Construction underway at new riverfront townhome community in O'Hara
A chance meeting by a third-generation home builder from Plum resulted in the newest housing development in O’Hara.
Domenic Ricciuti Jr., vice president of Ricciuti Enterprise, broke ground this spring on Miramar Landings, a 38-unit riverfront townhome community at 1 River Road.
Located on the former site of Bell Harbor Yacht Club, the community spans nearly 5 acres along the banks of the Allegheny River.
Ricciuti recently provided a tour of the riverfront living project.
“This has always been what our family did. We develop our own piece of ground and custom build it out ourselves,” Ricciuti said.
The former marina dates to the 1960s.
“They just couldn’t make it happen,” Ricciuti said of the underperforming marina.
Ricciuti stumbled across the property when he was looking for a spot to dock his boat.
He called the number and one thing led to another. Ricciuti Enterprise purchased the property in 2020.
After years of planning and development, the upscale, walkable neighborhood is taking shape and being developed by River Road Development Group LLC.
“Coming off of covid, things were moving slow — about a year to get through approvals — and that project was delayed, which in turn delayed our project,” Ricciuti said.
Construction crews finally broke ground in the spring.
Charles Steinert, who serves as O’Hara’s engineer and director of community development, described the project as significant.
“The transformation of an old, dilapidated marina into a vibrant space will enhance the area for both the new homeowners and the broader community, offering a welcoming space for all to enjoy,” Steinert said.
While Miramar’s amenities are privately owned, Steinert said developer riverfront overlay requirements include access to the river.
“This includes a public access dock, a fishing area and picnic facilities. While these amenities are privately owned, they’ll be open to everyone,” Steinert said. “The new riverfront development in Miramar will provide all residents with greater access to the river.”
Unique amenities
Unit sales have been brisk, according to Howard Hanna’s vice president and regional manager of new construction, Darlene Hunter of the South Hills, and Howard Hanna Realtor Colleen Steigerwalt of Fox Chapel.
Five townhomes already are under contract.
“We have some very serious interest on the model home,” Hunter said.
State-of-the-art amenities include elevator options in every unit, generator-equipped capabilities and custom electric deck blinds.
The buyers represent a mixed demographic, with many prospective buyers hailing from New Mexico, Florida and Colorado and having multiple residences.
“You have retired people and they’re downsizing, families, and some people are relocating from all over the country,” Steigerwalt said.
Each unit has three levels, and the townhomes are paired and uniquely positioned as an end townhouse.
“Sales have been better than expected given the current climate, and I think it’s because of location, location, location,” Ricciuti said.
Miramar is near Route 28 and sits off Boyd Avenue near Blawnox.
The property features direct river access and will have a homeowners association.
The townhomes, located in the Fox Chapel Area School District, will feature maintenance-free living.
Building plans include a soundproof barrier fence at the rear of the property.
The units are custom-built and offer three or four bedrooms, 21/2 baths, a two-car garage and approximately 2,800 square feet of living space. Base pricing begins at $690,000 and peaks at just under a million dollars.
“Most of our customers are downsizing from a very large home, and they’re used to that experience,” Ricciuti said. “We offer a custom building experience. We’ll flip floor plans and work with them. Open floor plans, custom tile showers and specialty items like generators (these units are prepped for generators), fireplaces and custom motorized shades on the decks.”
The dock eventually will be another amenity after extensive refurbishing.
“I grew up around the river, on boats, and we used to dock at Oakmont Yacht Club when I was a kid,” said Ricciuti, who grew up in Penn Hills
Miramar Landings and the 78 slips at The Docks at Miramar Landings will be two separate HOAs.
Currently, the docks are seasonally leased, but no winter dockage is offered because of ongoing construction at the site.
“We offer on-site boat dockage and river access, and that’s very unique,” Ricciuti said.
Joyce Hanz is a native of Charleston, S.C. and is a features reporter covering the Pittsburgh region. She majored in media arts and graduated from the University of South Carolina. She can be reached at jhanz@triblive.com
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