Project Information

Bid Title

Lower Hill District Housing

Issuing Agency

Urban Redevelopment Authority of Pittsburgh

Location

Pennsylvania

Published Date

Apr 13, 2026

Closing Date

Jun 9, 2026

Government Level

State & Local

Status

Closed

Original Source

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Bid Documents

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Project Description

RFPLower Hill District Housing

Release Date

April 13, 2026

Due Date

June 9, 2026 at 11:59 PM

The Urban Redevelopment Authority of Pittsburgh (the “URA”) owns approximately 8.57 acres of sloped land in the Melody Tent section of the Lower Hill neighborhood of the City of Pittsburgh (the “Site”). The Site is currently being used as surface parking and is comprised of a portion of Block A (Parcel Nos. 2-C-303, 2-C-298, and 2-C-301) and the URA-owned portion of Block C (Parcel Nos. 2-C-305, 2-C-300), and as further depicted in Exhibit A.

Approximately 1.75 acres of Block A is reserved for the development of mixed-income housing by the Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh (“HACP”), in partnership with TREK Development Group (“TREK”), as part of the CHOICE Neighborhood Implementation.

The URA is requesting proposals from one or more developers (the “Developer” or “Developers”) for the purchase and redevelopment of a portion of or all of the remaining 6.82 acres of the Site for the primary purpose of constructing affordable and/or market-rate multi-unit housing. The URA will additionally consider proposals that include mixed-use and commercial development on the Site. The selected Developer(s) will be encouraged to coordinate with HACP and TREK when developing the Site.

Contact Information

Julia McMahon

Senior Project Manager

P: 412-255-6592

jmcmahon@ura.org

Resources & Addendums

• Lower Hill District Housing RFP
• Ion Wave Technologies Login
• How to Register in Ion Wave Technologies

Attachment Preview

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

LOWER HILL DISTRICT HOUSING

Lower Hill District, Pittsburgh, PA 15219

Issue Date:

Monday, April 13, 2026

Proposal Due Date:

Tuesday, June 9, 2026

Request for Proposals – Lower Hill District Housing

April 2026

Page 1 of 16

1. OBJECTIVE

The Urban Redevelopment Authority of Pittsburgh (the “URA”) owns approximately 8.57

acres of sloped land in the Melody Tent section of the Lower Hill neighborhood of the City of

Pittsburgh (the “Site”). The Site is currently being used as surface parking and is comprised of a

portion of Block A (Parcel Nos. 2-C-303, 2-C-298, and 2-C-301) and the URA-owned portion of

Block C (Parcel Nos. 2-C-305, 2-C-300), and as further depicted in Exhibit A.

Approximately 1.75 acres of Block A is reserved for the development of mixed-income

housing by the Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh (“HACP”), in partnership with TREK

Development Group (“TREK”), as part of the CHOICE Neighborhood Implementation.

The URA is requesting proposals from one or more developers (the “Developer” or

“Developers”) for the purchase and redevelopment of a portion of or all of the remaining 6.82

acres of the Site for the primary purpose of constructing affordable and/or market-rate multi-

unit housing. The URA will additionally consider proposals that include mixed-use and

commercial development on the Site. The selected Developer(s) will be encouraged to

coordinate with HACP and TREK when developing the Site.

2. BACKGROUND

Until the 1950s, the Lower Hill was a vibrant neighborhood of diverse residents, places of

worship, and local businesses. In the early 1950s, the site was identified as an area of

urban renewal to create a Crosstown Boulevard highway connection (I-579) and the former Civic

Arena. The URA, in partnership with the City of Pittsburgh, Allegheny Conference, and local

foundations who funded these urban renewal activities, used its power of eminent domain to

demolish the Lower Hill, which resulted in the displacement of residents and businesses. The

impacts of that decision are still relevant today.

The Site is part of a larger 28-acre redevelopment area that will have a significant impact

on the Greater Hill District and entire Pittsburgh region. Until 2025, the Pittsburgh Penguins held

development and option rights over the Lower Hill redevelopment area. The Penguins completed

construction of the FNB Financial Center and are currently engaged in ongoing construction of

Citizens Live at the Wylie, a new music venue. The continued development of the overall

redevelopment area involves transitioning land currently used as surface parking into a mix of

office, retail, housing, and urban open space. The remaining acreage of the development area is

owned by the Sports & Exhibition Authority of Pittsburgh and Allegheny County, and includes

potential development plans for a public parking facility.

Guiding the Pittsburgh Penguins’ development of the Lower Hill is the Community

Collaboration and Implementation Plan (the “CCIP”), a community benefits agreement between

the Pittsburgh Penguins, the City of Pittsburgh, Allegheny County, and the Lower Hill District

Request for Proposals – Lower Hill District Housing

April 2026

Page 2 of 16

Working Group (the Lower Hill District’s negotiating body). The CCIP addresses community

concerns articulated by the residents and stakeholders of the Hill District in the redevelopment

of the Lower Hill, including minority and women-owned business enterprise participation, local

inclusion practices, and affordable housing goals, some of which exceed the URA’s existing

requirements for the disposition of its properties. The CCIP established the Executive

Management Committee (“EMC”) to oversee the redevelopment of the Lower Hill and ensure

the objectives of the CCIP were met by the Pittsburgh Penguins. The URA continues to meet

regularly with and engage the EMC as part of its efforts to redevelop the Lower Hill. A copy of the

CCIP is attached to this RFP as Exhibit B.

3. DEVELOPMENT REQUIREMENTS

The Site is designated as the SP-11 Lower Hill Planned Development District 11 (“SP-11”)

in the City of Pittsburgh Code of Ordinances, Title 9, Article IV, § 909.01R, which establishes use

and dimensional regulations for development on the Site, including a requirement that 10% of

the SP-11 is used as publicly accessible open space. Further use regulations are described in the

Lower Hill Redevelopment Preliminary Land Development Plan, as amended (the “PLDP”). The

PLDP may be accessed here, and the SP-11 District zoning requirements may be accessed here.

Developers should note that, on Block A, the PLDP currently contemplates the

construction of Curtain Call, a public art installation comprised of a pedestrian connection and

garden passage, featuring rain gardens, landscaped areas, and vertical metal frames displaying

images of the Hill District community. However, to allow for flexibility to support development

plans, the URA may consider proposals that do not address Curtain Call, provided that the urban

open space requirements under SP-11 are met. The URA and SEA may consider alternative

locations for Curtain Call if the URA accepts a proposal that does not address Curtain Call.

Prior to the commencement of any construction, the selected Developer shall submit a

Final Land Development Plan (“FLDP”) to the City of Pittsburgh’s Department of City Planning for

approval in accordance with the City of Pittsburgh Zoning Code. The FLDP shall be consistent with

the PLDP and the applicable requirements of the SP-11. The selected Developer is responsible for

gaining all necessary approvals and entitlements for their development.

The Site is located within a Local Economic Revitalization Tax Assistance Act district

encompassing the Lower Hill (“Lower Hill LERTA”), which reallocates a 10-year abatement of

property tax increases attributable to the value of the improvements for any redevelopment. The

Lower Hill LERTA is a pilot financial mechanism, where the reallocated property taxes are used to

assist projects in the Greater Hill District by capitalizing the Greater Hill District Neighborhood

Reinvestment Fund (“GHDNRF”), a funding source discussed by the CCIP to support development

and address community needs throughout the Greater Hill District, as well as the Lower Hill Public

Infrastructure Fund, a fund for public infrastructure improvements in the Lower Hill. As a

condition for the transfer of each parcel, the selected Developer will be required to provide

Request for Proposals – Lower Hill District Housing

April 2026

Page 3 of 16

upfront monetization of 100% of the LERTA benefit, to be paid to the URA at property closing.

The LERTA District Legislation is attached to this RFP as Exhibit C.

All Developers are strongly encouraged to review the CCIP, as it was intended to guide

the development of the Site and established community expectations for the overall

redevelopment of the Lower Hill. Developers are encouraged to incorporate appropriate aspects

of the CCIP into their proposal. Additionally, the URA expects that the selected Developer will

engage with the EMC with respect to their proposal.

4. EXHIBITS

• Exhibit A - Development Parcel and Block Map

• Exhibit B – Community Collaboration and Implementation Plan

• Exhibit C - LERTA District Legislation

• Exhibit D – Submission Attachments

• Attachment A – RFP Summary Sheet

• Attachment B – Sources & Uses/Budget

• Attachment C – MWBE Narrative Requirements

• Attachment D – MWI Narrative Requirements

• Exhibit E – Disposition Process Overview

5. URA INFORMATION

Incorporated in 1946 as one of the first redevelopment authorities in the United States,

the URA is the City’s economic development enterprise, committed to building a prosperous and

equitable economy for all of Pittsburgh. The URA helps bridge public and private interests to

invest in meaningful equitable developments that promote housing affordability, economic

mobility, entrepreneurship and neighborhood revitalization. The URA’s work creates and sustains

quality jobs, thriving neighborhoods, healthy communities and sustainable businesses for the

benefit of all Pittsburghers.

Additional information regarding the URA may be found on the URA’s website at

www.ura.org. Questions about the RFP should be directed to Julia McMahon, Senior Project

Manager, at (412) 255-6592 or jmcmahon@ura.org.

6. TENTATIVE SCHEDULE

A tentative schedule for the selection process is below. This schedule is subject to change.

If there is a schedule change, it will be posted as an addendum on IonWave Technologies, the

URA’s online bidding platform.

Request for Proposals – Lower Hill District Housing

April 2026

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Developers must be able to meet the deadlines in the schedule below:

URA Board meeting to provide 30-day public notice

regarding the upcoming release of the RFP

RFP issue date

Proposal Due Date

URA to review proposals

URA to conduct interviews w/ finalists

URA Board authorization to select Developer and award

exclusive negotiations

Thursday, March 12, 2026

Monday, April 13, 2026

Tuesday, June 9, 2026

Thursday, June 18, 2026

Friday, June 26, 2026

Thursday, July 9, 2026

7. PROPOSAL SCOPE

Each proposal must include the following:

A. Description of the proposed development. If proposing affordable housing, proposals

including the provision of an affordable housing component should clearly state such

intention along with the number/percentage of affordable units and proposed

Pittsburgh Area Median Income levels to enable the URA to fully evaluate and

consider.

B. Schematic drawings including site plan with elevations.

C. Preliminary development pro forma, including acquisition of the Site at market value.

Based on an appraisal obtained by the URA with a date of valuation of February 26,

2026, the market value for the available portion of Block A is $6,170,000 and the

market value for Block C is $7,000,000.

D. Financing plan and statement on ability to obtain loans, e.g., bank letter of interest,

along with a statement representing availability of equity.

E. Public subsidy requested, if any. There is no commitment from the URA to provide

subsidy for this project and proposals must take this into consideration. The URA

acknowledges that the provision of affordable housing may require public subsidy.

8. STAKEHOLDER OVERVIEW

The Site is located in City of Pittsburgh Council District 6. Please see the City of Pittsburgh

Council District map here to determine current council representatives.

Request for Proposals – Lower Hill District Housing

April 2026

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