Active Projects

The Parker

Applicant Hudson Companies is proposing a 12-floor multi-unit residential development at 435-445 Melwood Avenue. This will be Hudson Companies’ second development following the Julian, another residential building on Melwood Avenue. Currently, the parcel is located in an Urban Industrial zoning area. The developer is requesting three special exceptions from Pittsburgh Zoning Board of Adjustment:

  1. Requirement is that buildings must not exceed a Maximum Floor Area Ratio (FAR) of 4:1. Hudson Companies is requesting to increase building surface area and expand the 4:1 FAR to 10:1 - 904.07.C.5

  2. Requirement is that buildings must not exceed a height of 60ft. Hudson Companies is requesting to exceed the 60 ft. max height - 904.07.C.4 

  3. Hudson Companies is also requesting permission to build off-site parking - 914.07.G.2 

For visuals and more information about the project, please refer to the resources linked below.

Status

Pending hearing with Pittsburgh Zoning Board of Adjustment

Upcoming Events

Pending

Engagement History

Development Activities Meeting: The Parker & 252 Parkman on May 13th, 2024

Project Resources

The Parker Presentation from The Hudson Companies

The Parker Full Drawing Set

05/13/2024 DAM Meeting Recording

  • Comment below with input or questions regarding the project.

3339 Ward Street

Proposed conversion of an office building to a 19-unit residential building. Paramount Construction presented preliminary plans for the project at the November 30, 2021 Oakland-Wide Meeting, requesting residents’ feedback on the design. Paramount returned on December 11, 2023 with updated plans.

Status Updates:

05/15/2024: Paramount Construction is in the process of scheduling a hearing with the Pittsburgh Zoning Board of Adjustment. The company expects to secure a date within the next couple of months. Once finalized, the date will be posted.

Resources:

UPMC Presbyterian Bed Tower

About

UPMC plans to construct a new building on the former Children’s Hospital site on Fifth Avenue.

The Presbyterian Bed Tower would include 636 beds for ICU, stepdown, and discharge patients. The proposed building would be 288’ tall, at no more than 17 stories, occupying just under 900,000 square feet above Fifth Ave. Plans include room for 450 cars in its garage.

Plans include green space consisting of a tree canopy, native plant species, and on-site stormwater capture. Also part of the design is a lifestyle village that would invite both staff and community members into the hospital.

Updates

UPMC hosted two community meetings in late 2018 to answer resident questions and discuss how the development plans could include some community benefits. This hospital is consistent with the UPMC Institutional Master Plan (IMP) approved by the city in late 2014. This development requires City Planning Commission approval but does not need to go in front of the City Council as it is in their IMP.

As of early March 2019, UPMC is putting this project on pause and plans to re-engage the community with public meetings later.

April 2021 update - The project is still on hold. UPMC has re-engaged its architect and restarted the design process. UPMC plans to share its community engagement plan this summer and will then go through the approval process.

May 2021 update - UPMC announced that they expect to begin construction in summer 2022, with the building opening in fall 2026

UPMC presented at the August 31 Oakland-Wide meeting and returned for the November 30, 2021 Oakland-Wide/Development Activities Meeting. The project went to the Planning Commission meeting for a briefing on March 8. UPMC returned to the Planning Commission for a hearing on March 22, 2022 where the Commission unanimously approved the project.

June 2022: UPMC breaks ground.

Resources:

3730 Dawson Street

The owner of the vacant lot at 3730 Dawson Street seeks community input as they plan to redevelop the parcel of land. Current options include subdividing the lot to accommodate two homes with off-street parking in front or to retain the existing lot size and pursue variance to allow for a duplex with a driveway and rear parking.

Jerimiah Brooks, Senior Associate with Stantec Architecture, presented the initial concepts at the June 29, 2021 Oakland-Wide meeting.

This property has filed for lot subdivision.

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: