Pitt trustees vote to buy historic property, endorse 5-year plan

University of Pittsburgh trustees voted Thursday to create a new headquarters building for one of its schools, buy a historic site in Oakland and endorse a five-year strategic plan.

Meeting at the university’s Oakland campus, trustees approved plans to make a building currently under construction at Fifth Avenue and Halket Street the new headquarters for the School of Health and Rehabilitation Services.

With more than 1,800 undergraduate and graduate students, the school is one of the university’s largest. Its programs currently are divided among seven buildings.

The new six-story, 159,000-square-foot site — which is set to be completed by December 2025 — will allow the school to consolidate its operations. The project has a $75 million budget.

Pitt also will purchase the former Pittsburgh Athletic Association property on Fifth Avenue after the board approved a $34 million deal for the vacant building.

The eight-story, 130,000-square-foot facility, located on the university’s Oakland campus, is on the National Register of Historic Places.

It was bought by Walnut Capital in 2018.

Officials did not immediately set out specific plans for the property. But Dave DeJong, senior vice chancellor for business and operations, called the pending purchase a “rare and unique opportunity” to own the historic property.

Trustees also unanimously supported a five-year strategic initiative for the university, dubbed the Plan for Pitt.

The initiative is seen as helping to raise Pitt’s national profile.

The board approved Joseph J. McCarthy as provost and senior vice chancellor.

McCarthy was named to the position in March, pending board approval, and has been working in the position in an interim capacity since last July.

Trustees also voted to make Phil Bakken Pitt’s new vice chancellor and secretary for the board of trustees. He currently works for the University of Nebraska System.