November 20, 2018 8:00 AM
By Mark Belko / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
The Downtown apartment building boom shows no signs of abating.
Pittsburgh Planning Commission members will hear proposals Tuesday for another 134 units — 48 on Stanwix Street and 86 in the Cultural District — slated for the Golden Triangle.
Joco Sky LP, will brief the commission on plans to turn two floors of office space above an existing separately-owned parking garage at 625 Stanwix Street into apartments.
The 48 units, a mix of one and two bedroom, will supplement about 85 others that Joco Sky has in an existing tower that is part of the overall structure bordering Fort Duquesne Boulevard.
Will Hopkins of TAI+Lee Architects, the project architect, said he does not have a cost estimate for the conversion.
“We’re just getting into it now. This is just the first stage,” he said.
Joco Sky representatives could not be reached for comment.
In the Cultural District, Philadelphia-based Red Rocks Group plans to convert an eight-story building at 800 Penn Ave. into 42 apartments, while retaining first-floor retail use.
A new elevator, new utilities and new mechanical, electrical, plumbing and fire protection systems will be installed as part of the conversion. Windows, doors and street level storefront glass will be replaced in a way that meets historic standards, according to planning commission documents.
About a block away, at 209 Ninth Street, Red Rocks intends to rehab a 10-story building into 44 apartments, while keeping the first-floor retail space.
Similar building and exterior improvements to those at 800 Penn also will be made.
Both of the Red Rocks proposals will be up for a vote by the commission on Tuesday.
Red Rocks also owns the 40-unit Aria on 7th apartment complex Downtown and another 72-unit apartment building known as 1627 on the Strip in the Strip District.
Overall, over the past eight years, the number of residential units in Greater Downtown — which includes the Golden Triangle, the Strip District, the North and South shores, Uptown, the Bluff and the lower Hill District — has grown by 2,078, according to the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership.
As of May, another 4,100 units were either under construction or in the pipeline.
Mark Belko: mbelko@post-gazette.com or 412-263-1262.
View on Post Gazette website : https://liber.post-gazette.com/business/development/2018/11/20/Another-134-apartment-units-on-tap-for-Downtown/stories/201811200067.print