Let me tell you the story of how a government entity used racist tactics to force a Black organization off its land. Oh, you’ve heard that one before? Well, have you heard the one about Bethel AME Church, the first African Methodist Episcopal Church west of the Allegheny Mountains and the oldest Black congregation in Pittsburgh, getting restorative justice decades after being displaced? No? Well, it went like this …

On April 14, 2023, Bethel AME Church, the Pittsburgh Penguins, and public officials will announce an agreement to make a parcel of 1.5 acres of land in Pittsburgh’s Lower Hill District available to the church, in an effort to redress race-based urban planning.

Back in the late 1950s, the Urban Redevelopment Authority of Pittsburgh (URA) succeeded in demolishing the original Bethel AME Church, which boasted 3,000 active members at the time, according to press materials. The land was used to build Insterstate-579 and an indoor arena, which became the Civic Arena. The URA paid just $240,000 for the church’s property that was valued at nearly $750,000, and Bethel AME was forced to move to Wylie Ave. 

The URA’s systemically racist practices gave Pittsburgh the unfortunate distinction of being the first major US city to demolish a historically majority-Black neighborhood – the Lower Hill District – to make space for an interstate highway, according to a release. However, the agreement between Bethel AME, the Penguins, and the city of Pittsburgh initiates a journey to justice.

Pastor Dale Snyder, Bethel AME Church; Bishop Errenous E. McCloud Jr., Third District, African Methodist Episcopal Church; Bishop Kurt Kusserow, Southwestern Pennsylvania Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America; Kyle Bibby, Senior Director, Color of Change; and Craig Dunham, Pittsburgh Penguins, Senior Vice President, Development attended the Tuesday press conference. The announcement also included detailed plans on how the 28-acre former Civic Arena site will be redeveloped, including “Bethel AME’s vision for a restorative justice program that will generate revenue for the church in perpetuity, including a $170M housing development.”

Check out a timeline of Bethel AME’s history, according to a release, below:

• 1808. Bethel AME was founded as a church and more. It was the first African Methodist Episcopal Church west of the Allegheny Mountains and the oldest Black congregation in the City of Pittsburgh. It established Pittsburgh’s first Black elementary school and was a stop on the Underground Railroad, among many other civic contributions.
• 1845. After a fire destroyed their meeting place, Bethel AME acquired land in the Lower Hill District. It built “Big Bethel,” a church building that seated 1,900 people that opened in 1906. It was a hub for social and cultural activity in Pittsburgh.
• 1955. The Urban Redevelopment Authority of Pittsburgh (URA) determined to demolish Bethel AME in order to build Insterstate-579 and an indoor arena, Civic Arena. The church had 3,000 active members at the time. The URA completed the process two years later. Despite an estimated value over $745K, the URA offered $169K for the church and eventually paid out just $240K. Bethel AME was forced to move to its current location on Wylie Ave.
• 1967. The Pittsburgh Penguins team was founded as part of the NHL expansion and played in Civic Arena.
• 2010. The Penguins relocated to the adjacent PPG Paints Arena as Civic Arena reached the end of its life and was demolished. Several development proposals were floated for the former Civic Arena site in Lower Hill District, including a casino, but withdrew in the face of community opposition.
• 2014. Community groups, the Penguins, the City and Allegheny County joined together to form the Community Collaboration Implementation Plan (CCIP), to create a framework for redevelopment that maximizes the inclusion of Greater Hill District residents.
• 2021. After years of planning and conversations, the long-awaited redevelopment of the Lower Hill – guided by the community – began. F.N.B. Corporation, the Pittsburgh Penguins, Clay Cove Capital and The Buccini/Pollin Group, members of the Historic Hill District community and elected officials broke ground on the first piece of a $1 billion redevelopment plan in the Lower Hill in September. A few months later, federal, state, county and city officials celebrated the completion of Frankie Pace Park – a cap project over I-579 that physically reconnected the Hill District with downtown. Construction crews – including local, Black-owned firms – are currently at work on the site of a new, 26-story mixed-use building FNB Financial Center. Millions of dollars in tax revenue and charitable contributions are already moving alongside the project into the Greater Hill District.

Although Pittsburgh was the first US city to destroy a historically Black neighborhood to build an interstate, today, it’s a model for righting the wrongs caused by race-based urban planning. Other cities take note, we’re coming for our tings!