Developer looks to expand Baum Boulevard project in Pittsburgh with 198 residential units

The developer behind the Baumhaus apartment complex on Pittsburgh’s Baum Boulevard is aiming to launch a second phase of the project, which will include a new building housing an additional 198 residential units.

Pittsburgh-based Laurel Real Estate broke ground on the original 127-unit Baumahus apartment complex in Pittsburgh’s Friendship neighborhood in March 2016. The apartment building opened in 2017.

Now, the developer is eyeing a new building, which includes two towers — one stretching seven stories tall on Baum Boulevard and the other, located on the backside of the site, reaching nine stories. The plans have already been granted special height exemptions from the zoning board, said Kate Rakus with the Department of City Planning.

“This is meant to be a companion building,” said Jeremiah Brooks, senior associate at Stantec, the company designing the development.

Plans for the site include a canopy connecting the side entrance from the first building with the main entrance of the second, first floor garden apartments, a courtyard, a gym for residents and a skybridge that will “tie in the rooftop deck from phase one to phase two,” Brooks said.

Plans submitted to the Planning Commission show that the new building will include 92 studio apartments, 92 one-bedroom apartments and 14 two-bedroom apartments.

The site will include 142 parking spaces for cars and 58 for bicycles, according to their plans.

In their presentation to the Planning Commission Tuesday, the developers said the second phase of Baumhaus will “carry forward the design intent” of the original project, which was an Honor Award winner at the 2019 Design Pittsburgh AIA Awards.

The development earned unanimous approval from the Planning Commission on Tuesday. Chairwoman Christine Mondor was not present for the vote.