New plans are underway for an iconic space at Pittsburgh’s front door: the International Free Expression Project (IFEP) is planning a celebration of free expression in the now-empty press room of the former Pittsburgh Post-Gazette headquarters downtown.
Known as the Marketplace of Ideas, the proposed initiative will include artwork, performance space, educational exhibits, artisan stalls, video screens, maker spaces and food and beverage concessions. It also will serve as a community center with programming from cultural organizations, schools, museums and others from around the world.
According to Greg Victor, founder and chief executive officer of the IFEP, market and financial analyses show the Marketplace of Ideas could be financially self-sustaining through retail and food and beverage sales alone.
The group is moving into pre-construction activities with a real estate team to establish selection processes for an architect, construction manager and general contractor.
Global real estate developer Tishman Speyer will lead the effort to transform the former LTV Coke Works at Hazelwood Green into a hub for robotics, life sciences and other industries.
The mixed-use development will unfold during the next decade at the 178-acre site. Tishman also has agreed to work with Carnegie Mellon University to help with design, construction and programming at the Robotics Innovation Center planned for Hazelwood Green’s Mill 19 district.
To date, Tishman has acquired, developed and operated 484 properties with a combined value of more than $121 billion. Projects have included the new Yankee Stadium in New York’s Bronx; the firm also owns New York’s Rockefeller Center and is developing Harvard University’s Enterprise Research Campus.
“Pittsburgh has long been a global model for urban reinvention … we look forward to delivering on a shared vision for Hazelwood Green as a sustainable, equitable hub of innovation, discovery and community.”
Tishman Speyer President and CEO Rob Speyer on the announcement that Tishman Speyer will lead the transformation of Hazelwood Green, a 178-acre urban brownfield along Pittsburgh’s Monongahela River
