists of six parcels in the center of the neighborhood, and the site is owned by the Pittsburgh Housing and Development Corporation.  In 2007, a fire destroyed two buildings on the site and seriously damaged another.  We are working with the PHDC, the Design Center, and the URA to find a developer-architect team that will help us determine the best use for the site.  We hope to find a creative solution to the site, to make something the community needs, like moderately priced housing and commercial space, as opposed to high-priced townhomes, which would be out of place in our neighborhood.
8. What is your organization’s proudest accomplishment?You would probably get a different answer from every person you asked!  The organization has done so many projects, large and small, including creating housing, creating and maintaining green spaces (see this Post-Gazette story and Blogski post on the PHCA Green Team's "No Spray" Signs), organizing community events, and much more.  A more general answer might be that the organization has survived and evolved along with the neighborhood and continues to work for the community as it grows and changes.  The rate of change has been especially rapid in the last few years, as the neighborhood has become more visible and more in demand.  It is challenging and rewarding to navigate these changes, and to be here for everyone, whether they are a brand-new arrival, or a fourth-generation resident who has been here all their life.We are also very proud of the Pivotal Streets Façade Renovation Grant program, which we piloted this year.  The program had a huge response, and we are already working with funders to offer it again next year.
9. What is your favorite thing about your neighborhood?Here's the #1 answer we get whenever we ask residents -- new and old:  the strong sense of community.    
10. What is one must-see/must-do when visiting your neighborhood?It's more like a "must-do":  simply walk around.  The church is the most impressive landmark -- unfortunately, it isn't kept open.  But simply to stroll through the neighborhood, appreciate the quiet streets, the small homes, hidden green spaces, the views from the hillsides, and you'll see and feel what's so special about it.  Once people have walked around Polish Hill a bit, they often say they would like to live here.
11. What is your neighborhood’s best kept secret?At one point in time, it would have been how central the neighborhood is -- we are both hidden, surrounded by green space, and in the middle of Pittsburgh, 10 minutes from downtown.  Lots of people didn't know where Polish Hill was -- even if they drove through here regularly!  However, we've been discovered (see #17 on this "30 Reasons to Move to Pittsburgh" article)!  Another secret: many people assume that Polish Hill is:  (a) mostly populated by elderly Polish people and (b) not very safe.  Neither is true.  Most residents are 25 to 50 years old and are not of Polish heritage.  Also, the neighborhood has one of the lowest crime rates in Pittsburgh.
12. What is your favorite restaurant or business in your neighborhood?This is more a matter of personal taste...there are four bars and one cafe/coffee shop in Polish Hill.  Gooski's bar is famous nationwide -- the New York Times has mentioned it more than once.  Lili Cafe has excellent food and has found its way onto many lists of the best independent coffee shops in Pittsburgh.
13. Interesting fact:The longevity of the organization is notable; the fact that a neighborhood group has kept going for more forty years, and it has always been run by volunteers. 
14. Upcoming event(s):We'll have a fundraising yard sale (the money goes towards the 2014 arts festival) and something at Halloween.  Also, we always have a couple of holiday events in December.  Further out is The Polish Hill Arts Festival, held in July.  It's the biggest event in Polish Hill each year.
15. Contact information:Name of contact person for further inquiries:Alexis Miller (president), Leslie Clague (staff)Phone:(412) 681-1950Address:3060 Brereton StreetWebsite:http://phcapgh.org/   (Please note that our new website is currently under construction.)Blog:http://blogski.phcapgh.org/Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/phca.pittsburgh

Additionally, PCRG would like to congratulate Alexis Miller, PHCA President, on being named one of Pittsburgh's 40 Under 40![Source: Leslie Clague, PHCA Staffer; Alexis Miller, PHCA President; Valerie Testa, PHCA Board Member- Secretary]