"Efforts from Pitt send a strong tone for community participation and bring stakeholders together to talk more specifically about how we see Pitt in the community."
– Rashad Byrdsong, MA’AT Construction and Community Empowerment Association
The CEC initiative is committed to spurring economic growth in Homewood and the surrounding communities, supporting local business, and to hiring a diverse workforce. These commitments extend to the renovation of the CEC facility. The CEC served as an ideal workforce training site, supporting the employment and skill development of local labor.
CEC in Homewood Features Minority and Local Participation in Facility’s First Phase of Renovation
Pitt selected Waller Corporation, a minority-owned general construction company, as the General Contractor on the project and contracted with Community Empowerment Association to recruit local laborers from Homewood and surrounding neighborhoods to be a part of the job. MA’AT Construction (the for-profit construction training and apprenticeship arm of CEA) was hired as one of the subcontractors that did interior work on the site.
Other minority-owned subcontractors working on the renovation included J&S Handyman Services, All Systems, Inc., and Nexus Construction. Minority labor involved in the CEC renovation totaled 37% of the labor force and 40% of the contracts were fulfilled by minority or women-owned businesses. This commitment to civically-minded construction will continue through the second phase of facility renovations expected to begin in December.