Pittsburgh's Skinny Building, Roberts Building could be connected with new structure

Two historic buildings in Pittsburgh’s Central Business District could be linked by a third structure.

Pittsburgh’s Planning Commission on Tuesday heard a proposal that called for renovations to what is commonly known as the Skinny Building on Forbes Avenue and the Roberts Building on Wood Street. The buildings would be linked and connected to a new five-story structure to be built at the 433 Wood St., where an existing three-story building would be demolished.

The exact plans have yet to be finalized, and no tenants have yet signed on for the development, said D.J. Bryant, an architect with Pittsburgh-based AE7.

The tentative plans call for redeveloping the ground level of the Skinny Building for food and beverage or retail space, according to Bryant. He said the upper levels would be unoccupied, though plans call for an art program that would be viewed through the windows from the street.

The new structure that would be built would house an elevator, restrooms and mechanical space, he said. It could also be used for flexible office space, Bryant said. Plans call for a rooftop deck.

The existing buildings included in the development — the Skinny Building and Roberts Building — will get a “refresh,” Bryant said.

The buildings have never been linked before, as the new development proposes to do.

“They’re buildings with some really great history,” said Ryan England, an architect and historical consultant on the project.

The Skinny Building — which had originally housed a vegetable market — was built in 1926. The Roberts Building, which most recently served as a 7-Eleven — was built in the 1860s, according to England.

The proposed development aims to bring “appropriate and excellent” restoration to both buildings, he said.

The proposal will likely come before the Planning Commission again at its next meeting — which will be held in September after the commission’s summer recess — for a final vote.