About this project

Since the Pittsburgh Downtown Plan of the 1990s, the Allegheny Center shopping mall has been marked as a zone to be reworked and reconnected to its surroundings. The construction of the mall in the 1960s disrupted the historic street grid of Allegheny City (annexed by Pittsburgh in 1907), and along with the burgeoning highway system, formed a barrier between the North Side and  downtown.

Strada worked with Faros Properties, who recently purchased this property, to create a master plan for its renewal. The vision outlines a number of clear goals: to strengthen the connection to downtown to invite pedestrian traffic; to connect with neighboring destinations, including the Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh and the New Hazlett Theater; to develop spaces that are attractive to high-tech innovators and other corporate tenants; and to reinvigorate public spaces both indoors and out. Re-branded as Nova Place, the former mall will include workspaces, improved common areas, restaurants, and retailers. A central plaza and an airy, freshly-planted central hall will continue the tradition of public greenspace established in the original plan for Allegheny City and its surrounding commons.

The Nova Place Master Plan aims to build connectivity within the community, activating an underused structure and bringing it forward as catalyst for the neighborhood.