G20 Perimeters Coming But No One Knows Where

Pittsburgh officials organizing the G20 Summit still do not know where security perimeters will be set up but they know there will be more than one kind and they say businesses better start making plans. A secure perimeter will be placed around various venues including the convention center and the Phipps Conservatory through which no one without a credential will be allowed to pass. A wider traffic perimeter will be established around those same venues where only foot traffic will be allowed. The third type of perimeter will be a “rolling perimeter” which will be used when dignitaries are being transported from one location to another.
The Secret Service is in the process of contacting business owners and residents that may be within a secure perimeter and will be issuing credentials to allow them access. In the meantime, the Pittsburgh G20 Partnership is asking everyone to check out the web site PittsburghG20.org to get the latest information on the planning process. Spokesperson Bill Flanagan says there is also a great deal of information there about building an emergency plan.
The partnership says businesses downtown should look at everything from the relatively small problem of traffic congestion to planning to shut down in a protest zone to credentialing employees to get to work. Pittsburgh Business Coalition for Homeland Security Director Loren Roth says his web page prbchs.org is another good resource for planning for everything from a power outage to a full closure. At the same web site business owners can sign up for nearly instantaneous updates from the county emergency operations center through the “Beacon” program. Mayoral spokesperson Joanna Doven stresses, “no one will be kicked out of their homes and no businesses will be forced to close.”
The Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership is asking all downtown residents to call 412-325-0159 to sign up for updates concerning closures and other summit related announcements.

Pittsburgh Council to Return Early, Deal With G20 Bills

At Mayor Luke Ravenstahl's request, Pittsburgh City Council will return early from its summer recess to take up legislation concerning the G20 Summit next month. Council President Doug Shields says he has spoken with the mayor and several colleagues and that council is likely to return to work early next week. Shields says council would not return this week because of the death of the mother of Councilman Jim Motznik. Her funeral is Thursday.
Shields says he has asked the administration to send over the legislation as soon as possible so council can get to work on it. It's his understanding that the law department is putting the final touches on some measures.
Shields says he doesn't believe that the mayor is trying to ram these 5 bills through council....."It's a function of the scope of the event, it's so big, so pervasive, there are so many details to be worked on in a short amount of time." He added that it's just the way things are unfolding and it all depends on the Secret Service.
Shields says some of the ordinances are minor but with those dealing with the demonstrators, "we will be careful not to tread on First Amendment rights."
The administration is reportedly considering a temporary ban in downtown Pittsburgh on such items as PVC pipe which protesters often use to link themselves together to make it difficult for police to remove them.

Life Sci Greenhouse on G20 Tour

Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahl and Allegheny County Executive Dan Onorato are taking tours of several high-tech and green businesses in the region in an effort to point out some of the reasons why the city was chosen to host the G20 Summit in September. Monday they toured the Pittsburgh Life Sciences Greenhouse. The center hosts startup companies as they work to development early stage technologies into marketable products. Onorato says, "The Pittsburgh Life Sciences Greenhouse is a perfect example of why our region has earned a reputation of being on the leading edge of science and technology." The Green House sits next to the Hot Metal Bridge on land that was once a Jones and Laughlin steel mill. It is now know as The Pittsburgh Technology Center. Greenhouse CEO John Manzetti stood on the 5th floor patio of the building and pointed to the bridge as a symbol of the past and then at his building, the others in the Technology Center and the development on the Southside as the future of the city. Manzetti says it would be great if any of the G20 visitors from a president to a reporter stopped by. He says, "It's our privilege to get the word out that this region has some of the world's very best life sciences technologies. We are creating companies and growing our talent pool of researchers and entrepreneurs which will allow us bring more innovation and investment opportunities to the market." No tours of the building have been set for visiting dignitaries but Ravenstahl says anyone asking about the region’s transformation will be told about it.

Mayor: Protestors Should be Patient

Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahl says groups that have applied for a permit to protest during the G20 should “take a deep breath.” He says there have been requests submitted from several organizations and the city is, “trying to find good locations for people to protest.” He says no applications have been approved and none have been declined. That includes a request from State Senator Jim Ferlo to use Point State Park as a protest area. Ravenstahl says that application will probable be denied because the city has asked the state to allow it to set up a tent city in the park to house police officers coming to the city to help with security. Ravenstahl says there will be room for everyone to be heard. He says, “by law we have to provide two spots that are both within visual distance and verbal distance from the convention center.” He says the exact location of the protest areas has not yet been determined.
In response to rumors that out of town protesters are breaking into abandon buildings and living in them, Ravenstahl asked anyone who knew of such activity to contact the police department so they could be removed.

