Negley Corridor - City of Pittsburgh

Companion Document: Negley Corridor Initiative Site Analysis Study
Prior to the printing of this development strategy document, the community began studying the
feasibility of redeveloping four high-priority development sites on the Negley Corridor. The following
sites are included in the study, which is now complete:
• 5531 Penn Avenue, a former Gulf gasoline station at the corner of Negley and Penn Avenues;
• 500 North Negley Avenue, an apartment building of architectural significance at the corner of
East Liberty Boulevard and Negley Avenue;
• 251 North Negley Avenue, a former Texaco gasoline station; and
• 120 - 138 South Negley Avenue, a series of rental properties, the porches and entranceways of
which have been removed or significantly altered.
The Community Design Center of Pittsburgh and The Community Builders collaborated on this
project, with participation from Negley Corridor Initiative community representatives. The aim of
the analysis was to research development options in order to determine acquisition and
redevelopment costs and to demonstrate a cohesive strategy for moving ahead on the community's
vision for the corridor. The Community Design Center of Pittsburgh (CDCP) provided funding to
hire an architect to do preliminary architectural analysis of the sites. The architect provided site
plans/renderings and construction costs for each site; community preferences for future
development of each site were taken into account. The Community Builders (TCB) provided
economic development assistance to refine the initial analysis and provided the architect
with the initial site information.
This analysis will facilitate development of the sites in a "package," which will increase the likelihood
of success over each project being structured separately. Implementation of Negley Corridor
Initiative Site Analysis Study is included in Chapter III of this document, "Project
Implementation Chart."
High Visibility Sites
The Negley Corridor Initiative should first concentrate on development
sites with the highest visibility. Thus, the vacant lot at the corner
of Penn and Negley (the former Gulf station) is the highest priority
for development. Three neighborhoods and two commercial districts
intersect at this property. Development of this site will also reinforce the
investment currently underway at New Pennley Place, a project that will
have a dramatic positive impact on the aesthetics and quality of life on
Negley Avenue.
This strategy document recommends that the former Gulf station
site be redeveloped for a commercial or a mixed-use development.
The new building should create a strong presence on the corner and be
at least two stories tall to complement the corridor’s urban character.
Suburban-style development with a one-story building and a large
parking lot between the building and the street should be avoided.
The most likely way to achieve such high quality urban development
is for the local CDCs participating in the Negley Corridor Initiative to
acquire the property and control the development. This site is one of
four included in Negley Corridor Initiative Sites Analysis Study, a
companion document to this report. Please refer to that report for more
detailed information.
12 Development Strategey and Action Agenda