5135 Penn Avenue is a three-story mixed-use building along a major corridor road in Garfield, Pittsburgh. The building had been sitting vacant, and its historic storefront had been replace with dark brick and glass block. The large upper story bay windows on the front façade were repaired and repainted, and a new, more historically appropriate, storefront was built on the first floor. The original brick was also cleaned, making the whole building lighter and more inviting.
On the interior, the first floor was fitted-out as a white box, for easy re-use by future tenants. Two existing apartments, one each on the second and third floors, were redesigned and updated to provide new housing in the up-and-coming neighborhood. An enclosed internal stairwell provided the necessary egress upgrades to the building, and all MEP systems were re-done. The project helped continue the work of reclaiming the Penn Avenue Arts District between Bloomfield and Garfield as an important business corridor in the city, while maintaining its original character.
Completion: 2018
Categories: Mixed-Use