Aaron Sukenik on Sustaining Storefront Activation in Downtown Pittsburgh: An RVP Speaker Spotlight

Empty storefronts are a challenge facing city centers nationwide. In Pittsburgh, the Downtown Partnership turned the urgency of the 2026 NFL Draft into a coordinated, long-term storefront activation strategy that has continued engaging visitors months after the event ended.

At the 2026 Reclaiming Vacant Properties Conference, you’ll have an opportunity to join the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership for a guided walking tour on Tuesday, September 22: Sustaining Storefront Activation in Downtown Pittsburgh. You’ll see their strategy in action and leave with a replicable framework of your own.

We asked Aaron Sukenik, Vice President of District Development at the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership, a few questions to give you a preview of what to expect.

What first got you interested in the work of community revitalization?

Growing up, there was a wonderful—but dilapidated—playground in our neighborhood. When I was 8 years old (circa 1990), I was swinging on the playground fence and the broken, rusty latch punctured through my cheek, resulting in 24 stitches. From that day on, my mother went on a mission to raise money to renovate that park, forming a “Friends of” group for it. I was immediately put to work stuffing fundraising envelopes! An interest in community revitalization—and the impact that a person can make from the outside—has been with me ever since, throughout my education and career.

Why does your session topic matter right now—both for you and for the people who will be in the room? What’s happening in communities today that makes this session feel urgent?

City centers across the nation are struggling with the same issues: empty large retail spaces (think former Rite Aids and CVSs), reduced tenant demand for such large retail spaces, and sky-high renovation costs for new tenant buildout. In Pittsburgh, we developed and implemented a strategy that activates vacant retail spaces through five options for intervention, tailored to each type of space.

What made you want to be a part of RVP this year?

In the run up to Downtown Pittsburgh hosting the NFL Draft in April 2026, the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership marshalled funding from a few local foundations to partner with dozens of local nonprofits, property owners, artists, and entrepreneurs to activate over 50 vacant spaces. With all activations delivered in March and April 2026, these business concepts and visual content will engage visitors and daily users of Downtown for months and years to come.

Want to see it for yourself? Join us at the Reclaiming Vacant Properties Conference, September 22–25, 2026 in Pittsburgh. Register for the walking tour and dozens of other sessions about every stage of the revitalization cycle.

Register for RVP 2026 »