412 Blvd. of the Allies in Downtown Pittsburgh earns historic designation

A nine-story building at 412 Blvd. of the Allies in Downtown Pittsburgh has received a historic designation from the city.

Pittsburgh City Council voted Wednesday to approve the historic nomination.

The building, constructed in 1927, originally housed a hospital and then a pharmaceutical research, manufacturing and sales company, according to Sarah Quinn of the city’s Department of City Planning. In more recent years, the Art Institute of Pittsburgh was located there.

The building is now co-owned by the city, the Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh and the Urban Redevelopment Authority.

All three will use office space in the building once renovations are completed. The URA already has moved into its space there, and the city is hoping to complete its portion of the renovations next year, according to Maria Montaño, a spokeswoman for Mayor Ed Gainey.

City Council recently approved an extra $3 million for the city’s renovations, bringing the total price tag for renovations in the city’s section of the building to about $8.8 million.

The building was designed by Joseph Kuntz, who also designed Shadyside’s Hunt Armory, which last year was converted into a public ice rink.

The historic nomination for 412 Blvd. of the Allies was recommended by the Historic Review Commission and the Planning Commission.

Related:

• Planning Commission recommends 412 Boulevard of the Allies for historic designation

• Pittsburgh's part of 412 Boulevard of the Allies renovation gets extra $3 million