Pittsburgh URA approves contracts to prepare new Downtown office space

The Pittsburgh Urban Redevelopment Authority on Thursday unanimously approved contracts totaling up to $3.2 million for construction, partitioning and furnishing new offices at a building the city bought last year along the Boulevard of the Allies.

The URA, Pittsburgh Housing Authority and city government will share the costs of repaying a $40 million bond secured last year to buy and renovate the building.

URA’s board of directors approved a $2 million contract with Volpatt Construction Corp. of Castle Shannon for plumbing, electrical and other work on two floors the authority will occupy.

The board also approved spending up to $652,500 on a contract with Workscape Inc. of the West End to provide removable partitions for its office space in the building and up to $519,790 on contracts with Franklin Interiors in the Strip District and Mt. Lebanon Office Furniture and Interiors in Beechview to provide furnishings.

Directors approved a separate agreement with Oxford Development to manage the building for $4,500 a month after occupancy. URA will pay Oxford $1,500 per month in the interim. The management fee will be shared by the three building owners.

City government and the housing authority have yet to seek contracts for construction of its offices, officials said.