By Matthew Santoni

Published: Thursday, January 24, 2013, 12:01 a.m.
Updated: Thursday, January 24, 2013

A developer scheduled to appear before the Upper St. Clair planning commission is seeking to build the bedroom community's first apartment complex in 30 years near the township's southwest corner.

John R. Deklewa of Bridgeville-based Deklewa Construction has proposed a nine-building, 220-unit apartment complex at the end of Boyce Plaza Road near Boyce Mayview Park. The complex would be the first in Upper St. Clair since St. Clair Woods was built off Painters Run Road in 1982, Deklewa said.

“The township doesn't have a lot of multi-family development,” said Scott Brilhart, director of development. “We don't have anything similar to this.”

The project went before the planning commission last week but was tabled to address a few comments from the township's engineers, Deklewa said.

Deklewa purchased the 24-acre lot from Fifth Third Bank for about $1.2 million.

The proposal Deklewa submitted to the planning commission says the buildings would be about three stories tall, with some covered parking on the ground floor, Brilhart said. Deklewa said he saw the market for apartments in Upper St. Clair as “very strong.”

“It's supply and demand, and there's just no supply,” he said.

When other developers proposed putting apartments on part of the former site of Consol Energy's headquarters at Washington and Fort Couch roads, neighbors turned up at public hearings to protest that they would bring an undesirable element to the community, which otherwise is made up of single-family homes. Deklewa said he did not know enough about the Consol project to comment on it, but noted that Boyce Plaza would be much more isolated. The property's nearest neighbors are the Southwood Psychiatric Hospital, a small office park, Boyce Mayview Park and the ongoing redevelopment of the former Mayview Hospital site.

Matthew Santoni is a staff writer for Trib Total Media. He can be reached at 412-380-5625 or msantoni@tribweb.com.

1. Facial recognition technology moving toward identifying almost anyone
2. Militaries’ growing use of ground robots raises ethics concerns
3. Allegheny County police counting on remote-operated river vehicle
4. Mt. Washington's Grandview Avenue isn't looking so great these days
5. Organ recipients thank donor families
6. Coast Guard volunteers offer help to ensure boaters stay safe
7. Congressional leaders unswayed by VA promises
8. K-9 patrol to return to Lower Burrell police force
9. Debate on drones raises issue of safety vs. privacy
10. Campaign makes push for organ donations
11. Man attacked by dog in Carrick cemetery

There are currently no comments for this story.
Subscribe today! Click here for our subscription offers.