Seven-story office building planned in Pittsburgh's Strip District
A Pittsburgh real estate company is planning a seven-story office building with two floors of parking and ground-floor shops on the site of a former banana warehouse and fish market in the city's Strip District.
Rugby Realty was scheduled to appear Thursday before the Pittsburgh Zoning Board of Adjustment for a hearing on its request to exceed the maximum building height permitted in the Strip District. City zoning requires buildings to be four stories or less.
The hearing was postponed until June.
“We hope to start in September and take 18 to 24 months for construction,” said Rugby Chief Operating Officer Larry Walsh.
Walsh said the building will take up 3.5 acres on the site of the former Tom Ayoob Inc. banana warehouse and Benkovitz Seafoods warehouse on Smallman Street. He declined to provide a cost estimate for the project.
The property between 21st and 23rd streets and Smallman and Railroad streets is in a prime location across the street from the Produce Terminal and St. Stanislaus Church, both city landmarks.
Plans call for four floors of office space, two floors of parking with 450 spaces and space for retail on the ground floor.
That area of Smallman Street, once dominated by produce, meat and poultry wholesalers, is rapidly changing into a residential, office, dining and entertainment district.
The Pittsburgh Urban Redevelopment Authority in March approved a lease agreement with a Chicago company for redevelopment of the Produce Terminal.
McCaffery Interests is planning to convert the terminal into space for shops, local crafters and a market. The company owns 1600 Smallman, across the street from the terminal, and plans to convert the former warehouse into an office building with shops on the ground floor.
The Buncher Co. is moving forward on its Riverfront Landing project with ongoing construction of a 360-unit apartment building on Smallman between 19th and 21st streets and plans for an office building on 15th Street.
Bob Bauder is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach him at 412-765-2312, bbauder@tribweb.com or on Twitter @bobbauder.
