Archived Projects

3272-3274 Parkview Avenue

Description

The owners of 3272-3274 Parkview Avenue plan to subdivide the lots and build two additional houses, one fronting Parkview and another fronting Childs Street.

Context

The owners of 3272-3274 Parkview Avenue recieved approval from the Zoning Board of Adjustment prior to the Development Activities Meeting. The owners attended the meeting to hear any questions or concerns from neighbors.

Status

Approved — pending construction.

Upcoming events

N/a

Engagement history

Development Activities Meeting on Monday, August 11, 2025

Project Resources

3438 Parkview Avenue

Description

The owners of 3438 Parkview Avenue plan to replace existing slate shingles with new asphalt shingles, and to replace deteriorating concrete steps.

Context

3438 Parkview Avenue is located in the Oakland Square Historic District. Therefore, the proposal required a Development Activities Meeting before going to the Historic Review Commission. For more information on the Oakland Square Historic District guidelines, click here.

Status

Step repair approved, roof repair pending further approval from Historic Review Commission

Upcoming events

N/a

Engagement history

  • Development Activities Meeting on Monday, August 11, 2025

  • Historic Review Commission Meeting Wednesday, September 3.

Project Resources

Bates Street rowhouses/cleared lot

Project Summary: Oakland Gateway Ventures (OGV) purchased the row house on Bates St. between Boulevard of the Allies and Zulema St in 2014. OGV proposed a development that was opposed by the community. OPDC, along with our local elected officials, opposes it as it is not consistent with the Oakland 2025 Master Plan or City of Pittsburgh zoning. Read the town hall minutes here: https://www.opdc.org/blog/2017/11/21/november-2nd-town-hall-meeting.

February 4, 2021 UPDATE

OPDC statement re: conservatorship filing, 3400 block of Bates Street

As has been reported in the media, a private firm filed a conservatorship action to become the conservator of the row of vacant properties in the 3400 block of Bates Street.  OPDC is currently discussing the planned future development of the site with principals at Penn Pioneer Enterprises in an effort to determine a redevelopment plan that will be financially feasible and also be a community asset in line with zoning and worthy of community support.  OPDC will continue discussions to prepare information for a community meeting in the next month or so to solicit community input and feedback.  Please stay tuned for more details as we have them. 

June 14, 2021 UPDATE

Walnut Capital is acquiring the condemned rowhouses located in the 3400 block of Bates Street.

Walnut Capital presented plans to demolish the buildings and plant grass at a June 24, 2021 Development Activities Meeting (DAM). No development is proposed at this time; they will present any proposal to the community in the future. Walnut Capital presented the project for a hearing at the July 27 Planning Commission meeting; the commission voted to approve. Demolition on the project started in early August 2021. New sidewalk surrounding the now empty lot was poured and opened to the public in late October 2021.

These buildings have since been demolished and the property sold to Pitt.

Project resources:

Council Bill 2021-1906, proposed “Oakland Crossings” UC-MU

About

The UC-MU District allows for commercial uses while also providing housing options. Publicly accessible open spaces are required, along with active ground floor uses and adequate sidewalk width. To transition from smaller scale residential adjacent to this district, green spaces and other buffers are required between lower scale residential and taller new buildings.

Upcoming

On July 11, there is a scheduled joint Development Activities Meeting for the first phase of Oakland Crossings “Parcel A” at 3401 Boulevard of the Allies. The developer seeks to add 426 apartments units, a grocery store, parking, and retail in the space. Renderings can be accessed here.

Past Updates

On Friday, September 17, 2021 Mayor Bill Peduto submitted a bill to City Council, seeking to re-zone 17+ acres of Central and South Oakland. This bill is not a product of the ongoing Oakland Plan process, and did not involve the Department of City Planning.

At the regular City Council meeting on Tuesday, September 21, Councilman Bobby Wilson introduced the bill as 2021-1906 and remanded it to the Land Use and Economic Development Committee to refer to the Planning Commission.

