A new $25 million
Hilton Garden Inn planned for Downtown Pittsburgh will bring much-needed hotel rooms to the Golden Triangle.
Developer Kratsa Properties and Allegheny County Executive Dan Onorato unveiled design plans on July 7 for a 156-room Hilton Garden Inn that will be built on a half-acre site that formerly housed the Allegheny County Jail Annex.
"The Hilton Garden product is fairly new. The closest one is in Southpointe." says David Cocco, with Kratsa Properties. "It targets business travelers and offer all of the amenities they're looking for. It's the right brand for that specific location."
Located at the corner of Fourth Ave. and Ross St., the six-story hotel will feature a 138-space subsurface parking garage and a restaurant and café with outdoor seating. “The Hilton brand is really underserved in the Pittsburgh market,” adds Louie Calabria with Kratsa, who says the eatery will be run by a Pittsburgh restaurateur with a significant Downtown presence.
The
Allegheny County Industrial Development Authority approved the $1.55 million sale of the site in December 2007. Designed by Burt Hill, hotel plans will be submitted to the city’s contextual design advisory panel for recommendations, and presented before the
City of Pittsburgh Planning Commission for approval. No public money is being used to fund the development.
Hamar-based Kratsa Properties hopes to break ground on the Hilton Garden Inn in late 2008. The company is also developing a 180-suite
Residence Inn by
Marriott on Pittsburgh’s North Shore, and expects to break ground on a 124-room Residence Inn on Rte. 22 in Wilkins Township before the end of 2008.
Writer:
Jennifer BaronSources: David Cocco and Louie Calabria, Kratsa Properties; Megan Dardanell, Allegheny County
Image courtesy Allegheny County and Kratsa Properties