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Port Authority, Dormont have development plans for property around light-rail station

Port Authority, Dormont have development plans for property around light-rail station

Port Authority and the Borough of Dormont have big plans to develop the land around the Dormont light-rail station.

The plans, developed over the past year as part of the authority’s transit-oriented development program, call for constructing four buildings on the parcel of land bounded by West Liberty, Biltmore and Raleigh avenues and Park Boulevard. The goal is for the buildings to have a mix of residential and business tenants, as well as first-floor commercial shops and a parking facility.

The authority owns about three-fourths of the land at the site while the borough owns the rest. The borough would have to approve a zoning change for the site before the new structures could be added, said Breen Masciotra, the authority’s project manager for transit-oriented development. 

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Dormont Manager Benjamin Estell said Tuesday the borough has applied for a state grant to hire a consultant to update the borough’s entire zoning code and will be looking for someone with expertise in transit-oriented development.

Although the station site is zoned for commercial development, Mr. Estell said, the suggested development plan would have different setback requirements than the site allows now and it is unknown whether the new zoning code would make those changes.

The station has about three acres of land with the borough’s portion fronting on West Liberty Avenue. The borough was “very happy” with Port Authority’s approach to developing the site this time after a failed effort about six years ago that Mr. Estell said didn’t include much borough input.

“Certainly the borough has helped with their plan,” he said. “They did a nice job meeting with the public and hearing their concerns. This is one of the few developable properties left in Dormont, so it’s important.”

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Ms. Masciotra stressed that the private development plans are merely a concept for the site. Once new zoning is in place, the authority and borough will jointly seek proposals from developers who might have different ideas.

The plans also call for revitalizing the station itself, which could occur before the economic development projects, Ms. Masciotra said after a briefing for a Port Authority committee last week.

Station plans include changing the entrance to the center of the site and trying to make it more accessible from West Liberty and Biltmore. Inbound and outbound waiting areas would be covered by a roof and there would be landscaping between the buildings to allow a variety of entrances to the site.

The agency hopes to have funding available for station upgrade in the next two years.

This is the third station to go through the planning process following Station Square and Negley Avenue. The authority wants to upgrade all of its light-rail stations and encourage development on or near its property.

Ed Blazina: eblazina@post-gazette.com, 412-263-1470 or on Twitter @EdBlazina.

First Published: April 26, 2019, 1:32 p.m.

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