Pittsburgh Riverfronts

The Mon Wharf Landing opened in November 2009 as a linear park and trail connection along the southern edge of Downtown Pittsburgh. Used for generations as a parking lot prone to flooding, the Mon Wharf now features a trail leading to Point State Park, benches and planters filled with native trees and shrubs that are flood-resistant.

Features and Before-and-After Photos

Partners and Funders

Project cost: $3 million
Funding provided in part by: U.S. Department of Transportation, Riverlife, the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, PennDOT, the Katherine Mabis McKenna Foundation, the Heinz Endowments, and the Richard King Mellon Foundation.

Project partners: Riverlife, City of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh Parking Authority, Pittsburgh Department of Public Works, PennDOT, Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources
Landscape Architect: LaQuatra Bonci Associates
Contractor: Clearwater Construction

Development

Formerly a deteriorated five-acre parking lot on the historic northern bank of the Monogahela River located at the base of the First Side area of downtown, the Mon Wharf Landing has been reborn as a riverfront trail and park. For generations the Wharf has been prone to flooding, and years of industrial and transportation use turned it into a harsh urban edge to the city. Under Riverlife’s direction, the Wharf’s redesign now features flood-resistant native plants, water steps for access to the river, and improved infrastructure to handle flooding concerns.

Riverlife raised $3 million and executed the construction of this project, which opened to the public in November 2009.