Redesigned Strip District Office Tower Gains Pittsburgh Approval

PITTSBURGH, PA — The Pittsburgh Planning Commission has approved redesigned plans for a new office tower on Penn Avenue in the Strip District. The tower will replace the New Federal Cold Storage building, best known for its large electronically illuminated outline of a Wholey's fish on one side.

After initially rejecting developer JMC Holdings plan for a 21-story tower in September, the commission gave a thumbs-up to the redesigned project that will create four towers each between 19 and 23 stories. JMC did that to break down the tower massing and scale, which the planning commission found unacceptable.

The four quadrants will have new indented corners with glazing modules more horizontal and detailed in the initial design. The top of the mini-towers will contain mechanical equipment, but that will be covered with a translucent glass that will subtly glow at nights.

The redesigned plans also will reinforce a public open space along Smallman Street by extending accessible bleacher seating to the full width of Smallman, enlarging a public colonnade and plaza and adding an additional ADA ramp on Smallman to increase building accessibility.

The office tower will include retail space, 846 parking spaces and 122 bicycle spaces.