Thermal complex in Downtown up for sale

For decades, it helped warm many of the office buildings Downtown. Now it’s on the market, with its prime riverfront location its chief selling point.

The Pittsburgh Allegheny County Thermal complex at 120 Cecil Place and Fort Duquesne Boulevard is up for sale.

It is being marketed jointly by Colliers International and the Jones Lang LaSalle real estate firms with no list price.

The complex is actually made up of two attached brick buildings — offices and a steam generation facility that helped to heat government and private office buildings Downtown for nearly 40 years.

Its biggest selling point is its location, directly overlooking the Allegheny River.

“You can’t beat that location. It’s riverfront and it’s Downtown,” said Colliers International regional principal Gregg Broujos, who is marketing the property along with David Thor, JLL executive vice president.

According to marketing materials, potential reuses include apartments, condominiums, office or wet lab space, or self-storage units.

Mr. Broujos added that some developers may view it as a “strict land play” because of the location. That potentially could involve tearing down the complex and waiting “to see what opportunities arise,” he said.

The building is still in use today, although Mr. Broujos said Pittsburgh Allegheny County Thermal plans to wind down operations. The city is switching from PACT to another provider.

Not included in the sale of the real estate are the off-site utility tunnels PACT owns.