SouthSide Works to be transformed with $37 million in upgrades

PITTSBURGH — Major changes are planned for Pittsburgh’s SouthSide Works.

When the shopping district first opened, it was all the buzz. But shops started closing years later as business dropped.

Although the SouthSide Works has fallen on hard times in recent years, developers say the space has a bright future.

With a new owner comes new opportunities.

>>PHOTOS: SouthSide Works to undergo $37 million transformation

Owner Somera Road has taken the reins and is focused on an “inside outside” approach that will embrace the town square, nature, green space and the picturesque nearby waterfront.

Somera Road is pumping $37 million into property upgrades.

Part of the plan includes a live performance stage, a dog park, and outdoor eating and drinking space that will welcome “pop-up experiences.”

It doesn’t end there. Somera Road will “flip the script” and transform the old SouthSide Works Cinema into a sprawling office space. It will take on the name the “Box Office.”

>>PREVIOUS STORY: Southside Works Cinema to be transformed into office space

In addition, there are plans to build a 230 multi-unit living space on the waterfront.

People in the area say the changes are welcomed.

“I wish them well and I’ll be there to support them, you know. We used to come down and Christmas shop, and there’s not even any stores for Christmas shopping down here anymore,” Harry Meyer, who lives in the South Side Slopes neighborhood, said.

The company hopes to have the Box Office project finished by the spring of 2021 and start work on others in the near future.

0 of 11