A 170,000 square-foot warehouse in
Manchester is currently being renovated by
South Side-based
dggp Architecture. Located at 1,500 Preble Ave., the mixed-use Metro Center project will feature 52,000 square feet of open, flex office space, as well as light production and warehouse facilities.
The oldest section of the brick and timber frame building—once home to a mattress factory and storage facilities—was constructed in 1897. Dave Colaizzi of
Metro Burgh Properties recently purchased the six-story property. Metro Center will also feature a 3,000 square-foot, first-floor space that may house a restaurant and coffee shop, much-needed amenities in Manchester. Offices will range in size from 1,000 to 10,000 square feet.
Located near the
Pittsburgh Builders Exchange,
Manchester Craftsmen’s Guild and a marina, Metro Center will feature exposed wood, restored brick and 12-14-foot ceilings. “We’re doing modern interventions to facilitate the reuse of a historic structure. It will be designed to meet
LEED criteria,” says Kent Suhrbier, with dggp, who designed
WYEP’s green studio. “People are pulling things together over there.
Duquesne Light is adding new power feeds. They’re working to bring Verizon fiber optics and high-speed lines into that zone.” Metro Center will feature high R-value walls, a white reflective roof, and high-performance Keystone windows manufactured in Newcastle.
Completed spaces will be available for lease in early 2008. Anchor tenant
Five Star Development, Inc. will occupy approximately 15,000 square feet. The project’s second phase may include residential units. “There’s the potential for large-scale live-work spaces, two or three thousand square-foot residences that are more raw," says Suhrbier.
Writer:
Jennifer BaronSource: Kent Suhrbier, dggp Architecture
Image courtesy of dggp Architecture