Pretty cool for Wilkinsburg...
Renovation of the train station and some other revitalization good news.
- When the $6.5 million construction project wraps up at the end of the year, the Beaux-Arts landmark will boast terrazzo and mosaic tile floors, polished stone pilasters and panels, a clock tower, all new utilities and restrooms, and 8,400 square feet of leasable space.
- The WCDC is actively seeking two tenants to occupy the renovated station building, which is listed in the National Register of Historic Places and located at the corner of Hay St. and Ross Ave.
- Evans says the spot is perfect for a high-end restaurant or a brewery. (The formerly dry borough updated its antiquated liquor laws in 2015.) Both floors will be move-in ready by early 2020.
- Funding for the project started with a $1 million contribution from the Richard King Mellon Foundation, followed by a grassroots capital campaign that raised more than $5 million — a sum that was $2 million over its initial goal. In just six months, the campaign received $175,000 in individual donations.
An elderly man currently living in Arizona sends a $30 check every month to support his hometown.
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- Located less than three miles from the fully-leased Bakery Square and within walking distance from the Wilkinsburg Train Station and Regent Square, the renovated Lohr Building will provide future tenants with distinctive office space featuring 11- to 13-foot high ceilings, arched windows offering abundant natural light, ample parking and rents that are roughly one-third of East Liberty’s properties.
- At the end of the month, the WCDC will move into a new office inside the historic Lohr Building on Wood St., becoming the first tenant at the newly renovated, 130-year-old structure. To make access even easier, local officials are petitioning PennDOT to turn Wood St. into a two-way road.
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- Just a few blocks away, another older structure is getting new life at 1009 Wood Street. Brian Sieffert of Artemis Construction & Design, is redeveloping the building, which has 10 small storefronts and ample second-floor office space.
- Tenants there will include Jae Co Studio, a commercial commissary kitchen accessible to private chefs and caterers. Owner Jasmine Smith, a personal chef and caterer for high-profile clients such as Ryan Shazier and Javon Hargrave of the Pittsburgh Steelers, will also offer a full-service venue with elegant décor where customers can host events.
- Another new tenant at 1009 Wood is Casey Renee who will create products for her wholesale business, Confections. The space will serve as a pickup location for online orders as well as a meeting space for wedding consultations.
- And lifelong Wilkinsburg resident Kayla Lee is moving her salon, Tiffany’s On Wood, to a larger site on Wood St. to accommodate her growing clientele.