A $3 million state grant will support the $100 million redevelopment of Mt. Alvernia in Millvale and Shaler.
The money comes from the state Department of Community and Economic Development’s mixed-use revitalization grant program.
Created in 2024, the program provides grants and loans to help with increasing mixed-use development across the state.
The 24-acre Mt. Alvernia campus was once home to the Sisters of St. Francis, who operated a chapel and an all-girls Catholic high school there. The sisters sold the property in 2019 and, except for the still operating Mt. Alvernia Day Care and Learning Center, it has been vacant since 2018.
The first phase of the project by Pittsburgh-based developer Q Development focuses on reuse of the 1897 motherhouse and a new home for the daycare. Future phases will add housing, amenities and community space, with a focus on preserving the architecture and historical elements of the property.
The first phase accounts for $40 million of the overall $100 million project, expected to be built out in multiple phases over five to 10 years, said Rick Belloli, principal at Q Development, which specializes in renewing historic buildings.
Belloli said they expect to use the grant money for sitework, grading and retaining walls; demolition of secondary buildings such as maintenance garages; and stormwater management.
“We remain focused on redeveloping and restoring this empty historic building and preserving its rich architectural history. This grant will help spur private investment and help reach our funding goals for the project,” Belloli said.
Belloli thanked state Sens. Lindsey Williams and Wayne Fontana and Rep. Lindsay Powell for their support.
“Mt. Alvernia and its daycare have been a cornerstone of the Shaler and Millvale neighborhoods for over 100 years,” Williams said. “I’m glad to support this project, which will ensure that this historic campus continues to provide homes and a sense of belonging for the next generation. I look forward to working with the community to make this project come to life.”
“I’m pleased to support this transformative project that will provide housing opportunities, all while preserving this historic campus,” Fontana said. “The finished product will create hundreds of jobs and serve an economic catalyst for Millvale and surrounding communities.”
“This project is about taking something that’s been sitting vacant and turning it back into something useful for the community,” Powell said. “Mt. Alvernia has always meant something to people in Millvale and Shaler, and this investment helps make sure it can serve families again — through housing, childcare and shared space. I’m glad to see it moving forward and to be part of getting it done.”
Before construction can begin, Belloli said Q Development needs to complete its financing package and then begin the architectural phase, which is expected to take 18 months. Once begun, construction is expected to take nearly two years.
Significant accomplishments so far include working with Millvale and Shaler to update zoning for the site. The municipal boundary runs through the motherhouse, so both had to review and update zoning for the project to proceed, Belloli said.
The campus was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2024. Belloli said they received preliminary approvals and guidance on plans to reuse the motherhouse while protecting the historic character of the building and site.
Last year, Q Development reached an agreement with the Hawthorne Neighborhood Association addressing the neighbors’ concerns about the development’s impact on their neighborhood.