St. John’s Green Community Conservation Project

Protecting Local Land

May 2024 Update: After several years of coordinating with county, city, and community partners, we are excited to announce that our St. John’s Green Community Conservation Project in the Brighton Heights neighborhood of Pittsburgh is officially conserved! 

Formerly the site of the St. John’s Hospital, the land will now be conserved to serve as a neighborhood green space and natural stormwater management site. We will renovate and rehabilitate the site utilizing feedback gathered in community surveys and key stakeholder conversations. Improvements will support better ecological health, stormwater capture, and passive recreational enjoyment. Neighbors can expect to see significant site work, like native species plantings, invasive species removals, gravel walking path installations, and a stormwater capture meadow implemented on-site. See site plan below for details.

A graphic portraying a site plan for the St. John's Green Conservation Project. The graphic shows an aerial sitemap overlaid with drawings on the parcel. There is a plan for an ADA parking lot, an adventure play area, a community gathering area, a bike maintenance area, an ADA pathway, and a woodland pathway. The site also shows trees and stormwater retention areas.

This project was financed in part by a grant from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Commonwealth Finance Authority. The Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) Bureau of Recreation and Conservation, Community Conservation Partnerships Program, Community and Watershed Forestry grant – Environmental Stewardship Fund also provided financial assistance. Finally, financial support also came from a grant by the Urban Redevelopment Authority’s Neighborhood Initiatives Fund, The Heinz Endowments, The Hillman Foundation, McCune Foundation, Essential Foundation, Buhl Foundation, and individual donors from the surrounding community. 

We look forward to continuing to work with the leadership and individuals from the community of Brighton Heights to maintain and improve this now-permanent community asset.

If you have questions about the project, please contact ALT’s Community Conservation Director Tom Mulholland at tom@alleghenylandtrust.org. 

Media Coverage: The Brighton Heights Citizens Report “St. John’s Site Update” – September 2021, WESA “Since the pandemic, protecting urban green spaces has become even more important in Pittsburgh” – November 2021