Pittsburgh looks to lease former Steamfitters building to consolidate police operations

Pittsburgh city officials are looking to lease the former Steamfitters Local Union 449 building in Duquesne Heights to consolidate police operations, paving the way for redevelopment at other sites now used by police.

Mayor Bill Peduto on Tuesday introduced legislation that would allow the city to lease 1517 Woodruff St. Under the proposal, the city would use the facility to consolidate operations now based at several locations, including a former fire station in Troy Hill, a former school in Elliot and a former fire station in the Hill District.

The space also would be used for storage. A lease for a North Side warehouse is expiring.

Moving the operations into one location would improve efficiency and cut costs, officials said.

Councilman Anthony Coghill called the Duquesne Heights location ideal, noting he originally proposed using the space for a Public Works facility.

The proposal would allow the city to look for ways to redevelop the sites police have been using.

Officials have said they want to redevelop Thaddeus Stevens School in Elliott into a community recreation center for young people and to work with the Troy Hill community to determine how to use the fire station in their business district.

City Council President Theresa Kail-Smith said leasing the Duquesne Heights building would “create an opportunity for our communities to reclaim and redevelop city-owned buildings in our neighborhoods to meet the needs of the residents.”

“Our children and families in Elliott and the surrounding communities are looking forward to having a recreation center. It’s also an opportunity to streamline specialty police operations under one roof,” she said.

Without the project, Kail-Smith said the Duquesne Heights building might have sat empty. Now, she said, its use would draw police into the area and they will wind up supporting local businesses near the site.

City Council unanimously advanced the measure, which could gain final approval as early as next week.