At one time, Ninth Street and Penn Avenue was considered the next big development site Downtown, with plans for up to 185 high-end condos, 30,000 square feet of retail, and a new parking garage.
Then it all fell apart. Even before the pandemic hit, the condo and retail proposal fizzled. And now the garage may be in jeopardy as well because of the fallout from COVID-19.
Construction of the garage, with just under 700 spaces, is on hold while the Pittsburgh Parking Authority evaluates demand and revenue losses tied to the pandemic, executive director David Onorato said Thursday.
With many of the people who fill the Downtown office buildings — and garages — working from home and few, if any, in-person cultural or sports events taking place, the demand for parking has plunged during the pandemic.
Right now, authority parking garages are about 30% full systemwide, Mr. Onorato said. That compares to 98% or better pre-pandemic. The authority lost close to $30 million, or 50% to 55% of its revenue, last year with so few people parking for work or for play.
Given such circumstances, the authority decided to put the Ninth and Penn project on hold, Mr. Onorato said.
“If revenues don’t come back and parkers don’t come back, is there a need for another 700 spaces Downtown when we can’t fill the ones we have?” he asked.
The new structure would be a replacement for a 586-space garage opened in 1958 that the authority has finished demolishing to clear the way for the new project.
Authority officials at one time had hoped to have the new garage completed by the middle of this year. They had planned to bid the project last summer but did not do so. The design is about 98% complete.
Mr. Onorato did not know when the authority would make a decision on when or whether to go ahead with the garage. How much revenues and demand rebound “will all play into that,” he said.
With the site of the old garage cleared, the authority would be able to move ahead with bidding and construction of the new one as soon as it deems it advisable, he noted.
The new garage has been billed as a “a green, ParkSmart” structure.
Amenities are to include electric vehicle chargers, bike spaces, and a green park at the top of the garage with trees, grass, and shrubs.
The authority also has plans for a first-floor flex space that could be used for farmers markets, food trucks, and other types of programming.
At one time, the new structure was to be part of a much larger condo and retail development that had been proposed by The Davis Companies of Boston.
But the plan ended up collapsing because of a disagreement over its phasing. The Davis Companies wanted to do a $40 million first phase that would have included about 30 condos and street level retail.
However, the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust, which owned several of the parcels needed for the development, wanted another 80-unit tower built at the same time, a risk The Davis Companies was uncomfortable taking.
Mark Belko: mbelko@post-gazette.com or 412-263-1262.
First Published: January 29, 2021, 3:25 p.m.
