B. Marshall hires attorneys, threatens lawsuit against owners of PPG Plaza over Soul Food Festival

MORE THAN 20,000 PEOPLE ENJOYED THE 2023 PITTSBURGH SOUL FOOD FESTIVAL, HELD ON LABOR DAY WEEKEND IN DOWNTOWN. BUT THE OWNERS OF PPG PLAZA DON’T WANT THE FESTIVAL ON ITS GROUNDS ANYMORE. Owners don’t want Soul Food Festival on its grounds; B. Marshall calls it blatant ‘racism’ When Jessica Canovali, senior property manager for JLL, said in an email dated Sept. 8, 2023, that the property owners of PPG Plaza in Downtown Pittsburgh, Highwoods Properties Inc., would no longer allow the Pittsburgh Soul Food Festival to be held on its grounds, JLL and Highwoods thought that was the end of it. Little did they know, it was only the beginning. Canovali’s email was sent to B. Marshall, the determined leader of the Soul Food Festival, which has been in operation for the past five years on Labor Day weekend. Canovali said in the email, obtained by the New Pittsburgh Courier, that “there were some serious issues with the Soul Food Festival this year,” which she said included “an altercation between customers that led to multiple arrests, and a man with a concealed weapon threatening people. This is in addition to the increasing noise complaints of our tenants, and our usual...