COMBINED NOTICE OF FINDING OF NO SIGNIFICANT IMPACT AND NOTICE OF INTENT TO REQUEST RELEASE OF FUNDS (FONSI/RROF) December 27, 2020 City of Pittsburgh-Office of Management and Budget 414 Grant St. 5th Floor, Room 501 Pittsburgh, Pa. 15219 412-255-2211 These notices shall satisfy two separate but related procedural requirements for activities to be undertaken by the City of Pittsburgh, the Urban Redevelopment Authority of Pittsburgh, and the Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh. REQUEST FOR RELEASE OF FUNDS On or about January 15, 2021 the City of Pittsburgh (City) will authorize the Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh (HACP), the Urban Redevelopment Authority of Pittsburgh (URA), and the City to submit a request to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to release of the following federal funds to undertake a project known as North Negley Residences: (a) HACP Moving to Work funds under the 1937 Act as modified by the 1996 and 1999 Consolidated Appropriations Act; (b) Low Income Housing Tax Credits under IRS Code Section 42, (c) Pennsylvania Housing Affordability and Rehabilitation Enhancement funds (PHARE); (d) Housing Development Action Grant (HODAG) programs under the Housing and Urban-Rural Recovery Act of 1983; (e) Project Based Voucher (PBV program under the Quality Housing and Work Responsibility Act of 1998 as modified by the Housing Opportunity Through Modernization Act of 2016 for up to 13 housing units (of the 45 housing units comprising of the North Negley Residences efforts). The release of the aforementioned funds will be for the purposes of developing North Negley Residences, which includes new construction and the rehabilitation of the former B'Nai Israel Synagogue located at 327 North Negley Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15206. The addition of two stories to the existing wings and rehabilitation will create forty-five residential apartment units. The developers are Catalyst Communities, LLC and Beacon Communities Corporation. As part of this notice, the project requires the implementation of a set of development activities related to the completion of this project which may include, and is not limited to, demolition, acquisition, disposition, new construction, and remediation on the part of the City, the URA, HACP, and any other authorized parties to the project. Financing for the project includes equity bridge loan in an amount up to $8,705,000; 2021 Low Income Housing Tax Credit Equity in an amount up to $13,064,238; a permanent mortgage in the amount of $1,520,019; PHFA PHARE funds in the amount of $1,250,000; AHP funds in an amount to $250,000; and deferred developer fee in an amount up to $535,695. The gap-financing cost to be funded with Moving to Work Funds is approximately $870,000 to $1,095,000. Additionally, there will be approximately $639,770 in HODAG funds and $585,230 in Housing Opportunity Fund Rental Gap Program funds. The total projected cost of the activity is approximately $18,714,953. FINDING OF NO SIGNIFICANT IMPACT The City of Pittsburgh has determined that the project will have no significant impact on the human environment. Therefore, an Environmental Impact Statement under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA) is not required. Additional project information is contained in the Environmental Review Record (ERR). The ERR will be made available for review either via website at www.pittsburghpa.gov/omb/community-development-block-grant or provided upon request electronically via email or by U.S. mail. Please submit your request by U.S. mail to the address below or by email to whitney.finnstrom@pittsburghpa.gov. PUBLIC COMMENTS Any individual, group, or agency may submit written comments on the ERR to: Whitney Finnstrom City of Pittsburgh, 414 Grant St 5th Floor, Room 501 Pittsburgh, PA 15219 (412) 255-2211 All comments received by January 14, 2021, will be considered by the City of Pittsburgh prior to authorizing submission of a request for release of funds. Comments should specify which Notice they are addressing. ENVIRONMENTAL CERTIFICATION The City of Pittsburgh certifies to HUD that William Peduto in his capacity as Mayor, City of Pittsburgh, consents to accept the jurisdiction of the Federal Courts if an action is brought to enforce responsibilities in relation to the environmental review process and that these responsibilities have been satisfied. HUD's approval of the certification satisfies its responsibilities under NEPA and related laws and authorities and allows the Urban Redevelopment Authority and the Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh to use funding sources (a) through (e) identified under Request for Release of Funds above. OBJECTIONS TO RELEASE OF FUNDS HUD will accept objections to its release of funds and the City of Pittsburgh certification for a period of fifteen days following the anticipated submission date or its actual receipt of the request (whichever is later) only if they are on one of the following bases: (a) the certification was not executed by the Certifying Officer of the City of Pittsburgh; (b) the City of Pittsburgh has omitted a step or failed to make a decision or finding required by HUD regulations at 24 CFR part 58; (c) the grant recipient or other participants in the development process have committed funds, incurred costs or undertaken activities not authorized by 24 CFR Part 58 before approval of a release of funds by HUD; or (d) another Federal agency acting pursuant to 40 CFR Part 1504 has submitted a written finding that the project is unsatisfactory from the standpoint of environmental quality. Objections must be prepared and submitted in accordance with the required procedures (24 CFR Part 58, Sec. 58.76) and shall be addressed to the HUD Field Office of Public Housing in Pittsburgh at PittsburghPIH.ER@hud.gov and Community Planning and Development Division to Mr. Phillip McKeough, at Phillip.E.McKeough@hud.gov. Potential objectors should contact the HUD Field Office of Public Housing in Pittsburgh via email to verify the actual last day of the objection period. William Peduto Mayor City of Pittsburgh