Oakland residents organized a petition for a public hearing on the bill and submitted it on Friday morning, September 24. At the next meeting of the Land Use and Economic Development Committee on Wednesday, September 29, the committee voted to hold the bill pending the citizen-demanded public hearing.

City Council hosted a public hearing on Tuesday, October 5. 31 people spoke at the hearing, 27 in opposition to the bill, including 17 Oakland residents. Following the hearing, OPDC and several Oakland residents reached out to Councilman Bruce Kraus’s office to request a meeting to discuss the matter further. No one received any acknowledgment.

On October 12, Councilman Kraus announced that he, his legislative aide, and Walnut Capital’s lawyer had spent every day since the hearing behind closed doors working on a set of amendments, which he introduced at the same time that he asked Council to approve them. After some brief discussion, Council voted 8-0 to send the amended bill to the Planning Commission for its review.

The Planning Commission will hold a public hearing for this bill on January 11, 2022 (see guidelines for submitting testimony here). Following the hearing, the Planning Commission will make a recommendation to City Council, at which point City Council will review the Planning Commission recommendation, receive public comment, and vote.

OPDC hosted a Development Activities Meeting for the proposal on Monday, November 29, 2021 at 6:00 p.m. The project presented plans at a briefing before the Planning Commission on December 7. Originally schedule for a hearing on January 11, 2022, new Mayor Ed Gainey requested a 30-day continuance and a new hearing date.

Mayor Gainey attended the January 25 Oakland-Wide meeting regarding the proposed Oakland Public Realm District E (OPR-E).

The Mayor’s office hosted a public community listening session on February 2, 2022.

The bill was scheduled for a Planning Commission for a hearing on February 8. Mayor Gainey issued another 30-day continuance and a new hearing date was set for March 8, 2022.

On March 7 at 2:00 p.m., the Mayor’s office released a statement and substantial and transformative revisions (including a change from 17 to 13 acres) to the proposed Oakland Crossings legislation. Click for the Mayor’s press release and revised text.

At the March 8 meeting, the Planning Commission issued another continuance. The bill returned for a hearing on March 22.

On May 25, the bill went before City Council for a hearing. From here, the bill was referred to Land Use Committee, who will then refer it back to City Council for a vote in the coming weeks.

On June 13, Councilman Kraus hosted a meeting to discuss 2021-1906. He heard from Oakland residents their concerns about the process, heights, and uses in the bill. He announced that the bill would be discussed at the next standing committee meeting.

On June 15, City Council, at it’s regular meeting, discussed 2021-1906. An amendment to the bill was introduced less than an hour before the meeting began, which changed the maximum allowable street façade length from 400 ft to 425 ft. This amendment was passed, but then City Council had a spirited discussion not just about the appropriateness of that length, but also whereby the bill had arrived in Council chambers. The city solicitor advised Council that they could take no action on the bill until the public had been given the opportunity to review and provide feedback on the proposed amendment. The bill is held at standing committee until next weeks meeting June 29.

At a Standing Committees meeting on June 22, Pittsburgh City Council gave Council Bill 2021-1906 an affirmative recommendation.

On June 28, 2022, Council Bill 2021-1906 was passed.

Resources

William Pitt Union patio renovations

The University of Pittsburgh plans renovations to the William Pitt Union building to address the Forbes Avenue side patio’s leaking roof, column reinforcement, and accessibility.

Pitt presented plans at the March 21, 2022 Development Activities meeting. The Historic Review Commission approved the project at its May 4, 2022 meeting. Construction is expected to begin in in summer 2022.

Resources:

Langley Hall renovations

The University of Pittsburgh plans exterior renovations to Langley Hall, located at 142 Tennyson Avenue.

Pitt presented plans at the March 21, 2022 Development Activities (DAM) meeting. The Historic Review Commission approved the project at its May 4, 2022 meeting. Construction is expected to begin in early 2023.

Resources:

Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh - main entrance improvements

The Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh plans improvements to the front entrance area and grand staircase at the main branch located at 4400 Forbes Avenue.

Elagin Architects presented the project at an April 4 Development Activities meeting. The project will next go to the Historic Review Commission and Art Commission.

Resources: