Bedford Dwellings Expansion Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh carries a lot of history in its hills. Few places carry more of it than the Hill District. Right now, the Bedford Dwellings expansion Pittsburgh residents have pushed for over decades is finally happening. This is not another press release. It is active construction, federal funding, and a real commitment to change. If you own property nearby, or simply follow Pittsburgh real estate, this matters to you.
Why the Hill District Has Waited So Long
The Hill District was once one of America’s most vibrant Black communities. It had jazz legends, thriving businesses, and a deep cultural identity. Then came the 1950s. City officials demolished ninety-five acres of homes in the Lower Hill. Over 8,000 residents lost their homes. The Civic Arena replaced their neighborhood. That decision left a wound that never fully healed.
Bedford Dwellings opened in 1940. It was one of seven public housing communities built in Pittsburgh between 1939 and 1944. President Franklin D. Roosevelt approved it in 1938. Today, it still stands as the oldest occupied public housing site in all of Pennsylvania. For eighty years, its brick barracks-style buildings have looked out over Downtown Pittsburgh.
The Failed First Attempt in 2018
The Housing Authority of Pittsburgh, known as HACP, tried to secure federal funding in 2018. That application only covered the lower Somers Drive section of Bedford Dwellings. The federal government rejected it. However, the housing authority did not give up. They came back with a much larger plan in 2022. This time, they included the entire site and surrounding neighborhood. That decision made all the difference.
The $50 Million Grant That Changed Everything
In July 2023, HACP received a $50 million Choice Neighborhoods Implementation Grant. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, or HUD, awarded it. Pittsburgh competed against roughly forty cities and won one of only eight grants given nationally that year. This grant funds roughly ten to twenty percent of the total project cost. The rest comes from low-income housing tax credits, private development partners, and the URA’s own lending programs.
Mayor Ed Gainey and Pittsburgh City Council pledged an additional $30 million in city funds on top of the federal grant. The Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency provides permanent financing for individual phases. The URA’s Rental Gap Program adds further loan support. Each phase of this project pulls from multiple funding sources. That layered approach is what makes a $400 million total investment possible, and it reflects a broader push toward Pittsburgh affordable housing investment that the city has been building on for years.
What the Grant Requires
HUD’s Choice Neighborhoods program is very specific about what grantees must deliver. HACP must replace every one of the 411 existing units on a one-for-one basis. Beyond that, the plan adds over 400 brand-new units across the Hill District, directly addressing the Pennsylvania housing shortage that has hit low-income communities hardest. In total, more than 820 units of housing will exist when the project is complete.
The breakdown looks like this. There will be 411 deeply affordable replacement units secured with project-based vouchers. There will also be 210 additional affordable units for households earning between 30% and 60% of the area median income. Finally, 202 market-rate units will round out the mixed-income community. The full completion date is set for 2030.
The “Build First, Move Once” Promise
Past public housing redevelopments across American cities often meant one thing for residents. They were displaced, sometimes permanently. HACP made a different commitment this time. The plan follows a strict “build first, move once” strategy. New housing goes up on vacant land first. Only after residents have a confirmed new home does demolition begin on the old buildings.
This approach guarantees the right to return for every current resident. No one gets pushed out to make room for development. Furthermore, every family gets assigned a relocation case manager who stays with them through the entire process. Allegheny County Department of Human Services leads this work, supported by Macedonia Face and the Neighborhood Resilience Project. On-site behavioral health teams and education support programs are also part of this plan.
Who Is Running This Project
Several key partners share responsibility for this redevelopment. HACP is the lead grantee and applicant. They applied for the HUD grant, built the partnerships required to win it, and hold legal responsibility for delivering on every commitment. Trek Development Group serves as the Planning Coordinator, overseeing construction planning across all phases and serving as the private development partner on key sites. The Urban Redevelopment Authority, or URA, manages the Neighborhood portion of the plan. Midpoint Group of Companies is building City’s Edge. The URA’s Pittsburgh Housing Development Corporation supports homeownership opportunities in the area. These partners have been working together since long before the grant was awarded in 2023.
Phase I Is Finished: Welcome to The Reed
October 2025 brought a real celebration to the Hill District. The Reed, a 123-unit mixed-income complex, opened at the intersection of Reed and Roberts Streets. It marks the completion of Phase I of the entire Bedford Dwellings redevelopment. The building has 24 townhomes, a 46-unit family apartment building, and a 53-unit senior high-rise. It sits on a hilltop with sweeping views of Downtown Pittsburgh, Uptown, and the South Side.
