Pittsburgh Public Schools Drops Idea Of Acquiring August Wilson Center

PITTSBURGH (AP) - A western Pennsylvania school district has abandoned the idea of acquiring Pittsburgh's struggling August Wilson Center for African American Culture.

Pittsburgh Public Schools board member Mark Brentley Sr. had been trying to come up with a plan for the district to take over the center but said Thursday night that the effort was "done."

The center honoring the late Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright opened to great fanfare in 2009 with the help of $17.4 million in tax dollars but was hampered by poor attendance and struggled with budget deficits.

A judge has approved selling off the 65,000-square-foot building to settle a mortgage default and other debts totaling about $10 million.

Wilson grew up in Pittsburgh and is best known for his 10-play cycle that chronicles black life in America.

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