Ronald McDonald House to move to Lawrenceville

Ronald McDonald House will move next June from Shadyside to the new Children's Hospital campus in Lawrenceville, where it will serve two-and-a-half times as many families of patients.

"It'll be much better for the families and kids we're serving," Children's CEO Roger Oxendale said during a news conference this morning at the original Ronald McDonald House in Shadyside.

The new site occupies seven floors of a 13-story building formerly known as St. Francis Plaza. Children's expects its new facility to open in May.

The new Ronald McDonald House will offer 60 apartments and 4 common rooms covering 44,274 square feet. Families of patients will be able to spend 21,900 nights a year compared to 9,000 a year at the two Shadyside buildings. Those buildings have been sold to Shadyside Properties Inc., which will rent them out.

Ronald McDonald House Charities of Pittsburgh has a 25-year lease with Children's for the Ronald McDonald House.