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In Search of a Good TIF—A Case Study of Pittsburgh  


Author:  Jake  Haulk, Ph.D..; Eric  Montarti.


Source: Volume 22, Number 01, Spring 2001 , pp.65-77(13)




Municipal Finance Journal

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Abstract: 

Behind all the hoopla of ribbon-cutting and grandstanding on the part of local politicians who claim that publicly financed redevelopment projects are bringing jobs and tourists to the area, reality tells quite a different tale. It is a tale like the tale of many contemporary American cities aiming to revitalize themselves and, in the process, to redefine their image, except that in attempting to arrive at its new image, Pittsburgh has embarked on a course ofdevelopment in which almost no new project can be discussed without mentioning a public subsidy for the development. Pittsburgh’s construction boom has been made feasible by tax increment financing (TIF). As a result of the gradual decline of federal and state involvement in economic development projects, TIF is one of the last options remaining for cities wishing to rebuild themselves. TIF is a viable tool for redevelopment and has its share of success stories. As is demonstrated by this research, however, TIF has been bent to the will of its proponents and is no longer applied where the need for it is greatest.

Keywords: Center Triangle Project; Mellon Operations Center Project

Affiliations:  1: Allegheny Institute for Public Policy; 2: Allegheny Institute for Public Policy.

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