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:

Wyndham Hotel antenna

The Wyndham Hotel at 100 Lytton Avenue plans to install a new wireless antenna on its rooftop. Since the project lies within the Oakland Civic Center Historic District, the project will need to go before the Historic Review Commission (HRC).

Jacobs Engineering presented the plan at a required Development Activities meeting on Monday, January 10, 2022. They will move the current 5g antennas from the side of hotel to the roof of the building, to be out of the view of the public eye. The project goes before the Historic Review Commission for a hearing on Wednesday, March 2, 2022.

Resources:

Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh entrance renovations

The Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh has plans for entrance renovations to its main branch, located at 4400 Forbes Avenue.

Work includes in-kind reconstruction of the exterior Grand Steps, new paving and landscaping, and updates for accessibility.

The City of Pittsburgh, OPDC, and OBID will host a Development Activities meeting for the project on April 4, 2022. The project will go before the Historic Review Commission for their May 4, 2022 meeting.

Resources:

346 Joncaire Street

PROJECT SUMMARY

Paramount Construction, owners of 346 Joncaire, propose a subdivision of the property to create new lots for development of four new construction duplexes.  The zoning for the property is R2-H.  A duplex is an allowable use by-right.  The minimum lot size per unit in R2-H is 750 square feet.  Thus, a lot size of 1,500 square feet would be needed for an as-of-right duplex. The owners are proposing subdivided lots that would each be in excess of 1,500 square feet.  Each building would have integral off-street parking. 

Tom Chunchick from Paramount presented the project at the virtual Oakland-Wide meeting on May 26, 2020.

The Planning Commission approved a subdivision of the property at its October 26, 2021 meeting. An Oakland resident filed an appeal of Planning’s decision. The Zoning Board of Adjustment determined the project complies with the Codes’s requirement for street frontage at the ZBA meeting on January 20, 2022.

PROJECT RESOURCES

The Julian

Hudson Companies of Hermitage, PA proposes to build a new 10-story apartment building at 419 Melwood Avenue in North Oakland. Plans include apartments ranging in size from micro to two bedrooms and an indoor parking garage with 93 spaces for automobiles and 68 bicycles.

A representative from Hudson presented the plans for a 128-unit building at the April 27, 2021 Oakland-Wide meeting.

Responding to a resident’s inquiry following the meeting concerning potential detrimental impacts on traffic patterns and residential compatibility standards of the zoning code (see comments section below), Zoning Development Review staff (including DOMI) commented:

A Zoning and Development Review Application has not yet been made, but based on our understanding of the proposed scope, a new apartment building in a UI / Baum Centre Overlay zoning district will require Planning Commission review and approval and a ZBA Hearing for a Special Exception for Use.

Until a formal ZDR application is made, it's unclear if additional Special Exceptions or Variances will be required per Residential Compatibility Standards or 904.07.C.4 - Special Exception for Height in the UI.

DOMI will also require a transportation study to clarify the project's impact on the right-of-way.

OPDC hosted a follow-up meeting with the developers and representatives from the Department of City Planning, Councilman Lavelle’s office, and bordering community groups to discuss traffic and parking concerns on May 19, 2021. Notes from the meeting are linked below.

Hudson Companies presented at the Zoning Board of Adjustment (ZBA) on July 8, 2021. The project is now listed as a 10-story, 148-unit development. Gateway Engineers prepared a traffic study in July; the memo is located in “Resources” below.

The ZBA approved Hudson Companies’ request for special exceptions to construct a 10story/116’ tall building with an 8.4:1 FAR. (9/13/21)

The project went before the Planning Commission for a hearing on December 7. Planning approved the building; demolition and construction are planned to start in early 2022.

Innovation Research Tower - 3342 Fifth Ave

Developer: University of Pittsburgh

Project summary: Walnut Capital proposed to build a 10-story office building (Innovation Research Tower) geared toward technical, medical, and research companies. The building's use complies with the zoning code, but the developers requested variances for height, FAR, and parking. Walnut Capital presented its preliminary plans at a public meeting on January 23, 2019, and hosted a follow-up meeting on February 25, 2019. The project went before the zoning board on March 14, 2019. OPDC executed a community benefits agreement with Walnut Capital that addresses 1) transportation demand management strategies, 2) community-oriented retail space, and 3) investment in Oakland Community Land Trust.

The ZBA approved Walnut Capital’s request for a new 10-story office building with ground-level retail and 100 accessory parking spaces on May 9, 2019 (see decision below).

Walnut Capital presented a detailed review of building design at an Oakland-Wide Community Meeting in August 2019.

The City Planning Commission approved the project on October 22, 2019.

Walnut Capital plans to start demolition of existing structures in May. Two years of traffic restrictions are set to begin on May 26, 2020, reducing inbound traffic to two lanes between Chesterfield Avenue and Robinson Street. Left turns onto Halket Street will not be allowed; detours will be in place.

The project, originally expected to be completed by July, is now set for September 2022 due to a product delay.

