Pittsburgh Advances Plans for Two Vacant City-Owned Buildings
Pittsburgh is moving two vacant city-owned buildings into a formal redevelopment process, a step the city says is intended to support investment and bring more small businesses, residents and visitors to the greater Downtown area.
The properties are 2608 Penn Avenue in the Strip District and 604 Liberty Avenue downtown. Mayor Corey O’Connor and the Urban Redevelopment Authority of Pittsburgh announced the progress July 9.
The announcement does not mean either building has been fully approved for redevelopment or that construction is underway. The city has not released final financial terms or construction schedules for the buildings.
Former investigations building enters negotiations
At 2608 Penn Avenue, the former Office of Municipal Investigations building, the URA entered exclusive negotiations with TAGYLZ LLC. The negotiations followed a March 2026 request for proposals for the property.
Exclusive negotiations are an important step in the public redevelopment process, but they are not the same as final approval, a completed redevelopment agreement or a guaranteed sale. The project was scheduled for presentation to the URA Board of Directors in July.
The property is in the Strip District, an area included in the city’s broader effort to direct investment toward locations that can support business activity and neighborhood use. The announcement did not provide a final development program, projected job count, housing count or construction start date for 2608 Penn Avenue.
Downtown property also moving forward
The second property, 604 Liberty Avenue, is downtown. The city said the project is intended to support downtown vibrancy and investment, and included it in the group of projects moving toward URA board consideration.
Specific redevelopment plans, financial terms and a construction schedule for 604 Liberty Avenue were not provided in the approved announcement. That leaves the board process as the next known step rather than a final development decision.
Together, the two properties put publicly owned vacant buildings in both the Strip District and Downtown into a formal redevelopment track. The city framed the effort around attracting small businesses, residents and visitors, but the available information does not establish how many businesses, residents or visitors either project would ultimately support.
Downtown construction timeline
A separate city project adds an immediate infrastructure timeline for downtown. The city held a July 8 stakeholder meeting about the Smithfield Street project with businesses, property managers and property owners. A contractor has been selected, and construction is expected to begin in late summer 2026.
Smithfield Street construction is separate from the two building redevelopment plans. It is relevant to the downtown context because work on the street is anticipated during the same broader period in which the city and URA are advancing plans for 604 Liberty Avenue.
For the building projects, the next public milestone identified in the announcement is presentation to the URA Board of Directors. The packet does not identify a final board vote date, the terms of any agreement with TAGYLZ LLC, or when work could begin at either property.
Sources
- URA Announces Two Projects to Redevelop Vacant Buildings and Invest in Vibrancy, City of Pittsburgh
- Smithfield Street Project, City of Pittsburgh
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