TECH DESIGNS
Strip District Riverfront Landing complex moves to next stage with District Fifteen project
Afour-story office building could mark the next stage of development in the Buncher Co.’s ambitious $450 million Riverfront Landing complex in the Strip District.
The $14.8 million project would be built on Buncher-owned property at 15th and Smallman streets adjacent to the produce terminal on land now used for parking.
Bridgeville-based RDC Inc. is teaming with Orangestar Properties of Mineral Ridge, Ohio, near Youngstown to form RDC Star LLC to take on the development.
The project, known as District Fifteen, will be the subject of a hearing before the city’s zoning board of adjustment May 11. RDC Star is seeking a variance related to flood elevation requirements.
According to materials prepared by CBRE, the real estate firm marketing the building, District Fifteen would feature 105,000 square feet of space, including a first-floor high-bay area designed for research and development such as robotics and self-driving vehicles, and 150 surface parking spaces.
RDC Star hopes to break ground in September and have the building completed by the third quarter of 2018. However, the timetable could depend in part on how quickly the developer can secure a tenant.
Patrick Greene, the CBRE senior vice president marketing the building, said RDC Star “would prefer to have a tenant before we start.” He said there has been very little discussion so far about whether the developer would move forward without such a commitment.
Finding a tenant might not be a problem in the Strip, which has become one of the fastest-growing office markets in the city. So far interest in the proposed building, designed by DLA+ Architecture and Interior Design, has been strong, Mr. Greene said.
“We’ve had a tremendous amount of interest from larger users, 20,000 square feet and larger,” he said. “The Strip District is without question the hottest