River Valley Brownfield Redevelopment

Contact: Megan Dardanell, +1 412.350.3711

Blighted Brownfields to Adaptive Redevelopment: The Continued Transformation of the River Valleys of Allegheny County

The Office of the County Executive and Redevelopment Authority of Allegheny County is committed to acquiring and remediating former heavy industry-based brownfields, and selling these properties back into the private sector for future redevelopment. Numerous former brownfield sites have been redeveloped throughout the region, by both private and public entities (the City of Pittsburgh's Urban Redevelopment Authority). These include:

• The Waterfront Lifestyle Center - 256 acres, privately developed with the assistance of TIF programming from Allegheny County Economic Development
• The Southside Works Lifestyle Center - 123 acres in the City of Pittsburgh's Southside neighborhood , jointly developed by the URA and Soffer Organization
• Keystone Commons Industrial Park - 92 acres in the borough of Turtle Creek, privately developed with Holtec International and the Regional Industrial Development Corporation (RIDC)
• Summerset at Frick Park Residential Community - 238 acres in the City of Pittsburgh, jointly developed and owned by the URA, City of Pittsburgh, and Summerset Land Development Associates
• Bakery Square Lifestyle Center - 6 acres in the City of Pittsburgh, privately owned and developed by the Walnut Capital group).
• PNC Firstside Center - 4.5 acres in the City of Pittsburgh, privately owned by the PNC Financial Services Group

Ongoing projects spearheaded by the County Executive and Redevelopment Authority include:

• Pre-development remediation work on the 168-acre former Carrie Blast Furnace site, including a new water line and storm water management system. The site is listed on the National Registry of Historic Places, and the Request for Development Proposals (RFDP) seeks to incorporate green building principles on the site.
• The Firth Sterling Redevelopment site in the city of McKeesport, with 14 developable acres adjacent to the CSX main line and the Monongahela River, currently undergoing the remediation/redevelopment process to clear the site for a highest and best use for the City of McKeesport and Allegheny County, with an emphasis on job creation.
• Located in the City of Duquesne, the Cochrandale Redevelopment site totals 15 acres and was the previous home to a severely-blighted residential subdivision. The site has since been cleared of all residential units and current plans include redeveloping the site for commercial and light industrial re-use focusing on job creation.
• The Nichol Avenue Redevelopment site in Stowe Township, 23 acres comprised of the former P&LE Rail Yard.
• The former Edgewater Steel Site, located in the Borough of Oakmont, where the Redevelopment Authority of Allegheny County is assisting with the remediation and redevelopment through a new US/EPA Revolving Loan Fund program.