NFL Draft Jobs, a New Rail Trail & Bringing Small Biz to Downtown
What will it take to get a grocery store downtown? Maybe Gov. Josh Shapiro has ideas!! He was in town a week after the arson attack on the Pennsylvania governor’s mansion touring coffee shops and other pop-up businesses as part of a collection of incentive programs championed by the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership, which is hoping to fill space in over 60 vacant retail spaces between now and next year’s NFL Draft. Halfway through our Mayoral Mondays series, we’re taking stock of Pittsburgh’s primary election for mayor, including our takeaways so far from talking to the Democratic candidates, plus the latest on our city’s financial position and an anti-Gainey mailer that some call a dog whistle. We’ve also got good news for outdoor lovers: a new pedestrian rail trail over the Allegheny River into Aspinwall and the return of Venture Outdoors’ kayak launch — this time, Downtown near the convention center.
Get more from City Cast Pittsburgh when you become a City Cast Pittsburgh Neighbor. You’ll enjoy perks like ad-free listening, invitations to members only events and more. Join now at membership.citycast.fm.
Notes and references from today’s show:
- Get To Know Pittsburgh Candidate and Mayor Ed Gainey [City Cast Pittsburgh]
- Get To Know Pittsburgh Mayoral Candidate Corey O'Connor [City Cast Pittsburgh]
- Gainey, trailing O’Connor in polls, tries to nationalize the race for Pittsburgh mayor [WESA]
- Pittsburgh community leaders denounce controversial mayoral campaign mailer [WTAE]
- How Well Do You Know Pittsburgh? Take This Quiz! [City Cast Pittsburgh]
- Shapiro says he plans to return to Pennsylvania Governor's Residence after firebombing attack [KDKA]
- Exclusive: Shapiro talks Downtown progress and NFL draft [Axios]
- Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership: State of Downtown Pittsburgh Q2 [YouTube]
- 2026 NFL Draft Source Program Application [NFL Draft Suppliers]
- Former Brilliant Branch rail line a 'blank canvas' for public trails, economic growth [TribLive]
- Pittsburgh’s Venture Outdoors to Launch a Downtown Community Kayak Hub [Pittsburgh Magazine]
Learn more about the sponsors of this April 25th episode:
Babbel - Get up to 60% off at Babbel.com/CITYCAST
Aura Frames - Get $35-off plus free shipping on the Carver Mat frame with Promo Code CITYCAST
Cozy Earth - Use code COZYPITTSBURGH for 40% off best-selling sheets, towels, pajamas, and more.
Want more Pittsburgh news? Sign up for our daily morning Hey Pittsburgh newsletter. We’re also on Instagram @CityCastPgh!
Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info here.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Subscribe To Our Newsletter
Stay connected to City Cast Pittsburgh and get ready to join the local conversation.
Latest Episodes
'Your City Could Be Better': Why Portland’s Considering Hiring a Night Mayor — Presented By City Cast Pittsburgh
Pittsburghers, what do you do when your night life starts to dwindle? Nightlife is a huge economic driver for cities, but city offices ar...
Michelin Guide Proves Us Wrong! Plus, Music Crawl & Underground Park
The Michelin Guide is coming to Pittsburgh! The timing is kind of hilarious, since we just did an episode about why our city doesn't have...
The 13 Best Pizza Joints in Western PA
While we have a growing number of delicious pizza joints in and around the city, our pizza scene just doesn't compare to New York — at le...
Legal Weed, Raising the Minimum Wage & More High Hopes in the PA House
Pennsylvania is one of the few states with a split legislature, which makes it extra hard for a bill to become law. The Democratic-contro...
Carrie Blast Furnace Mystery Solved, Hollywood Money & Space Research
Rivers of Steel finally figured out who the Carrie Blast Furnace was named after! Roman Hladio, chief reporter at NEXTpittsburgh, joins h...
How Pittsburgh Became the World's Roller Coaster Capital
Kennywood's almost open, and we're not talking about your fly! The amusement park's first day of the season is April 18. To celebrate, we...
'Your City Could Be Better': Denver’s Bet on a Women’s Soccer Stadium — Presented By City Cast Pittsburgh
Both Denver and Pittsburgh wanted, but didn't get, a WNBA team. While more and more people are embracing women’s sports, Denver is only t...
$200 Parking, Money for Parks & Pour One Out for Fat Head’s
City Council's getting in on the NFL Draft action. They've approved security agreements with 18 law enforcement agencies — and that inclu...
Why Pittsburgh Doesn't Have (or Need) Michelin Star Restaurants
We've got so many fantastic restaurants in the city, and our local chefs are regularly recognized by the James Beard Foundation. But the...
Your Guide to April 2026 in Pittsburgh
From outdoor dance parties and Easter Egg hunts to spring fungi walks and cinnamon roll crawls, there are so many ways to get out in Pitt...