Allegheny County executive candidates offer strategies to boost economy, hospitality industry

Five candidates for Allegheny County’s top elected office shared their plans to boost the economy and the county’s $7 billion hospitality industry during a forum hosted by the tourism agency VisitPittsburgh.

The forum, held Thursday, featured four of the race’s six Democratic candidates for Allegheny County executive: state Rep. Sara Innamorato, Pittsburgh Controller Michael Lamb, entrepreneur and activist William Parker and Allegheny County Treasurer John Weinstein. The race’s only Republican candidate, former PNC executive Joe Rockey, also attended.

Candidates not on hand included former Allegheny County Councilman Dave Fawcett, D-Oakmont, and Pittsburgh Public Schools board member Theresa Sciulli Colaizzi, D-Pittsburgh.

Innamorato, of Pittsburgh’s Lawrenceville, said her economic strategy would focus on “creating a place where we can all thrive” by creating a countywide housing plan to tackle rising rates of homelessness, help families purchase homes and allow seniors to avoid being priced out of their residences.

She said the county’s Department of Human Services should be used more to help provide child care services for families, which will allow families to save money and put more money back into the local economy.

Innamorato also pointed to the economic success of Lawrenceville and its main street, Butler Street. She said that success resulted from an intentional economic strategy, and she wants the county government to help more main streets across the county see similar success.

“There are so many other main streets that are hungry for more hospitality opportunities,” she said. “We know that investment doesn’t end at city borders.”

In response, Weinstein said, “Unfortunately, Lawrenceville isn’t Downtown.”

The county treasurer focused on the Golden Triangle, arguing that crime there is inhibiting economic growth. He implied that some office workers don’t want to return to Downtown because “they are scared.”

Weinstein, of Kennedy, said increasing public safety and cleanup operations in Downtown is key to encouraging businesses to move in.

“My job is to market Allegheny County, and we can’t market it until we fix things,” Weinstein said. “We can’t have open drug deals. The safer this community is, the more attractive it is.”

He said he wants to work with VisitPittsburgh to boost the hospitality industry and suggested that Pittsburgh International Airport could use more marketing. If elected, Weinstein said he would reach out to major airlines such as Delta to establish at least a partial hub at the airport — which had been a hub for the former US Airways until 2004 and is now undergoing a $1.4 billion terminal project.

Lamb, of Pittsburgh’s Beechview, said he would focus his economic development efforts on improving public safety and increasing partnerships with the county’s more than 100 municipalities.

“What we want is a vibrant economy and an excellent quality of life,” said Lamb. “We do that by keeping people safe, keeping neighborhoods clean and through public safety.”

He said there has been too much focus on retention strategies for Pittsburgh college students, and not enough focus on creating an environment that is attractive to college graduates and immigrants. He said those are the demographics that will help grow Pittsburgh’s population, and provide a boost to Pittsburgh’s economy and hospitality industry.

“We have to be a destination for college kids to want to come here. We have to be more welcoming for international immigration, we have to attract them and retain them,” Lamb said.

Lamb also said the region’s film industry credit should be increased from $100 million to $500 million to stimulate its growing film industry.

Rockey, of Ohio Township, also talked about reversing Pittsburgh’s population losses. He said when he was growing up on the North Side, the Pittsburgh metro area was the eighth largest in the country. Today it ranks as the 28th largest.

“We are on a trend line to be out of the top 50,” he said.

Rockey said bringing economic prosperity to the county could reverse that trend. He said the county needs to increase the number of sites that are pad-ready for development and streamline the approval process for development projects.

He said global supply chain issues have led many major companies to look at relocating more business operations to the United States and he would use his business executive experience to sell Allegheny County to such companies.

“We need to go out and sell ourselves, I will sell Allegheny County to 100 companies and more,” Rockey said.

He said the hospitality industry could receive a boost by attracting more events to the region. Rockey said the county executive should be leading the call with the Pittsburgh Steelers to attract the NFL Draft to Pittsburgh.

Parker, of Pittsburgh’s Garfield, said a focus on inclusivity and population retention would grow the region’s economy. He said breaking down barriers and combating racism could help entrepreneurs grow.

He said he would partner with Pennsylvania’s economic development secretary to increase funding for tourism programs and create more partnerships with VisitPittsburgh.

The Democratic and Republican primary elections will be held on May 16.