Hazelwood Green owner looks to bring recreation to property
The 1.3- mile stretch of riverfront along the former LTV Coke Works in Hazelwood is a collection of rusting industrial relics, from a pump house to coal loaders and catwalks. Now Almono LP, owner of the sprawling 178- acre site known as Hazelwood Green, is seeking to connect a restored riverfront to the community while preserving some of its past.
With the help of the Pennsylvania Environmental Council, it will take the next year to develop a master plan to position the 21 acres of Monongahela
riverfront for recreational use.
For the most part, the riverfront, which ranges from 55 feet to 200 feet wide in places, has been off- limits to Hazelwood residents and the general public for more than 100 years. But the Almono partnership — made up of The Heinz Endowments, the Richard King Mellon Foundation and the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation — is seeking to change that as part of redeveloping the former coke works.
“This master planning process is founded on the view that the riverfront is common ground. The project team will be asking for public input and feedback at each stage of design to ensure that we create an inclusive place that users of all abilities and interests can enjoy with full accommodation and sense of belonging,” said Todd Stern, managing director of U3 Advisors, which is serving as a development consultant to Almono on Hazelwood Green.
Reclaiming the Hazelwood waterfront would be the latest in a decadeslong effort dating back to former Pittsburgh Mayor Tom Murphy to convert vast stretches of old industrial and unused sites at the edge of the city’s three rivers into trails for recreational use.
The network now includes trails on the North Shore, the South Side and Downtown, making it possible to get from Pittsburgh to Washington, D. C.
According to a release issued Tuesday, the Hazelwood Green master plan not only will serve as a guide to develop the riverfront, but also will involve decisionmaking “around the use and preservation of industrial heritage structures that remain” at its edge.
The riverfront is now a forest- like stretch filled with pathways, sharp drop- offs, rusty stairs and faded industrial remnants, such as a pump house, an old dock for barges, catwalks, coal loaders and platforms.
All offer “opportunities to interpret and reflect on the rich history of the Hazelwood riverfront and the city of Pittsburgh,” the release stated.
“The 1.3 miles of riverfront presents an opportunity to blend engineering, technology, ecology, culture and recreation in innovative ways. This creative fusion will celebrate the riverfront’s legacy while developing a meaningful, soul- satisfying and funky public space that is uniquely Pittsburgh,” said Andrew JG Schwartz, studio director of Pittsburghbased Environmental Planning & Design, which will lead the design and public engagement process.
The master plan also will try to find ways to address ecological impacts of the past industrialization. Other challenges include active railroad tracks and fencing and stormwater retention facilities.
EPD will host the first presentation involving the master plan at the Sept. 8 Greater Hazelwood community meeting, hosted by the Hazelwood Initiative.
A design charrette will follow Oct. 15- 17. A survey and other public engagement efforts also will take place, with the goal of submitting the final master plan for review by the state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources by summer of next year.
Funding for the initiative is being provided by DCNR and Almono.
Some development is starting to take hold at the overall site after years of struggles. Almono is redeveloping the historic old roundhouse and has secured San Mateo, Calif.- based GSVlabs as a tenant.
GSVlabs will join Carnegie Mellon University’s Advanced Robotics for Manufacturing Institute and its Manufacturing Futures Initiative, Catalyst Connection and autonomous vehicle startup Aptiv at Hazelwood Green. All are part of the Mill 19 redevelopment being completed by the Regional Industrial Development Corp.