Foundations Assemble Deal to Save August Wilson Center

Major Pittsburgh philanthropies and local officials hammered out an eleventh-hour agreement Monday to rescue the August Wilson Center for African American Culture just as a trial was set to begin on the fate of the financially embattled arts venue, writes the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. A new entity formed by the Pittsburgh Foundation, the Heinz Endowments, and the Richard King Mellon Foundation will buy the downtown building for $8.49-million, with city and Allegheny County agencies, and possibly additional private donors, chipping in.

The deal settles a case that could have seen the nonprofit venue sold to a New York developer who wanted to add a hotel at the site—a plan the foundations strongly opposed—or put up for a sheriff’s sale. The philanthropic groups had previously offered $7.2-million for the center, which has struggled financially since opening in 2009 and went into receivership last year.

It was unclear Monday where the additional $1.29-million would come from. Dollar Bank, which foreclosed on the building last year, could still put it up for auction in November if the foundations’ purchase is not closed as scheduled on Oct. 31. The center is not expected to reopen until next year.