Officials hope to bring 832 housing units to Bedford Dwellings in Pittsburgh's Hill District

The Bedford Dwellings site in Pittsburgh’s Hill District could see a major update, including 832 housing units.

The Urban Redevelopment Authority on Thursday unanimously voted to commit $350,000 through the Avenues of Hope Commercial Real Estate Program, plus $400,000 in Pittsburgh Business Fund financing for the program.

Their vote also authorized a commitment to sell URA properties that are needed for the project, and to enter a partnership agreement with the Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh and Pittsburgh-based TREK Development.

The URA authorizations approved by the board Thursday are contingent upon receiving federal Housing and Urban Development grant funding.

Bedford Dwellings is the oldest public housing in the city, said Brandon Wilson, a project manager with the URA.

The authority and its partners are looking to replace 411 existing housing units at the site with new ones. Their proposal also would create 210 new affordable housing units and 205 new market rate ones.

Pittsburgh’s Department of Public Works would create a park on the site.

Plans also call for commercial retail space, recreation space and trails.

Project will take years

The project will take years to complete, officials said. The actions the URA took Thursday were necessary for them to apply for a $50 million federal HUD grant to help fund the project. The Choice Housing Implementation Grant will give out a total of $350 million, with recipients receiving up to $50 million each, according to the URA.

“This is the beginning of a very long process,” URA board member Sam Williamson said.

Williamson said officials feel “pretty good” about their odds of getting the federal grant money, given their successes in similar projects.

“We have lots of time to work with the community to ensure we get it right,” said R. Daniel Lavelle, who sits on the URA board and City Council, where he represents the Hill District.

Caster Binion, executive director of the city’s housing authority, said they plan to build replacement units before tearing down the buildings where people currently live.

“People should not be concerned that we are demolishing buildings,” he said. “We’ll make sure that everyone — the 411 residents who are there — that they will be relocated back into this development.”

He said they would work with other partners to ensure that impacted families are “taken care of during this transition.”