URA moves ahead with project to convert Downtown office space into housing
Pittsburgh’s Urban Redevelopment Authority is fine-tuning a pilot program to convert empty Downtown office space into housing.
Officials have said the program will provide much-needed housing and breathe new life into office buildings that have sat largely empty since the covid-19 pandemic spurred a shift to remote work.
The city, county and state are partnering on the project, which has $9 million in funding, including $2.1 million in American Rescue Plan money from the city.
“It’s really to reinvent and redevelop largely fallow and vacant Downtown buildings into new affordable housing developments,” said Thomas Link, the URA’s chief strategy officer.
More than 11.3 million square feet of office space is vacant across 150 buildings in Downtown Pittsburgh, according to a presentation provided at Thursday’s URA board meeting.
Preliminary guidelines for the residential conversion project would require affordability to be embedded in all of the housing developments and would mandate that they remain affordable for at least 40 years. The guidelines also emphasize the need to accept housing choice vouchers.
Related:
• Pittsburgh looks to convert unused office space into residential units
• Plan to convert unused Pittsburgh office spaces into housing gets $2.1M
• https://triblive.com/local/pittsburgh-city-council-looks-to-streamline-process-of-creating-new-housing-in-golden-triangle/
“This is something that I think is very sorely needed in Downtown Pittsburgh,” said Sam Williamson, who sits on the URA board. “Downtown Pittsburgh ought to be a place where everyone who works in Downtown Pittsburgh can afford to live in Downtown. It’s not that currently, but with the right sort of public intervention, it might become that.”
The board unanimously approved the guidelines for the program, which aim to ensure the initiative meets American Rescue Plan Act requirements and emphasizes affordability in the new housing developments.
URA officials said an announcement will come at a later date regarding when it will begin accepting applications.
Julia Felton is a TribLive reporter covering Pittsburgh City Hall and other news in and around Pittsburgh. A La Roche University graduate, she joined the Trib in 2020. She can be reached at jfelton@triblive.com.
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