Proposal would bring riverfront development to Pittsburgh's Strip District

A New York City-based developer is looking to transform a riverfront site in Pittsburgh’s Strip District by adding residential and retail development there.

North River Company bought 7.3 acres along the Allegheny River near the 31st Street Bridge in 2017. Now, the company is seeking the city Planning Commission’s approval for plans that would guide redevelopment of the 31st St. Studios site.

Matthew Seybert of the Pittsburgh-based architectural firm Perkins Eastman said the developers want to turn the site into “the next great destination along the Allegheny River.”

The site currently houses eight industrial shed buildings that were built for the steel industry and are now converted for movie studio use, he said.

“The design vision is really about transforming a site that right now is a big beige box that disconnects the neighborhood from the river and really creating a new and vibrant destination along the Allegheny,” Seybert said. “We see our development as an opportunity to write the next chapter for this site.”

The development, set back about 95 feet from the river, will include food and beverage space, retail, housing and parking.

Plans call for demolishing the existing buildings on the site and building four new structures.

Each building would be six stories tall, with parking and retail at ground level and five stories of residential space, Seybert said.

Plans also include public riverfront access, outdoor courtyards, public restrooms near the riverfront trail, 255 bicycle parking spaces and 785 parking spots for vehicles.

There is no timeline for the project as “current economic conditions are a little bit tricky,” said Adam Myers of North River Company. He did not offer an estimated cost for the development.

“We feel it’s an important site for the neighborhood, and it certainly requires a great deal of thought and attention,” Myers said.

The Planning Commission is expected to vote on the master plan for the development at its next meeting in two weeks. Individual elements of the proposed project will be presented to the commission for approval as the development progresses.