Planning Commission approves UPMC plan for 363-bed hospital in Oakland

Pittsburgh’s Planning Commission signed off on UPMC’s plans for a new 363-bed hospital in Oakland on Tuesday, paving the way for finalized plans to go to the city’s zoning administrator for approval.

UPMC said the new hospital, planned for the former Children’s Hospital site at the corner of Fifth Avenue and DeSoto Street, would be over 871,000 square feet, with 4,800 square feet of retail and restaurant space and enough parking for about 450 cars.

Renderings show the glass tower and promise to include a new tree canopy, green space on a roof terrace and public art installations.

The UPMC Presbyterian Hospital bed tower was first unveiled nearly five years ago. At the time, UPMC touted it as a heart and transplant center. It was one of three hospitals introduced at that time, part of a massive $2 billion expansion.

The hospital will be an expansion of UPMC Presbyterian Hospital, where about 40% of the rooms are semi-private, said Jonathan Krolicki, vice president of facilities and support services at the hospital.

“This new facility will make UPMC Presbyterian 100% private,” he explained.

Several members of the community spoke in favor of the development ahead of the Planning Commission’s vote.

The project, which will likely take about four years to complete, will create about 1,000 union jobs and benefit other local businesses, said Jeff Nobers, executive director of the Builders Guild of Western Pennsylvania. Nobers highlighted the fact that UPMC has committed to a diverse workforce in the building’s construction.

“We are proud to have this asset in our community,” he said, adding that he believes the new hospital will further the “region’s reputation as a global leader in health care.”

The measure has also earned the support of the Oakland Planning and Development Corps. Their executive director, Wanda Wilson, said she was grateful for the years-long public process UPMC launched.

“UPMC has really taken every opportunity to inform the community about the project,” she said, calling the process “open and transparent.”

Dan Davis, the economic justice organizer for Pittsburgh United, was the only person to speak against the new hospital at Tuesday’s Planning Commission meeting. He accused UPMC of “prioritizing sleek buildings” over their employees and community.

Georgia Petropolis, CEO of Oakland Business Improvement District, said the project has “pushed the envelope on what we expect from our hospitals.”

UPMC’s development proposal earned approval from all members of the Planning Commission who voted on the measure Tuesday. Commissioner Rachel O’Neill recused herself from the vote, and Commissioners Jennifer Askey and Sabina Deitrick were not present for the vote.