G20 Protest Being Planned

A nonviolent protest is being organized to rally against next month's G20 summit. While reasons vary from lack of public input, the global economy, unemployment and war, the primary goal is to provide public education.

Thomas Merton Center Spokeswoman Melissa Minnich says they have not yet received a permit for the protest, but have received a response from Pittsburgh Police.

"If we left it up to them, they would be fine with us marching up to the City County Building. But I'm afraid they have no final say on it because the Secret Service is going to be handling all security issues. So we have no firm answer," she says.

She says they are going to march as far as they're allowed on September 25. The tentative plan is to begin in Oakland on Fifth Avenue & Craft at noon, then lead into downtown Pittsburgh near the City County Building by 2pm, and then end on 10th Street at 3:30pm, a mere block from the Convention Center.

Minnich says they expect this will be the largest event the Thomas Merton Center has organized, estimating thousands of participants.

PAT Uses Twitter to Release Changes Due to G20

The Port Authority is turning to Twitter to alert riders about last-minute route changes. Spokesman Jim Ritchie says the agency is looking for as many ways as possible to get information out about changes during the G20 Summit next month..."The difficulty is the authorities that are developing the security zone downtown aren't going to tell us where we can go and can't go until a week or two prior to the event. It creates a real time challenge for us. We have to get things out very quickly."

The Port Authority's Twitter identity is "pghtransit." Ritchie says people can get updates from their computers or on their cell phones. You can also sign up for updates through the Port Authority's web site. But since not everyone has online access, Ritchie says the Port Authority is also working with schools, businesses and other groups to spread the word about route changes.

Closing List for G20 Grows

Point Park University President Paul Hennigan says the university will shut down for the G20 Summit. The university will be closed from September 23-26 and students must vacate the residence halls from 10 p.m. September 22 until noon September 27.

Ten days ago, Duquesne University announced that it will shut down from noon September 23 through September 25. However, residents students can remain in the dorms.
This week Community College of Allegheny County announced all of its campuses and centers will be closed September 23-35. Then Robert Morris University said it would close its Downtown Pittsburgh Center and the Bayer Center for Nonprofit Management from September 23-27. The West Mifflin School District will be closed from September 23-27 because it is located near the Allegheny County Airport which is expected to receive G20 arrivals.

Federal & State Funds to Help Pay G20 Security

Federal and state officials will kick in $16.3 million toward the estimated $19 million cost to provide security for the G20 Summit next month in Pittsburgh. The Ravenstahl administration says the federal will provide $10 million and Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell has promised $6.3 million which includes the cost of providing 600 state troopers for security.
State Senator Jim Ferlo of Pittsburgh is considering filing suit in Pittsburgh Federal Court after his request for a permit to hold a day-long rally in Point State Park the day before the G20 Summit was denied. Ferlo says he wanted to hold the rally so that people could speak out about political and social issues related to the G20. But he was told that police and the Secret Service want to use the park as a staging area.

Meantime, a coalition including the anti-war group Code Pink and the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom plus other organizations was denied a permit to set up a "women's tent city" near the Heinz History Center....which is just a few blocks from the David L. Lawrence Convention Center, the headquarters for the G20 summit.

Pre-G20 Rally at the Point Nixed

State Senator Jim Ferlo of Highland Park says his application for use of Point State Park as a “free speech zone” before the G20 summit has been denied. Ferlo says police are planning to use the area next to the fountain as a helipad for security agencies. He says police may also apply to the state to allow them use of the Fort Pitt Museum as a public safety headquarters. Ferlo says as a board member of the Pennsylvania Historic and Museum Commission, there’s no way they would approve such an idea.

Ferlo says the decision “doesn’t leave much room” – he plans to team up with the American Civil Liberties Union and take his case to the Pittsburgh federal court early next week. He says it would be unfortunate to be forced to take demonstrations to the streets; earlier talks with police led him to believe using the Point would be a viable option.

Ferlo says a few similar efforts, such as a peaceful religious gathering and a demonstration from the Thomas Merton Center, have also had their permit requests denied.

