Allegheny County Economic Development (ACED) is the lead economic and residential
development agency for Allegheny County. We coordinate development initiatives that
can be as far-reaching and complex as revitalizing the former Carrie Furnace site
or as personal as the home improvement dreams of a single resident.
To assure that all these needs are met, we have crafted and refined an organizational
structure that allows our personnel to develop specialties yet work seamlessly with
specialists in other areas. It’s a structure designed for collaboration, impact
and success.
Our eight Divisions include:
- Authorities. Six authorities, each with a special focus such as assisting
the growth of health care or higher education institutions, comprise this Division.
Because of their structure and specific purposes, the authorities can move nimbly
and effectively.
- Business Development. Attracting
businesses to the County — and helping them grow and create jobs — are the Division’s
top objectives. It achieves these goals through a compelling variety of financing
programs that often serve as a conduit for Federal and State funding.
- Development. Major development projects are the purview of this
Division, which coordinates property acquisition, site development and redevelopment,
and infrastructure development. This expertise is especially critical in the recycling
of brownfields, an ACED emphasis.
- Housing & Human Services. Through its Housing Development and Consumer
Services sections, this Division strives to improve the County’s housing stock and
strengthen its residential neighborhoods. Its chief vehicles are financing programs
for individual homeowners, for developers and contractors, and for nonprofit human
services agencies.
- Municipal. This Division
works to improve the quality of life for County residents by helping municipalities
upgrade their infrastructure and recreational amenities. It also promotes intergovernmental
cooperation by working with and through Councils of Governments (COGs).
- Operations. As our administrative Division, Operations manages
and monitors grant applications and disbursements. It also monitors and reports
on the compliance status of all federal grant programs.
- Planning. The Planning Division acts as the County’s Official Planning
Agency and administers duties assigned under the PA Municipalities Planning Code.
Highlights are overseeing land development approvals for 29 municipalities, and
providing reviews of land developments, ordinances and plans for the remaining 100
municipalities with their own ordinances. The Division reviews and approves all
subdivisions in the County outside the City of Pittsburgh. Currently, the Planning
staff is spearheading the creation of the County’s first Comprehensive Plan. Additionally,
the Division assists in the planning, programming, funding and coordination of highway
transportation infrastructure throughout Allegheny County.
- Special Projects and Finance. This Division
focuses on securing funding for major real estate and business development projects
— and it administers the financing it acquires. Among its responsibilities is overseeing
use of Tax Increment Financing, one of the County’s most important development tools.