Warhol Museum proposes $45M entertainment venue on Pittsburgh's North Shore

The Andy Warhol Museum is looking to expand with a new, $45 million entertainment venue in Pittsburgh’s North Shore.

Dan Law, the museum’s associate director, said the proposed Pop District Entertainment Venue is part of the Andy Warhol Museum’s Pop District initiative, which aims to include “physical and programmatic expansion of the museum,” create an economy workforce program and launch the flagship live event space.

Plans presented to Pittsburgh’s Planning Commission on Tuesday show the proposed 57,776-square-foot entertainment venue on Sandusky Street would include a first-floor concert venue with standing room for up to 1,000 people, a second floor mezzanine and an events space that could hold up to 360 people on the fourth floor. The third floor would be used for offices and support spaces.

The site is now an asphalt parking lot for the Andy Warhol Museum.

“This new building is the cornerstone of The Warhol’s reimagination of the eastern North Shore, The Pop District,” Law said in a statement. “The design has been years in the making, and we’re excited about the opportunities the venue offers for both Pittsburgh’s cultural life and the museum’s long-term sustainability.”

Rick Armstrong, a spokesperson for the museum, said work could begin as soon as spring 2024, but the timelines are “still flexible” as the project moves through the planning and design processes.

The project is estimated to cost about $45 million, he said.

The Planning Commission is expected to vote on the project at its next meeting in two weeks.