More big news for the Strip District: a Pittsburgh developer plans to build classic townhomes in the area between the Produce Terminal and Buncher Company’s Riverfront Landing development.
In a proposal to the city Planning Commission, Laurel Communities says it will build 46 townhomes along the newly-constructed Waterfront Place, taking care to preserve pedestrian connections from the heart of the Strip’s commercial district to the Allegheny River waterfront.
Laurel Communities is calling the seven-building development its Waterfront Place Townhomes. The project design and “durable, high-quality building materials” will reflect the Strip District’s architectural style. Pedestrian through-ways will utilize landscaping, pathways and low walls to create distinct public spaces.
The developer is working with Rothschild Doyno Collaborative as its architect, and PVE civil engineers. The 3.5-story townhomes, which will be for sale, will have brick facades, varying roof modulation and architectural features such as dormers to break down their perceived massing, Laurel Communities says in its proposal.
Steel and glass decks will preserve views and “relate to the Strip, with a modern twist,” the proposal says. Front stoops will lead directly to the sidewalk, but raised and set-back landscaping will give the ground floor of the units some privacy.
Large, covered rear porches with columns will offer more privacy, and rear garages will provide parking for 92 vehicles. Each unit will have the option for a south facing terrace at the rear with hillside and city views. While calls to the developer were not returned, one inside source said the prices would range from $500k or so to over a million.
A partnership between experienced builders Marty Gillespie and Dan Caste, Laurel Communities has developed townhomes and single-family homes in emerging and active neighborhoods, including Bakery Square. The company’s principals have developed more than 5,000 units in the Pittsburgh market. Neither Gillespie nor Caste could be reached for comment.
The company currently has luxury townhomes available for rent at Lawrenceville Place and Highland Village in Ross. It has townhomes for sale at Bakery Village, one of its most recent developments, and is selling single-family homes at Sunset Ridge in Pine.
Buncher’s Riverfront Landing is an enterprising 400-unit apartment complex designed by JDavis Architects and under construction on five acres. The project includes studio, one-, two- and three-bedroom floor plans, including two-story townhomes and penthouse lofts. The development has 458 parking spaces, 122 bike spaces, bike and kayak storage and lockers, and an enhanced riverwalk.
Chicago developer McCaffery Interests intends to renovate the long-vacant Produce Terminal and a four-story warehouse across the street at 1600 Smallman.
