  As published in NAOIP Summer 2024 Issue
Pittsburgh’s Greater Hill District is a community actively reckoning with decisions made decades ago during the postwar urban renewal era. Stakeholders are now looking to lay a new foundation using the three pillars of sustainability: social, economic and environmental. Socially Sustainable: Restoring Connections The federal government’s urban renewal practices began after World War II and targeted numerous historic, predominantly Black neighborhoods. Many urban renewal practices were the antithesis of sustainability, defined by racial redlining and demolition that isolated or fractured neighborhoods economically and culturally. In Pittsburgh, that story played out in the Hill District. Once called the “Crossroads of the World” by Harlem Renaissance poet Claude McKay, it sits between Pittsburgh’s downtown business center and the higher education hubs and medical centers of Oakland. “The Hill” was a flourishing community of jazz, art and commerce. Pulitzer-winning playwright August Wilson set most of his plays in the neighborhood where he was born and raised. The Lower Hill District was leveled in the 1950s to make room for Interstate 579 and the former Civic Arena. In the process, 8,000 people lost their homes and 400 businesses were shuttered. Bomani Howze is vice president of development for Buccini Pollin Group (BPG), a privately held, integrated real estate acquisition, development and management company that is leading the Lower Hill Redevelopment project. Howze is also a lifelong Hill District resident; his parents and grandparents were among those displaced from the Lower Hill in the 1950s. “The impact was devastating for my family and hundreds of others,” Howze said. “My grandparents spent years building a home and business that were bulldozed in a matter of days. A whole community was thrown off the path to sustained economic prosperity and segregated from the rest of the city.” Modern social sustainability requires reconnection, plus the reversal of past harmful practices and the promise of economic opportunities. In Pittsburgh, developers, consultants and community leaders spent years working together to formulate the Community Collaboration and Implementation Plan, a road map for community benefits that included guidelines on everything from site usage to workforce development. The team behind the project unites several prominent stakeholders in the commercial real estate industry: Wilmington, Delaware-based developer BPG, minority-owned investor Clay Cove Capital, F.N.B. Corporation, design firm Gensler, and the National Hockey League’s Pittsburgh Penguins, to which the city granted development rights for the site in the early 2000s during negotiations for the team’s new arena. The Penguins chose BPG to lead this redevelopment due to the company’s experience with urban, mixed-use and entertainment-anchored projects in other markets with similarities to Pittsburgh. The 28-acre mixed-use site will eventually include nearly 1 million square feet of state-of-the-art office space; market-rate and affordable housing units; a live music venue; and a public safety center, in tribute to Freedom House Ambulance, the nation’s first advanced life support ambulance service, founded just blocks away by Black Hill District paramedics in 1967. Where passersby once peered out over parking lots, the 26-story Class-A FNB Financial Center now connects the Hill District and downtown’s business district from its prominent location adjacent to the recently completed, $30 million Frankie Mae Pace Park above I-579. The tower, both LEED Silver certified and equipped with SMART technology, is a catalytic development for the project. Slated to open this summer, the $250 million FNB Financial Center will be Pittsburgh’s first modern, multi-tenant high-rise in four decades. The next area of focus will be the groundbreaking on entertainment and infrastructure elements on Block E (see site rendering, below), scheduled for later this year. “Ultimately, this project presents an opportunity for all stakeholders to collaborate and invest in the community’s future,” said Chris Buccini, president at BPG. “It is raising the standard for redevelopment in similar high-profile settings as development teams seek to integrate history and legacy with sustainability concepts.” The development partners envision the $1 billion Lower Hill District connecting the wider area through activated green spaces, pedestrian-friendly retail corridors and multi-modal, urban environments. The project includes convenient access to services and amenities within walking distance, and ample transit