NFL Draft Jobs, a New Rail Trail & Bringing Small Biz to Downtown
What will it take to get a grocery store downtown? Maybe Gov. Josh Shapiro has ideas!! He was in town a week after the arson attack on the Pennsylvania governor’s mansion touring coffee shops and other pop-up businesses as part of a collection of incentive programs championed by the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership, which is hoping to fill space in over 60 vacant retail spaces between now and next year’s NFL Draft. Halfway through our Mayoral Mondays series, we’re taking stock of Pittsburgh’s primary election for mayor, including our takeaways so far from talking to the Democratic candidates, plus the latest on our city’s financial position and an anti-Gainey mailer that some call a dog whistle. We’ve also got good news for outdoor lovers: a new pedestrian rail trail over the Allegheny River into Aspinwall and the return of Venture Outdoors’ kayak launch — this time, Downtown near the convention center.
Get more from City Cast Pittsburgh when you become a City Cast Pittsburgh Neighbor. You’ll enjoy perks like ad-free listening, invitations to members only events and more. Join now at membership.citycast.fm.
Notes and references from today’s show:
- Get To Know Pittsburgh Candidate and Mayor Ed Gainey [City Cast Pittsburgh]
- Get To Know Pittsburgh Mayoral Candidate Corey O'Connor [City Cast Pittsburgh]
- Gainey, trailing O’Connor in polls, tries to nationalize the race for Pittsburgh mayor [WESA]
- Pittsburgh community leaders denounce controversial mayoral campaign mailer [WTAE]
- How Well Do You Know Pittsburgh? Take This Quiz! [City Cast Pittsburgh]
- Shapiro says he plans to return to Pennsylvania Governor's Residence after firebombing attack [KDKA]
- Exclusive: Shapiro talks Downtown progress and NFL draft [Axios]
- Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership: State of Downtown Pittsburgh Q2 [YouTube]
- 2026 NFL Draft Source Program Application [NFL Draft Suppliers]
- Former Brilliant Branch rail line a 'blank canvas' for public trails, economic growth [TribLive]
- Pittsburgh’s Venture Outdoors to Launch a Downtown Community Kayak Hub [Pittsburgh Magazine]
Learn more about the sponsors of this April 25th episode:
Babbel - Get up to 60% off at Babbel.com/CITYCAST
Aura Frames - Get $35-off plus free shipping on the Carver Mat frame with Promo Code CITYCAST
Cozy Earth - Use code COZYPITTSBURGH for 40% off best-selling sheets, towels, pajamas, and more.
Want more Pittsburgh news? Sign up for our daily morning Hey Pittsburgh newsletter. We’re also on Instagram @CityCastPgh!
Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info here.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Subscribe To Our Newsletter
Stay connected to City Cast Pittsburgh and get ready to join the local conversation.
Latest Episodes
Paid Parental Leave Proposal Gets a Makeover
After weighing over 1,400 public comments — mostly from parents, health care workers, and small business owners — the county health depar...
‘Your City Could Be Better’: How Philly Is Reducing Violence With Parks — Presented By City Cast Pittsburgh
Would Pittsburgh be better with fewer vacant, blighted lots? In Philly, the answer is overwhelmingly yes, with significant drops in crime...
Ripping Out Skill Games, Mandatory Fun & RIP Annie Dillard
Will state police start ripping skill games out of convenience stores, vape shops, and other spots? That's what could happen if lawmakers...
Pittsburgh Restaurant Empires, Explained
Did you know a ton of Pittsburgh's most influential dining spots are run by the same six restaurant groups? Some are massive, some are lo...
Measles, Go-Karts & Wylie’s Opening Lineup
Pennsylvania’s measles outbreak is getting worse. At least four people have died and nearly 700 cases are being tracked statewide. Host M...
What To Do During an ICE Encounter in Pittsburgh
Community leaders and business owners in Beechview — the heart of Pittsburgh's Latino community — say ICE activity has been increasi...
Won't You Be a Reader? The Campaign to Raise Lifelong Readers {SPONSORED}
On this bonus episode sponsored by the Grable Foundation, we're talking about a local push to make sure every child has access to the boo...
Does Pittsburgh Have the Meats? A Guide to Pittsburgh BBQ
Can Pittsburgh hold its own when it comes to barbecue? We definitely don’t have the smoked-meat reputation of Texas or the Carolinas, but...
‘Your City Could Be Better’: How Las Vegas Is Handling Record-Breaking Heat — Presented By City Cast Pittsburgh
It may not feel like it right now, but extreme heat is coming for Pittsburgh, and Las Vegas might have the answers you need. An already s...
Iceburgh Loaf Pan, Fetterman's GOP Lovefest & Pittsburgh Remembers 9/11
Today marks the 25th anniversary of the September 11, 2001 attacks. Western PA was directly affected: one of the hijacked planes crashed...