A $31 million outdoor civic space is set to debut next year in Downtown Pittsburgh’s Cultural District, part of an ongoing effort to enhance the Golden Triangle.
The 4-acre site, to be known as Arts Landing, will bring 100 new trees, a band shell for outdoor performances, sprawling green space and playgrounds to a rundown area currently comprising empty lots and the soon-to-be-demolished Goodyear building.
Arts Landing will stretch down 8th Street from Fort Duquesne Boulevard along the Allegheny River to Penn Avenue, and officials said the site will be ready in time for the NFL Draft in April 2026, which boosters say could draw up to a million people.
“I think the more civic space we have Downtown, the more people will gravitate to Downtown,” Mayor Ed Gainey said during an unveiling of the project Thursday morning at Greer Cabaret Theater in Downtown.
The revitalization blitz local officials are pushing aims to reverse a trend of decreasing Downtown property values, spurred largely by a widespread move to remote work after the covid-19 pandemic.
Turning a long disused corridor in the city’s Cultural District into an outdoor event and recreation space is part of a strategy to shift the focus Downtown to residential and entertainment uses and away from office space.
“This will be a place for co-workers to meet after work, for families to bring their kids down to play, for people to go out on their first dates,” Allegheny County Executive Sara Innamorato said. “Really, it’s going to become an incredible asset for the people of Pittsburgh for generations to come.”
The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust plans to complete the project within 12 to 18 months.
It’s part of a broader $600 million Downtown revitalization championed by Gov. Josh Shapiro. That plan looks to convert unused office space to affordable housing, bolster public safety and create more community spaces.
Prior efforts to develop the property have been unsuccessful, though the Cultural Trust has long tried to put the properties to better use.
Arts Landing will become the home of the Dollar Bank Three Rivers Arts Festival starting in 2026. Officials said the development will be versatile, able to host an array of events, from musical performances and festivals to food truck fairs and pop-up markets.
New York-based Field Operations — the landscape architecture and urban design team behind the acclaimed High Line park in New York City and the facelift underway at Pittsburgh’s Market Square — designed Arts Landing.
Lisa Switkin, a partner at Field Operations, said the site will be framed by the Rachel Carson and Andy Warhol bridges.
The designers asked people what would encourage them to spend more time Downtown. The biggest asks: family play areas and public bathrooms. Arts Landing will provide both.
A one-acre “great lawn” will allow people to mingle or take in live performances. There will be public art installations, pathways for strolling, picnic tables, planters and space to play games.
A new seating area overlooking Fort Duquesne Boulevard, dubbed The Balcony, will sit near a recreation space that is set to open with three pickleball courts, a small running track and flexible recreation space.
A building owned by the Cultural District at the intersection of Ninth and Penn will become a visitor’s center with public bathrooms.
“The civic space is really designed for public use,” Switkin said, adding that the Cultural Trust has committed to offering free activities and events to welcome people of all income levels. “It’s a place where everyone can come together.”