Our mission is to support, protect, and advocate for all of Mellon Park on both sides of Fifth Avenue.
To keep Mellon Park vibrant and a key part of our community, we work with numerous organizations to advocate for the park and to make sure the interests of the friends of the park are not forgotten. Currently we are working with the City of Pittsburgh and other groups on these important projects to improve and preserve our park.
Terraced Garden Preservation
The Terraced Garden, on the slope above Beechwood Boulevard, is disintegrating at a rapid pace. Installed by the Mellons in 1910, the Terraced Garden was once the showcase for the front entrance of their estate.
When the mansion was torn down in the 1940s, the Terraced Garden was meant to be carefully preserved as a rose garden. Unfortunately, despite the substantial efforts of the Garden Club of Allegheny County and the Richard King Mellon Foundation in the 1980s, the Terraced Garden has been deteriorating for many years.
It is now approaching a crisis point. The walls are cracked, the balustrades are tumbling over, and the broken stairways pose considerable safety hazards. The structure is falling apart.
We have raised funds for an engineering study that will determine the state of the structures in the garden. This study, which will include preliminary design concepts, will be developed in conjunction with the Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy and LaQuatra Bonci Associates. Completion of this study is the first step in saving the Terraced Garden. Without it, neither the City nor any funding organization will begin to address the serious needs of the garden.
Mellon Park Action Plan
Friends of Mellon Park has worked closely with the Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy (PPC) on their Mellon Park Action Plan. The process began in May of 2021, and since that time the PPC has engaged with communities neighboring the park to establish priorities for restoration, maintenance, and design in Mellon Park on both sides of Fifth Avenue.
The Action Plan expands on the Mellon Park Preservation and Management Plan completed in 2000, which focused on historical and cultural assets in the southern section of the park. The new plan is the first comprehensive, developmental look at the entire park. You can review the plan at the PPC’s website [here].
Tree Care
In October 2021, an anonymous donor challenged Friends of Mellon Park to match a $10,000 grant to pay for a portion of the long-overdue maintenance of trees in the park. A total of $36,000 was raised for the trees, and we are pleased to report that nearly 25% of the Friends of Mellon Park mailing list made donations in amounts ranging from $1 to $2,000.
We will work with the City of Pittsburgh and Tree Pittsburgh to care for the neediest and most valuable trees, with input from the Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy and other Friends of Mellon Park advisors.
Phipps Conservatory
Phipps Conservatory and the City of Pittsburgh signed a ten-year extension of the Phipps Garden Center lease on December 31, 2021. Phipps has agreed to extensive renovation of the existing building, but will not be constructing a new building. You can view their plans and concept drawings on their website.
The new lease gives Phipps the option to lease the Scaife Garage, which is located behind the Garden Center near the Shady Avenue parking lot. The Scaife Garage is currently used by the Department of Public Works as a garage for maintenance vehicles and as storage for tools and other equipment.
Mellon Park, its landscape, and its structures have City Historic Landmark protection, so any proposed change to building exteriors, structures, or the park landscape will be subject to review and approval by the Historic Review Commission. The public will have an opportunity to comment on any proposed changes.
Friends of Mellon Park is delighted that Phipps Conservatory has made this commitment to Mellon Park. Along with the Squirrel Hill Urban Coalition, the Larimer Consensus Group, the Point Breeze Organization, and the Point Breeze North Development Corporation, we look forward to working with Phipps to advocate for green space in Mellon Park and to make the entire park welcoming to everyone.