Kaufmann's building enters new era as high-tech hotel, office space

The Kaufmann name is back in Pittsburgh.

Officials were supposed to meet under the famous Kaufmann's clock on Wednesday to cut the ribbon to mark the next phase of a $100 million project, but the rain moved everything inside to the building that was once home to Macy's and Kaufmann's Department Store before that.

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But the new Kaufmann’s Grand on Fifth doesn't look like a department store anymore.

Soon, there will be 311 upscale apartments promising some smart technology.

“That allows you to do everything from making coffee in the morning, to putting shades down, to having all the lights on and off,” said developer Michael Samschick. “Hands-free. No more hands, all verbal.”

A 150-room luxury hotel will be ready in the spring, featuring an atrium with a glass roof and a restaurant on the top floor, all with dramatic views of the city.

The transformation has been underway since Macy's closed in 2015, and developers promised to keep a lot of the original features, including the historic Kaufmann’s clock.

“When you walk through it and see it, you're going to be quite surprised,” Samschick said.

The first two floors of this renovated building are going to include restaurants, shops, and offices, and there’s good news if you plan to come here to see what the old Kaufmann's has become: there will be 600 parking spaces in the building.

Cox Media Group