They go by the names of Cereal, Bean, Meat, Reservoir and Shipping. At one time the five buildings on the north shore of the Allegheny River were part of the H.J. Heinz Co. empire, cranking out everything from baby food to beans.

Post-Gazette
The Cereal Building of the Heinz Lofts apartment complex on the North Shore.
Click photo for larger image.

These days, you still might be able to find beans or baby cereal in one of the buildings, most likely at the kitchen table. The buildings that were once so much a part of Pittsburgh's manufacturing industry could be at the leading edge of a new one -- the city's blossoming residential sector.

Pittsburgh Mayor Tom Murphy will be among the dignitaries on hand late this afternoon for the formal grand opening of Heinz Lofts, a $70 million, 267-unit upscale apartment complex developed by the Ferchill Group of Cleveland at the old food processing plant.

The formal kick-off comes about five months after Amore Management Co. of Monroeville began leasing apartments in the Cereal and Reservoir buildings, the two that have been completed to date.

So far, 58 of the 151 available units have been rented. Another 116 units will be finished by August. The units range in price from $825 a month for a one-bedroom to $2,725 a month for a three-bedroom with a gas fireplace, rooftop terrace and views of the Golden Triangle and the Allegheny River.

Among amenities all residents will have access to a state-of-the-art fitness center, a sauna, jacuzzi, and exercise pool in the Cereal Building. There also will be a small cafe and convenience store, a business center with wireless internet, printer, fax machine and conference table, and a community center for parties and other activities.

For a fee, residents also can have groceries and wine delivered to them and their dry cleaning picked up and returned. Each unit also holds a small washer and dryer.

"It's an entire lifestyle basically for upscale urban dwellers," said John Ferchill, chairman and chief executive officer of the Ferchill Group.

The company specializes in rehabilitating historic buildings. It has done similar projects in Buffalo, Detroit and Cleveland. Ferchill said he likes what he sees in Heinz Lofts.

"We're very proud of it. We think it's one of the best rehabs we've ever done. We're really pleased with how it has turned out," he said.

As part of the development, Ferchill and its contractors restored the buildings' facades and masonry features, rebuilt the original corner towers, and replaced ironwork.

In all, there are 67 different floor plans in the four residential buildings -- Cereal, Meat, Bean, and Reservoir, which holds a 1 million gallon reservoir tank still used by Del Monte Foods Co. for its operations near the apartment complex.

The fifth building, Shipping, houses a parking garage with more than 450 spaces. Another 70 spots are available in the Cereal Building.

Heinz Lofts is Ferchill's second project in Pittsburgh. The firm also did a 150,000-square-foot office building in Hazelwood at the Pittsburgh Technology Center currently leased by Cellomics Inc., a biotechnology company.

Ferchill also is hoping to close on the purchase of the old Nabisco factory in East Liberty within the next month. Ferchill hopes to convert the bakery into a 250-unit apartment complex similar to what has been done with Heinz Lofts.

"We love the location," he said.

The developer also is considering another office project in Pittsburgh. So far, Ferchill said, his firm has completed $100 million worth of development in the city. The Nabisco and office building project would amount to about $100 million more, he said.

"We like Pittsburgh," he said. "The people are very easy to work with and they're very cooperative. Despite listening to how bad the market is, we don't see it. It's a terrific market."

Heinz Lofts is just one example of the blossoming market for residential housing Downtown or near Downtown.

Among the projects, a 151-unit luxury apartment building is under construction in the Cultural District; an 84-unit, 18-story condominium is under development on Fort Pitt Boulevard near Stanwix Street; and 59 to 60 condo units are planned for the Union National Bank building at Fourth and Wood. In the Strip District, there are plans to convert the old Armstrong Cork Factory into a 297-unit apartment complex.

Amore Management officials are expecting rentals to pick up this spring. They currently are renting about eight units a week. Ferchill said rentals are a bit ahead of projections.

"We expected leasing activity to pick up in the spring now that [units] can be seen and that's exactly what happened," he said.

The majority of renters so far have been young to middle-age professionals, some doctors and lawyers, and some empty nesters who want to live near the city, Amore Property Manager Debbie Roberts said.

Post-Gazette
Interior of a one-bedroom apartment in the Heinz Lofts apartment complex.
Click photo for larger image.

First Published: April 21, 2005, 4:00 a.m.