Old Western Penitentiary site in Pittsburgh up for sale
The state is looking for a buyer to transform the large site of a former prison in Pittsburgh into a mixed-use development on the banks of the Ohio River.
The former State Correctional Institution-Pittsburgh site covers more than 21 acres in Pittsburgh’s Marshall-Shadeland neighborhood. It includes 42 buildings.
SCI-Pittsburgh, historically called Western Penitentiary, permanently closed in 2017.
The site’s main building, constructed between 1878 and 1893, is more than 1,000 feet long and has stone walls. The building was one of Pennsylvania’s first prisons, and was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in June 2022.
The facility is owned by the state, and the Pennsylvania Department of General Services has invited the public to review an online summary of the site in hopes that the public will provide comments on the potential future land use of SCI-Pittsburgh.
Pittsburgh-based consulting firm Michael Baker International Inc. is conducting the land-use study, which will provide recommendations for the site. The state said the study recommendations will attempt to balance economic perspectives with the property’s historical significance.
The site lies within the city’s Riverfront-General Industrial Zoning District, which is intended to promote mixed-use development that strengthens pedestrian connections to the water, improves the scenic qualities of the riverfront and supports access via public transportation, cycling and vehicles, according to the site’s summary.
Baker said the ideal buyer would create an industrial use for the site, while preserving the main building and its two guard towers. The building’s north wall has been a draw for film productions and the state hopes to maintain the site as a filming location.
Potential buyers should also preserve and enhance the site’s greenspace, and create a small public park along the river, according to Baker. The Three Rivers Heritage Trail runs through the property along the Ohio River, connecting to a 33-mile trail network.
Public comment is open until June 26.
Ryan Deto is a TribLive reporter covering politics, Pittsburgh and Allegheny County news. A native of California’s Bay Area, he joined the Trib in 2022 after spending more than six years covering Pittsburgh at the Pittsburgh City Paper, including serving as managing editor. He can be reached at rdeto@triblive.com.
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