The City of Pittsburgh’s redevelopment agency is accepting applications for funding from developers on projects to convert office buildings into affordable housing.
The city’s goals are to improve downtown vitality, make better use of underutilized and vacant commercial office space, and alleviate a housing shortage. The Urban Redevelopment Authority of Pittsburgh’s Downtown Conversion Program will use its own funds along with state money and $2.1 million in federal American Rescue Plan Act funds for the initiative.
Pittsburgh’s program will provide loans for downtown projects that dedicate at least 20% of housing units for residents earning at or below 80% of the area median income (AMI). It will also prioritize projects that lease to and hire downtown workers earning 60% of AMI or lower, use the city’s Housing Choice residential assistance voucher program, and maximize other public and private financing sources.
Other cities have launched similar strategies as they experience reduced utilization of downtown office space resulting from more remote and hybrid work arrangements by enterprises. With fewer workers commuting to downtowns each day, there is less commercial activity. Increasing the number of people who live in these areas will counteract that trend.
Related Stories
Mixed-Use | Dec 6, 2022
Houston developer plans to convert Kevin Roche-designed ConocoPhillips HQ to mixed-use destination
Houston-based Midway, a real estate investment, development, and management firm, plans to redevelop the former ConocoPhillips corporate headquarters site into a mixed-use destination called Watermark District at Woodcreek.
Multifamily Housing | Nov 29, 2022
Number of office-to-apartment conversion projects has jumped since start of pandemic
As remote work rose and demand for office space declined since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, developers have found converting some offices to residential use to be an attractive option. Apartment conversions rose 25% in the two years since the start of the pandemic, with 28,000 new units converted from other property types, according to a report from RentCafe.
Multifamily Housing | Aug 17, 2022
California strip mall goes multifamily residential
Tiny Tim Plaza started out as a gas station and a dozen or so stores. Now it’s a thriving mixed-use community, minus the gas station.
Urban Planning | Jul 19, 2022
The EV charger station market is appealing to investors and developers, large and small
The latest entry, The StackCharge, is designed to make recharging time seem shorter.
Adaptive Reuse | May 18, 2022
An auto plant in Detroit to get a retread as mixed-use housing
Fisher 21 Lofts could be the largest minority-led redevelopment in the city’s history.
Industrial Facilities | Apr 1, 2022
Robust demand strains industrial space supply
JLL’s latest report finds a shift toward much larger buildings nearer urban centers, which fetch higher rents.
Healthcare Facilities | Mar 25, 2022
Health group converts bank building to drive-thru clinic
Edward-Elmhurst Health and JTS Architects had to get creative when turning an American Chartered Bank into a drive-thru clinic for outpatient testing and vaccinations.
Adaptive Reuse | Dec 16, 2021
An adaptive reuse of a historic building in San Francisco was worth the wait
A five-year-long project included extensive restoration.
Adaptive Reuse | Nov 1, 2021
CallisonRTKL explores converting decommissioned cruise ships for housing
The rapid increase in cruise ship decommissioning during the last 18 months has created a unique opportunity to innovate and adapt these large ships.
Multifamily Housing | Oct 21, 2021
Chicago’s historic Lathrop public housing complex gets new life as mixed-income community
A revitalized New Deal–era public housing community in Chicago brings the Garden City movement of yesteryear into the 21st century.
