Developer wants to turn Downtown Pittsburgh warehouse once owned by Mark Cuban into apartments

A Washington, D.C., developer told the Pittsburgh Planning Commission that it wants to begin transforming a Downtown warehouse formerly owned by celebrity billionaire Mark Cuban into an apartment building this summer.

Douglas Development Corp. presented its plans Tuesday for the vacant building at 642 Fort Duquesne Blvd., facing the Allegheny River between the Clemente and Warhol bridges.

The developer would create 142 apartments in the building, which is more than 100 years old and originally was constructed as a warehouse for PPG, said Kevan Rutledge of Pittsburgh-based Strada Development, which is spearheading the work. It had been owned by Cuban, a Mt. Lebanon native who owns the NBA’s Dallas Mavericks and stars on the television show “Shark Tank.”

Plans for the building include a full masonry restoration, historically accurate window replacements and new first-floor windows in the place of existing garage doors. The apartment building also would have a large lobby with lounge furniture and areas for residents to socialize, as well as a rooftop pavilion.

“Inside the building, we have a couple great double-height spaces and some existing equipment from when it was a glass warehouse — some pretty great overhead cranes, things we’re going to maintain as part of that experience when you enter the building,” Rutledge said.

Phillip Gardiner, director of development and construction at Douglas Development, declined to provide an estimate of construction costs.