Troy Hill Firehouse

The Urban Redevelopment Authority of Pittsburgh (URA) is seeking developers and/or development teams for the historic Troy Hill Fire Station Building (the “site”) at the corner of Ley Street and Froman Street in the Troy Hill neighborhood of the City of Pittsburgh (the “City”). The goal of this RFP is to select a developer to complete a distinctive, creative redevelopment of the site. Preservation and restoration of the structure is required.

The City and the URA strongly encourage commercial use for the site. Commercial use for the first floor is required but residential use for the second floor will be considered. Uses that provide significant community benefits will receive special consideration.

The URA is primarily focused on the sale of 1800 Ley Street, but proposals that include a larger assemblage of  parcels to create greater development density will be given special consideration.   

Property Description

Address: 1800 Ley Street
Neighborhood: Troy Hill
Council District: 1
Councilperson: Bobby Wilson
Preferred Use: Commercial
District Zoning: Single-Unit Detached Residential – High Density (R1D-H)
Historic Designation: City Designated Historic Structure
Minimum Sale Price: $353,700

1800 Ley Street

This property has been designated as a historic structure.

Parcel ID:  48-N-10*  

Lot Size: 1,995 square feet**   

Building Size: 2,220 square feet**

The Troy Hill Fire Station was built in 1901 and operated as a Pittsburgh Fire Department station until 2005. When it was closed in 2005, the Troy Hill Fire Station was Pittsburgh’s oldest firehouse. The firehouse is one of Troy Hill’s 6 designated historic structures. In the years since, the Troy Hill Fire Station has been used as the City of Pittsburgh’s Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Office. The City of Pittsburgh is relocating the Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Office and is working in partnership with the URA to find a developer for the site. The building has two stories and a basement (see photos below).

*The Parcel IDs are hyperlinked to the Allegheny County Property Assessments page.

**Measurements are approximate and not based on surveyed data.

RFP Issue Date: 11/05/21

Site Tour: 11/17/21*

Proposal Due Date: 12/20/21 at 5:00 p.m.

Proposal Evaluation Period: 12/07/21 – 12/10/21

Interviews with Potential Developers: 12/13/21 – 12/17/21 

*Interested developers should plan on attending the site tour at 1800 Ley Street. Please confirm your site tour with Gordon Hall, ghall@ura.org.

Troy Hill is located on Pittsburgh’s Northside on a flat hilltop with views of the Allegheny River and the rest of the City. The neighborhood is surrounded by the River, Spring Garden, North Shore, and East Allegheny. Rich with German heritage, the dense neighborhood retains the look and feel of an Old World village. Narrow streets, brick sidewalks, Romanesque stone churches, and other historic landmarks sprinkle the hilltop.

For a market profile relevant to the development area, Troy Hill Commercial District, click here.

The selected developer will be expected to work with the URA and community stakeholders to ensure the proposed project fits within the neighborhood context, vision and larger planning goals.

For the most recent neighborhood plans, please see the links in the exhibit section of the Heart of Troy Hill Plan and the Troy Hill Master Plan.

Interested developers are encouraged to meet with Troy Hill Citizens prior to submitting a proposal package. Abby Vanim, president of Troy Hill Citizens can be reached at abby.vanim@gmail.com.

Proposals should demonstrate the capacity and creativity of the developer to transform the parcels included in this RFP by following high development standards and presenting the best economically viable project(s) for the City. It is expected that proposals will include the appropriate scale of development for the neighborhood in which it is located. The developer will be required to coordinate design and construction with the URA to ensure that the proposed project(s) complement the neighborhood’s and City’s revitalization goals.

The redeveloper should submit the package using Ion Wave, the URA’s RFP program. The proposal should be combined into one file in PDF format. The PDF should be under 10MB in size. Do not send hard copies. The proposal should be addressed to:

Gordon Hall, Project Manager
ghall@ura.org
Urban Redevelopment Authority of Pittsburgh
412 Boulevard of the Allies
Suite 901
Pittsburgh, PA  15219  

Questions and comments should be submitted on the Ion Wave website, not through email.

All responses should include the following RFP Summary Page as the cover page of the proposal package. This page should be fully completed by the developer. ALL RESPONSES MUST BE RECEIVED BY THE RESPONSE DUE DATE AND TIME AS STATED IN THE RFP TIMELINE for consideration. Any late responses will not be reviewed.

The following Proposal Requirements will serve to establish a developer’s overall capacity to complete this project. 

1. RFP Summary Page

2. Project Narrative

a.) Project Description – specific use, number of units (for residential) and/or commercial square feet (for retail, office, etc.)

b.) Parking -  parking required by district zoning in relation to the parking necessary to meet the project demands

c.) Community engagement plan – general approach and how the project complies with the principles outlined in the community plan

d.) Sustainability goals – performance measures or industry standards that will be used to assess the sustainability of the project

e.) Minority/Women Owned Business Enterprise plan – strategy to maximize MWBE participation and projected goals

f.) Ownership entity (single owner, partnership, LLC) - ability to finance the costs associated with project including previous experience in attracting equity investors and fundraising

g.) Development entity – project management plan and role of each development partner in the implementation of the development plan

h.) Expected Zoning Variances (if any) – strategy to obtain approval(s)

