RIVERLIFE’S ONGOING ROUNDUP OF CURRENT RIVERFRONT AND ADJACENT REAL ESTATE AND OPEN SPACE DEVELOPMENT NEWS
Updated, June 2019:
Rugby Realty and Al. Neyer are working together to produce a seven-story office and retail building at 21st and Smallman streets. Called “The Brickworks”, the $80 million project will be built across the street from Saint Stanislaus Church and the Produce Terminal building (see update below). The site once housed the Benkovitz Seafoods building.
Last week McCaffery Interests of Chicago broke ground on its long-planned renovation of the Produce Terminal building between 16th and 21st streets (shown in image above). Included in the improvements to the structure are three pedestrian passageways at 17th, 18th and 20th streets to allow better access to the Allegheny riverfront. When complete, the $62.6 million terminal renovation will house a mix of retail offerings including restaurants, brewpubs and a market on the western end of the building.
Bridgeville’s RDC Design + Build is teaming with architectural firm AE7 on the nine-story District 15 Beta Version building at Smallman and 15th streets. The 205,000 square foot office and retail building is a companion to RDC’s recently opened District 15 building across the street, which will be the new home for Facebook in the Strip. Both buildings sit along a key perpendicular access point to the riverfront at 15th Street. The Beta Version building is expected to open next year. Both buildings are part of the Buncher Company’s Riverfront Landing development site.
Upriver at 28th Street, construction is underway on several new retail and riverfront office buildings proposed by Oxford Development Company on an 11-acre site between Railroad and Smallman streets. Known as the Stacks, the office buildings are the latest phase of Oxford’s 3 Crossings project which includes the Yards residential building and the Hub transit garage. Oxford has indicated the Stacks project will include a several-block extension of the existing riverfront trail and improved perpendicular connections to draw people to the riverfront.
TRAIL UPDATE: Riverlife reached out to Riverfront Landing property owner the Buncher Company regarding the ongoing closure and detour of the Three Rivers Heritage Trail between 15th and 21st Streets. Buncher Company vice president of real estate Mike Kutzer said that construction is likely to start in the next 60 days on two riverfront apartment buildings between 15th and 18th Streets. Construction staging for these buildings will impact the riverfront trail on Buncher’s property between 15th and 21st; Kutzer predicted that this section of trail could remain closed for the next 2.5 years (2019-2021+). The official riverfront trail detour, from the riverfront up 15th Street to Penn Avenue and back down to the riverfront on 21st Street, will remain in effect. Kutzer also said that due to the construction, by the end of 2019 Waterfront Place will be closed to auto traffic from the 16th Street Bridge to 21st Street but will remain open to pedestrians and cyclists.
In the midst of rapid real estate development in the Strip District, Riverlife’s Vision Plan for Strip District Riverfront Park was created and funded by Strip District developers and stakeholders with feedback from the local community. The plan calls for a shared vision for public access and green space on the riverfront. Riverlife continues to work with developers and property owners for vision plan improvements to be made on the riverfront on publicly- and privately-owned land.
You’re invited to weigh in on the future of the Strip District riverfront. Join us on Saturday, June 22nd for Riverlife’s free pop-up event Riverfront Refresh at the dog park at 25th and Railroad streets. Your input is needed as we advocate for public open space and trail improvements between 11th and 31st streets.
Top image: Rendering of McCaffrey Interest’s proposed redevelopment of the Produce Terminal. Image courtesy McCaffrey.
