This afternoon, we were given a wonderful tour of the Riverhounds Stadium by the Riverhounds Director of Promotions and Entertainment, Kris Brown. Although the stadium is primarily a sports organization, it turned out to be a much larger asset to the area. It was explained that the stadium is projected to host around 600 events in 2026, many of which are nonprofit walks and community events. The Riverhounds have seen massive growth in the past few years and are hoping to renovate the stadium and increase by thousands of seats in order to host larger events by giving the residents of Pittsburgh an average sized venue to bridge the gap between our largest and smallest venues!!

After the meeting, we met with Elissa DiNello, who works on Allegheny County’s Main Streets initiative. She had a very constructive conversation surrounding the project because she herself is in a very similar position as our groups. She confirmed the idea that many people find themselves in an “information deficit” when it comes to grants, funding, or opportunities. There is not a website that encapsulates everything needed for a business to thrive with support from their local government. Carrigart faces a similar challenge, and although it is a pressing issue, we are not equipped to help the people of Carrigart in that regard. She also highlighted a trend within the Pittsburgh neighborhoods, where a “champion” helps build the community. This “champion” is not someone in local government, but rather someone who truly cares about their town and the people in it. This concept is very interesting, and I do believe that it will affect my work in Ireland.