River Roots Redevelopment: Redevelopment Pitfalls

By: Selina Pedi-Smith, Pellere Foundation

If you’ve ever raised an eyebrow at the word “redevelopment,” you’re not alone.

We’ve all seen the news stories where we know something just ain’t right. Fly-by-night developers. Big, flashy ideas that seem totally out of place in a community. Here in our own region, let’s be honest - the biggest challenge tends to be getting projects fully off the ground! But we’ve certainly seen both inspiring and cautionary tales unfold in places like Pittsburgh and Erie. And truth be told, we all know that “uhhhhhh, no” feeling very well. We know what sits right in our guts, and what doesn’t.

So yes, the skepticism around redevelopment is often well-earned. Far too often, what gets sold as “progress” is really just a profit-minded, surface-deep attempt to check a box. You know... we really need a word for redevelopment-as-performance. Blue-washing, maybe? Let us know what you think we should call it, because it happens way too often not to have its own name.

But that’s exactly why it’s worth taking a fresh look at some of the most common redevelopment pitfalls - and thinking together about what’s possible when it’s done differently.

Pitfall # 1: “Redevelopment only benefits outsiders.”

Yeah, this is true too often. And in some cases, the only folks who benefit are some outside consultants - because even well-intentioned projects sometimes start and end with a report that ends up on a shelf. Why? Because when redevelopment favors performance over impact, we start from a losing position. When local voices are missing, or decisions feel predetermined, it’s natural for residents to wonder: Who is this really for? And that’s all it takes for trust to crumble before anything even begins. But it doesn’t have to be that way.

When we make space for authentic, honest conversations - when we design processes that allow folks to show, not just tell, what they care about - things begin to shift. When we observe, when we listen, when we put in the time and energy and heart...we see and hear what really matters. That’s how we reach the kind of deep, reciprocal understanding that creates impact. Local impact. Local benefit. Lasting benefit.

Pitfall # 2: “Redevelopment is just gentrification.”

We’ve all seen this fear play out: new shops, new faces, rising prices, and longtime residents quietly being priced out of the neighborhoods they’ve always called home. It’s not an unfounded fear. But it’s also not inevitable. Gentrification isn’t the automatic outcome of redevelopment. It’s the result of the process used. When the process is too fast, too externally driven, or too focused on return-on-investment metrics, it loses its grounding in the place and people it’s supposed to serve.

But we absolutely can breathe new life into a place without erasing the people who already live there, IF we start with a thoughtful, inclusive process that says: “We’re right here with you. We see you. We value you. And we want to lift us all up, together.” It’s about building with each other, not around each other. Even when it’s messy. Even when it’s slow. Especially when it’s hard. Because those are the moments when the strongest connections are formed.

Pitfall # 3: “It’s too expensive to fix things right now.”

Yes, redevelopment takes resources. Yes, prices are high. But you know what else is expensive? Waiting. Every season a roof goes unrepaired adds to the damage. Every year a building sits empty increases the cost of saving it. Every time we say “not yet,” we move closer and closer toward never. That doesn’t mean we should jump in blindly - but it does mean we need to stop waiting for perfect conditions. Because let’s be honest...they’re never coming.

And hey, if you feel like you’ve been left out of the conversation? We get it. But don’t stop at frustration. Don’t just vent on social media. Ask who’s doing the work. Ask where the work is happening. Get up, reach out, and show up. We can’t promise everything will be perfect, or that every moment will be magic. But we can promise this: your voice matters. And we’d really like to hear it. Because momentum doesn’t happen by accident. It happens when people stop waiting for perfection - and start doing, together.

Redevelopment doesn’t have to mean displacement, disconnection, or compromise. It can mean collaboration. Restoration. Recommitment. But only if we’re honest about what hasn’t worked, and bold enough to do better.

As we move into June, we’ll be sharing updates from several of our current projects. No big headlines, yet. Nothing flashy, yet. Just… glimpses of the work as it is. Oftentimes painfully slow, especially right now, but always real. It’s what’s possible when community leads the way.

Because the future doesn’t build itself. We build it. Together.

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Rachel Brosnahan is the Community Engagement Coordinator for River Roots Redevelopment. She can be reached by email at rachel@riverrootsredevelopment.org