FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Contact
Derek Scalzott, Senior Director of Communications, Pittsburgh Cultural Trust | scalzott@trustarts.org | 412-471-8715
Downtown Revitalization Update:
The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust Celebrates
Construction Groundbreaking at Arts Landing in the Cultural District
A soft opening is expected in April 2026 in time for
the NFL Draft with a grand opening slated for June 2026.
PITTSBURGH, PA, April 29, 2025: Local officials gathered in the Cultural District Tuesday morning at the future home of Arts Landing, a brand-new four-acre outdoor civic space envisioned and operated by the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust. Civic leaders, business owners, and neighbors joined as officials ceremoniously broke ground, marking the beginning of construction for one of the most transformative projects in the Cultural District’s history. The construction site included an improving view of the Three Sisters bridges thanks to an in-progress site-clearing building demolition.
The $31M outdoor destination is a key part of the Downtown Revitalization Vision announced in 2024 by the Allegheny Conference on Community Development, Allegheny County, City of Pittsburgh, and Urban Redevelopment Authority as well as Governor Shapiro’s 10-year $600-million-dollar plan to rejuvenate Downtown Pittsburgh, which he announced at a media event on the same site six months ago. Governor Shapiro visited the site last week to observe progress.
“It’s a momentous day in the Cultural District,” said Kendra Whitlock Ingram, President & CEO of the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust. “We’re grateful to the civic leaders and project partners whose generosity and collaboration helped us reach this milestone. We look forward to sharing progress in the coming months and welcoming our entire community to Arts Landing next year.”
Funding for the construction of Arts Landing is generously provided by the Allegheny Regional Asset District, BNY, Buhl Foundation, Burke Family Foundation, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Colcom Foundation, Dollar Bank, Eden Hall Foundation, Audrey Hillman Fisher Foundation, The Grable Foundation, The Heinz Endowments, Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield, and Henry L. Hillman Foundation. Additional funders are expected to join in support of the project.
Essential support was provided by Governor Shapiro and his team at the Department of Community & Economic Development led by Secretary Rick Siger, Allegheny County Executive Sara Innamorato, and City of Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey.
The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust’s project partners include Field Operations (landscape architect), Larson Design Group (engineering), Mascaro Construction Company (construction manager), and VVA – Drees & Sommer (project manager).
For the February 2025 press release, announcing the Arts Landing name and initial details, visit TrustArts.org/press.
For more information and to sign up for email updates about Arts Landing, visit TrustArts.org/ArtsLanding.
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The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust is one of the nation’s premier arts presenters and a major catalytic influence in Pittsburgh, having overseen one of the city’s most historic transformations: turning a seedy red-light district into a magnet destination for arts-lovers, residents, visitors, and business owners. Founded in 1984, the Cultural Trust presents an array of quality performing and visual arts, provides comprehensive educational experiences, and stewards Pittsburgh’s Cultural District as a national model of economic revitalization through the arts. Lauded as “the single greatest creative force in Pittsburgh,” the Cultural Trust has worked to make Pittsburgh a place where the arts can flourish. The 14-block Cultural District, a project of the Cultural Trust, has become a vibrant center for culture, art, food, and community in downtown Pittsburgh, providing a home for a broad range of performance groups and resident companies. Approximately two million people visit the Cultural District each year, generating more than $300M in economic impact for the region.
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