Developer buys YWCA's Downtown headquarters for $4M, plans apartment tower

The nonprofit YWCA has sold its Downtown headquarters to City Club Apartments, a developer looking to build an apartment tower atop the existing structure.

YWCA said this week that it sold the Wood Street property for $4 million. It had put the building on the market in the summer of 2020.

The seven-floor building, constructed in 1962, now sits mostly empty, the nonprofit said in an announcement regarding the sale.

“For over 150 years, YWCA Greater Pittsburgh has continually adapted to meet the needs of women and families,” said YWCA Greater Pittsburgh CEO Angela Reynolds. “Though we are saying goodbye to a piece of our history today, we know that using our resources strategically in the service of race and gender equity is the best way to honor the women who came before us.”

Part of the proceeds from the sale will go toward leasing new office space, with staff likely moving to a new location early next year. YWCA said it is committed to finding a location that is easily reachable, with proximity to major bus lines and free parking.

YWCA said it is hoping to find a site that is “reflective of its mission and equity priorities,” with amenities like gender-neutral bathrooms and accessibility for individuals with disabilities or families with young children.

“Our vision is that this sale will allow us to take even bolder steps toward eliminating racism and empowering women, and our new physical space is part of that vision,” said Anne Herman, YWCA Greater Pittsburgh’s board president. “We’re thrilled to be stepping into a new phase of growth that brings us back to our core values.”

The sale also marks a major step in City Club’s plans to construct a 20-story tower with 300 units atop the building.

The Pittsburgh Zoning Board of Adjustments last summer approved a variance that would allow the developer to build up to 300 smaller apartments at the site as opposed to about 140 larger units permitted under the code.

The YWCA building is four stories tall — plus three floors below street level. City Club Apartments estimated that demolishing the structure would cost about $1.5 million. Instead, it plans to adapt the existing structure and build on top of it.

The plans include a restaurant on the first floor and a public health club on the three below-ground levels. The developer has proposed a narrow tower for the apartments that is set back about 25 feet from the facade of the existing building. The roof would serve as an outdoor social space, complete with a swimming pool.