Of the 123 total units, 90 are reserved for current Bedford Dwellings residents relocating from the Somers Drive section of the old complex. Those units come with project-based vouchers. Twenty-four units are priced at market rate, and nine are affordable under income-restrictive covenants. New resident William Bey, 64, summed up the move simply: “I got a nice view and it’s comfortable.”
What The Reed Means for the Broader Plan
The Reed is important beyond its 123 units. It proves the strategy works. Community advocate Eugenia Boggus said she was not optimistic when the project started. However, she changed her mind after seeing the results. Over twenty years of community planning went into making The Reed happen. The ribbon-cutting in October 2025 felt less like a ceremony and more like a long exhale.
What Is Being Built Right Now in 2026
Three major construction sites are active or entering construction in 2026. This level of simultaneous activity has not happened before in this project’s history. Therefore, 2026 is shaping up as the most important year yet for the Bedford Dwellings expansion in Pittsburgh.
City’s Edge: 110 Units Opening in Fall 2026
City’s Edge sits on the 1400 block of Stevenson and Colwell Streets. Midpoint Group of Companies is building it. The development will deliver 110 housing units and is expected to open in September or October 2026. City’s Edge broke ground before The Reed and adds much-needed housing stock to a neighborhood that has seen decades of disinvestment.
Phase II: Senior Housing on Francis Street
Bedford Dwellings Phase II sits north of Bedford Avenue near Francis and Morgan Streets. The full Francis Street plan envisions around 180 units across multiple sub-phases, backed by $1 million in PHARE and Realty Transfer Tax funding. The first sub-phase will deliver 60 senior housing units — 50 one-bedroom and 10 two-bedroom apartments — inside an elevator-served building for residents aged 62 and older. Future sub-phases will add elevator buildings, townhomes, and walk-up flats. Townhomes should be ready by summer 2026, with the apartment building following in winter 2026.
Somers Drive: Demolition Before Construction
The Somers Drive section of the old Bedford Dwellings complex is entering its demolition phase in early 2026. Residents there have already begun relocating to The Reed. Once they are settled, the old barracks buildings come down. Construction of new replacement housing begins in summer 2026. This is one of the most visible signs that the project is moving at real speed now.
The Pittsburgh Penguins Step Back From the Lower Hill
For eighteen years, the Pittsburgh Penguins held exclusive development rights to the 28-acre Lower Hill District site. Their subsidiary, Pittsburgh Arena Real Estate Redevelopment, held those rights from 2007 onward. Although the Penguins completed the First National Bank Financial Center and started building The Wylie concert venue, progress was slow. Roughly 21 of the 28 developable acres still sat mostly empty when the rights expired in October 2025.
The URA stepped in immediately alongside the Sports and Exhibition Authority. From that point, the URA moved the process into the public eye and set a clear timeline. The change also ended the old arrangement where tax savings from new Lower Hill development stayed with the Penguins. That money now flows into public funds that benefit the Hill District directly.
The April 2026 URA Vote That Moved Things Forward
At its April 9, 2026 board meeting, the URA took formal action on the Lower Hill. The board approved site control of 1.75 acres at the corner of Centre Avenue and Crawford Street, known as Block A. This land is now earmarked for the next phase of the Bedford Dwellings redevelopment, with HACP and Trek Development Group confirmed as partners. The URA also issued a Request for Proposals for a separate 6.82-acre housing site between Bedford and Centre Avenues along Crawford Street, with developer responses due June 9, 2026.
URA Executive Director Susheela Nemani-Stanger was direct about the obligation. She said the URA helped cause the displacement of the 1950s, and it is now the URA’s responsibility to repair that history.
How Tax Revenue Now Works in the Lower Hill
The old LERTA arrangement, established in 2015, let the Penguins keep tax savings from new Lower Hill development. That arrangement is finished. The URA now manages the Lower Hill Public Infrastructure Fund, which captures payments in lieu of taxes from new development and holds them for specific public uses.
Fifty percent of all tax revenue from new Lower Hill development goes into the Greater Hill District Neighborhood Reinvestment Fund. That money flows to surrounding neighborhoods including Terrace Village, Middle Hill, Upper Hill, Bedford Dwellings, Crawford-Roberts, and the Bluff. At the March 2026 board meeting, the URA approved $930,000 from this fund toward four Hill District projects. Those include African Queens Apartments, a 12-unit affordable housing development by Kingdom Rising LLC, plus artist studios, office rehabilitation, and commercial mixed-use development.
The Neighborhood Plan: More Than Just Housing
The Choice Neighborhoods grant requires neighborhood improvements alongside housing construction. The URA leads this effort. One key project is a new trail park along the Bluff, an area that currently lacks green space and recreation access. Streetscape improvements are also planned for Centre and Herron Avenues, both critical corridors for the Hill District community.
