Growth Fund Boosts Centre Avenue Development
by Jason Vrabel, Community Design Center of Pittsburgh


After launching a new economic development strategy earlier this year, the Hill House Economic Development Corporation unveiled its plans for a Family Dollar store at the corner of Centre Avenue and Devilliers Street. On this site sits a vacant structure that was previously occupied by a pharmacy and an auto parts store. With support from the Hill District Growth Fund of the Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC), the project will be the first to incorporate the Centre Avenue Design Guidelines created in 2004-05.

	Conceptual Rendering of Proposed Store Dan Delisio, Architect

According to Hill House Association Executive Director, Evan Frazier, the site was the primary focus of the Economic Development Corporation. “We new that this commercial property offered a real opportunity to bring a neighborhood-serving business into the community,” he said. Following a lead from the URA, the Economic Development Corporation approached Family Dollar, and found that the store was receptive to the idea of a Centre Avenue location.

The initial design, however, was not appropriate for an urban commercial district. Although it had a “main street entrance”, it lacked some of the other design elements that one would expect in an urban setting. But given a tight development budget that had no subsidy, it was not clear how the design could be improved.


Part of the solution came from the Growth Fund in the form of a grant to cover the additional architectural design costs. A new design was developed by architect Dan Delisio that incorporated the design guidelines. Additionally, the Growth Fund awarded a recoverable grant to cover additional construction costs that will be repaid after project completion.


Skip Schwab, Program Director of Southwestern PA LISC, believes that adhering to the guidelines is an important aspect of this project. “For the inaugural project of the Hill House [Economic Development] Corporation, it’s very important that the design meet the standards established by community stakeholders.” Schwab added that in by doing so, this project will set a higher standard for any future development in the corridor.


According to Frazier, major construction should be complete this winter and anticipates the store opening in March.


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