A beach — and much more — is coming to the ’Burgh.
Millcraft Investments has reached a deal to build a man-made lagoon on the Ohio riverfront on the North Side as part of an ambitious mixed-use development in Chateau known as the Esplanade.
The two-acre lagoon with “paradise-like turquoise water,” to be built by Dallas- and Miami-based Crystal Lagoons, will be the first of its kind in a cold weather climate, according to Millcraft.
In the summer, part of the lagoon will feature a white sandy beach area for lounging and sun bathing. It also will be a place where visitors will be able to swim, kayak, paddle board, and even take scuba diving lessons. For children, there will be a splash pool.
A fountain is planned for light shows at night. During the winter, part of the lagoon will be converted into an ice skating rink. Another lagoon amenity, thermal baths, will be available year round.
Ringing the lagoon will be a hotel, residences, restaurants and other retail — 180,000 square feet in all — as well as a promenade and the North Shore riverfront trail. The lagoon will overlook the Ohio River but will not be part of it.
Lucas Piatt, Millcraft’s president and chief operating officer, described the amenity as a “small version” of Iceland’s famous Blue Lagoon.
“This is a legacy project for us,” said Mr. Piatt, whose company has played a major role in redeveloping Downtown Pittsburgh.
The Esplanade is a 15-acre development centered on the former J. Allan Steel site situated on the Ohio riverfront in Chateau just west of the West End Bridge.
The lagoon will not be the only feature designed to make the development a first-day attraction for visitors. Millcraft also is planning a Navy Pier-like giant Ferris wheel with LED lighting that will operate year round with enclosed, climate controlled gondolas.
As part of the Ferris wheel attraction, Millcraft is considering a “Pittsburgh Firsts” museum that would highlight inventions and inventors from the Steel City, including George Ferris Jr,, the inventor of the Ferris wheel.
Mr. Piatt said the genesis of the 12-foot-deep lagoon, which will cost as much as $6 million to build, came from the idea of “doing things that really aren’t here in Pittsburgh yet.”
“We think it’s going to be a wonderful recreational element to the project,” he said. “Really at the core of the project is health and wellness and recreation. We’re tying into the trail. We’re connecting directly to the riverfront.”
The lagoon, he said, only made sense for Pittsburgh if it could be used year round given the limited summer season. Out of that came the idea for the ice rink and thermal baths.
“It will give Pittsburgh something it has never seen before,” Mr. Piatt said. “This is kind of a core amenity that will drive a lot of people to the site and make it a cool place to live.”
Among the activities, he envisions a floating screen in the middle of the lagoon for movies and perhaps even a floating stage for musical performances. Admission fees have yet to be determined, he said.
According to Millcraft, the lagoon will be the first in the world in an urban environment capable of being converted from a paradise-like body of water in the summer to an ice skating rink in the winter.
“We are thrilled to open our very first lagoon in the world that will bring beach life in the summer months and transform into a skating rink during the winter months — all right in the heart of Pittsburgh,” said Christopher Souza, regional director of Crystal Lagoons.
The first crystalline lagoon by Crystal Lagoons in the United States opened in Tampa earlier this year. Another will be opening in Jacksonville. The company also is planning a 25-acre “lagoon paradise” for Wynn Resorts on the Las Vegas Strip,
In all, the company has 23 deals in place for man-made lagoons across the country, with another 60 in negotiation. It also has developed numerous lagoons in other parts of the world.
The Pittsburgh lagoon will employ a high-tech process that will allow it to use 100 times fewer chemicals and 50 times less energy than a traditional swimming pool, the company said.
As part of the Esplanade development, there are also plans for some offices. A marina would be built on the waterfront.
Mr. Piatt estimated the start of the project is about 18 months away. The old steel site and the adjacent former Eles Concrete Facility are owned by the city’s Urban Redevelopment Authority, which has authorized exclusive negotiations with Millcraft.
The developer has negotiated control over other adjacent privately-owned parcels needed for the redevelopment.
On the retail side, Millcraft is considering restaurants, breweries, distilleries, a drugstore, and a small grocery as part of the mix. It wants to avoid making the space "look touristy," Mr. Piatt said.
"I can promise you that a Madame Tussauds wax museum is not coming," he joked.
Mark Belko: mbelko@post-gazette.com or 412-263-1262.
First Published: September 13, 2018, 7:13 p.m.