We’re living in a golden age of riverfront development in Pittsburgh.

2014 has been an incredible year for riverfront improvements and real estate development, with 2015 shaping up to be even bigger.



Riverlife works out front and behind the scenes with property owners, developers, community groups and elected officials to build Pittsburgh’s riverfront park system. In the new year there will be many projects advancing along Pittsburgh's riverbanks and all of them deserve attention. We narrowed the list down to ten big developments that will bring dramatic changes to our city in the near future. Your support of Riverlife can be a positive force in these once-in-a-lifetime projects.



Here's what's on the horizon for Pittsburgh's riverfronts in 2015:



1.) 3 Crossings in the Strip District







Located on 11 acres between 25th and 27th Streets along Railroad and Smallman Streets,Oxford Development Company has broken ground on its 3 Crossings project which will open up the Allegheny riverfront to meet the demand for housing right on the water. Oxford’s $122 million plan includes office and retail space as well as transportation facilities for cars and bikes and kayak storage. [More]

2.) A riverfront park in the Strip District







Imagine a new must-see outdoor destination in the Strip District, full of Pittsburgh character. Envisioned by the greater Allegheny Riverfront Green Boulevard community vision, planning is underway for a new Strip District riverfront park which will establish the “riverfront face” of the bustling Strip District between 11th Street and the 31st Street Bridge. The park will complement the existing retail activity on Penn Avenue, serve the residents of the Strip District by creating much-needed green space for recreation and relaxation, and provide a prime amenity for the anticipated new real estate and mixed-use development along and adjacent to the Allegheny River. [More]





3.) Buncher Company’s Riverfront Landing







The Buncher Company is planning a $400 million residential and office development site on 55 acres, a remarkable waterfront property running from 11th to 21st streets along the Allegheny Riverfront in the Strip District. Buncher is currently constructing 10 blocks of infrastructure including new streets, gas, electric and water lines that will serve its development parcels, and the company recently announced a partnership with Cleveland-based developer NRP Group, LLC to build the first 400 residential units. [More]



4.) Mon Wharf Switchback and Point State Park Connector







2015 will see significant progress on two projects at the Mon Wharf that have been a long time coming but will be worth the wait. The Mon Wharf Switchback is an ADA-accessible bike/ped ramp that will create a connection from the Smithfield Street Bridge down to the eastern end of the Mon Wharf Landing. On the western end of the Mon Wharf, the Point State Park Connector will create a seamless connection from the wharf into Point State Park, allowing trail users to stay along the riverfront the entire way to the Park’s iconic fountain. [More]



5.) North Shore West







The North Shore was a game changer for Pittsburgh, extending Downtown over the river and creating a riverfront destination for sporting events, green space, and new real estate development. What’s not as widely known is that the North Shore riverfront plan was never fully implemented, stopping just short of the eastern end of the Carnegie Science Center. For many years Riverlife has identified the stretch between the Science Center and the West End Bridge—at the headwaters of the Ohio River--as a strategic location for a centrally located water-based destination for recreation and entertainment. [More]



6.) SouthSide Works: Highwoods development







This six-story glass office building is poised to be the latest addition to the bustling SouthSide Works development in Pittsburgh’s South Side neighborhood. Located on the Mon River directly west of South Shore Riverfront Park and Hofbrauhaus Restaurant, the project is being built by Raleigh, N.C.-based Highwoods Properties in agreement with the Soffer Organization. [More]



7.) South Shore Riverfront Park: New marina







Building on the success of the opening of South Shore Riverfront Park in 2010 and the park’s boat landing last year, a new marina will bring an anticipated 320 boat slips to SouthSide Works next spring. Max Marina Inc. is building the marina at South Water and 26th streets, operating under a lease agreement with the city’s Urban Redevelopment Authority. The marina will be another waterfront amenity that will connect the retail and residential activity of the SouthSide Works complex down to the riverfront. [More]



8.) Station Square East







Station Square owner Forest City Enterprises has plans to redevelop the eastern end of the historic riverfront complex that sits directly across from Downtown on the south bank of the Monongahela. Demolition of the eastern warehouse structure was completed earlier this year, making way for an anticipated 300 units of apartments, office space and a hotel. [More]



9.) Under the Fort Duquesne Bridge







Currently a “dead zone” of sorts between the recently renovated Point State Park and the Cultural District’s Allegheny Riverfront Park, the riverfront area underneath the southern end of the Fort Duquesne Bridge has little aesthetic appeal but plenty of potential. Riverlife continues to look at possibilities for improvements and amenities for this riverfront stretch that is highly visible from across the river. [More]



10.) Almono







One of the biggest riverfront opportunities to happen in Pittsburgh in a generation, Almono is a 178-acre former steel mill site in Hazelwood along the Monongahela River primed for development. After the land was purchased in 2001 by a consortium of foundations, a master planning process has guided the site's transition from a brownfield area to future commercial, residential and light industrial real estate with green open space just 15 minutes upriver from downtown Pittsburgh. [More]



In the midst of so much riverfront activity in Pittsburgh's future, Riverlife provides leadership and a voice for connectivity, public access, high-quality design and environmental restoration. Your support allows Riverlife to continue our work on these projects and others that create or connect to Pittsburgh's downtown riverfront park system. Be a part of the before-and-after riverfront transformation. Please donate to Riverlife today with your year-end gift.