The latest expansion of the Bakery Square development in Pittsburgh’s Larimer neighborhood will receive a $2 million boost through a federal grant to reconnect neighborhoods disconnected by past development.
The U.S. Department of Transportation grant will help developer Walnut Capital build a cap above the Martin Luther King Jr. East Busway near the Target department store to make it easier for pedestrians to walk between Larimer and the East Liberty business district. The company plans to expand its existing development to another 14 acres of land that will have a mixed use of commercial property and housing.
U.S. Rep. Summer Lee, D-Swissvale, and Democratic Sens. John Fetterman and Bob Casey announced the grant Tuesday morning through USDOT’s Reconnecting Communities Program. The project is one of 132 worth $3.3 billion but the program received 682 applications worth about $11 billion.
Plans call for building six buildings on the site bounded by Penn and Shady avenues on the site of a former strip shopping center, across from Target. The proposed cap, smaller but similar to the Frankie Mae Pace Park built above Interstate 579 near PPG Paints Arena, would connect Shady and Penn above the busway.
Through the program, Lee said in a news release, the Biden administration will be “righting the wrongs of economic redlining that has forced Black, brown, working-class and poor folks to live in food, hospital and transportation deserts. I will continue fighting to make sure all of our families can stay in the communities they call home with access to all the resources and infrastructure necessary to thrive.”
In its description of the project, Walnut Capital said its goal is to create “an exciting network of public spaces that tie together the energy of East Liberty and the vibrancy of Bakery Square.” The result will be an area with several distinct places with a variety of characteristics in the same corridor with an expected total cost of $2.75 million.
“This is an important opportunity to improve pedestrian connections and activity at this new gateway. The proposed plaza over the busway on the north side of Penn Avenue will improve pedestrian connectivity across the void of the busway,” the company said in it’s planning document.
In a statement Tuesday, Walnut Capital CEO Gregg Perlman said the plaza above the busway was the “top priority” for community groups during two years of discussions about the project. That’s why the developer worked with the Allegheny County Industrial Development Authority to submit the application.
“For our city to grow, we must connect neighborhoods that have jobs, growth and economic opportunity with historically disinvested neighborhoods,” Perelman said. “As we extend Bakery Square’s vibrancy and grow more family-sustaining jobs for our region, we’ve collaborated closely with community groups who want to connect their residents to jobs and quality of life amenities.”
This expansion will take the project from 20 acres to 34 acres when it is completed. The overall project will be built in phases and will include street realignments and pedestrian safety improvements to change the flow of traffic through the entire development.
A key part of the project is called “Build 100,” the developer’s pledge to raise and devote $25 million to build new or renovate existing housing to provide 100 properties as affordable market-rate homes in nearby neighborhoods.
This is the second reconnection grant the local delegation has secured for Lee’s district.
Last year, USDOT awarded a $1.4 million grant to study the best ways to reconnect the Chateau and Manchester neighborhoods on Pittsburgh’s North Side. The construction of Route 65 (Ohio River Boulevard) completed in the early 1990s split those neighborhoods with ramps and roadways that sit 15 feet above residential areas.
Ed covers transportation at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, but he's currently on strike. Email him at eblazina@unionprogress.com.