The Urban Redevelopment Authority board adopted a Phase III plan for the East Liberty Transit Revitalization Investment District on Oct. 8, advancing a financing framework for new development near Bakery Square and the Martin Luther King Jr. East Busway. The proposal covers two Walnut Capital-owned sites: the former Club One health club at Penn and Shady avenues and the Eastside Village Shopping Plaza. The board action advances the plan, but it does not mean every building or funding source is fully approved.
The URA’s October board agenda and resolutions include the implementation plan, director’s report and resolutions. A summary of the public meeting reports that the board adopted the plan, and says the City of Pittsburgh, Allegheny County and Pittsburgh Public Schools must still approve it. The URA’s East Liberty transit-oriented development page describes the earlier phases that added East Liberty Transit Center improvements and the Eastside Bond apartments.
Two sites, different development stages
Phase A is planned for the former Club One site. The URA report describes a six-story building with 199 apartments and about 5,000 square feet of office space. Five percent of the apartments are planned at rents affordable to households earning 80% to 120% of area median income. The board-meeting summary reports that Walnut Capital said the project is waiting for a building permit, with a spring 2028 opening target. That is a schedule shared at the meeting, not a completed or guaranteed delivery date.
Phase B concerns Eastside Village Shopping Plaza. The adopted plan describes a mixed-use redevelopment that may include hospitality, retail, residential and office uses. Those are planning categories, not a final tenant roster or a confirmed hotel. Walnut Capital representatives reportedly described a shift toward retail and hospitality at the meeting. The plan does not name tenants, so specific retailers should not be treated as committed based on this document.
What the district financing would pay for
A Transit Revitalization Investment District captures a portion of future tax growth associated with development and directs it toward eligible transportation and public improvements. Under this plan, 70% of the real-estate tax increment would support projects in the district for 20 years; the remaining 30%, along with current base taxes, would stay with the local taxing bodies. The URA estimates about $10.1 million in net proceeds for Phase III, according to its published Phase III implementation plan. That is a projection dependent on development and assessed-value growth, not cash already collected.
Eligible work includes sidewalks, pedestrian space, lighting and landscaping, brownfield remediation, stormwater management, and traffic signals, crosswalks and street work around Penn and Shady. The plan also sets aside a share for housing-related site preparation elsewhere within the district and a Pittsburgh Regional Transit study of the East Liberty garage and Larimer Station. The project combines these public improvements with private development, but each item remains subject to its own funding and implementation steps.
Why the plan matters beyond one building
East Liberty’s earlier TRID phases helped pair transit investment with housing and retail around the busway. Phase III would extend that approach toward the Bakery Square Connector area, where safe crossings, usable sidewalks and stormwater infrastructure can influence how residents reach transit and nearby businesses. The public benefit is therefore not limited to the apartment count: the district plan ties private site redevelopment to street-level connections across East Liberty and Larimer.
The next milestone is approval by the other participating taxing bodies, followed by agreements and project-level financing and permits. Until those steps are complete, Phase A’s 199 apartments and Phase B’s mixed-use concept remain planned components. The URA’s published meeting page links the official plan and recording for residents tracking those decisions.