options encompassing bus, light rail and future bus rapid transit. Economically Sustainable: Reinvestment To be economically sustainable, a project must create shared prosperity and realize the potential for wealth-building. This is especially important in communities that have experienced disinvestment. A large project can be a catalyst for inclusive contracting opportunities and workforce development. The Lower Hill project team engaged diverse contractors. Forty percent of project contracts to date (approximately $45 million) have been awarded to minority- or woman-owned business enterprises. That includes $25 million to Black-owned businesses, many sourced from the Hill District and surrounding neighborhoods. At the same time, the construction firms on the site work closely with trade schools, labor unions and local nonprofits to attract new workers through a range of workforce development and training programs. Large-scale neighborhood development also benefits from immediate, upfront investment. The Lower Hill team developed a unique financial process that conveyed property tax abatements from the developers into a community-directed reinvestment fund. By monetizing the tax incentive upfront using a loan, the team delivered more than $7 million into the Greater Hill District Neighborhood Reinvestment Fund upon breaking ground. The fund will be used, in part, to support urgent property improvements for existing neighborhood residents and gap funding for community-led, mixed-use development across the Greater Hill District. “A lesson of the Hill District experience is that development decisions reverberate for a long time. For my family, it’s had a negative impact for 70 years,” Howze said. “But the same can be true of positive opportunities. When a young person starts a career in the building trades, when an entrepreneur gets their big break with a large contract, when a resident can stay in their home because they had help replacing their roof — all those things are seeds that we have planted with this project.” Environmentally Sustainable: Resource IntegrityA major aspect of environmental stewardship for the project includes a highway cap project over I-579 that physically reconnects the Hill District with downtown via a public park named for Frankie Pace, a longtime Hill District advocate. “Stormwater runoff is a chronic problem in Pittsburgh. Our goal is to minimize the impact on streams and rivers,” said Craig Dunham, senior vice president of development for the Pittsburgh Penguins. “The Frankie Pace Park project is in part a storm-water project that directs the runoff back into the ground from what once was surface parking and the highway. A similar approach is being taken with our new streets and open areas. We are redeveloping an urban site that stitches together streets and neighborhoods into a healthy mixed-use community, which is by far the most sustainable way to go about development.” The master plan earned LEED Neighborhood Development Gold designation, and the team is pursuing a buildout of the development in support of this standard. FNB Financial Center features glass with high-insulating properties while delivering daylight and visibility to tenant areas to create a high-performance facade and more vibrant workspaces. To reduce energy consumption, the project is deploying high-efficiency HVAC systems and lighting throughout the building. “We’re trying to tell the story of what happened here and create cultural connections between the new neighborhood and the historic neighborhood,” Dunham said. “It’s now all about building sustainable, healthy communities.” by Boris Kaplan, senior vice president for development for Buccini Pollin Group. Find the full NAOIP Summer 2024 Issue here PDF here
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As part of the Community Collaboration and Implementation Plan, one of our goals is to work with the community to preserve and incorporate the history of the Greater Hill District in the design of the public areas within the Lower Hill Development Site. We were proud to support the Freedom House Citywide Celebration on Wednesday, May 15th, highlighting the pioneering spirit that birthed the first Emergency Medical Service (EMS) in Pittsburgh's Historic Hill District in 1967. This poignant tribute was presented by, The Historic Hill Institute, Veterans of Freedom House Ambulance, the National Association of Emergency Medical State Officials (NASEMSO) and the August Wilson House. It highlighted the bravery, innovation, and trailblazing efforts of Freedom House Ambulance, one of the nation’s first advanced-level ambulance services.
