Pittsburgh's Allegheny Riverfront Park getting a new look
Once completed, Allegheny Riverfront Park’s upper promenade will be refreshed, adding green space Downtown, similar to Allegheny Landing across the river on the North Shore.
The cross-river destination project between Downtown Pittsburgh and the North Shore kicked off with a groundbreaking ceremony on Thursday.
The $5.4 million rehabilitation effort is a collaboration between the nonprofit Riverlife, the City of Pittsburgh — which owns and manages Allegheny Riverfront Park — and the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust.
With this project the corners of the park on the city side will be expanded and there will be easier access to the park, which is part of the Sister Bridges Experience, a series of projects designed to connect Allegheny Riverfront Park with Allegheny Landing to create a “vibrant cross-river destination,” according to Riverlife.
Events can be held on the river between the two parks. The bridges can connect things happening in both Downtown and on the North Shore.
Riverlife president and CEO Matthew Galluzzo said the project “bolsters the connection between Pittsburgh’s people, its rivers and its evolving urban landscape.”
For the project, Riverlife and its partners also examined the surrounding assets, including The Andy Warhol Museum and its Pop District, the stadiums on the North Shore, the Cultural District Downtown, and three bridges — the Roberto Clemente Bridge, the Andy Warhol Bridge and the Rachel Carson Bridge.
This connection of the park to the North Shore is part of what Riverlife calls a “Completing the Loop vision plan.”
The loop encompasses 15 miles of riverfronts extending from the 31st Street Bridge connecting Troy Hill to the Strip District, the West End Bridge, and the Hot Metal Bridge on the South Side.
Mayor Ed Gainey said Riverlife has taken an idea and a vision and turned it into reality.
”I believe that our greatest natural resource is our rivers,” Gainey said. “This project ensures that everyone, residents and visitors alike for generations to come will have the opportunity to enjoy our greatest asset.”
Gainey said this investment comes at a pivotal time when the city is about to host the National Football League Draft in April 2026.
“I tell people all the time: ‘When you come to our city, don’t just make it another place you visit, make it a memory,’ ” Gainey said.
The city will work alongside Riverlife, which has a $1 million endowment to ensure the long-term care and maintenance of the urban space.
The original park was designed by landscape architecture firm Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates and artists Ann Hamilton and Michael Mercil. The architecture firm will consult with the design lead, LBA, a local landscape architecture firm.
”These are community spaces,” said state Sen. Wayne Fontana, D-Brookline. “They’re venues where neighbors and visitors can come together and socialize.”
Frank J. Zottola Construction is handing the project, which is part of Downtown’s broader revitalization efforts for Arts Landing (a new outdoor civic space nearby), Market Square and Point State Park.
The work will include paving, removal of some trees and the planting of 35, creating better views and more space for food vendors, temporary public art and other programming.
“I’m a connector and I have the opportunity to connect resources and funds in Harrisburg to projects like this one,” said state Rep. Aerion Andrew Abney, D-Manchester.
The original idea for the park came in the early 1990s from Carol Brown, who was then president and CEO of the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust. She said she saw that this area of the city had so much potential and it was important to have access to the river. Brown said then-Gov. Tom Ridge supported the idea.
“This is an absolutely fabulous morning for me to be able to witness the beginning of the reconstruction of the Allegheny Riverfront Park,” Brown said.
JoAnne Klimovich Harrop is a TribLive reporter covering the region's diverse culinary scene and unique homes. She writes features about interesting people. The Edward R. Murrow award-winning journalist began her career as a sports reporter. She has been with the Trib for 26 years and is the author of "A Daughter's Promise." She can be reached at jharrop@triblive.com.
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