Penthouse, condos crown Bloomfield project
Hip, sleek and completely renovated, Empire on Liberty in Bloomfield has been reborn from a dilapidated old furniture and carpet showroom to a 21st century haven of urban living.
“It was on the verge of being condemned,” said Carl Morris, vice president of Residential Development and Construction, the firm that renovated the former Empire Furniture Co. at 4041 Liberty Ave. in 16 months.
Along with street-level storefronts and second-floor office space, Empire on Liberty (empireonliberty.com) contains four third-floor condominiums with shared outdoor space and a 2,880square-foot penthouse that literally tops them all. It was recently used as Pittsburgh Magazine’s Ultimate House.
The penthouse, which is priced at $1.15 million with Darla Jobkar of Northwood Realty Services (724-413-4663 or darla@northwood.com), features three bedrooms, three bathrooms and a bright, open living space with dining, kitchen and great room areas.
“This is one big space that can be sectioned into so many different things,” said Ms. Jobkar, noting that an original wall of brick was exposed.
The main living space boasts a fireplace, wet bar and doors to access one of two outdoor decks with views of Downtown and the surrounding roofscape.
The kitchen has quartzite counter tops that look like marble, a waterfall island and a gas range and grill.
The master suite has its own smaller deck and a unique master bath with two lighted, floating mirrors by windows.
“We didn’t want to obstruct the view from the window when you
were not using the mirrors so they can slide away,” Ms. Jobkar said as she shifted a mirror away from the plantation-shuttered window.
Nancy Policicchio of Desmone Architects was responsible for design details such as sliding barn doors on the closet and lots of exposed ductwork and steel beams.
“The effect is a sexy, urban space that is cozy because of the quality of the fixtures and details,” Ms. Jobkar said.
Both the penthouse and the two-bedroom, two-bath condos on the third floor have 13-foot ceilings and deeded parking spaces in the attached garage.
“It’s great because when you sell or buy a condo, that includes a parking space,” Ms. Jobkar said.
Each of the third-floor condos have large windows and approximately 1,200 square foot of living space, but they differ in layout and finish. In one, some plaster was left on a brick wall for that ancient ruins look. Another has painted brick that blends with the color scheme. “It all adds a lot of character,” the listing agent said. “All the bathroom counters are from Armina Stone (in Cheswick) but they are not all the same.”
Prices for the four units range from $430,000 to $480,000. Ms. Jobkar said, noting that most are already under contract.
“There is a lot of demand for updated living space in Bloomfield and Lawrenceville since Children’s Hospital was built, and it continues to grow.”
That’s also true for the retail and office space in the building.
Two retail spaces totaling 6,600 square feet are already leased.
The first floor has 5,439 rentable square feet and the second floor 2,161 rsf of office space, available at $22 per rentable square foot through Joe Tosi of Oxford Realty Services (412-2610200 ext. 3471 or rdcinfo@buildwithrdc.com).
“There is a lot of demand for updated living space in Bloomfield and Lawrenceville since Children’s Hospital was built, and it continues to grow.” — Darla Jobkar, Northwood Realty Services