Pittsburgh
Starwood Capital Purchases North Fayette Office Property in Pittsburgh
An affiliate of Starwood Capital Group has purchased the seven-story 2000 Park Lane office building in North Fayette, Pittsburgh. The acquisition was part of a larger transaction that involved nine commercial office buildings located predominately in the country’s Sun Belt region. Wells Real Estate Investment Trust II, Inc. sold the properties for a combined $260.5 million. According to the Pittsburgh Business Times, the North Fayette office building was constructed in 1993 and has an assessed value of $23.5 million. Wells Real Estate Investment Trust II purchased the 231,213-square-foot property from a subsidiary of Computer Associates International, Inc. in December 2005 for $29.5 million.
City Council to Approve Special Zoning Legislation for Buncher’s $400M Mixed-Use Project
The Pittsburgh City Council has approved zoning variances for Buncher Co.’s estimated $400 million mixed-use development in the Strip District. Called Riverfront Landing, the proposed development would stretch 55 acres from the Veterans Bridge to 21st Street, between Smallman Street and the Allegheny River. Pending further approvals, the project could bring 750 housing units with more than 1,000 parking spots, 800,000 square feet of office space, about 200,000 square feet of retail and a 140-room hotel. Plans also call for a walking trail, a park, an extension of the 17th Street, and the partial demolition and renovation of the historic Produce Terminal.
Pittsburgh Glass Center to Develop Affordable In-Residence Housing in Garfield
The Pittsburgh Glass Center has purchased a former coffeehouse in Pittsburgh’s Garfield neighborhood, with plans to repurpose the facility as student and artist-in-residence housing. Construction will begin as soon as funding is secured. According to the Pittsburgh Business Times, Bloomfield-Garfield Corp. and Friendship Development Association facilitated the acquisition and will also support the property’s redevelopment. Located at 5447 Penn Ave., the former Kim’s Coffee Shop will provide affordable housing for the center’s visiting artists, students and guests of other arts and community organizations. Plans may also include a retail portion for glass art and supplies.
Highwoods Properties Acquires Landmark Office Building in Downtown Pittsburgh
In a $91.2 million deal, Highwoods Properties Inc. has purchased the 616,000-square-foot EQT Plaza skyscraper in downtown Pittsburgh. The transaction included the full acquisition of building owner Liberty Avenue Mezzanine LLC, a Delaware holding company. Highwoods Properties plans to invest another $8 million to improve the 32-story office building. Currently at 92.2 percent, the property’s occupancy rate will increase to 95.9 percent by the third quarter of 2013. Major tenants include EQT Corp., insurer AIG and law firms Cohen & Grigsby, McGuireWoods and Fox Rothschild.
HVMG Opens New Hampton Inn & Suites in Greater Pittsburgh
Hospitality Ventures Management Group (HVMG) of Atlanta has announced the opening of a Hampton Inn & Suites property along the Waterfront in West Homestead, just seven miles from downtown Pittsburgh. It is the fourth hotel the company manages in the Greater Pittsburgh area. The new Hampton Inn & Suites/Waterfront-West Homestead features 113 rooms including 33 suites, 1,000 square feet of meeting space, an indoor swimming pool and a 1,500-square-foot outdoor terrace and deck. Amenities include free hot breakfast, free parking, 24-hour business center, access to the on-site fitness center and free high-speed Internet in each guest room.
Oxford Development to Decide on 350 Fifth Avenue Plans By Year’s End
Oxford Development Corporation, the largest privately owned commercial real estate firm in Western Pennsylvania, celebrated its 50th anniversary at the Rivers Club at One Oxford Centre in downtown Pittsburgh. On this occasion, President and CEO Steven J. Guy told the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review that the company would continue its aggressive pursuit of development and management opportunities. Announced in May, Oxford’s latest project involves the revitalization of the Smithfield Street corridor. In order to better suit market demand, Oxford has invested in the conceptual design of two options and expects to make a decision by the end of the year.
New Mixed-Use Neighborhood Development Coming to Pittsburgh’s Hill District
The city’s Urban Redevelopment Authority has approved a $16 million residential and retail development for the historic New Granada Theater Block in the Hill District. The Residences at New Granada Square is a project that involves the construction of a mixed-income, mixed-use building on a vacant site between Wylie and Centre Avenues. The U-shaped structure will offer 16 two-bedroom apartments and 35 one-bedroom units. Out of a total of 51 apartments, 42 units will be affordable to households with incomes at or below 60 percent of area median income; the rest will be rented at market rate. Plans also call for 7,200 square feet of retail space, approximately 25 on-site parking spots and a courtyard.
Construction to Begin on Pittsburgh International Business Park
Developers have broken ground on two buildings that will anchor the Pittsburgh International Business Park on Cherrington Extension Parkway in Moon Township. The single story brick and glass facilities will each offer 53,000 square feet of high end Class A office space. The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reports that Columbus, Ohio-based Continental Real Estate Cos. and Cranberry-based Chaska Property Advisors Inc. will spend between $12 million and $15 million on the construction of the two facilities. Upon completion in the summer of 2013, mortgage services company ServiceLink will move into the buildings with approximately 700 employees.
Expedient Plans Major Expansion for Pittsburgh Data Center
Expedient is planning a six-month, multi-million dollar project that will double the size of its second Pittsburgh data center. Located within Allegheny Center Mall, the facility is expected to reach a total of 18,000 square feet of computing space and 25,000 square feet overall. It is the company’s third data center expansion in Pittsburgh since 2008. “We are pleased with the accelerating demand for our private cloud and colocation services in the Pittsburgh market and we look forward to the opportunities that our expansion projects will provide to our current and future customers,” said Shawn McGorry, President and COO of Expedient.
Pittsburgh Neighborhood Developments to Receive Federal Funding
Two neighborhood development projects in Pittsburgh will receive $1.6 million in federal grants from the Office of Community Services, an agency of the U. S. Department of Health and Human Services. The funding was announced by the administration of Mayor Luke Ravenstahl. East Liberty Development Inc. has been awarded approximately $800,000 for the transformation of a historic East Liberty building into the city’s first boutique hotel. The five-story, former YMCA building has been vacant for 10 years. Plans call for 63 guest rooms, a restaurant, exercise facilities, coffee bar, specialty retail, and event and programming spaces.