Millvale is a foodie paradise for all known for hyper local production.
The Millvale Community Development Corporation (MCDC), and a number of partnering organizations have been hard at work to make this goal become a reality. The Town Square Project, administered by the MCDC, redeveloped a once abandoned building into a fresh food hub. evolveEA worked with the MCDC to develop the master plan for this building, pivoting a building that has been vacant for decades into the anchor for main street revitalization. The two-story structure features a retail space, Baby Loves Tacos, which for the first time in years makes fresh and healthy food consistently available to community members.
New Sun Rising’s (NSR) Launch Millvale program provided start-up incubation services for emerging food entrepreneurs. The partnership with NSR and incubated businesses like Tupelo Honey Teas Cafe and Sprezzatura fit well into the community’s desire to grow its small business base. Located minutes from Downtown Pittsburgh, just across the 40th Street Bridge from Lawrenceville, Millvale is in a geographic sweet-spot for a burgeoning food production and restaurant cluster.
The Gardens of Millvale, another participant of Launch Millvale, is a project of the MCDC that has been hard at work to transform the Gardens of Millvale into a state of the art urban farm. The program not only grows food in their existing orchard, hoop house, and 8-lot community garden but also plans to provide up to 95% of the food needs for Millvale’s future restaurant cluster through reclaimed lots. The Gardens purchased their property with support from Launch Millvale and Neighborhood Allies. The Gardens are currently developing a permaculture-based master plan, and are hiring a garden manager.
In 2019, the former Moose Lodge was purchased by New Sun Rising and converted into the Millvale Food + Energy Hub. Through anchor tenants like Sprezzatura and 412 Food Rescue’s Good Food Project, the Hub is helping the community to increase food accessibility and employment opportunities.
Below is the Millvale Food Systems Map which provides updated information on food availability. The map includes restaurants, bars, fresh produce, and who accepts snap benefits.
