The 1.3-mile stretch of riverfront along the former LTV Coke Works in Hazelwood is a collection of rusting industrial relics, from a pump house to coal loaders and catwalks. Now Almono LP, owner of the sprawling 178-acre site known as Hazelwood Green, is seeking to connect a restored riverfront to the community while preserving some of its past.
With the help of the Pennsylvania Environmental Council, it will take the next year to develop a master plan to position the 21 acres of Monongahela riverfront for recreational use.
For the most part, the riverfront, which ranges from 55 feet to 200 feet wide in places, has been off-limits to Hazelwood residents and the general public for more than 100 years. But the Almono partnership — made up of The Heinz Endowments, the Richard King Mellon Foundation and the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation — is seeking to change that as part of the redevelopment of former coke works.
“This master planning process is founded on the view that the riverfront is common ground. The project team will be asking for public input and feedback at each stage of design to ensure that we create an inclusive place that users of all abilities and interests can enjoy with full accommodation and sense of belonging,” said Todd Stern, managing director of U3 Advisors, which is serving as a development consultant to Almono on Hazelwood Green.
View the full article by Mark Belko on the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette website.