Riverlife is a nonprofit public-private partnership established in 2000 to guide and advocate for the redevelopment of the riverfronts of the City of Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Pittsburgh is the second-largest city in the US Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Allegheny County. Regionally, it anchors the largest urban area of Appalachia and the Ohio River Valley, and nationally, it is the 22nd-largest urban area in the United States...

, Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania

The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...

. It is the largest riverfront regeneration project in the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

. Its most significant capital project is the planning and development of Three Rivers Park

Three Rivers Park

Three Rivers Park is an urban waterfront park along the Allegheny, Monongahela, and Ohio Rivers in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The park, under development since 2000, is intended to be a landmark that will join Frick Park, Schenley Park, Highland Park, Riverview Park, and Grand View Scenic Byway Park...

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Riverlife History

Riverlife was established as Riverlife Task Force in 2000 as an independent public-private partnership, with its main focus being the creation of Three Rivers Park. Since its founding, Riverlife has been an active proponent of riverfront development focused towards bettering the beauty and recreational aspects of Pittsburgh’s rivers. It has also voiced concerns over projects that it has felt would have an adverse effect on the rivers.

Past and present board members of Riverlife include Carol Brown, former president of Pittsburgh Cultural Trust

Pittsburgh Cultural Trust

The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust, a nonprofit arts organization, is a driving catalyst behind the ongoing development of the Downtown Pittsburgh Cultural District, Pittsburgh...

; Teresa Heinz of the Heinz Endowments

Heinz Endowments

The Heinz Endowments are among the largest philanthropic organizations in the United States.Based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the Heinz Endowments consist of two private foundations, the Howard Heinz Endowment and the Vira I. Heinz Endowment, and its monies originate from the Heinz family,...

; Andy Masich, president and CEO of Heinz History Center

Heinz History Center

The Senator John Heinz History Center, an affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution, is the largest history museum in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Named after the late U.S. Senator H...

; Kevin McClatchey, co-owner of the Pittsburgh Pirates

Pittsburgh Pirates

The Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They play in the Central Division of the National League, and are five-time World Series Champions...

; Paul O’Neill, former United States Secretary of the Treasury

United States Secretary of the Treasury

The Secretary of the Treasury of the United States is the head of the United States Department of the Treasury, which is concerned with financial and monetary matters, and, until 2003, also with some issues of national security and defense. This position in the Federal Government of the United...

; Dan Onorato

Dan Onorato

Daniel "Dan" Onorato is the current Chief Executive of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. On Tuesday, May 18, 2010, Onorato won a crowded four-way primary to become the Democratic nominee for governor...

, Chief Executive of Allegheny County

Allegheny County, Pennsylvania

Allegheny County is a county in the southwestern part of the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. As of the 2010 census, the population was 1,223,348; making it the second most populous county in Pennsylvania, following Philadelphia County. The county seat is Pittsburgh...

; Art Rooney, Jr., president of the Pittsburgh Steelers

Pittsburgh Steelers

The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC...

; and Bill Strickland

Bill Strickland

Bill Strickland is the founder and CEO of the Manchester Craftsmen's Guild, an innovative nonprofit agency in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania that uses the arts to inspire inner-city teenagers....

, executive director of Manchester Craftsmen's Guild

Manchester Craftsmen's Guild

Manchester Craftsmen's Guild is a nonprofit multi-discipline art, education and music organization established in 1968 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA, with the address of 1815 Metropolitan St. 15233...

. Lisa Schroeder is Riverlife's executive director.

Mission and Goals

The core goal of Riverlife is to reclaim, restore and promote Pittsburgh’s riverfronts as an environmental, recreational, cultural, and economic hub for the people of the region and its visitors. This is being accomplished through a combination of the following three approaches:

1. Developing core capital projects and acting as the driving force behind them.
2. Supporting other capital projects that are sponsored by public and private partners.
3. Advocating for high quality design, environmental preservation, and other issues that affect the park’s development.

Voiced Opinions

Riverlife has often been a distinct voice in the areas of Pittsburgh development projects. It has a history of both supporting or criticizing projects that it feels would have a positive or adverse effect on the rivers of Pittsburgh. Its most recent opinion has been in regards to the Majestic Star Casino

Majestic Star Casino

Majestic Star Casino is one of two casino gaming boats on Lake Michigan in Gary, Indiana's Buffington Harbor. It is owned by Don Barden's Majestic Star Holdings....

that is being built along the Ohio River. Riverlife has voiced its opposition to a ten story parking garage that is part of the proposed casino site. In its opinion, the height of the garage would exceed that of surrounding structures by enough to mar the view of the Pittsburgh skyline from various vantage points. They have also raised issue with the design of the exterior of the garage itself.