Historic Troy Hill Fire House to house tap room, farm-to-table community market

The historic Troy Hill Fire House is slated to house a taproom and farm-to-table community market.

Pittsburgh’s Urban Redevelopment Authority board on Thursday unanimously voted to sell the Ley Street site to QGE Holdings LLC for $300,000, contingent on a cooperation agreement with the URA and the city.

A renovation project — estimated at over $600,000 — will include minor renovations that are “restorative in nature,” as well as two new handicap accessible bathrooms, said Gordon Hall, a project manager with the URA’s development services team.

The historic building will become home to a small tap house with bar seating operated by Abstract Brewing, Hall said.

Scratch & Co., a restaurant located across the street from the firehouse, will expand to the historic fire station, too. The restaurant will operate a farm-to-table community market with prepared food and locally-grown products from Western Pennsylvania farmers.

URA Board authorizes acceptance of a proposal and entrance into a disposition contract with QGE Holdings, LLC for the adaptive reuse of the historic Troy Hill firehouse. Rendering courtesy of Studio WC pic.twitter.com/yZyzWuAGIQ

— URA Pittsburgh (@urapgh) April 13, 2023

The basement and second floor will be used as storage space for the anchor tenants, Hall said.

“It’s a beautiful building, so I’m excited to see the project move forward,” URA Board Chair Kyle Chintalapalli said.

Chad Chalmers, who is developing the project with Troy Hill-based Wildman Chalmers Design, said they plan to take possession of the building in July and hope to have the project completed by late fall or early winter.

“I think everyone has a love for a firehouse,” he said. “It was a historic site, built out of brick and terra cotta — just a beautiful building. Some of the things we have Pittsburgh (are) just beautiful architecture. We couldn’t recreate that firehouse today, with that kind of craftsmanship.”

Chalmers said this will be the fifth property Wildman Chalmers Design has redeveloped in the Troy Hill neighborhood, including their office space on Lowrie Street.

He said he was excited for the project at the Troy Hill Fire House, which taking a public building and “bringing it back into use for the tax roll and for the community to be able to use it.”

The Troy Hill Fire House was granted historic designation last summer. The brick building dates to the 1890s and serves as a centerpiece of the Troy Hill neighborhood.

Related:

• Troy Hill Fire House granted historic designation

• Troy Hill Fire House nominated for historic designation