Job growth in Upper St. Clair area prompts need for housing
Upper St. Clair's first new apartment complex in 30 years will open the first of nine buildings next month, with the rest scheduled to open at a rate of about one a month through the fall.
Called Torrente at Upper St. Clair, the $29 million, 220-unit complex is being built off Boyce Plaza Road, near Upper St. Clair's Boyce Mayview Park, with the aim of attracting older downsizers, young professionals or families starting out, said developer John R. Deklewa of Residential Development and Construction Inc.
“There are very few (apartment) options for residents of Upper St. Clair and some of the surrounding communities,” Deklewa said. “The market has been underserved.”
The one- and two-bedroom apartments range from 822 to 1,152 square feet, and rents run from about $1,200 to $1,700 a month. A few units are upgraded as “penthouses,” with higher-end finishes and additional storage, said Lauren Hornyak, director of development for Deklewa.
About 20 apartments will open at the beginning of February, and the clubhouse — with its community room, leasing office and fitness center — opened Jan. 1, she said.
“We certainly have a lot of pre-leases, but I'm hesitant to count our chickens before they move in,” Hornyak said.
Deklewa said such high-end apartments are being built all over the region, but Upper St. Clair had lacked alternatives to single-family homes.
“Apartments are the hot ticket right now ... though you do start to worry about saturation in markets like Downtown and Cranberry,” Deklewa said. With a “build it and they will come” attitude, “This is the year we need to prove to ourselves that they will come.”
Jeff Burd, president of residential and commercial consulting firm Tall Timber Group in Ross, said Upper St. Clair isn't a typical market for apartments because its high-ranked school district makes it a destination for wealthy families more likely to pick single-family homes.
But job growth in the region is outpacing new single-family home construction and apartments, so Burd believes the market could continue to support apartment projects.
“The things that are being built have waiting lists, and the rents are going up between when they're signing leases and when they're occupied,” Burd said.
Proximity to Interstate 79, Pittsburgh International Airport and the Southpointe business park in Cecil are in Torrente's favor, he said.
Another developer, Lancaster-based Charter Homes, is planning 400 houses and 200 apartments for the former Mayview State Hospital property in neighboring South Fayette, just across Chartiers Creek. Deklewa said the South Fayette project could complement Torrente, if it includes a retail component.
Deklewa said he bought his site from a lender after previous companies' attempts to develop it had fallen through.
Fortunately for him, one of the previous owners already had put in some of the utility infrastructure, which let Deklewa plan his project around it to save money.
“When you work with the land, work with what's in place. The results are better,” he said.
Matthew Santoni is a staff writer for Trib Total Media. He can be reached at 412-380-5625 or msantoni@tribweb.com.
