One of the developers involved in a 231-unit apartment complex at a former Shadyside shopping center is seeking to resurrect an even bigger residential project at an old industrial site on the South Side.
Charleston, S.C.-based Greystar Real Estate Partners is proposing a five-story apartment development featuring 375 units on Wharton Street between S. 23rd and S. 24th streets.
The project is not the first to target the industrial site for reuse. In 2016, Columbus-based Edwards Communities proposed a very similar venture, one totaling 325 units, on the same stretch of real estate.
But that project fizzled out over litigation involving a railroad spur that is adjacent to the property, according to Shawn Gallagher, Greystar attorney.
During a development activities meeting with the South Side Community Council in November, Mr. Gallagher said that “we were finally able to get that resolved,” allowing development to move forward.
“Greystar is picking up the project and proposing something substantially similar,” he said.
The new complex would total 375 units over four floors, plus one floor of parking with a maximum of 290 spaces, far below the 483 spaces that had been proposed by Edwards.
Greystar has been working with the land seller on the project since 2019, a representative said.
“We’re really a big believer in the South Side,” he told the community council.
The new apartment building would be the same 60-foot height as the Edwards Communities development.
However, Greystar is planning to go before the city’s zoning board of adjustment next month to seek a variance to extend the length of the project to 566 feet — 66 more than that allowed under the existing code.
The additional length is needed to create enough density to make the project financial feasible, Mr. Gallagher said. He added that the Wharton block is wider than a typical city block.
Overall, the building, totaling up to 380,000 square feet, would feature a mix of unit types, although no breakdown was available.
Amenities would include three interconnected courtyards, a pool, a bike repair station, 10-foot pedestrian sidewalks, and a live transportation information screen designed to promote public transit.
The Greystar venture would be the latest apartment complex to target the South Side, which is experiencing a fresh wave of residential development much like Downtown and the Strip District.
At SouthSide Works, SomeraRoad broke ground last May on a 247-unit apartment building called the Park being built on the Monongahela riverfront near the Hofbrauhaus restaurant.
In addition, developer Abode Well Realty is proposing a 95-unit apartment complex at 32 and 44 Pius Street in the South Side Slopes that would involve the restoration of a former convent.
And Indianapolis-based TWG Development last year completed a 280-unit development featuring market rate and affordable units at Sidney and Sarah streets.
Hord Coplan Macht, the architect for the Greystar project, also worked on the 319-unit Glasshouse apartment complex that opened in 2020 at Station Square at the other end of the South Side.
Despite the recent residential additions, Greystar officials believe there’s room for more. They still think there is significant demand for housing on the South Side and in Pittsburgh as a whole.
The vacancy rate in most markets is about 5% compared to 2% to 3% in Pittsburgh, a representative said.
During the South Side Community Council meeting, some residents raised concerns about traffic, particularly on S. 24th Street, which they said is already difficult to navigate.
Another said that Greystar could do more to try to connect the complex and the streets surrounding it to the nearby riverfront trail.
A Sidney Street resident complained that the new building would block the views from her house as well as those of her neighbors.
“If you drop the building down to give us a better view, that would be great, or give us a little carve out,” she said.
In Shadyside, Greystar is working with Echo Realty on the massive six-story mixed-used complex at the former Shady Hill Center shopping plaza. It will be anchored by a 36,00-square-foot Giant Eagle Market District store.
Besides five floors of apartments and street level retail, the development will feature a 423-space parking garage to serve residents and shoppers.
Greystar also manages 1,400 residential units in the Pittsburgh region.
Mark Belko: mbelko@post-gazette.com or 412-263-1262.
First Published: February 14, 2023, 11:00 a.m.
Updated: February 14, 2023, 12:45 p.m.