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Residents and a local bathhouse owner urge Land Bank to reconsider private sale of 0 Auburn Street
Summary
Multiple residents and local business owners urged the Pittsburgh Land Bank to make 0 Auburn Street available for a permanent bathhouse and criticized a privately arranged sale and the applicant's disclosure; the Land Bank reported 25 objections but said only two met its rule for interested parties.
Residents of several Pittsburgh neighborhoods pressed the Pittsburgh Land Bank on March 13 to reconsider a proposed private sale of 0 Auburn Street, arguing the lot would better serve the community as a permanent bathhouse and community space.
"If this land can be used for it, Pittsburgh will gain something really special," said Francesca Spector, an East End resident who said she has followed the sauna'community'run project for years. "Saunas are more than just a place to sit. They're a true third space that we don't have a lot in the city."
Several speakers described Bad Sauna (also called BadSauna/Bedsauna in comments) as a community hub that supports local artists, DJs and small businesses and provides affordable wellness space. Rohil Baum, a Polish Hill resident, said a permanent bathhouse at 0 Auburn would create local jobs and steady foot traffic. "It would create a community centered space," he said.
Greg Schaeffer, an in-person speaker and owner of a sauna and cold-plunge business, framed his remarks as a competing proposal and alleged problems with the procurement process and the listed buyer. Schaeffer said the applicant failed to disclose ownership of at least two vacant nearby warehouses and that the sale "was arranged privately with the Land Bank, which never fielded competitive offers for the property." He urged the board to give preference to local operators.
Ben Klein, who identified himself as the original applicant for the Auburn property and owner of 230 Auburn, said he has invested in the block and is open to collaboration with local bathhouse operators but supports his flex-tech development plan for the site.
Acting Executive Director Sally Stadelman told the board during staff updates that the Land Bank received 25 objections to the 0 Auburn sale, but that under Land Bank policies only objectors who meet the definition of an "interested party" (a resident of the neighborhood where a project is located) trigger additional objection procedures; she said two objectors met that strict definition and two others lived in adjacent neighborhoods and therefore did not meet the threshold to require a community meeting or further action under the policy.
Speakers pressing for a public process and local preference also raised equity concerns. Dan Davis, a Southside Slopes resident, urged the Land Bank to "prioritize Pittsburgh residents" and small business owners over out-of-town speculators when allocating land.
The board did not take a vote on the 0 Auburn sale during the March 13 meeting. Acting Executive Director Stadelman's staff-level update noted the objection period and the Land Bank's interpretation of its policy; the record shows no formal board action on the parcel that day.
