Wilkinsburg Train Station to be transformed into a new business center

By: Joyce Gannon

(Image Source: Pennsylvania Historic Preservation)

Outside the lower level of the historic Wilkinsburg Train Station, a brick courtyard bordered by plantings could soon be the site of fairs and markets for creative makers and an inviting space for entrepreneurs to convene at tables and chairs as they brainstorm about ideas for their startups.

Bridgeway Capital, a nonprofit lender, plans to open a Business Assistance Center at the recently renovated train station on Hay Street in early 2023. 

The center will offer counseling, workshops and other programs for small businesses including creative ventures.

Roderick Ramsey, business assistance program manager at Bridgeway, says the space at the train station will provide resources for entrepreneurs “in an in-person setting” that many missed during the pandemic. 

“It’s an opportunity to meet with like-minded individuals and it’s an exciting time to be in Wilkinsburg,” says Ramsey, who also lives in the borough. 

Just a few years ago, Ramsey, who is Black, connected with Bridgeway as an entrepreneur who founded Ocular Arcade, a web design and development business. 

As a participant in Bridgeway’s Origins program, which assists Black makers, Ramsey says he was engaged with other Black creatives and found “a safe space for me to develop my business and grow as a professional.”  

Bridgeway awarded Ocular a $2,000 grant for research and development and referred Ramsey’s business for a $2,000 grant from the Creative Entrepreneur Accelerator Program, which is sponsored by the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts and prioritizes grants to entrepreneurs who are Black, Indigenous or persons of color. 

In April, Ramsey joined Bridgeway to oversee its Origins and Building Inclusive Development programs.

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