Construction of 3rd building at Hazelwood's Mill 19 nears completion

Construction of a third building under the skeleton of a former steel mill in Pittsburgh’s Hazelwood neighborhood is nearing completion.

The O’Hara-based Regional Industrial Development Corp. held an event at the Mill 19 development site Thursday to mark the third building’s final steel beam being put into place. Construction of the 100,000-square-foot building should be finished by July, said RIDC President Donald Smith.

“This is the culmination of years and years of effort,” he said. “To see that come to fruition, finally, is amazing.”

RIDC acquired the former LTV Steel site seven years ago, Smith said.

Two buildings already have been constructed at the site, being completed in 2018 and 2020. Tenants include Carnegie Mellon University and Advanced Robotics for Manufacturing.

Like the two existing buildings, the third Mill 19 building will feature a first floor with tall ceilings to accommodate robotics, vehicles or lab space.

“This will be the prime corner in the development,” Smith said, explaining that they’re incorporating a lot of glass to showcase the view of the river and Downtown.

Smith said RIDC hasn’t lined up a tenant for the space, but he anticipates one will be secured by this summer.

“Its story is the story of Pittsburgh,” said state Department of Community and Economic Development Acting Secretary Neil Weaver. “Projects like this are what will drive Pennsylvania’s economy forward.”

Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald joined RIDC to mark a “steel topping off” event at Mill 19 in Hazelwood.

The third building at the site should be finished this summer. pic.twitter.com/E7YXBIkIIO

— Julia Felton (@JuliaFelton16) March 31, 2022

Weaver called the project an “economic development powerhouse,” which is creating jobs and setting an example in sustainability with its focus on efficiency and solar energy.

The state provided about $10 million in grants and loans for the development, Smith said. He could not provide an overall cost for the project.

Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald said the development’s focus on fields such as technology, robotics and artificial intelligence are well-suited to Pittsburgh, where there are several universities with an emphasis on such fields.

He credited RIDC for ensuring the development was “built right.”

Each part of the construction has been completed on time so far, Smith said. He said more than 100 community meetings have been held throughout the process.

“We did not do this in Hazelwood,” he said. “We did this with Hazelwood.”

The site has drawn attention beyond Pittsburgh, including from President Joe Biden, who visited the development in January to speak about the importance of infrastructure funding.