Welcome Signs for G20 Delegates

Allegheny County Executive Dan Onorato toured the airport corridor today to highlight areas targeted for beautification efforts and to unveil welcome signs that will be on display during the G20 economic summit. Standing behind the Greater Pennsylvania Regional Council of Carpenters overlooking the Parkway West, Onorato uncovered the signs that will be used throughout the region when the G20 comes to town. He says there is a theme to them all that represents the regions green development. Before premiering the signs Onorato stopped at a Green Tree Hill development site to highlight one of a handful of areas that will be cleaned up before the G20. The county is currently gathering what it hopes will be 1,500 people to volunteer their time to plant flowers, trees and lay mulch along the airport corridor on a volunteer clean up day September 12th. The county will have the signs that were unveiled today at each of the clean up sites they visit and will also have signs on the hill behind the Greater Pennsylvania Regional Council of Carpenters that overlooks the Parkway West.

https://www.pittsburghg20.org/Articles/081209.aspx#

G20 Forces Court Closure

Federal court offices in Pittsburgh will be closed during the G-20 Summit. Clerk of Court Robert Barth Jr. says Chief Judge Donetta Ambrose made the decision when it became apparent that there would be no vehicular access to the building during the September 24th and 25th event. The offices will also be closed Wednesday the 23rd. Barth says lawyers, judges and others who need access to records will be able to do so electronically. He says this does not mean that the entire United State District Court, Western District of Pennsylvania will be closed. He says the offices in Erie and Johnstown will remain open and plans are being formulated to allow for emergency access to the court for injunctive relief or other petitions to the court that need immediate attention. Emergency Filing Procedures will be released after Labor Day. The US Bankruptcy Court offices in the US Steel Tower will also be closed during the summit. Barth says he has been told that the post office in the Courthouse will also be closed but a spokesperson or the United Sates Postal service could not confirm that assumption.

CCAC to Close During G20

The Community College of Allegheny County will close all campuses and centers for the three days of the G20 summit due to traffic concerns. Spokesman David Hoovler says the school is closing because students and faculty commute through various parts of the county, including the likely congested Downtown area. Hoovler says the school wishes to stay consistent with its closings, so even campuses and centers in outlying areas like Monroeville and McCandless will close. Security personnel will still be present.

Mt. Washigton REDD UP

Pittsburgh “REDD UP” crews hit Mt Washington today in preparation for the G20 Summit in September. Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahl says apart from downtown, Mt. Washington will be the area most visited by members of the media and visiting dignitaries. As crews cut down weeds and a street sweeper scoured Grandview Avenue the mayor spoke with Mt. Washington Community Development Corporation Executive Director Chris Beichner. Beichner says he has a long list of items he hopes the mayor’s office will attend to before the meeting. Most of them are small items such as a fresh coat of paint on the railing but others, like replacing the streetlights and rebuilding the Bayer sign, are much more labor and capital intensive. Ravenstahl says most of the small items will be taken care of but the other two items have been bogged down in governmental red tape. The street lights were to have been replaced this summer but Ravenstahl says a state contract that was part of the effort has been held up in Harrisburg and efforts by the Bayer Corporation to replace the sign were put on hold thanks to a council passed ordinance prohibiting new signs downtown. That legislation was an outgrowth of the spat between the mayor and several council members over the billboard on the new transportation center. Ravenstahl says the clean up effort on Mt. Washington is getting extra help from volunteers who have stepped forward to help with G20 efforts. He says he hopes to put all those names in a database and then draw on those resources in the future. An army of volunteers was enlisted for the All Star game but those contacts were not saved. Ravenstahl says that will not happen again.

Strip District Businesses Waiting To Prepare For G20

Pittsburgh's convention center is playing host to the majority of the G20 summits activities and businesses in the strip district are trying to figure out how to handle the expected influx of people. Business', The Port Authority and even City officials don't know what traffic restrictions will be imposed during the summit and they don't expect to know until just days before the event. Sunseri brothers co-owner Nino Sunseri says he is not excited about the G20 coming to Pittsburgh and has no idea how the city plans to handle the restrictions and the effect the protesters will have on local businesses. President and CEO of the Heinz History Center Andy Masich is also holding off on making any business decisions for the week of the G20. One strip district business which has reacted to the upcoming summit is Mahla (may-la) and company antiques which has re-scheduled a sidewalk sale that was to take place the same week as the G20.

