URA conveys Hays Woods to city, keeps a portion for housing

Authority bought land for $5M, but its value is much higher

PIttsburgh Post-Gazette

The Urban Redevelopment Authority has conveyed the 660acre Hays Woods to the city for parkland, with development oversight of 89 acres overlooking the Monongahela River for housing.

The URA purchased the property for $5 million last year, calling it a gift from the owner because the value is more than three times that, said URA board chairman Kevin Acklin, Mayor Bill Peduto’s chief of staff.

The land is in the city’s Hays neighborhood, except for 18 acres in Baldwin Borough. Its features include deep woods of wildlife habitat, clear meadows, waterfalls and cliffs with spectacular views.

The Charles J. Betters family, majority owners of Pittsburgh Development Group II, made the deal with the city in mid2016. The city heralded it as preservation of green space in perpetuity.

The city will own the mineral rights permanently to prevent future mining or drilling, Mr. Acklin said.

Although 18 acres are in Baldwin, all of the land falls within the Baldwin-Whitehall School District. Future owners of housing in the city portion of Hays Woods would pay city property taxes but school taxes to Baldwin-Whitehall, where their children would attend.

“That’s confusing to me, too,” said John Barrett, Baldwin Borough manager. “That was determined long before this.”

He said the 18 acres in Baldwin “are not a sticking point.