Pitt committee backs recommendation to redevelop 3401 Boulevard of the Allies with housing and grocery

The University of Pittsburgh's Property and Facilities Committee voted to recommend full Board of Trustees approval of a redevelopment plan for the university-owned property at 3401 Boulevard of the Allies in Oakland that would include approximately 240 to 260 apartments and a 15,000- to 30,000-square-foot grocery, committee members were told.

The project matters because the 1.83-acre site is a prominent gateway parcel for the Oakland neighborhood, the university said, and the proposed ground-lease structure would require no direct capital commitment from the university while providing long-term commercial income and neighborhood-serving retail and housing.

Dr. Dwayne Pinkney, Executive Senior Vice Chancellor for Administration and Finance and Chief Financial Officer, told the committee the university owns the site, which currently includes a vacant hotel, an active restaurant, a parking lot and a rooftop…