GROWTH SPURT

Robinson engineering firm searching for new headquarters

A growing Robinson-based engineering firm could be in the hunt for a new headquarters in the Parkway West corridor.

Civil and Environmental Consultants is in the “very preliminary exploratory stage” of a search for potential sites for a new home, said Lynn DeLorenzo, a principal in the Tarquincore real estate firm who is serving as the company’s broker.

“I would emphasize that it is such a preliminary step in a very lengthy process,” she said.

Nonetheless, CEC has issued a request for proposals seeking potential locations for a new headquarters in the corridor. Its target area runs from Green Tree to Moon.

Ms. DeLorenzo said the firm, which got its start in Pittsburgh in 1989 and has extended its reach nationally, is interested in either building new or moving into an existing building.

According to the request for proposals obtained by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, the company is looking for about 128,000 square feet of space to support 416 employees. Another 22,000 square feet of expansion “is desired.”

Amenities the company is seeking include maximum access to daylight, outdoor space for lunch and large social activities, sustainable design and indoor and outdoor space for child day care.

“The workspace must support a collaborative culture that builds upon CEC’s reputation as a leading innovator in design and environmental engineering, reinforcing the work of the engineers, scientists and technicians who distinguish the company,” the executive summary stated.

The summary added that CEC “is in need of new space that will meet near future growth of approximately 30 percent over existing resources, with the potential to expand by another 15-20 percent.”

With more than 350 employees based in Pittsburgh, CEC currently leases a little less than 100,000 square feet in an existing office building at 333 Baldwin Road near the Parkway West and Carlynton High School.

There is no timetable for making a decision, Ms. DeLorenzo said. Any potential

move could be as long as three years away. The RFP gives an estimated lease start date of Nov. 1, 2021.

CEC could have plenty of options in its search. According to the Newmark Knight Frank real estate firm, the office vacancy rate in the Parkway West corridor is 18.8 percent, one of the highest in the region.

“If they are looking to lease, there would probably be a number of good options for them. The Parkway West has loosened up,” said Gregg Broujos, managing director of the Colliers International real estate firm.

For new construction, there also are “some good options” with good visibility, he noted.

One potential site could be the Pittsburgh International Airport innovation campus, a 195-acre tract situated on a bluff overlooking the midfield terminal.

Allegheny County Airport Authority officials broke ground on the 13acre, $4.5 million first phase of site preparation work last month. That is expected to produce three pad-ready sites by the 2019 fourth quarter, well within CEC’s timetable.

The campus is expected to house offices, research and development labs and industrial manufacturing facilities built around a town center with restaurants and retail.

Mr. Broujos said another potential location could be the Regional Industrial Development Corporation’s Park West Industrial Park.