Bethel Park Council approves apartment plans near T Station
Construction of a 301-unit apartment complex next to the South Hills Village T Station should begin in the spring, as council approved the plans at its Jan. 12 meeting.
Mayor Jack Allen touted the $45 million development as an example of the municipality’s progress and strength.
“There’s a lot going on in Bethel Park in 2015,” he said while delivering his annual state of the municipality address.
Atlanta-based Dawson Company will develop the 6.4-acre site, which used to be a park-and-ride lot, through a partnership with Massaro Corporation of Pittsburgh. The complex will consist of four buildings and have a variety of one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments.
“It gives people the convenience of apartment living and gives them access to Downtown through the light rail system,” said Bailey T. Pope, vice president of design and sustainable initiatives for Dawson Co.
Pope said the units would be upscale and the monthly rent would likely range from just over $1,000 to about $2,000, depending on the size of the apartment.
Construction will take about 16 months, so the first residents should start moving in by summer 2016.
Port Authority, which owns the land, has been looking for a way to develop the former parking lot for several years. Dawson has a long-term lease and it will pay property taxes to the county, municipality and school district.
Councilman Jim McLean thanked the developer for hosting a public meeting to explain the project and he praised the quality of the work that went into the plans.
In another matter, resident Beverly Moot expressed frustration about the process to obtain an insurance settlement to pay for water damage to her home. Her house on McPherson Avenue was flooded 14 weeks ago while fire crews worked to extinguish a house fire nearby.
Moot said she finally reached a settlement, but “the entire process has been too much for too long.
“We should not have had to fight so hard for what is right.”
More recently, Bethel Park Volunteer Fire Co. encountered a different problem while fighting a house fire Jan. 11 on Willow Glen Drive. A frozen fire hydrant forced crews to run a half-mile of hose to another water source.
Fire Chief Dave Gerber said extreme weather froze the line and that the water company will fix the issue. (See related story.)