Architectural and Engineering Feasibility Study
Properties Located in Garfield Neighborhood
City of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Client Challenge
During the middle 1980s, the City of Pittsburgh, in Pennsylvania experienced rapid decline in economic activity and population growth. Most of the workforce within the City commuted from suburban neighborhoods. After 6.00 p.m. every weekday, the City of Pittsburgh essentially was deserted for the suburbs. There were little or no activities in the downtown section of the City. Through studies conducted by several regional and national agencies, the City became aware of the need for high quality affordable inclusive housing, specifically designed for the City’s workforce. Such inclusive housing would promote in-migration back to the City.
As part of the comprehensive plan to revitalize the City of Pittsburgh, the Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh (HACP) entered into an agreement with the Garfield Jubilee Association (GJA) to develop several properties in the Garfield Neighborhood of the City. In order to implement the development of the properties, HACP needed to verify that the properties could indeed be developed. Therefore, HACP issued a task order request to Multi-Lynx Companies, Inc. to conduct feasibility and other studies to ascertain the viability of developing the identified properties.
Scope of Work
The feasibility study identified several options that illustrate the ideal number of residential units suitable for each identified property, optimum number and size of bedrooms, and the suitability or otherwise of each property to accommodate Uniform Federal Accessibility Standards, UFAS-designated units. Development of properties to accommodate three and four-bedroom UFAS-designated units was the option preferred by HACP.
Multi-Lynx prepared a Feasibility Study Report that presented an assessment and evaluation of several properties located in the Garfields neighborhood of the City of Pittsburgh. The Report provided the data necessary to support the development or otherwise of several identified properties. The recommendations in the Report were based partly on Environmental Site Assessments of the properties conducted by Multi-Lynx Companies, Inc., and on topographic and property surveys of the properties also conducted by Multi-Lynx.
