It’s a new deal for Appalachia.
Trib Live is reporting Tishman Speyer has been named as the developer of 178 acres of land on the site of a former Pittsburgh steel mill, where it is partnering with numerous non-profit foundations to build a brand-new neighborhood in the Steel City.
Plans for the Hazelwood Coke Works — the last steel mill to operate in Pittsburgh, which closed in 1998 — have been on the table for years, and now the developers of Rockefeller Center in Manhattan are set to transform it into a mixed-use neighborhood featuring a combination of affordable and market-rate housing units, offices and tech spaces, parks and other open spaces, and retail shops and restaurants.
The company was tabbed by property owner Almono, a consortium of non-profit organizations including the Richard King Mellon Foundation, the Heinz Endowments, and the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation, to build out what is called Hazelwood Green on banks of the Momongahela River.
Tishman Speyer has also agreed to work with Carnegie Mellon University on its Robotics Innovation Center on the site, assisting on the siting, design, construction and programming of its facility that is slated to open in 2024.
“Pittsburgh has long been a global model for urban reinvention, thanks in large part to the support of its bedrock local institutions, including Mellon, Heinz, and Benedum,” said Tishman Speyer President and CEO Rob Speyer. “We look forward to delivering on a shared vision for Hazelwood Green as a sustainable, equitable hub of innovation, discovery and community.”
According to the report, the plan includes about 98 acres of developed land and 30 acres of urban open space an will feature 3,500 residential units. Office planned to be used by businesses focusing on tech and advanced manufacturing could provide more than 11,000 jobs on the site.
The development is already the home of the Manufacturing Futures Institute at Mill 19, a developer of automated manufacturing technology that was heralded by President Joe Biden earlier this year while he was promoting his infrastructure bill.
[Trib Live] — Vince DiMiceli