Defending the Pittsburgh area taxpayers and businesses against the burdensome taxation and regulation of Big Government

Downtown Pittsburgh’s office vacancy rate, for all classes of office space, remained stubbornly high through 2025’s third quarter at 24.2 percent.  Keep in mind one year ago, the rate was 19.5 percent and pre-pandemic it was just 16.9 percent at the close of 2019.  This is despite the ongoing process of converting office space to residential space, with much of it, like the Gulf Tower conversion, being subsidized by taxpayers.  Will this plan be a worthwhile investment for taxpayers? Or will it just be a trade of office vacancy with residential vacancies?

Over the past two decades, when City of Pittsburgh voters elected a mayor, the Allegheny Institute made recommendations to consider adopting to improve the city’s financial, economic and business climate situation to promote private-sector growth and healthy finances. As the new mayor takes office, we offer our best wishes for a successful tenure and a brighter future for the city.