URA to partner with RIDC on $39M warehouse project in Pittsburgh's Fairywood

Pittsburgh’s Urban Redevelopment Authority on Thursday entered into an agreement with the Regional Industrial Development Corp. of Southwestern Pennsylvania to build warehouses on a 25-acre site in the city’s Fairywood neighborhood.

The proposed two-phase development would begin with construction of a 150,000-square-foot warehouse. RIDC said it is in talks with a potential tenant.

A similarly sized warehouse would be built in the second phase.

Development of the first warehouse is expected to bring at least 80 jobs, while 60 to 80 jobs could be created by the second one, said David Serbin, the URA’s director of development services.

The $39 million development would generate about $365,000 in taxes annually, Serbin said.

The URA acquired the site in 2011, Serbin said. A housing development that was severely flooded during Hurricane Ivan had been located at the site. The land can’t be used for housing again because of the flooding issues.

“We think that’s a great use, put it back on the tax roll,” Serbin said of the proposed warehouse development.

RIDC President Donald Smith Jr. said he looks forward to working with the city and the URA “to give the site purpose again and attract job-creating tenants.”

“In addition to logistics and warehousing, we hope to see light-manufacturing assembly users that will create a broad range of accessible jobs to city residents, jobs that generally don’t require an advanced degree,” Smith said.

Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey said his administration is supportive of the development and the partnership between the URA and RIDC.

“This project will be another step forward in creating a city where families and individuals can live, work and do business,” Gainey said.