Station Square
Encyclopedia
South Shore (Pittsburgh)
The South Shore is a neighborhood in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania South Side. The South Shore consists of the area surrounding Carson Street, from the West End Bridge to the Liberty Bridge.The South Shore is an industrial neighborhood, home to several warehouses...
neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
With 275000 square feet (25,548.3 m²) of retail space, it features 65 stores, restaurants and entertainment venues, including The Ampthitheatre at Station Square and the 396-room Sheraton at Station Square. As one of Pittsburgh’s largest tourist destinations, it attracts more than three million people annually. It is also frequented by Pittsburgh natives because of its many shops, restaurants and live performances. The retail development was built at the location of a former station on the Pittsburgh and Lake Erie Railroad
Pittsburgh and Lake Erie Railroad
The Pittsburgh and Lake Erie Railroad , also known as the "Little Giant", was formed on May 11, 1875. Company headquarters were located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The line connected Pittsburgh in the east with Youngstown, Ohio at nearby Haselton, Ohio in the west and Connellsville, ...
, with some of the original structures such as the freight house building and the elegant concourse being converted into restaurants and a shopping mall. Proximity to a stop
Station Square (PAT station)
Station Square is a Transit station on the Port Authority of Allegheny County's light rail network. It is the last Transit station on the south side of the Monongahela River.This station is named for the nearby mixed-use development Station Square...
on the Port Authority of Allegheny County
Port Authority of Allegheny County
Port Authority of Allegheny County is the second-largest public transit agency in Pennsylvania and the 11th-largest in the United States. When considering that its service area is the 20th largest in the U.S...
'T' Pittsburgh Light Rail
Pittsburgh Light Rail
The Pittsburgh Light Rail is a light rail system in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; it functions as a subway in Downtown Pittsburgh and largely as an at-grade light rail service in the suburbs. The system is owned and operated by the Port Authority of Allegheny County...
system, and the dock for the Gateway Clipper Fleet
Gateway Clipper Fleet
The Gateway Clipper Fleet founded by John E. Connelly is a Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania-based fleet of riverboats. The fleet cruises the three rivers of Pittsburgh- the Monongahela, the Allegheny, and the Ohio. The fleet is named after the city of Pittsburgh, which in earlier times was known as the...
of local river cruise boats makes Station Square a major parking and jumping-off point for activities and events around the city. The property is operated by Forest City Enterprises
Forest City Enterprises
Forest City Enterprises is a $9-billion diversified real estate management and development company based in Cleveland, Ohio, United States. Its portfolio includes interests in retail centers, apartment communities, office buildings and mixed-use projects in the U.S...
.
In 1979, the Station Square complex was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
as the "Pittsburgh and Lake Erie Railroad Complex."
History
Station Square was conceptualized by Arthur P. Ziegler, Jr.Arthur P. Ziegler, Jr.
Arthur P. Ziegler, Jr. is a leading American preservationist, urbanist, writer and activist. He is best known for the creation of Pittsburgh History and Landmarks Foundation , a non-profit preservation organization created in response to the destructive urban renewal policies of the 1950s in...
, one of the founding national leaders of historic preservation in the United States, and President of the Pittsburgh History and Landmarks Foundation
Pittsburgh History and Landmarks Foundation
The Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Foundation is a nonprofit organization founded in 1964 to support the preservation of historic buildings and neighborhoods in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA....
, or Landmarks. Landmarks developed the site in 1976 as a mixed-use historic adaptive reuse
Adaptive reuse
Adaptive reuse refers to the process of reusing an old site or building for a purpose other than which it was built or designed for. Along with brownfield reclamation, adaptive reuse is seen by many as a key factor in land conservation and the reduction of urban sprawl...
development that gave the foundation the opportunity to put its urban planning principles into practice. Aided by an initial generous gift from the Allegheny Foundation
Allegheny Foundation
The Allegheny Foundation is a philanthropic organization in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and part of the Scaife Foundations. Richard Mellon Scaife endowed the foundation and serves as the chairman. It makes grants to historical, educational, political, and environmental organizations, especially...
in 1976, Landmarks adapted five historic Pittsburgh and Lake Erie Railroad
Pittsburgh and Lake Erie Railroad
The Pittsburgh and Lake Erie Railroad , also known as the "Little Giant", was formed on May 11, 1875. Company headquarters were located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The line connected Pittsburgh in the east with Youngstown, Ohio at nearby Haselton, Ohio in the west and Connellsville, ...
buildings for new uses and added a hotel, a dock for the Gateway Clipper Fleet
Gateway Clipper Fleet
The Gateway Clipper Fleet founded by John E. Connelly is a Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania-based fleet of riverboats. The fleet cruises the three rivers of Pittsburgh- the Monongahela, the Allegheny, and the Ohio. The fleet is named after the city of Pittsburgh, which in earlier times was known as the...
, and parking areas. Now shops, offices, restaurants and entertainment anchor the historic riverfront site on the south shore of the Monongahela River
Monongahela River
The Monongahela River is a river on the Allegheny Plateau in north-central West Virginia and southwestern Pennsylvania in the United States...
, opposite the Golden Triangle (Pittsburgh). It reflects a $100 million investment from all sources, with the lowest public cost and highest taxpayer return of any major renewal project in the Pittsburgh region since the 1950s. In 1994, Pittsburgh History and Landmarks Foundation sold Station Square in to Cleveland owned Forest City Enterprises
Forest City Enterprises
Forest City Enterprises is a $9-billion diversified real estate management and development company based in Cleveland, Ohio, United States. Its portfolio includes interests in retail centers, apartment communities, office buildings and mixed-use projects in the U.S...
which created an endowment to help support its restoration efforts and educational programs. Each year the staff and docents of Pittsburgh History and Landmarks Foundation introduce more than 10,000 people — teachers, students, adults and visitors — to the architectural heritage of the Pittsburgh region and to the value of historic preservation.