Former ATI property on the market in Leechburg
Leechburg officials are hopeful a newly available riverfront property will entice a buyer or developer looking to invest in a scenic location.
A 2.83-acre property along the Kiski River, previously used by ATI’s idled plants in Bagdad and West Leechburg, went on the market May 8 for $1.39 million by owner E.F. “Skip” Laratonda of Harrison City and Naples, Fla.
Leechburg Councilwoman Doreen Smeal believes the property at 1 Kiski Ave. offers great potential for the right buyer because the property has a professional campus zoning distinction, meaning it may be used commercially or residentially.
“I think it’s such an opportunity for anybody to come in here and get this property,” she said. “It would be great if it could be residences or condos of some sort. It would be another step toward bringing Leechburg back.”
The once chronically polluted Kiski River is drastically different than it used to be, and riverfront revitalization is a logical step, she said.
“I remember as a child when we couldn’t get in the Kiski River. It was so orange from the sulfur, and now it’s pristine,” Smeal said. “We were forbidden to go into the river, and now it’s a complete turnaround.”
For decades, the river was polluted by runoff from former coal mines, leaving orange deposits on the river bottom. By the 1980s, the state Department of Environmental Protection found the only living thing in the river was a frog they found near its confluence with the Allegheny River.
The three-story, 27,000-square-foot office building and its grounds are listed by Laratonda on LoopNet.
The building was constructed in 1960 and currently is 80% leased by three tenants: Allegheny Valley Institute of Technology, American Safety & Health Consulting & Training and Merakey Education Center.
The 2.83-acre lot is part of three lots totaling 8 acres that Laratonda owns.
“I just want to move on to other things in my life,” Laratonda said. “I’ve retired and want to sell and channel the money into other investments.”
ATI spokesperson Natalie Gillespie said Wednesday that ATI sold the property in 2004.
“We do not plan to repurchase it,” Gillespie said.
Leechburg resident and local historian Larry Boehm said Allegheny Ludlum first acquired the property at a sheriff’s sale in the early 1950s. The lot had been the site of the Leechburg Foundry & Machine Co.
The site commonly was referred to as the shovel works grounds, and the area where the parking lot is located was used by local baseball leagues until the mid-1950s, when Allegheny Ludlum purchased the land and filled it in.
The office building was completed in 1958 and housed about 115 employees. Many of the original trees remain.
“It served as ATI office space until about the time Laratonda acquired the property,” Boehm said. “The property has enormous potential if it falls into the right hands.”
Laratonda said he originally bought the property with plans to develop the site into 10 riverfront condos and 22 patio homes, but that never happened because he retired and spends half the year in Florida.
The property was renovated in 2018 and features waterfront access, plenty of green space and is zoned professional campus — suitable for office, light industrial, education or single and multi-unit housing. Parking is available for 40 vehicles.
To view the listing, click here.
Realtor Nicole Arduino of Coldwell Banker noted housing affordability is a growing challenge for buyers, particularly in metropolitan areas.
“By relocating to an area like Leechburg, businesses can offer employees an attractive alternative to more expensive housing markets, allowing them to live more comfortably and save money on housing costs. This can be especially important for businesses that are looking to attract and retain talent,” Arduino said.
Arduino added that the Kiski Avenue property offers a nice location along the Kiski River, and developers could take advantage of existing infrastructure.
“This could be a cost-effective way to create new residential units by avoiding the need for construction,” Arduino said. “Leechburg could benefit from converted properties by attracting new residents who want to live in more affordable areas while still being close to urban areas.”
Laratonda, 72, serves as landlord to the three tenants.
“I’m making good income with it right now, and I’m just looking to find someone to buy it as an investment or for redevelopment,” he said.
Terms of the sale would include a six-month notice to the tenants if they were required to move out, Laratonda said.
Joyce Hanz is a native of Charleston, S.C. and is a features reporter covering the Pittsburgh region. She majored in media arts and graduated from the University of South Carolina. She can be reached at jhanz@triblive.com
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