Developers Crossgates and Elmhurst Group transformed the nearly 20-acre, rail-served former Brockway Glass Plant site into a 100,000-square-foot distribution center designed to meet the evolving needs of logistics, electrical and light industrial users, with more space to come.
The redevelopment represented a broader effort to reposition a long-dormant industrial property within an area that has seen limited private investment in recent years.
The rewards came quickly. While construction was underway, local electrical contractor Lighthouse Electric signed a tenant lease, leading to the award of a second phase of the project, which will add 65,000 square feet of distribution space.
A panel of local industry professionals chose the redevelopment, dubbed Project Brockway, as the winner of a CoStar Impact Award for redevelopment of the year in Pittsburgh, based on the development team's commitment to economic and community benefits, including the use of grants mandating 100% prevailing wage labor and 100% U.S.-manufactured steel.
About the project: With architectural design by GMA Architects, the building features 32-foot clear heights, nine dock positions, two drive-in ramps and tilt-up concrete construction with a conventional steel structure, allowing flexibility for a range of tenants.
What the judges said: "Brockway is a strategic partnership between two local developers. This is key for future growth in our region," said Patrick Sentner, executive vice president at Colliers.
Adarryl Dreher, director of capital markets at Cushman & Wakefield, cited the "very high degree of difficulty" in transforming a brownfield site into a 100,000-square-foot modern facility while navigating a strategic public-private partnership.
They made it happen: Robert Sapsara, vice president at Crossgates; Brian Miller, director of development at Elmhurst Group; Jenna Martini, operating partner at Arco National Construction; Ethan Kroh, operations manager at Arco National Construction; Adam Honaker, construction superintendent at Arco Design/Build; and the team at GMA Architects.