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Pittsburgh residents will soon have expanded entertainment options with a $740 million mixed-use development and a Live Nation music venue in the works.
The Steel City planning commission approved a housing, entertainment and retail project — complete with a giant Ferris wheel — on the city’s north side on Nov. 12, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Led by Canonsburg, Pa.-based real estate firm Piatt Cos., the Esplanade will redevelop nearly 15 acres of post-industrial land on the banks of the Ohio River, according to the company website.
In total, the development is expected to cost $740 million, according to Molly Onafur, director of public affairs for Piatt Cos. The cost is based on an analysis of the Pennsylvania Economy League of Greater Pittsburgh, an affiliate of the Allegheny Conference on Community Development.
The project will encompass more than 1.7 million square feet and more than 8 acres of public and open space. A highlight of the development is the 164-foot-tall Ferris wheel that will overlook the development, next to the Current, a three-story, 64,256-square-foot space that will include a food emporium, a four-season garden and restaurants. according to the Post-Gazette.
Also planned for the development is a 225-room hotel with ballroom and meeting space; 300 apartments; 105 condominium units; space for food and retail; and a river safety facility for local, state and national agencies.
The construction will be done in two phases. Piatt plans to begin construction on the first phase in 2025, according to the information page.
Piatt officials said once the company receives city approval, site work will take 10 to 12 months, after which construction can begin, according to the Post-Gazette. Piatt will also have two years after the closing of the land it will buy from the Pittsburgh Urban Development Authority, a financial company focused on the development of the city, to start the first buildings. It is expected to close on March 31.
New music venue
In addition to the Esplanade development, work on a 98,000 square foot Live Nation concert hall. started in Octoberaccording to local news channel WTRF-7. The project will be located a block away from another downtown venue: PPG Paints Arena, home of the NHL’s Pittsburgh Penguins, and it will cost $64 millionaccording to WESA, the NPR affiliate in Pittsburgh.
According to WTRF, the venue is expected to hold up to 4,500 people. A separate plan to build a parking garage is also underway, but there is no set timeline for its construction.
Once completed, the concert hall will be a venue for events that would otherwise bypass the city on their way to entertainment meccas like New York City, Chicago or Philadelphia, according to the outlet.
