Pittsburgh’s historic
Granite Building, located at 313 Sixth Avenue, will soon house five new condominiums. With 3,000 sf per floor, the 8.5-story building features a street level commercial space, 2,000 sf elevator lobby and 1,875 sf mezzanine.
The first round of construction will be finished in mid-December. Residents could begin moving in during spring of 2007.
“I wanted a space I could live in, saw the building and fell in loved with it” says owner Holly Brubach. “I looked at condos everywhere but everything I saw made me love this building more. It was like meeting the guy you want to marry and then dating around him. I bought the building on the assumption that there are five other people who will love it too.”
Architects for the project are Dutch MacDonald and Jeff King of
EDGE studio, and the contractor is
LOI Construction. Buyers can purchase a raw “vanilla box” unit with HVAC, plumbing and electrical services delivered, or a fully built-out condo. Residents will have access to concierge and valet services.
A self-described “architecture maven,” Brubach cites the building’s roomy rectangular spaces as selling points. “There are 14-20 windows per floor and every ceiling is at least twelve feet.” Original architectural elements like tile wainscoting, decorative arches and marble fire stairs have been preserved.
Built in 1889, The Granite Building was designed by Bickle and Brennan for German National Bank. Sally Beauty occupies the ground floor.
"My New York friends think Pittsburgh is one of America’s best-kept secrets,” says Brubach, who is making the city her permanent home. “Pittsburgh underestimates itself enormously. It is a terrific destination for creative people.”
A long-time
New York Times style editor, Brubach, a Pittsburgh native, also worked in Italy in product development.
Writer: Jennifer Baron
Source: Holly Brubach, president, StudioHollyBrubach, LLC
Photograph copyright © Jonathan Greene