A considerably large palette for Atlanta Beltline-adjacent development is officially up for grabs.

Two years after acquiring nearly 14 acres beside the Southside Trail in Pittsburgh, Atlanta Beltline Inc. have issued a Request for Proposals that seeks big redevelopment ideas for vacant acreage at 356 University Ave., next to Pittsburgh Yards. 

Beltline leadership hopes to attract a seasoned developer to build both market-rate and affordable housing at the former industrial site due south of downtown. 

Other components of the 13.7-acre infill project will be commercial and industrial space that weaves in greenspaces and public art to “fuel economic equity and job growth” similar to Pittsburgh Yards’ model, per a Beltline announcement. 

Photo by LoKnows Drones; courtesy of Atlanta Beltline Inc.

Courtesy of Atlanta BeltLine Inc.; 2023

The Beltline acquired the land in question—an expanse of overgrown embankments and concrete, plus an open field—in August 2023. 

Since the following spring, Beltline officials have conferred with about two dozen community groups through Neighborhood Planning Unit sessions, advisory panels, and public meetings to gather input in hopes of shaping a vision residents want for the Pittsburgh parcel, officials said Wednesday. 

Based on that feedback and a new masterplan finished last month, according to the Beltline, the RFP is seeking proposals that will focus on equity, long-term community benefit, and sustainability, in addition to: 

● At least 30 percent of the development’s total floor area dedicated to light industrial use;

● At minimum, 30 percent of residential units reserved as permanently affordable (10 percent at or below 80 percent of the area median income, plus 20 percent at or below 50 percent AMI);

● Accessible greenspaces, ADA pathways, and Beltline connectivity;  

● Affordable commercial space (at least 20 percent at rents 30 percent below market for a decade or more);

● Partnerships with an arts, cultural, or community organization for onsite programming.

Find more information and RFP documents here. Questions to Atlanta Beltline Inc. are due by Sept. 10, and the RFP period will close Oct. 27. 

Rough depiction of the 13.7 acres in question, with Pittsburgh Yards and its grassy James Bridges Field in the foreground. The Southside Trail is at left. Photo by LoKnows Drones; courtesy of Atlanta Beltline Inc.

The 31-acre Pittsburgh Yards, a project led by the Casey Foundation, is unique among Beltline-bordering developments in that it’s geared toward benefiting the surrounding communities with jobs and programming. 

Pittsburgh Yards’ Nia Building, a former trucking terminal, includes more than 100 office suites today, plus an amphitheater, conference spaces, and other facets. An onsite food and retail component called the Container Courtyard also now operates beside the Beltline. 

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