Pittsburgh officials will not move ahead with a proposal to build a new Department of Public Works facility on a grassy portion of Schenley Park off Prospect Drive, city officials confirmed this week. The Prospect Drive site was determined to be unsuitable for relocating the DPW's Schenley Division, which needs a new home as the city relocates the division from its current Parkway East site.
Mayoral spokeswoman Molly Onufer said city officials determined the Prospect Drive site would not work, according to TribLIVE. Mayor Corey O'Connor and his staff determined that Prospect Drive does not meet the needs for relocation, and water access at the site would have been overly complicated to establish, per the same account. The proposed facility would have included a roughly 10,000-square-foot building to house trucks, salt and equipment.
The reversal follows weeks of organized opposition from residents near the park. More than 30 people signed a petition requesting a public hearing, and a City Clerk's Office filing dated August 26 records the submission. The petition was among residents' efforts to oppose the proposed facility.
Why DPW Needs a New East End Base
The Schenley Division currently operates out of temporary trailers powered by generators along the Parkway East. The city is relocating the division as it seeks a new base. PennDOT's $95 million I-376 Commercial Street Bridge Replacement completed a lateral slide of the new, 22-million-pound bridge during a 17-day Parkway East closure this past July, according to PennDOT.
The parks served by the division include Schenley Park and other nearby parks, per the Pittsburgh Department of Public Works. The city also secured $62.6 million in capital bond proceeds in April 2025, according to a bulletin from the City of Pittsburgh.
A Site With Deep LGBTQ+ History
Prospect Drive and its surrounding woods carry a cultural weight that extended well beyond green-space preservation. The area has been known locally for decades as the “Fruit Loop,” a gathering space that hosted outdoor Pride celebrations, HIV/AIDS outreach and memorial events, according to QBurgh. Pittsburgh City Council passed a resolution in 1992 acknowledging a Pride festival picnic held on Prospect Drive, cementing its place in the city's LGBTQ+ history.
The decision is good news for Prospect Drive, while the city continues to consider where the Schenley Division should be located.
Residents Cited Environmental and Traffic Concerns
Residents opposing the proposal raised concerns about toxic water runoff from salt stored at the proposed site and the permanent loss of parkland.
Opponents also raised environmental concerns about developing the Prospect Drive site. They objected to using parkland for a municipal maintenance operation.
What Comes Next for the Schenley Division
The Mayor's Office of Community Affairs said the city is now evaluating multiple sites to relocate the Schenley Division. Among them is a location near the Bob O'Connor Golf Course inside Schenley Park. A separate $10 million overhaul plan for the course was unveiled by First Tee Pittsburgh in August, a proposal that has drawn neighborhood scrutiny.
The city will launch a new community process once a replacement site is identified, and it plans to create an EngagePGH page where residents can receive updates and offer feedback. Whether a facility near the golf course avoids the kind of opposition that sank the Prospect Drive plan remains an open question.
