THE REASONS WHY. ONE OF THE LONGEST STANDING BUSINESSES DOWNTOWN IS NOW CONSIDERING THE OPTION TO LEAVE BECAUSE OF THE HEAVY CRIME AND THE OVERRUN HOMELESS POPULATION. THIS IS THE SECOND BUSINESS IN EIGHT WEEKS TO TALK TO US ABOUT LEAVING DOWNTOWN, SHOOTING, STABBINGS, OPEN AIR DRUG SALES, LONG STANDING BUSINESSES SAY THE VOLUME OF CRIME IS FRIGHTENING BEYOND THE WORST YEARS IN DECADES PAST. IT WAS BAD, BUT IT WAS NEVER THIS BAD. WE HAVE A STRONG CRIMINAL ELEMENT DOWNTOWN, AND THIS SPEAKS TO PUBLIC SAFETY. FOR EXAMPLE, THERE’S A FELLOW WHO SELLS DRUGS OUT OF HIS CAR RIGHT IN FRONT OF OUR BUILDING. BOB FERGUSON IS THE OWNER OF FOR GASOL FINANCIAL ADVISORS. LOCATED DOWNTOWN FOR 50 YEARS, HE IS LOCATED IN AN OFFICE BUILDING ON SMITHFIELD STREET. THE LIBRARY NEXT DOOR IS CLOGGED WITH HOMELESS PEOPLE. THEY COME OUT OF THE CHURCH, THEY URINATE IN THE FLOWER POTS IN FRONT OF THE BUILDING AND THEY GO INTO THE LIBRARY AND SPEND THEIR DAY THERE. CHRISTOPHER HAYNER TOLD PITTSBURGH’S ACTION NEWS 4 AND JANET WORRY THAT HE IS RELOCATING FROM DOWNTOWN. IT’S CONSTANT OPEN DRUG USE, ESPECIALLY ON SMITHFIELD STREET. LAST TUESDAY, WHENEVER I CAME IN, THERE WAS AN OVERDOSE. WHEN I WAS WALKING INTO THE OFFICE AND I STAYED PRETTY LATE TILL ABOUT 9:00 PM OR WHENEVER I WAS LEAVING, WALKING BACK TO THE CAR, THERE WAS ANOTHER OVERDOSE. AND NOW FOR GASSER WAS FED UP TO THE POINT OF LEAVING. WE WANT TO KEEP A DOWNTOWN PRESENCE, BUT OUR LEASE WILL BE UP IN A YEAR AND WE WON’T HAVE A DOWNTOWN PRESENCE UNLESS THIS IS CLEANED UP. ARE YOU STILL COMMITTED TO LEAVING DOWNTOWN? I AM. I SEEN I SIGNED THE LEASE THIS MORNING. THE BUILDOUT IS GOING TO TAKE 7 TO 9 MONTHS, BUT I AM COMMITTED TO LEAVING DOWNTOWN. WE ALSO CHECKED IN WITH VISIT PITTSBURGH, ONE OF THE PRIMARY MARKETING ENGINES FOR THE REGION. THAT GROUP SAYS THAT DOWNTOWN IS STILL STRONG AND VIBRANT AND THAT CONCERNS OVER PUBLIC SAFETY ARE BEING ADDRESSED WITH GROWING SUPPORT SERVICES. REPORTING FR
One other enterprise proprietor on the verge of fleeing Downtown as crime continues
Up to date: 6:22 PM EDT Mar 27, 2023
Fragasso Monetary Advisors has been operating for 50 years in its Downtown workplace, however that’s about to alter as founder Bob Fragasso strikes nearer to the choice of relocating. He says shootings, stabbings, and the open-air drug tradition have change into a reputable menace to his staff, who’re petrified of understanding of the Downtown workplace. “We now have a powerful prison ingredient Downtown, and this speaks to public security. For instance, there is a man who sells medication proper out of his automotive in entrance of our constructing,” Fragasso stated.Fragasso additionally says a bulging homeless presence compounds his sense of urgency to depart due to the general public habits and loitering proper in entrance of his workplace constructing within the 600 block of Smithfield Avenue. “The library subsequent door is clogged with homeless individuals. They arrive out of the church, they urinate within the flower pots in entrance of the constructing, and so they go into the library and spend their day there,” he stated.Christopher Hayner is one other enterprise proprietor who has already made the dedication to relocate. He’s the proprietor of Hayner Dental. “It is fixed open-air drug use, particularly on Smithfield Avenue,” Hayner stated. “Final Tuesday, each time I got here in, there was an overdose each time I used to be coming into the workplace, and I stayed fairly late till about 9 p.m. each time I used to be leaving strolling again to the automotive, there was one other overdose.”Go to Pittsburgh, one of many area’s main advertising engines, says the Central Enterprise District remains to be sturdy and vibrant, with issues over public security being addressed with rising help companies.
Fragasso Monetary Advisors has been operating for 50 years in its Downtown workplace, however that’s about to alter as founder Bob Fragasso strikes nearer to the choice of relocating.
He says shootings, stabbings, and the open-air drug tradition have change into a reputable menace to his staff, who’re petrified of understanding of the Downtown workplace. “We now have a powerful prison ingredient Downtown, and this speaks to public security. For instance, there is a man who sells medication proper out of his automotive in entrance of our constructing,” Fragasso stated.
Fragasso additionally says a bulging homeless presence compounds his sense of urgency to depart due to the general public habits and loitering proper in entrance of his workplace constructing within the 600 block of Smithfield Avenue. “The library subsequent door is clogged with homeless individuals. They arrive out of the church, they urinate within the flower pots in entrance of the constructing, and so they go into the library and spend their day there,” he stated.
Christopher Hayner is one other enterprise proprietor who has already made the dedication to relocate. He’s the proprietor of Hayner Dental.
“It is fixed open-air drug use, particularly on Smithfield Avenue,” Hayner stated. “Final Tuesday, each time I got here in, there was an overdose each time I used to be coming into the workplace, and I stayed fairly late till about 9 p.m. each time I used to be leaving strolling again to the automotive, there was one other overdose.”
Go to Pittsburgh, one of many area’s main advertising engines, says the Central Enterprise District remains to be sturdy and vibrant, with issues over public security being addressed with rising help companies.