The University of Pittsburgh’s board of trustees voted to purchase the Innovation Research Tower from Walnut Capital at their June 17, 2021 meeting. Pitt announced that they would review programmatic needs and design for the project.

Walnut Capital requests a Special Exception to permit the University of Pittsburgh to use a portion of the project for educational space. Walnut presented at the August 9, 2021 Development Activities Meeting. The project went before the Zoning Board of Adjustment (ZBA) meeting on September 16, 2021. They requested a special exception in the OPR-C zone for the educational space and they did not receive any objections.

Construction is currently underway and is expected to be completed by the end of 2024.

Supporting Documents:

3440 Forbes Ave - Wexford Science + Technology

Developer

Wexford Science + Technology

Project summary

Proposed new construction for commercial development. Reviewed at the March 27, 2019 Oakland-Wide Community Meeting. Developer returned to the Oakland-Wide Community Meeting on May 29, 2019 to present updates.

Per input at the two Oakland-Wide Community Meetings, OPDC and a group of community members discussed a package of potential community benefits with Wexford. The community’s requested community benefits package and Wexford’s response are linked below.

Wexford’s ZBA hearing was schedule for July 11, 2019. Council President Bruce Kraus, at the request of OPDC and community members, requested that the hearing be postponed in order to further consider impact and community benefits. ZBA granted this request.

Wexford was scheduled to appear again at ZBA on July 25, 2019, however, the hearing was rescheduled for August 15, 2019 at 10:50 a.m. This occurred because they were unable to confirm a quorum for the hearing.

Following a July 22 meeting convened by Council President Bruce Kraus, plus feedback we received through community input that we’ve gathered, there is not support for a community benefits agreement. OPDC’s position on the project is to oppose the requested variances due to the potential negative impacts on the community. Wexford appeared at ZBA on August 15, 2019.

Findings of fact and conclusions of law statements were due on September 27th. OPDC submitted a document expanding on our opposition to the project.

On October 24, 2019, the ZBA denied Wexford’s proposal as presented at the August 2019 hearing (see the decision below). On November 22, 2019, Wexford filed an appeal of the ZBA decision in the court of common pleas of Allegheny county.

At the status conference on January 28, 2020, the parties discussed whether there was a possibility of reaching an agreement.  Councilman Kraus convened a meeting to discuss the project on Wednesday, February 12th to try to reach a compromise.

At the status conference on Tuesday, February 25th, the judge once again encouraged parties to discuss a settlement agreement and also established a schedule for parties to submit legal briefs. Parties in the case are continuing to discuss the possibility for reaching an agreement before legal briefs.

On March 25, 2020 we added an update on the process and details on Wexford’s final CBA proposal here. We appreciate all those who viewed the information and provided feedback via our online response form. We published the responses below.  During the time that the courts extended deadlines due to COVID-19 and when OPDC was in the process of determining a course of action based on community feedback, three Oakland residents submitted a petition to intervene in the case.  A virtual hearing regarding this petition took place on June 9, 2020. On June 10, 2020, Judge James denied the petition to intervene and issued a briefing schedule. Briefs are due July 10, 2020. 

As of January 4, 2021, the local legal case has concluded, and a settlement is in place. Issues remain in front of the Commonwealth Court, however, regarding a petition to intervene.  OPDC and Wexford Science and Technology, parties to the local litigation, have executed a Community Benefits Agreement.

As described on this project page, upon Wexford’s filing their appeal, OPDC's Board of Directors calculated risk to the community of Wexford winning their appeal of the Zoning Board decision.  The risk was significant; thus, we pursued a CBA and negotiated building height lower than what they originally proposed and may have been awarded through their appeal. OPDC appreciates the community feedback received in March and believes the agreed-upon CBA offers substantial benefits to the Oakland community.

OPDC will engage the community in an extensive public process regarding the deployment of and expected outcomes for the $400,000 neighborhood grant (see bullet #3 in the CBA). Wexford will pay the neighborhood grant upon construction completion, so we have ample time for community discussion.

Please click here for terms of the CBA.

March 2, 2021 statement on OPDC's work related to development:

OPDC seeks to mitigate impacts of development in order to protect the community. 

While OPDC never sought a contribution, Wexford Science + Technology ultimately proposed a holistic, win-win agreement that would benefit the entire community.  This agreement is unique in that the parties reached this compromise to resolve a legal dispute and does not represent OPDC providing carte blanche approval of the development. 

OPDC is proud of this transparent, community-focused resolution to protracted litigation.  OPDC’s priority is the residents of Oakland, especially those lower-wealth individuals who can be left behind when development pressure raises prices in the neighborhood and squeezes people out of opportunity.

Judge Joseph M. James of the Court of Common Pleas issued an order of the court on October 19, 2021, reversing the ZBA’s decision and hereby permitting Wexford Science and Technology to build to 153’.

In November 2021, Caroline Mitchell, attorney for Coltart Area Residents Association, South Oakland Neighborhood Group, Oakcliffe Community Organization and three Oakland residents, filed an appeal of Judge James’s ruling; the case now goes to commonwealth court.

