Phase II of the 3 Crossings Neighborhood to Begin in the City’s Strip District
PITTSBURGH, August 13, 2015 – Oxford Development Company and Burns White LLC today announced that Burns White will locate its corporate headquarters in the Riverfront East building of the 3 Crossings neighborhood in the city’s Strip District.
3 Crossings reconnects the Strip District to the natural amenities of a revitalized riverfront and Pittsburgh’s Three Rivers HeritageTrail network. The development represents the transformation of the former trucking yards of Pittsburgh’s past into the sustainable neighborhood of the future.
“We see the growth of the Strip District as the here and now phase in Pittsburgh’s amazing transformation as a place where you can live, work, and everything else,” said Steve Guy, President & CEO, Oxford Development Company. “The addition of Burns White to 3 Crossings helps grow the professional workforce of the Strip District, and complements a new community vision as Pittsburgh’s next corporate and high technology destination.”
Burns White’s new headquarters at Riverfront East will kick off Phase II of 3 Crossings with the development of a 110,000 square foot building along Railroad Street and the Allegheny River. Burns White will be the sole tenant of the facility with an expected occupancy in early 2017.
“The move is an exciting step for Burns White as we grow our business and footprint as an employer in Pittsburgh and beyond,” said David B. White, Esq., Executive Committee Member, Burns White LLC.
We sought new and innovative space to accommodate the firm’s growth, with the desire to create a place that serves both our business and staff needs, and that will ultimately benefit our clients. The Strip District and 3 Crossings offers what our workforce and what the workforce of our future wants, including access to terrific amenities and conveniences in commuting like biking and public transit,” White said.
Burns White’s new space will be different than that of a traditional law firm space in that it will be reflective of the needs of today’s workforce with a state-of-the-art building that focuses on collaborative work spaces and increased employee interaction reflecting efficiencies clients are looking for today.
Burns White was a ‘pioneer’ locating on the North Shore in the 90s and will once again be part of the revitalization of a new and exciting corporate destination. They currently employ approximately 120 attorneys, and anticipate strategically adding an additional 25-30 attorneys in their first five years at 3 Crossings.
“We have had a great home on the North Shore for many years, and are cognizant of our impact on this community as we move forward. We have found a great partner in Oxford as their collaborative approach mirrors the way we seek to do business. It is this type of effort that will ensure that our current location will be well stewarded into the future,” White said.
ADDITIONAL PROJECT COMPONENTS IN PLANNING
The Hub, a multimodal transportation facility, will connect Downtown, the Strip District, and East End neighborhoods and provide parking spaces for 578 vehicles plus 87 bicycles, and storage for kayaks. It includes 10 electric vehicle charging stations on each level and also includes approximately 13,000 square feet of retail space on 26th Street.
The Hub is currently in design with construction anticipated to commence in October.
Riverfront West is located between Burns White’s new corporate headquarters and the Crane Building along the Allegheny River. Riverfront West provides a true Pittsburgh Strip District experience with great City and River views from private balconies and access to the riverfront trail system.
Riverfront West is still in the planning phase and can easily be designed to accommodate the specific needs and requirements of any manner of user. Signature tenants have the opportunity for building signage and a private balconies.
Office leasing inquiries should be directed to Joe Tosi with Oxford Realty Services at 412.261.0200 or jtosi@oxfordrealtyservices.com
Concurrently, Oxford is working with Riverlife and other city partners to plan for the development of the Strip District Riverfront Park that will connect the public to the waterfront via a public passage along 26th Street. Riverlife is overseeing the design of the park which is currently underway.
PHASE I – UNDER CONSTRUCTION
The Yards is currently under construction and will begin leasing in October of this year, with the first phase of occupancy expected April 1, 2016 and the final phase commencing May 1, 2016. The Yards is managed by McCaffery Interests of Chicago.
Residential leasing inquiries should be directed online at www.theyardspgh.com.
2555 Smallman Street is a four-story 75,000 square foot Class-A urban flex office building and has space available for lease. 2555 has commenced site development and will be ready for the first tenant occupancy in June of 2016. While there is available space in the building, the first tenant announcements will be made in the near future.
2555 will be the first building in the region to provide a Euro Plaza, or “woonerf”, that transforms from guest parking to a weekend destination for gathering. A woonerf (Dutch for “living street”) is a concept created in the Netherlands and designed primarily with the interests of pedestrians and cyclists in mind and as a social space where people can meet safely. This Complete Streets technique includes shared outdoor space, traffic calming, and low speed limits with priority given to all modes of transportation including automobiles, bicycles, and pedestrians. Motorized traffic in a woonerf is restricted to walking pace. The Euro Plaza will be built at the same grade as the sidewalk, without curbs. Through traffic is directed using a series of lighted bollards.
PHASE I – COMPLETED
2501 Smallman Street is a 54,000 Class-A urban flex office building that achieved substantial completion of construction in July 2015. At this time the building is 91 percent leased with the first tenant occupancy scheduled for September 1, 2015, and with the remaining tenants occupying by year end 2015.
3 CROSSINGS OVERVIEW
The Oxford team has worked diligently over the past four years to respond to the neighborhood’s desire to see organic growth versus planned development, and to complement, not compete with, the already strong character of the Strip District. 3 Crossings embraces the neighborhood’s historic and authentic past as a market district and integrates it with the desired lifestyle of today’s employee, resident, and visitor.
The 3 Crossings neighborhood will be accentuated with new sidewalks, street and pedestrian-friendly lighting, and public access points to the river. By 2018, 3 Crossings will have created nearly 375,000 square feet of new urban flex office space; 300 apartment units with the coolest backyard in the city; 1,200 new parking spaces; 100 bicycle parking spaces, bike repair and rental; and 16,000 square feet of new and refreshed retail and dining space.
3 Crossings will create or retain nearly 1,000 jobs for the City of Pittsburgh and will generate nearly $5.8 million in new annual state tax revenue.
Additional information can be found at www.threecrossingspgh.com and www.theyardspgh.com.
Images available upon request.
###
About Burns White
Burns White LLC is a full-service law firm that provides corporate and litigation counsel to clients operating across a broad spectrum of industries nationwide. Harnessing the collective skill of more than 120 attorneys, the law firm operates offices in Cherry Hill, N.J., Cleveland, Harrisburg, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Princeton, N.J., Wheeling, W.V., Wilkes-Barre, Pa. and Wilmington, Del. www.burnswhite.com
About Oxford Development Company
Oxford Development Company, based in Pittsburgh, PA, is the trusted real estate services partner, providing solutions for all property-related needs in North America. From conceptualization to building management, Oxford offers support throughout the life cycle of any project. With more than 50 years of experience and over $3 billion in development projects, Oxford delivers value through a combination of analytical, management and operational specific real estate services. www.oxforddevelopment.com
