The New Granada Building, a Hill District landmark that has stared down more than its share of false starts, just got a fresh shot of state money to help finally bring its ground floor back to life.
The Shapiro administration has awarded the Hill Community Development Corporation a $1 million Main Street Matters grant to renovate part of the historic building on Centre Avenue in Pittsburgh’s Hill District. The funding is targeted at the New Granada’s first floor as the broader New Granada Square redevelopment keeps moving ahead.
Gov. Josh Shapiro and Department of Community and Economic Development Secretary Rick Siger announced on May 26 that the state is putting $17.2 million into 56 community projects through the Main Street Matters program. That round includes a $1,000,000 award to the Hill CDC and roughly $4.52 million total for projects across the Pittsburgh region, according to DCED.
The grant arrives as construction on New Granada Square continues. Work on the first phase began in 2021, and the restoration has been described as a roughly $36 million project that will include 40 apartments, ground-floor retail, and a 20,000-square-foot University of Pittsburgh Community Engagement Center, as reported by Pittwire.
What the grant will pay for
The Hill CDC says the new state money will help build out active, revenue-generating spaces on the first floor that can host food businesses, performers, and small entrepreneurs. Plans for New Granada Square include a food hall, flexible event space, and five storefronts totaling about 5,000 square feet, according to Hill CDC.
Timeline and retail details
City planning documents identify the New Granada Square commercial block as 2023–2033 Centre Avenue and show storefronts that range from roughly 750 to 1,500 square feet. A March 16 development meeting highlighted those unit sizes and noted a projected date of completion around September, according to a City of Pittsburgh report.
State officials say the Main Street Matters program drew more than 220 applications, a sign that neighborhood commercial corridors are still fighting for resources and attention. “Main Streets are the beating heart of our communities,” Shapiro said in the DCED announcement.
Hill CDC leaders say they plan to share construction start dates and tenant announcements for New Granada’s retail and community spaces as work progresses. For now, the extra $1 million pushes the long-awaited comeback of one of Centre Avenue’s most storied addresses a little closer to reality.