The URA’s Pittsburgh Housing Development Corporation is working to stabilize and prepare eight vacant townhomes on the 2700 block of Bedford Avenue for sale. The URA approved $750,000 in emergency stabilization funding for these properties. First-time homebuyers from the Hill District get priority when these units become available, and buyers must earn at or below 80% of the area median income to qualify.
Strengthening Businesses Along Centre Avenue
The Hill District’s business corridor along Centre Avenue has struggled for years. The URA’s commercial facade grant program approved $500,000 in early 2026 to help local businesses improve their storefronts. These commercial investments run alongside the housing work, not after it, which means the neighbourhood strengthens on multiple fronts at the same time.
The People Behind the Numbers
It is easy to get lost in unit counts and dollar figures. However, the most important part of this project is the people who actually live in Bedford Dwellings. Caster Binion, HACP Executive Director, stood at the 2023 grant announcement and said plainly: “Sometimes ZIP code has an influence on the outcome of your life. We want to interrupt that.” That statement captures exactly what this effort is about.
Josh Moore, 32, grew up in Bedford Dwellings his entire life. He works as a bricklayer and told reporters at the time of the grant announcement that he hoped construction jobs would go to people from the community. The plan specifically intends that outcome. Moreover, the project is expected to generate more than 200 new employment opportunities, with hiring preference given to residents of the surrounding neighborhoods. New residents also bring spending power, and new commercial development supports local business owners. The economic ripple from a $400 million investment in one neighborhood runs wide and deep.
Key Facts: The Full Picture in One Place
Bedford Dwellings currently holds 411 public housing units, all built in 1940. When the full redevelopment is done by 2030, the Hill District will have over 820 units of mixed-income housing spread across multiple sites. The entire investment exceeds $400 million, anchored by a $50 million federal HUD grant won in July 2023. That makes this one of the largest public housing transformations in Pittsburgh’s modern history.
The project runs across six phases. Trek Development Group coordinates construction planning across all of them. HACP owns the land and holds legal accountability as lead grantee. The URA manages neighborhood improvements, tax revenue flow, and homeownership programs. Midpoint Group handles City’s Edge specifically. Allegheny County Department of Human Services, the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency, First National Bank, Citizens Bank, RBC Bank, BNY Mellon, and the Hill Community Development Corporation all play supporting roles. This is not one agency’s project. It is a city-wide effort built on years of community planning and partnership.
Frequently Asked Questions About the Bedford Dwellings Expansion in Pittsburgh
When will the Bedford Dwellings expansion Pittsburgh be complete?
The full project targets completion by 2030. City’s Edge opens in fall 2026. Phase II townhomes on Francis Street finish in summer 2026, with the senior apartment building ready by winter 2026.
Will current residents lose their homes during demolition?
No. New housing is built first. Residents move once into their new home. Demolition of old buildings only begins after that move is confirmed and complete.
Who is in charge of the Bedford Dwellings redevelopment?
HACP is the lead grantee and landowner. Trek Development Group coordinates construction across all phases. The URA leads neighborhood improvements. Midpoint Group builds City’s Edge.
What changed when the Penguins gave up the Lower Hill?
The URA took over development leadership in October 2025. By April 2026, the URA board approved site control of 1.75 acres on Block A for Bedford Dwellings housing and issued an RFP for a larger 6.82-acre housing site on the broader Lower Hill.
How is this project funded beyond the $50 million grant?
Funding comes from a $30 million city pledge, low-income housing tax credits from PHFA, the URA’s Rental Gap Program, private bank financing, and project-based vouchers from HACP. Every phase draws from several of these sources combined.
Conclusion
The Bedford Dwellings expansion Pittsburgh has fought for is no longer just a plan. The Reed is open and occupied. City’s Edge opens this fall. Francis Street is under active construction. The Somers Drive buildings are coming down to make way for something far better. The URA controls Block A of the Lower Hill. Tax revenue from new development is flowing back into the community for the first time.
This neighborhood lost 8,000 residents to urban renewal in the 1950s. It survived the collapse of Pittsburgh’s steel industry and decades of broken promises. What is happening right now is well overdue, and it is real. If you own property in the Hill District or nearby Pittsburgh neighborhoods and want to understand your options, the team at Buys Houses is here to help. Not every homeowner is in a position to wait years for a neighborhood to fully turn around. If you need to sell now, Buys Houses makes it simple, as we buy houses in Pittsburgh in any condition, with no repair costs.