Ravenstahl Reviews G20 Finances, Traffic

Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahl updated reporters on finances, traffic and security for September’s G20 summit today at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center.

The mayor says he talked to President Obama and Governor Rendell about reimbursement for the city’s G20 expenses yesterday. He says no deal was set in stone, but federal and state government are now aware of his request for $20 million. Ravenstahl says he’s not sure if Pittsburgh will receive these funds before or after the event, but he’s confident space can be found in either the previous or current budget.

He says Pittsburgh residents and businesses need to stay flexible regarding traffic, because the addition of four cultural landmark destinations in and around the city is sure to exacerbate the already ominous traffic situation.

The mayor says the city is on track to reach its goal of 4,000 police officers to secure the summit.

G20 Delegates In Town

G20 delegates were in Pittsburgh today to prepare for the upcoming economic summit. The White House Advance Team took around 200 delegates on a tour of Pittsburgh International Airport, the Convention Center and other sites that will host G20 events. Convention Center General Manager Mark Leahy says the delegates were excited about the facility, particularly the green aspects of the center. Other local G20 events include a working dinner at the Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens, a performance for the spouses of G20 leaders at Pittsburgh's School for the Creative And Performing Arts, and lunch and tour for spouses at the Andy Warhol Museum.

Seminar in Preparation of G20 Trade Expo

A small business development organization is giving local businesses the opportunity to meet representatives from G20 countries. Mary McKinney, Director of the Duquesne University Small Business Development Center, says business owners can learn whether there products are appropriate to export elsewhere, and if so, learn how to do it. She says there are also opportunities for businesses that already actively export goods. An information seminar will be held on August 6 at 9:00 AM at Rockwell Hall on the Duquesne campus for more information about the expo, which takes place on September 22. McKinney says it's a great opportunity to establish long-term ties with other countries.

Warhol Museum to Be a G20 Venue

The White House has selected the Andy Warhol Museum as one of the sites in Pittsburgh to host a G20 event. First Lady Michelle Obama will host a luncheon at the museum as part of the Pittsburgh Summit Spousal program.
Museum Director Tom Sokolowski says he's very pleased by the announcement. Sokolowski says he believes one reason for their selection is that the Warhol Museum is already known internationally.."of the participating countries in the G20 summit, we have sent shows to 15 of those countries and in some instances....Western European nations, Canada, Australia and Asia, we have sent shows multiple times."
Sokolowski believes the museum was chosen as a venue to present something that would be of interest to everyone.
The museum houses the definitive collection of art and archives from Andy Warhol, who was born and raised in Pittsburgh.

Phipps "Very Excited" to Host G20 Event

Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens has been selected as one of the venues in Pittsburgh for G20 events. The White House says President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama will host a welcoming event at Phipps for the 19 world leaders, their spouses and representatives of the European Union. There will also be a working dinner there. Phipps Executive Director Richard Piacentini says he's very excited for Phipps and the city "to have the opportunity and to showcase what a great city we have in Pittsburgh and all the great things happening in the city."
Piacentini says they tried to position Phipps as a beautiful facility..."a leader in green building and operations and one of the 'greenest' gardens in the world."
The tropical forest conservatory is the world's most energy efficient conservatory and the only one powered by a solid oxide fuel cell. Piacentini says there are a lot preparations to make but "they hope to make Pittsburgh proud."

Phipps, Warhol Museum, CAPA: Sites for G20 Events

President Barack Obama and/or First Lady Michelle Obama will host events at several Pittsburgh locations during the G20 Summit September 24 and 25. In addition to the events at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center, the official site of the summit, the White House announced today that the President and First Lady will welcome leaders, their spouses and officials to the Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens. The President and world leaders will remain at Phipps for a working dinner.


The White House says Mrs. Obama will host the Pittsburgh Summit spousal program which will begin with a private dinner at Rosemont Farm, which is owned by Pittsburgh philanthropist Teresa Heinz.

Also, Mrs. Obama will host a luncheon at the Andy Warhol Musem, which houses the definitive collection of art and archives from the renowned 20th Cnetury artist, Andy Warhol, who was born and raised in Pittsburgh.

The First Lady and other spouses will also visit the Creative and Performing Arts School (CAPA) of the Pittsburgh School District. The group will tour the school and view a performance by the CAPA students.