🥇🏟️ Root for Pittsburgh in Paris · City Cast Pittsburgh

G’morning, all! Scroll for the Pgh athletes heading to Paris’ Olympic games, a zoning variance that held up housing construction, and fun events for the first half of your week. ☀️

Also, Gov. Josh Shapiro was in town this weekend for Pennsylvania Day, Picklesburgh, the Phillies game, a tour of Braddock Farms, and more. Despite his team’s loss, he looks like he had a fabulous time.

two men at PNC stadium — Saturday, July 20 was National Pennsylvania Day, honoring PA’s place as the second state to join the union. We’re guessing Lt. Gov. Austin Davis, a McKeesport native, walked away with bragging rights that night. (@governorshapiro / Instagram)

What's CITY Talking About?

a man smiles in a USA olympic uniform — *Goalball athlete Callahan Young has been playing since middle school. (Dustin Satloff / Getty)*

Local Athlete Heads to Paris

Goalball is a sport that relies on strength of hearing; players, their eyes obscured, attempt to block a ball that’s filled with sleigh bells and hurled towards them at up to 50mph. And Irwin native Calahan Young is one of its best players. [NEXTPittsburgh]

🏆 After leading the U.S. team’s dramatic quarterfinal victory in Tokyo in 2020, we can’t wait to watch him in the Paralympic Games in Paris next month! [2024 Summer Olympics]

State Grants for Period Products

The new Pennsylvania budget includes $3 million for free menstrual products in PA schools, including pads and tampons. Other bills are still pending to expand free hygiene products to colleges, correctional facilities, government offices, and more, as well as fee waivers for people who qualify for SNAP. [Spotlight PA]

🎧 Want to know more about what’s in the state budget? You could scroll through 9 pages of tiny-print line items, orrrrr… you could listen to this 20-minute breakdown. [PA Office of the Budget & City Cast Pittsburgh]

Bloomfield Development Plans Dropped

Pittsburgh’s zoning board rejected Echo Realty’s $84.1 million redevelopment plan for the retail space at Liberty and Main, which included 248 affordable units, and now Giant Eagle has stepped in. [Pittsburgh Business Times]

⚙️ What went wrong? And why is it so hard to build housing in Pittsburgh? [🎧 City Cast Pittsburgh]

a screenshot of the city cast pittsburgh podcast

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Where Is It?

a cement wall with ceramic tile birds — *These fascinating little birds live on a retaining wall somewhere in the city… but where? (Megan Harris / City Cast Pittsburgh)*

Let’s play a game! Where in Pittsburgh can you find the colorful tile birds shown in the photo above? 👀

Submit Your Guess!

🌟 Congrats to Alexa F., Marlo E., Caitlin M., Lyra B., Gayle R., Dina, Erica W., Nick H., Rose S.T., Erica T., Kelly R., Kait N., Kate F., and Jason D. who correctly guessed the last “Where Is It?” challenge!

Clearly it helped to zoom out — noted!

a mural on a wall with a city under a sun with large bees behind picnic tables — Here’s our friendly Highland Park bee with a little more of his surroundings, including the picnic tables outside LaScola’s Italian Ice and Custard on North Euclid Avenue. (Mallory Falk / City Cast Pittsburgh)

🐝 Looking for more fun art and activities to take in? Check out our guide to July in Pittsburgh!

What To Do

Tuesday, July 23

🔵 “Hereafter” Gallery at Contemporary Craft | 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. — through Aug. 24 | free | Lawrenceville
🎶 Sad Summer Festival at Stage AE | 1 p.m. | $75.07+ | North Shore
🍕 Voting Q&A & Pizza Party at Penn Hills Library | 5-8 p.m. | free | Penn Hills
📝 Write or Die: Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror at Mt. Lebanon Public Library | 6:45-8:45 p.m. | free | Mt. Lebanon
🎙️ Story Club PGH Story Slam at City of Asylum | 7-8:30 p.m. | free | North Shore, virtual
🪴 Hanging Moss Ball Workshop with Workshop PGH | 7-9 p.m.| $52 | Wilkinsburg

Wednesday, July 24

🌸 Flower School with Grow Pittsburgh & Churchview Farm | 5:30-7 p.m. | $15 | New Homestead
🍹 Flight Nights at Kingfly Spirits | 6-7 p.m. | $35 | Strip District
🍷 From Cape to Cork: Exploring South African Wines at the PA Market | 6:30-8 p.m. | $45 | Strip District
🤠 Line and Partner Dancing with 412Step | 6:30-9 p.m. | free | Lawrenceville
🎶 Music Happy Hour: Good Brother Earl with WYEP | 7-8:30 p.m. | free | South Side
🎙️ Mickey Avalon at Hard Rock Cafe | 8 p.m. | $29+ | Station Square

Thursday, July 25

🦋 Tour of Pollinator and Bird Garden at Penn State | 8 a.m. - 7:30 p.m. | $80-102 | Pick-up in Oakland
🪭 Wheel of Drag at Square Cafe | 5-9:30 p.m. | $35-40 | East Liberty
🚣🏽‍♀️ BIPOC Paddle with Kayak Pittsburgh | 6-8 p.m. | free | Sharpsburg
🎸 Lyle Lovett and His Large Band at Stage AE | 6:30 p.m. | $39+ | North Shore
🚲 Underwear Bike Ride | 8 p.m. | free | Lawrenceville

More DC Events

Today on City Cast

a grocery store parking lot on a cloudy day — *With Giant Eagle's plans to “transition ownership,” the Bloomfield Community Market seems likely to stay a corner grocery. (Sophia Lo / City Cast Pittsburgh)*

Why Is It So Hard To Build Housing in Pittsburgh?

Developer Echo Realty requested a zoning variance to increase the maximum height for a new housing development and grocery store in Bloomfield, but Pittsburgh’s zoning board denied the request — and now it looks like the developer is giving up on the project altogether. We’re talking about what went wrong and what comes next for the corner of Liberty and Main.

Listen Here! 🎧

Want to learn more about our local Olympians? Games kick off this Friday with Pghers who swim, row, wrestle, and pole-vault.

Until tomorrow!