2023 update: Wexford has demolished the old structure and are preparing for construction. They participated in a Development Activities Meeting on May 8, 2023.

Supporting documents

Presentations, reports, and minutes:

Community benefits agreement (CBA) negotiation:

Feedback summaries:

107 - 111 Halket Street townhomes

Walnut Capital plans to demolish three townhomes located at 107 - 111 Halket Street. Future plans are TBD, but the lot is to be maintained as a small open space parklet following demolition.

OPDC, OBID, and the City of Pittsburgh Department of City Planning hosted a required Development Activities Meeting (DAM) on Monday, August 9, 2021.

The project went before the Planning Commission for a briefing on October 26 and on November 9, 2021 for a hearing.

Resources

Carnegie Mellon University student health, wellness, and athletics center

Carnegie Mellon is constructing a new, 160,000-square-foot student health, wellness, and athletics center. The building will border Schenley Park and feature both renovation of existing parts of the gym as well as a new home for public entrances to accommodate different student needs. In addition, Carnegie Mellon plans to target LEED Gold certification standards.

Updates

  • Feb 27, 2023: Construction on the project is well underway with anticipated occupancy in the summer 2024. Steel is fully erected and the enclosure of the building is underway.

  • October 2021: demolition is underway at the Skibo Gym/new construction site.

  • July 27, 2021: Planning Commission meeting—the commission approved the project.

  • June 8, 2021: CMU presented the project to the city’s Contextual Design Advisory Panel (CDAP) on Tuesday, June 8.

  • April 27, 2021: CMU presented about the project at an Oakland-Wide community meeting. This project is scheduled to by done by August 2024.

Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh Banners

The Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh intends to install eight lamp posts and fabric banners outside of the main library location at Schenley Drive and Schenley Drive Extension. CLP presented plans at the September 28, 2021 Oakland-Wide meeting.

Resources

Lumen Technology

Lumen Technology plans upgrades to the exterior signs on its building at 200 Technology Drive in the Pittsburgh Technology Center.

Lumen intends to replace an existing front/Second Avenue-facing wall mounted cabinet sign, and add illuminated channel letters to the rear/river-facing side of the building.

Both signs require a Development Activities Meeting per the City of Pittsburgh. Accel Sign Group presented the project on behalf of Lumen Technology at the April 27, 2021 Oakland-Wide community meeting. Accel presented the project at the Planning Commission’s June 1 meeting and at the Zoning Board of Adjustment meeting on Tuesday, June 10, 2021.

The project goes before the Planning Commission for a 2:00 p.m. hearing on September 28, 2021.

Resources:

Croatian Fraternal Union - 3441 Forbes Ave

Developer: University of Pittsburgh

Project summary: Preservation Pittsburgh and the Croatian Fraternal Union nominated the property for historic designation. The nomination was accepted by the Historic Review Commission.

Preservation Pittsburgh added the Croatian Fraternal Union building to its “2020 At Risk” list of endangered historic places.

The University of Pittsburgh presented an historic preservation and early re-development plan for the building at the May 25, 2021 Oakland-Wide meeting. The University presented the plan at a required Development Activities Meeting (DAM) hosted by OPDC, the Oakland Business Improvement District, and the City of Pittsburgh Department of City Planning on June 21, 2021. This project had a briefing at the Planning Commission meeting on July 27, 2021. Though pieces of the property have been carefully denoted as historic, the rest of the building is set for demolition.

The University of Pittsburgh returned to the Planning Commission on September 14, 2021 for a hearing regarding the building’s demolition. While finalized plans for the site have yet to be determined, the commission approved the building’s demolition without dissent.

Project resources:

Parcel 3 - Technology Drive

Developer

Elmhurst Group

Project summary

In November 2017, Elhurst Group began drafting a proposal to the URA for a tech research/light manufacturing development. In Spring of 2018, they entered into an exclusive negotiation for the site. They reached out to the community to collect feedback. In Fall 2018, the developers submitted finalized plans to the URA and the Department of City Planning.

A few minor architectural updates have since been made to the proposal. Elmurst Group presented at Planning Commission for approval on May 7, 2019. The two-building, 156,000 square foot project will contain tech-flex commercial space. See below for the winter 2018 presentation on building materials and space composition.

The URA voted at its December 2020 board meeting to approve the plan and financing. Elmhurst expects construction on the “Elmhurst Innovation Center” to start in March 2021. Depending on the weather and other factors, they expect a 12-month duration on the project.

This project is under construction.

Project resources

University of Pittsburgh Alumni Hall ADA ramp

The University of Pittsburgh plans to add an ADA-compliant ramp to the Lytton Avenue side of the Alumni Hall. Other improvements include new stars, support walls, and handrails. Construction is estimated to take 16 weeks.

Pitt presented this project at the April 27, 2021 Oakland-Wide meeting. After a June 2 briefing at the Historic Review Commission (HRC), the project returned to the HHRC for a hearing on July 7, 2021.

Resources: