Defunct Pittsburgh Power Plant to Become Residential Tower

A decommissioned steam heat plant will be redeveloped into almost 100 affordable housing units.

1 minute read

July 4, 2025, 6:00 AM PDT

By Diana Ionescu @aworkoffiction


Google street view of red brick multi-story power plant building in Pittsburgh, PA.

The Pittsburgh Planning Commission approved a plan to convert the former steam heat plant into housing. | Google Maps / 120 Cecil Place

A former power plant in Pittsburgh will be converted to housing, reports Madaleine Rubin in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. The Pittsburgh Planning Commission approved the adaptive reuse plan last week. “Developers will maintain an existing smokestack atop the structure that once generated steam heat and energy for other Downtown properties. But new stainless steel tiles will adorn the facade, while inside the building, 97 apartments will add to the city’s affordable housing stock — the latest in a string of conversion projects in Downtown.”

The new development will reserve 40 percent of units for the Pittsburgh Scholar House, a nonprofit that helps single parents access education. “Most units will be large enough to accommodate families, and affordable to residents earning between 20% and 80% of the area’s median income,” according to Rubin.

Tuesday, July 1, 2025 in Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

July 16, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Green vintage Chicago streetcar from the 1940s parked at the Illinois Railroad Museum in 1988.

Chicago’s Ghost Rails

Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.

July 13, 2025 - WTTV

Blue and silver Amtrak train with vibrant green and yellow foliage in background.

Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail

The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.

July 14, 2025 - Smart Cities Dive

Rendering of proposed protected bikeway in Santa Clara, California.

Silicon Valley ‘Bike Superhighway’ Awarded $14M State Grant

A Caltrans grant brings the 10-mile Central Bikeway project connecting Santa Clara and East San Jose closer to fruition.

July 17 - San José Spotlight

Group of anti-gentrification protesters holding signs like "Tourist go home" in Mexico City.

Mexico City Anti-Gentrification Plan Aims to Half Housing Deficit

The plan comes in response to protests that targeted ‘digital nomads’ who locals blame for driving up housing costs.

July 17 - Mexico News Daily

Small oundabout with plants on neighborhood street.

Chicago Has Quietly Built Hundreds of Neighborhood Traffic Circles

Thanks largely to one alderperson’s efforts, the city has made mini-roundabouts a key piece of its road safety strategy.

July 17 - WBEZ