Hays Woods

The acquisition of Hays Woods will conserve hugely significant green space in the City of Pittsburgh creating the city’s second largest park.

Background

In 2016, the URA acquired the 653-acre Hays Woods property from Pittsburgh Development Group II, L.P. for $5 million – significantly below market value. The URA nearly doubled the size of its land portfolio by acting upon a rare opportunity to add significant green space in a dense urban area. The URA has dedicated substantially all of the site to the City for public use in perpetuity and protect it from future development including prior plans involving strip mining, a racetrack and casino development.

Results

Due to the URA acquisition, substantially all of the Hays Woods site and its irreplaceable natural attributes will be protected. The site will continue to contribute to the City’s quality of life, scenic character, stormwater and carbon sequestration, water and air quality, wildlife habitat including nesting bald eagles, surrounding property values, and passive recreational opportunities. Housing development may occur on the balance of the site that would result in a sizable contribution to the City’s tax base.

Facts

• URA Role: Acquisition of the 653-acre Hays Property for $5,000,000
• URA Fundraising: $800,000 grant from the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources