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Exterior of the Zone 2 Substation for the City of Pittsburgh Police located at the corner of Liberty Avenue and Market Street.
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Pittsburgh police will be getting a new Downtown substation

Darrell Sapp/Post-Gazette

Pittsburgh police will be getting a new Downtown substation

The new facility is scheduled to open in January

Pittsburgh City Council approved plans Monday to relocate a police substation Downtown to a new building at a lower price than originally proposed. 

The Zone 2 station currently resides in a 32,000-square-foot site at 604 Liberty Ave. The city will lease the new building, an 8,500-square-foot location at 439 Wood St., from PNC Bank. The city was originally going to spend about $590,100 over a period of five years for the facility.

Negotiations last week, spearheaded by Councilman Anthony Coghill, resulted in a price about 20% less than that. The city has agreed to pay about $479,500 over the next five years for the space. 

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“After hearing concerns from members in what we’re paying in leases, particularly for public safety [facilities], I teamed up with [Council President Theresa Kail-Smith] and we got on the phone with PNC to discuss a possibly more discounted rate than they were offering us,” Mr. Coghill said Monday. “We weren’t in a position of strength as we were already getting it below market rate.”

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PNC had originally proposed charging $10 per square-foot for the facility. The city will now pay $5 per square-foot.

As an “act of goodwill,” Mr. Coghill said, the city also agreed to put down a $23,000 security deposit for “any possible damages.” 

The new facility is scheduled to open in January.

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On a call with PNC representatives last week, Council members asked if the company would be open to lowering the price. It agreed to do so, Ms. Kail-Smith said.

The negotiations also included Public Safety Director Lee Schmidt, who had previously described the original price as “significantly below cost.” 

"Pittsburgh is our hometown, and we want to do our part to help the region move forward as a stronger, safer and more vibrant place to live, work and play,” said Olivia Lammel, a PNC spokesperson. “That’s why we were glad to help the city realize its plans to open a new permanent public safety center and police substation in the heart of Downtown. We are committed to continuing to work with stakeholders to ensure our headquarters city is a place where everyone can thrive."

During Council discussion of the substation last week, Mr. Schmidt said the new substation could also accommodate community group meetings and act as a command post for Downtown events. 

As seen in 2017 when it opened, the Zone 2 Substation for the City of Pittsburgh Police on Liberty Avenue.
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Two more officers will be shifted to Zone 2, bringing the total number of police stationed there to 18.

Downtown safety has been a focus of increased attention in recent months. Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey and County Executive Rich Fitzgerald have been working with multiple stakeholders to improve the neighborhood, including adding a new public restroom and deploying an ambassador program to help people in the Golden Triangle feel safer. 

“[The current space] was good, but it wasn’t totally suitable for what we are trying to achieve Downtown,” Councilman Daniel Lavelle said last week of the need for a new substation. “It wasn’t the most welcoming place, even for people coming off the street.”

Laura Esposito contributed to this article. 

Hallie Lauer: hlauer@post-gazette.com 

First Published: November 20, 2023, 6:01 p.m.
Updated: November 20, 2023, 9:44 p.m.

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Exterior of the Zone 2 Substation for the City of Pittsburgh Police located at the corner of Liberty Avenue and Market Street.  (Darrell Sapp/Post-Gazette)
Darrell Sapp/Post-Gazette
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