Hill District nonprofit buys URA property for affordable housing, retail project
Pittsburgh’s Urban Redevelopment Authority on Thursday agreed to sell a Hill District property to Amani Christian Community Development Corp., which will use the site to create retail space and affordable housing.
The Hill District-based nonprofit bought the property on Centre Avenue for $27,300 plus costs.
Plans call for an 18,000-square-foot development with 4,500 square feet of ground floor retail space and 12 affordable housing units, said Maya Fews, a project manager with the URA. Four of the affordable housing units will be one-bedroom apartments, and the other eight will be two-bedroom apartments, Few said.
Information presented to the URA board Thursday did not include details about the affordability thresholds for the project.
The total development cost is estimated at more than $5.3 million, according to information provided by the URA. The project is not yet fully financed, but Amani has secured a $750,000 grant from the Federal Home Loan Bank Board.
The URA’s agreement with Amani specifies that the authority would be able to take the property back if Amani is not able to financially close on the project by June 30, 2023.
“We are continuing to bring this project to fruition along Centre Avenue,” said the Rev. Lee Walls, founder of Amani Christian Community Development Corp.
The URA board unanimously approved the sale Thursday.
No timetable was offered for when work on the project may begin or how long it would take to finish.
Julia Felton is a TribLive reporter covering Pittsburgh City Hall and other news in and around Pittsburgh. A La Roche University graduate, she joined the Trib in 2020. She can be reached at jfelton@triblive.com.
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