Pittsburgh's landscape is poised for a historic makeover as the Senator John Heinz History Center receives the go-ahead to begin an ambitious expansion project. According to WPXI, the Pittsburgh Planning Commission has greenlit the nonprofit's plan, paving the way for a new wing stretching 70,000 to 80,000 square feet along the corner of 13th Street. Chip Desmone, CEO of Desmone Architects, envisions the expansion as part of treating the block as a "campus," aiming to blend the old with the modern.
Matching excited strides with history, CBS News Pittsburgh reported a slightly higher scope, with an addition of 92,000 square feet in the works, incorporating a new six-story wing. The history center's president, Andy Masich, acknowledges the forthcoming inconvenience, stating, "People will have to pardon our dust, but expand we must." This statement, currently undergoing demolition, will soon transform into a plaza, Pittsburgh's official welcome center, a café, classrooms, gallery spaces, and even a cozy 150-seat auditorium.
According to CBS News Pittsburgh, the expansion is more than just a space enlarger—it's a historical leap. Not since 2004 has the center dared such a feat, a period that followed its affiliation with the Smithsonian Institution. Masich betrays a twinkle of nostalgia and anticipation as he recalls the network's significance while looking forward to the center's transformation into what he calls a "destination attraction." Underneath the anticipation of dust and development lies an unshakable belief in the vitality of preserving history, with Masich adding that "History is more important today than ever before."
