The first tenants will move into the new 54,000-square-foot 3 Crossings office building in the Strip District on Sept. 1, completing the first wave of a series of redevelopment projects between 25th and 27th streets.
Steve Guy, president and CEO of Oxford Development Company, said the project will give the area sorely-needed amenities like sidewalks, curbs, drainage and groundwater control systems, as well as updating the electrical pole configurations to more efficiently meet the needs of the neighborhood at large.
Guy said he hopes the project improves walkability, "and just simply the atmosphere.” Recent redevelopment mirrors the growth already sprouting elsewhere in the city.
“It’s great to see the growth of the Strip and what you’re witnessing here in 3 Crossings,” he said. “This is the here-and-now phase of the great transformation that’s taking place in Pittsburgh and around its surrounding communities.”
The project will ultimately add 13,000 square feet of retail space and 300 new apartment units, according to plans. An additional 375,000 square feet of office space was projected by developers to generate $5.8 million in new state tax revenue.
Waterfront development is also in the works. A trail flanking the Allegheny River is planned from 31st Street to 11th Street, where it will connect to the existing Strip District Trail that hugs the river to Point State Park.
Dave White, founding member of Burns White Attorneys at Law, told his workers in July that the firm would move its corporate office from the North Shore to 3 Crossings. He said the vibrant nature of the strip played into that decision.
“It’s unique, and its specialness is unique to Pittsburgh,” White said. “But with the development of 3 Crossings, I think it’s going to be an even more special place.”
Mayor Bill Peduto commended the build and planners' use of largely unused space. He said he hopes the development of 3 Crossings will lead to more development along the river in nearby areas.
“We have a riverfront, we have Smallman Street, we have Penn Avenue,” Peduto said. “We have three corridors that will be redeveloped in ways that will enhance the past and preserve it, and infill areas that were used for nothing more than storage of trucks.”
