Plans for 234 apartments in Pittsburgh's Strip District receive Planning Commission approval

Plans for 234 new apartments in Pittsburgh’s Strip District received approval this week from the city’s Planning Commission.

The proposed development includes two six-story apartment buildings — one on Smallman Street and the other at an adjacent property on 30th Street.

The plans from Hermitage-based Hudson Companies call for one- and two-bedroom apartments.

Ryan Indovina of Pittsburgh-based Indovina Associates Architects, which also is working on the project, said one property is home to a vacant two-story building and the other houses an empty warehouse.

The project should be completed in 2025, according to Jonathan Hudson, principal and partner with Hudson Companies. He did not offer an estimated cost for the project.

Mary Beth Johnson, who lives in an adjacent condominium and heads a condominium association, credited the developer for reaching out to neighbors and addressing their concerns about the new development.

“I appreciate the ability to have a continuing dialogue,” she said, adding that she’s supportive of the development, though it will hinder the views from her condominium.

Strip District Neighbors, the neighborhood’s community development group, said in a letter from co-chair Jana Lake that the organization supported the development and would like to see public art and greenery added around the property.

Councilman Bobby Wilson, D-North Side, said in a letter supporting the project that he felt Hudson Companies would be a “long-term and dedicated stakeholder” in the neighborhood because the company owns the property it plans to develop and manage.

“I believe that this development will not only enhance the neighborhood but also contribute significantly to the growth and prosperity of the community,” he said.

The Planning Commission approved the proposed development Tuesday. Commissioner Rachel O’Neill abstained from the vote.

The commission earlier this year approved plans for The Brickworks, a development slated to bring 300 apartments and dozens of townhomes to the Strip District. Two other apartment buildings earned the commission’s approval late last year, and commissioners in May approved a master plan for a proposed development that seeks to bring residential and retail development to a 7.3-acre site near the 31st Street Bridge.

Local housing advocacy group Pro-Housing Pittsburgh is supportive of the “continued addition of new housing units to the Strip District neighborhood” and the city as a whole, said Dmetri Black, a member of the organization’s leadership team.

“Building more housing, especially in neighborhoods like the Strip (District) that are walkable and nearby to so many amenities is great for our residents, the city and the region,” Black said.