Alcoa today announced initiatives to help Pittsburgh and the Company prepare for the G-20 Summit. The Company's engineers are fixing the iconic fountain at Point State Park, Alcoa employee volunteers will clean up a 2-mile stretch of the Allegheny River and the Company is installing the Alcoa logo atop its environmentally-friendly building on the North Shore, These initiatives are intended to help make a positive first impression on the G-20 visitors as they enter the city and view the three rivers, the Point State Park fountain and the panoramic downtown skyline.
The fountain, which marks where the Allegheny and Monongahela rivers meet to form the Ohio River, is a prominent sight as visitors enter the city through the Fort Pitt Tunnels. Due to electrical and pumping issues, the most visible main water column in the fountain's center was turned off in preparation for extensive renovations in 2010. Working with Riverlife, Alcoa is helping to make the fountain fully operational for the Summit. The main water column is expected to again shoot into the Pittsburgh sky in mid-September, in advance of the Summit on September 24.
"When we learned that the fountain would not be fully operational for the Summit, we volunteered our engineering expertise to ensure this landmark would be standing tall for this historic event in our hometown," said William O'Rourke, Alcoa Vice President of EHS and Sustainability, and the executive coordinating the Company's G-20 efforts. "The eyes of the world will be on Pittsburgh in September, and Alcoa wants the city to look its very best when visitors from around the world come here."
Engineers from the Alcoa Technical Center in Upper Burrell Township worked with Riverlife and the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources to find a short-term fix for the electrical problem until the renovations are completed next year. Alcoa is also covering the costs of the repair.
"We are thrilled that Alcoa has stepped forward to help ensure that the fountain will operate fully during the G-20 summit," said Lisa Schroeder, Executive Director at Riverlife. "During this exciting time the world will be looking to Pittsburgh and taking note of its dynamic setting and riverfront amenities. We are grateful for Alcoa's generosity and for the innovative approach to solving an engineering problem. Neither the restoration of the park nor the renovation of the fountain would be possible without this kind of corporate leadership, which is another proud tradition in Pittsburgh."
Alcoa is also visibly demonstrating its pride in Pittsburgh by erecting a permanent sign with its logo on the Allegheny River side of its Corporate Center, identifying the environmentally-friendly building on the North Shore as Alcoa's home in Pittsburgh. The Alcoa Corporate Center, which opened in 1998, was built using design elements that have now become the standard for green construction. Alcoa is in the process of securing LEED certification attesting to the environmentally-friendly status of the building.
"The sign with the Alcoa logo will reinforce to the G-20 attendees that Pittsburgh continues to be a great industrial base," said O'Rourke. "And long after the Summit ends, this permanent sign will demonstrate Alcoa's ongoing commitment to the city where Alcoa was founded 120 years ago."
Finally, Alcoa employee volunteers will be cleaning up the 2-mile long trail on the North Shore side of the Allegheny River, from Washington's Landing to Heinz Field, on September 11 and 18. This effort will launch Alcoa's "Month of Service" in which more than 20,000 employees around the world are expected to donate their time and energies within their communities.