Four Mile Run Watershed Restoration

Four Mile Run Watershed Restoration

Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority (PWSA) has placed an indefinite hold on its proposed green infrastructure to manage storm water runoff in the 4 Mile Run watershed. PWSA is moving forward with new drainage tunnels and gray infrastructure at the Greenfield end of 4 Mile Run.

University of Pittsburgh Chiller Plant

The University of Pittsburgh plans to build a new 36,000SF chiller plant on Pitt’s upper campus. This project is part of the University’s Institutional Master Plan. The project went before the Zoning Board of Adjustment on June 10, 2021.

October 2021 update: construction has started on the chiller plant.

Bellefield Boiler Plant

The University of Pittsburgh, a member of the Bellefield Steam Plant Consortium, plans to replace a steam line in the rear of the Bellefield Boiler Plant. They presented plans for the project at the September 9, 2021 Development Activities Meeting (DAM). The project goes for a hearing with the City of Pittsburgh Art Commission in October. The consortium anticipates construction to install the new steam line to start in October and conclude by January 2022.

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UPMC Falk Medical Building roof replacement

The Falk Medical Building roof replacement project is a comprehensive re-roofing construction project of the existing roofing at the UPMC Falk Building situated at 3601 Fifth Avenue. The original Medical 7-story building was built in or about 1931; exterior modernization and curtain wall additions were added in 1986.

The original mission tile sloped roof is beyond its useful life; UPMC will replace it with a stamped metal tile roof system designed to emulate the original clay tiles. The metal roof tiles are an in-kind replacement visually so there will be no noticeable change when viewed from street level. 

June 2021: The roof replacement is nearing completion.

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University of Pittsburgh campus-wide stormwater management and reuse plan

The University of Pittsburgh presented its campus-wide stormwater management and reuse plan at the May 25, 2021 Oakland-Wide meeting. Hillside redevelopment between upper and lower campuses to make it more accessible and sustainable is underway. Their stormwater master plan illustrates existing and future opportunities for water capture and sheds. Pitt has developed the Posvar Stormwater Reuse Project to capture run-off water from the hillside via an underground storage tank. 

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Herron Hill Pumping Station

Project summary: Preservation Pittsburgh intends to nominate the Herron Hill Pumping Station as a historic site. Located at 4501 Centre Avenue in North Oakland, the pumping station was built in 1896.

Preservation Pittsburgh briefed the Bellefield Area Citizens Association (BACA) at the end of 2019 and they unanimously voted to support the initiative and provided a letter of support. As the Historic Review Commission (HRC) is in recess until further notice on account of COVID-19, Preservation Pittsburgh will submit the nomination once they resume. The nomination is attached below.

Preservation Pittsburgh submitted the nomination on May 14, 2020. The first hearing before the Historic Review Commission should be on June 3 and the second HRC hearing (for public input) would be on July 1. Information on community feedback for July 1 can be found here.

Pittsburgh City Council voted to designate the Herron Hill Pumping Station as a historic structure on November 23, 2020.

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Gallagher-Kieffer House

Project summary: Preservation Pittsburgh intends to nominate the Gallagher-Kieffer House at 234 N. Dithridge Street in North Oakland as a historic site.

Preservation Pittsburgh will start the nomination to the National Register of Historic Places as soon as the week of May 4, 2020 and will submit to Pittsburgh’s Historic Review Commission (HRC) once they resume their recess due to COVID-19.

Preservation Pittsburgh has also notified the Bellefield Area Citizens Association (BACA) about the pending nominations and hope to present to them once they have resumed meetings as well. The HRC nomination is attached below.

Preservation Pittsburgh submitted the nomination on May 14, 2020. The first hearing before the Historic Review Commission should be on June 3 and the second HRC hearing (for public input) would be on July 1. Information on community feedback for July 1 can be found here.

Pittsburgh City Council voted to designate the Gallagher-Kieffer House as a historic structure on November 23, 2020.

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Shrine of the Blessed Mother

Project summary: Council President Kraus, with Preservation Pittsburgh, has prepared a report to nominate the Blessed Mother Statue on Wakefield Street as a historic site with historic preservation protections. He asked city officials about the process and now has a document to nominate it as a historic landmark. The report is attached below. The Council President and OPDC will be soliciting feedback from the neighborhood in the near future. If the community would like to proceed with the nomination, it would be a 6 – 8 month process.

Preservation Pittsburgh submitted the nomination on May 14, 2020. The first hearing before the Historic Review Commission should be on June 3 and the second HRC hearing (for public input) would be on July 1. Information on community feedback for July 1 can be found here.

Pittsburgh City Council voted to designate the Shrine of the Blessed Mother as a historic structure on October 6, 2020.

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University of Pittsburgh personal delivery device

Project summary: The University of Pittsburgh introduced autonomous personal delivery devices (PDDs)—engineered by Starship Technologies—to deliver groceries, packages, and more. Pitt presented this proposal at the Oakland-Wide Community Meeting on August 28, 2019. The service launched in October 2019 under a three month permit with DOMI. DOMI recently granted a one-month extension through January 2020, and will decide whether to grant another extension further into the year.

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Forbes Avenue Open Space Pilots

Project summary: The Oakland Business Improvement District (OBID), in partnership with InnovatePGH, is proposing the placement of street furniture along Forbes Avenue. The below link includes the preliminary designs accepted by Art Commission.

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