New $16M apartment complex, retail project in Hill District unveiled via digital groundbreaking

A new bright facade soon to be seen on Centre Avenue in Pittsburgh’s Hill District as a mixed-use housing and retail project broke ground this week.

The ceremonial shovels still hit the dirt, but the event was held digitally on Thursday.

The Hill Community Development Corp. announced the New Granada Square Apartments and Retail project.

The new $16 million mixed-use development will encompass a first floor of over 5,000 square feet of commercial retail space as well as 40 affordable residential apartments. It will also include laundry rooms and community spaces.

Set along the Hill District’s historic Centre Avenue, the complex sits between 2 of Pittsburgh’s largest business districts, Oakland and Downtown.

The pre-recorded celebratory event was opened by The Rev. Victor J. Grigsby of Central Baptist Church.

“What an exciting moment for the community, knowing we are celebrating the launch and groundbreaking of the New Granada Square Apartments and Retail,” Grigsby said.

Hill CDC President and CEO Marimba Milliones said the event was “in fact a moment that is truly groundbreaking.”

“This groundbreaking marks the beginning of the largest development project that has have taken place in the Hill District, it’s extraordinarily important—the revitalization of the commercial corridor will be catalytic for the area,” Milliones said.

Her vision for the new apartment project predicates the enrichment of the area culturally and economically.

“Our focus for the apartment space is for creatives and artisans, we want them to create in the community and commit to the community, we want to offer a destination for our culture of African American legacy for the Hill District — putting $1 Million into the community in a way that shows we’re excited to see it grow signals great confidence in the neighborhoods future,” she said.

Milliones led the project in partnership with a Ohio-based company, CHN Housing Partners for their first development in Pennsylvania.

“Sometimes it takes someone who is not from your home town to invest in you first,” Milliones said.

CHN Housing Partner Executive Director Kevin Nowak was glad that the two organizations missions aligned nicely.

“We can’t think of a better place to do our work than the historic Hill District — we’re proud the New Granada fulfils economic justice goals by directing over 40% of the work to minority-owned businesses and over 15% to Woman-owned enterprises,” Nowak said.

The bright exterior soon-to-be of the apartment project was designed by Charlotte Ka.

“She [Milliones] first asked me to design it based on the Gee’s Bend Quilts — also African Kente cloth and the spirit of jazz’” said Ka.

Hill CDC plans to launch a campaign to raise $500,000 from local residents and supporters

“We want to show that we can raise $500,000 as a community to finish the rest of this block,” Milliones said. “I was born and raised in the district, this is not just my vision, we are so fortunate for the residents support and effort.”

Commitments on investments were made by Key Bank, Pennsylvania Housing and Finance Agency (PHFA), Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA), McAuley Ministries, Duquesne Light, First National Bank and the Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh (HACP).

State Rep. Ed Gainey, D-Lincoln Lemington, attended the event.

”That’s been a part of the Hill’s history forever and a day, and to bring it back to life, brings our culture back to life,” Gainey, the Democratic nominee for Pittsburgh mayor, said. “When we diversify our culture, we make the city a better place, so today is a good day.”

In addition to the apartment and retail complex, there are also plans to redevelop the Granada Square Theater that will be financed in part by Key Bank and a $1.75 million grant from the Heinz Endowments.