A Washington County factory that sat quiet for years is officially back on the board. Developers Crossgates and the Elmhurst Group have transformed the long-dormant Brockway Glass plant site into a 100,000-square-foot distribution center spread over nearly 20 acres, reviving a rail-served brownfield near Interstate 70 and Interstate 79. Lighthouse Electric signed its lease while the building was still under construction, and that early move-in commitment triggered a planned second phase of roughly 65,000 square feet. The newly branded Brockway Commerce Center is being marketed to logistics firms, electrical contractors, and light industrial users.
From Brownfield Eyesore To Award Winner
According to CoStar, Project Brockway was named redevelopment of the year in Pittsburgh at the CoStar Impact Awards, with judges highlighting both the local partnership and the project's community upside. "Brockway is a strategic partnership between two local developers. This is key for future growth in our region," Patrick Sentner told CoStar, while other judges pointed to the "very high degree of difficulty" involved in turning the old glass plant into modern industrial space. The award also cited the use of grant programs that required prevailing-wage labor and domestically sourced materials.
Built For Trucks, Cranes And Everything In Between
Broker and listing materials describe the new structure as a flexible Class A industrial building with 32-foot clear heights, multiple dock doors, and space for drive-in ramps and a large truck court. Those specs are reflected in property listings that call out tilt-up concrete panels, a conventional steel frame, and other heavy-industrial features suited to distribution and light manufacturing. LoopNet specifically notes the 32-foot clear height and dock configurations.
Preleasing Puts Market Demand In Sharp Focus
Newmark's Pittsburgh industrial market report states that the 100,000-square-foot first phase was completed and fully preleased to Lighthouse Electric, a local electrical contractor that took the entire building. Newmark adds that the deal underscores continuing demand for quality industrial product in the region, while local coverage from WPXI reports that brokers were already fielding interest totaling several hundred thousand square feet before the Lighthouse lease went public.
Public Money, Cleanup Work And A Local Reset
The Redevelopment Authority of Washington County says the project advanced with a mix of state and local grants that helped pay for demolition, environmental remediation, a new access road, and stormwater infrastructure. RACW and industry reporting describe a roughly $21 million public-private effort that turned the long-idle glass complex into a shovel-ready site, a necessary step given the property's decades of vacancy. Trade coverage also credits creative construction and financing strategies that kept the project viable during a tight lending environment.
What Comes Next
Developers plan to add a second phase of about 65,000 square feet, which will be marketed to additional logistics and light industrial tenants, according to project materials from Elmhurst. County and development officials say the reuse is expected to support construction jobs and widen the region's industrial base by delivering modern, highway-accessible space that had been in short supply in recent years.
