Located along the northern shore of the Monongahela River, the Hazelwood neighborhood is approximately four miles from Downtown Pittsburgh. Since the decline and loss of major industrial activities in the late 1990s, many commercial and residential buildings have been left vacant or demolished, leaving gaping holes in the urban fabric. In the 1960s, Hazelwood experienced its peak population of 13,000; today the population is just 4,300. With more than 200 businesses in its heyday, the neighborhood currently has less than 50.

In 2013, Telesis Corporation and ACTION-Housing joined together to redevelop a key commercial block in Hazelwood that is strategically located at the juncture between the Second Avenue main street and the 178-acre riverfront ALMONO property as a step forward in the regeneration of the neighborhood. Part of the redevelopment of the block is now complete and the planning, design, and financing for further development is in progress.