Announcement Of Major Firm As Master Developer Renews Hope In Hazelwood Green Project
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - Hazelwood Green is a massive development site — 179 acres in the city of Pittsburgh — but it's been mostly vacant for years. But with the announcement of a major New York firm as master developer, the hope is it could finally reach its promise and bring needed jobs to the neighborhood.
The vision has been to turn the empty fields into a high-tech mecca full of robotics, artificial intelligence and life science companies. But after 20 years of development plans, almost all of it remains undeveloped with the exception of the shell of a steel mill and a renovated roundhouse.
In the past two years, development and development plans have picked up steam. But with the announcement of New York real estate firm Tishman Speyer as master developer, the hope now is the original vision finally will be fulfilled, becoming a major draw for 21st-century companies while developing affordable and market-rate housing, parks, shops and restaurants.
"This is a very ambitious project. It was never about developing 170 acres. It was doing it in a unique way and well, and we believe Tishman has the capacity to do that in a way that will put Pittsburgh on the national map," said Grant Oliphant of the Heinz Endowments.
The foundations of Pittsburgh and their partners at Carnegie Mellon have been working with the community of Hazelwood to ensure the development isn't a separate stand-alone but integrates a revitalized neighborhood as well, along with the promise of thousands of new jobs, both construction and permanent jobs.
"In the construction and in the selection of tenants, it has to matter that there are great jobs that help define for the future of Pittsburgh but also there are great jobs for the neighborhood that people in Pittsburgh can take advantage of," Oliphant said.
Community leader Tim Smith says the foundations are already working to develop job training programs to fill them.
"So, whether they be construction or whether they be high tech in robotics or in the driverless car industry, we're working with people now. And that the encouraging part of this," he said.