Congress for New Urbanism awards ongoing success of Market Square Place

06.2014Building, Firm News, Places

By Administrator

The Congress for New Urbanism (CNU) honored the Market Square Place project with a Charter Award of Merit for the Best Block as part of its 2014 Global Awards Program for Excellence in Urban Design.

Designed by Strada and developed by Millcraft Investments, Market Square Place exemplifies the tenets of smart urban development. By joining together seven historic buildings in downtown Pittsburgh, it tackled adaptive reuse at multiple scales and established a model for the preservation of historic urban fabric. It also drew a thriving new mix of tenants, residents, and visitors to a block that was long vacant.

The results of this project affirm the principles of CNU, most specifically by treating the district as a cultural and historical resource and by supporting a livable, walkable, safe, and publicly accessible streetscape that re-establishes the continuity of an urban society.

Revitalization of this block illustrated the possibilities for downtown development and has paved the way for other adaptive reuse projects nearby. Market Square Place is now a cornerstone of a thriving commercial district and a public square that hosts a robust range of programming, including outdoor markets, holiday performances, and large-scale art installations.

The award was presented at the 22nd Annual Congress for the New Urbanism in Buffalo, New York on June 5, 2014. Strada accepted the award on behalf of the project team of Millcraft Investments, developer; Tedco Construction, general contractor; Atlantic Engineering Services, structural engineer; Tower Construction Services, MEP engineer; DRS Architects, designers of the YMCA fit-out; and Dennis Marsico, project photographer.

Congress for New Urbanism’s feature about Market Square Place.

Cast iron façade on Forbes Avenue (This photo and top photo: Dennis Marsico)

Farmers’ Market in the square; Market Square Place beyond at left (photo: Strada)