South Side's Oliver Bath House to undergo $8.7M renovation

Pittsburgh’s historic Oliver Bath House is expected to reopen in the fall of 2024 after undergoing an $8.7 million renovation, officials said Thursday during an event marking the start of construction.

Located on the South Side, the Oliver Bath House is the city’s only publicly owned, year-round aquatics facility, according to CitiParks Director Kathryn Vargas. The indoor pool is housed inside a two-story structure that is more than 100 years old and recognized as a national landmark.

“It’s an important asset for the South Side community, but everybody loves coming to the Oliver Bath House,” Vargas said. “We are looking forward to seeing this building come back to life.”

“We’re trying to both maintain what’s beautiful about the bath house and also make it ready for the Pittsburgh of the future,” Vargas said.

“The South Side being well over 100-plus years old, this building was built as a public bath house,” City Councilman Bruce Kraus, D-South Side, said, explaining that houses in the neighborhood were built without plumbing.

It became a popular landmark in the community where many in the community have fond memories, he added.

“Everybody saw the importance of this building and the vision we had for the rehabilitation of this building,” he said.

The building has been closed since March 2020, according to Public Works spokeswoman Emily Bourne.

“I think that buildings mean something,” Mayor Ed Gainey said. “Buildings are the background of your life. Think of how many stories people have about this building, how many stories people share with their kids and their kids’ kids.”

Public Works Director Chris Hornstein said the project is being funded through a combination of state grants and city funding.