Pittsburgh’s next office tower could be in the Strip District, on the site of the massive, long-vacant New Federal Cold Storage Building.
Yes, the one with the giant Wholey’s fish in lights on the side that has grinned at Pittsburghers for decades.
Wholey’s fish building. Photo by Tracy Certo.
The monolithic concrete building would be demolished and replaced with a 950,000-square-foot glass office building developed by New York-based JMC Holdings.
The building, dubbed 1501 Penn Ave., will include 13 floors and 520,000 square feet of office space.
There will be room for 900 cars in the lower portion of the building and 17,000 square feet of retail at ground level. This will include a bike shop, a “cycle cafe” and a bike parking and maintenance facility.
“As a longtime owner of properties in Pittsburgh, we know and respect the incredible culture of this city and are thrilled to be part of this opportunity to contribute to the exciting growth already taking place in the Strip District,” says Matt Cassin of JMC Holdings.
The new building will also feature conference rooms, a fitness center and a landscaped outdoor terrace overlooking the Strip.
The building will be LEED-certified, and designed by Brandon Haw Architecture of New York.
The Strip District and Lawrenceville have been dubbed Robotics Row, and remain hot for tech companies of all kinds. Apple, Facebook, Uber and Bosch, among others, are all nearby.
No word, as yet, as to what will happen with the smiling fish sign.