3. Concept Drawings of the Proposed Project (Exhibits)

a.) Site plan and floor plans

b.) Elevations

4. Budgets (Exhibits)

a.) Financing sources with funding gaps, if any, identified

b.) Project uses including developer’s offer as well as detailed hard and soft costs

c.) Proforma including all anticipated operational and maintenance costs

5.  Proposed Development Timeline (Exhibits)

a.) Schedule that identifies the duration of key tasks (i.e. due diligence, conceptual design, design development, permitting, final design, contract award, construction, etc.) and indicates major milestones

6. Financial Capacity (Exhibits)

a.) Joint venture, general, or limited partners, and percentage of interest

b.) Evidence of Equity Contribution such as bank statements

c.)  Letters of Interest or references from lending institutions

d.) Letters of Interest from potential tenants

7.  Relevant Development Experience (Exhibits)

a.) Resumes or biographies of the proposed development team

b.) Fact sheets for similar projects (images, date, location, concept, funding sources, current vacancy rates)

c.) Press clippings that include project narratives to describe previous work

The URA’s intention is to enter into an exclusive negotiation period with the selected developer. During the exclusive negotiation period, the URA  will provide the developer sufficient time to complete due diligence activities necessary to define a scope of work and schedule that will ultimately become part of a formal Disposition Contract.

A developer may be selected based on, but not limited to, the following criteria:

1. Experience completing similar redevelopment projects in an urban neighborhood; 
   
   
2. Capacity to attract and secure financing, with a minimum amount of public subsidy;
   
   
3. Ability to assemble a team with the appropriate specialties;
   
   
4. Appropriateness of proposed plan with RFP goals and scale of development; 
   
   
5. Experience with community engagement;  
   
   
6. Commitment to sustainable design standards; and
   
   
7. Commitment to Minority/Women Owned Business Enterprise participation.
   
   

The developer is responsible for designing a project that meets the zoning regulations and building codes adopted by the City and is otherwise compliant with the law. 

A developer will be recommended to the URA Board based on the overall quality of the proposed project. The evaluation of the developer’s qualifications, experience and capacity will be based upon information submitted in the proposal and presented during the interview by the developer. 

The URA reserves the right to verify the accuracy of all information submitted. After the URA has completed its evaluation of the submittals, a developer who is placed on the short-list may be asked to interview with the URA. However, a short-listed proposal may be accepted without the need for an interview. If an interview is deemed necessary, the developer will be provided with a time that is determined by the URA.  

The URA sells its property through a disposition process rather than a standard sales agreement. URA review will include the HDDC parcel as well as URA parcels and all closings will occur simultaneously. The disposition process is based on the declarations within the Urban Redevelopment Law (Act of May 24, 1945, P.L. 991, No. 385). The developer must enter into a Disposition Contract (i.e. Development Contract) with the URA. The Disposition Contract is the binding document that details the developer’s plan to design, finance, purchase, and construct the development project. Taxes, liability insurance, site security, and all aspects of owning and developing the property shall be the full responsibility of the developer at the time of sale, as specified in the Disposition Contract. The URA does not sell land for speculative purposes, any such proposal to acquire and hold the land with construction to occur when and if it is successfully marketed will be rejected. 

As part of the process, the URA will review the Opinion of Probable Cost and project drawings against the evidence of financing to determine if the information presented is reasonable and corresponds to a fully realized project. The URA will not close on a property until all the terms of the disposition process are fulfilled. Click here to access the Disposition Process.

The URA Board must approve any and all developers who purchase URA property. Upon URA Board approval, the developer’s purchase of the property will occur after execution of the Disposition Contract, approval of the final construction documents and issuance of a building permit. The purchase of the property will occur simultaneously with the closing on the developer’s construction financing.

1. Prior to submitting a proposal, a developer is encouraged to attend the pre-proposal conference, which provides an opportunity to inspect the property. 
   
   
2. The property will be offered to the selected developer in “AS-IS” condition. 
   
   
3. The sale of the property does not guarantee or warrant demolition permits, building permits, zoning variances, or financial viability.
   
   
4. The developer, for itself and its employees, contractors, and primary subcontractors, agrees not to discriminate against or segregate any person or group of persons on any unlawful basis in the construction, sale, transfer, use, occupancy, tenure or enjoyment of the property or any improvements erected or to be erected thereon, or any part thereof.
   
   
5. The URA shall be the sole judge as to which proposal best meets the selection criteria. The URA reserves the right to reject any or all proposals received, to waive any informalities or irregularities in any submitted proposal, and to negotiate scope and proposal prices.
   
   
6. Responses to the RFP will not be opened publicly. 
   
   
7. Proposals may be withdrawn by written notice received by the URA before the time and date set for receipt of proposals. After the submission date, a proposal may not be withdrawn for a period of sixty (60) days, except by mutual consent between the URA and the respondent.
   
   
8. It is the developer’s sole responsibility to read and interpret this RFP and the written instructions contained herein. A respondent may correct errors and omissions discovered before the time set for receipt of proposals by withdrawing the original proposal and resubmitting a new proposal before the date and time set for the receipt of proposal. Errors and omissions may not be corrected after the submission date except when the URA decides, in its sole discretion, to allow the correction.
   
   
9. This RFP is submitted subject to errors, omissions, and/or withdrawal without notice by the URA at any time. 
   
   
10. The developer is encouraged to confer with the URA prior to submitting their response. All proposals, including attachments, supplementary materials, addenda, etc. shall become the property of the URA and will not be returned.
    
    
11. Addenda will be posted on IonWave Technologies. All such addenda shall become part of the RFP documents and all respondents shall be bound by such addenda, whether or not received by the respondents.