The festivities began at Frankie Mae Pace Park and included the prestigious Congressional Medals bestowed upon the esteemed Freedom House pioneers. Molly's Trolley's transported guests to The August Wilson House where attendees could view, “The Freedom House Legacy: Honoring the First Modern Ambulance Service and Why We Can ‘Call 911!” exhibit, curated by Historic Hill Institute founder, Dr. Kimberly C. Ellis. With Mayor Ed Gainey's official declaration, May 15th now stands as a beacon of recognition, to be celebrated annually as Freedom House Ambulance Service Day. This day holds a significant place in our community's history, inspiring pride and appreciation for the contributions of the Freedom House Ambulance Service. We were honored to participate in the recognition of Freedom House and share in the appreciation of the Historic Hill District and Pittsburgh. Watch clip below from CBS News / KDKA Pittsburgh below. FNB Financial Center Team Celebrates Milestone $40 Millionth Dollar Paid to Diverse Contractors5/13/2024  Pittsburgh, PA – May 14, 2024 – The FNB Financial Center team announced Tuesday that it paid out the $40 millionth dollar to diverse businesses as part of the construction of the 26-story tower. This major milestone reflects the culmination of years of investment and commitment to ensure the Lower Hill Redevelopment generates shared prosperity for the community. At project completion later this summer, the combined value of MWBE contracts for design and construction is expected to approach $50 million.
As part of this milestone, the project team celebrated the mobilization Tuesday by Butler Landscaping & Construction, which will prepare the plaza and terrace areas around FNB Financial Center. The building’s grand opening will take place in Summer 2024. Roy Butler owns Butler Landscaping & Construction, which he founded in 1984 and grew into one of the region’s premiere landscaping companies. This week, his company began work to landscape and irrigate the grounds around FNB Financial Center, a job he expects to be his company’s largest in 2024. He said diverse contracting practices helped him get his start. “I started my company decades ago, and it has succeeded because of a commitment to quality. I’m proud of that success. At the same time, thinking back on my big, early projects, I know that diverse contracting opened doors that otherwise would have been closed to me. Looking around the site of FNB Financial Center, I get a sense of growth. Not just for my company and my employees, but for all the companies and workers who got their first big opportunity here.” FNB Financial Center: Diverse Contracting and Workforce Numbers
Vincent J. Delie, Jr. is Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of F.N.B. Corporation, the anchor tenant and largest equity investor for FNB Financial Center: “With our investment in our new headquarters, FNB Financial Center, we are very proud to be the catalyst behind a chain of development that will lead to the prosperity for our region. We are creating opportunities for diverse businesses and Pittsburgh residents that will have a broader positive impact on economic expansion for years to come.” Bomani M. Howze is Vice President of Development for Buccini Pollin Group, and a lifelong Hill District resident: “I came into the project with huge aspirations. I want contractors to look at FNB Financial Center for years to come and think: that’s where I got my big break. To make that goal a reality, we worked closely with small- and medium-sized contractors to grow their capacity to perform well on this project and compete fiercely on future projects. We also brought new people into careers in the construction trades by working with partners in the public sector, private sector and labor unions. This project is a catalytic spark that has helped charge revitalization in the Greater Hill District and the region.” Craig Dunham is Senior Vice President, Pittsburgh Penguins: “Central to advancing the redevelopment of the Lower Hill we embraced a bold plan with our public and community partners setting out historic goals for community reinvestment in the framework of the community reinvestment plan. It is rewarding to see that plan realized through the hard work of our development partners from the early design to the finishing touches of the landscaping. “ Amachie K. Ackah is Co–Founder of Clay Cove Capital and an investor in the FNB Financial Center. “Today is a proud day for our team. FNB Financial Center is a model, in Pittsburgh and beyond, of a major project that creates lasting opportunities. This milestone is proof that when people of good faith and good will work together, we can build great things that endure and can inspire others.” About FNB Financial Center:
*Workforce numbers as of April 1, 2024. Tuesday, April 30, 2024 the Lower Hill Redevelopment team's commercial developer, Buccini Pollin Group and Pittsburgh Penguins led a virtual community meeting updating attendees on the 28 acre Lower Hill Redevelopment project, home of the former Civic Arena. Notable updates for Block G FNB Financial Center, and Block E Parking Garage and Music Venue were given by Buccini Pollin VP of Development, Bomani Howze and SVP Pittsburgh Penguins, Craig Dunham. This was the first Community Meeting of 2024 held by the development team, a trend that will continue throughout 2024. Scroll through the presentation deck below to see all the exciting news.
Download the April 2024 Community Meeting PDF here Watch the virtual meeting recording here |
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