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Officials break ground for new Pittsburgh Airport Innovation Campus

FINLEY TOWNSHIP, Pa. — With shovels in hand, county, state and university officials broke ground Thursday on the future home of the Pittsburgh Airport Innovation Campus at Pittsburgh International Airport.

The campus is being built on a 195-acre parcel of land across from Dicks Sporting Goods world headquarters.

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It’s intended to spur economic vitality and hundreds of new jobs.

“This is a big, big deal not only for Pittsburgh, southwestern Pennsylvania, and Allegheny County, but for Pennsylvania," Secretary of Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development Dennis Davin said.  “And put Pennsylvania on the map and make it more competitive than it is right now for businesses to locate here.”

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The Innovation Campus will feature office and retail space, along with research and development labs and light manufacturing.  It will eventually connect to the terminal.

“We are just so pleased and excited about the future for this region,” Allegheny County Chief Executive Rich Fitzgerald said.

Construction will begin in two to three years, with the full development of the site to take 10 or more years.

Local universities are involved in this project.

“I'm working very closely with the University of Pittsburgh, Carnegie Mellon, as well as Robert Morris and Carlow on a number of initiatives that will benefit job growth here in this area,” Airport Authority CEO Christina Cassotis said.

The Innovation Campus is modeled after the Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam.