Berg Place site in Carrick could become affordable senior housing development
A proposal before Pittsburgh’s Urban Redevelopment Authority would see Carrick’s Berg Place site redeveloped into affordable senior housing.
The Berg Place site, which sits off of Brownsville Road, had previously been a multi-unit housing complex, but was condemned in 2014 after years of “disrepair,” said Niklas Persson, a lending analyst with the URA.
The URA bought the site last year with hopes of seeing it redeveloped into something that would meet community needs, he said.
Now, the authority is looking to sell the property to Cleveland-based CHN Housing Partners, which would redevelop the site into affordable housing tailored to local seniors.
The proposed development — which is expected to cost nearly $20.5 million — would require first tearing down all seven buildings currently on the site, Persson said. The developer then would build a new three-and-a-half-story complex.
Plans include a ground-floor community services space operated by Pittsburgh-based Ursuline Support Services, common areas overlooking Brownsville Road and a civic plaza. The developer would relocate the existing parking entrance drive to provide safe access to resident and visitor parking, according to information provided by the URA.
The proposed development is expected to include 49 apartments, which would house seniors earning up to 60% of the area’s median income. The developer said they anticipate five of those units will meet ADA accessibility guidelines.
“It really is a game-changer for Brownsville Road, and I think it will help spawn lots of things,” Councilman Anthony Coghill, D-Beechview, said.
He said senior housing is “overwhelmingly” what the Carrick community has asked to be built at the site.
Laura Guralnick, manager of real estate development at CHN Housing Partners, said the development team is hoping to create a “catalytic development” at the site and “to be a part of transforming the Carrick community.”
The project is in its early stages, URA Board Chair Kyle Chintalapalli said, and it will come before the URA board again for future approvals as it progresses.
“This is a critically important first step,” Chintalapalli said.
Julia Felton is a TribLive reporter covering Pittsburgh City Hall and other news in and around Pittsburgh. A La Roche University graduate, she joined the Trib in 2020. She can be reached at jfelton@triblive.com.
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