City commission to hear plans for Trust Building project
A proposed project long on the drawing boards to rehabilitate one of downtown Washington’s landmark buildings will be discussed during a meeting of the city planning commission May 25.
According to a public notice published in Wednesday’s Observer-Reporter, commission members will discuss a conditional-use application for rehabilitation of Washington Trust Building at South Main and East Beau streets.
According to the notice, the project involves conversion of floors two through 10 in the building’s annex tower to accommodate 24 one-bedroom units and construction of a 74-car, two-level parking structure on the site of the existing building garage.
According to documents filed by Pittsburgh architecture firm Lab8 Designs on behalf of Trek Development Group with city Code Enforcement Officer Ron McIntyre, the project will retain commercial uses in the original six-story building as well as commercial space on the ground floor of the annex.
The description of work in the annex building matches the one given in December by Bill Gatti, president of Pittsburgh-based Trek Development, when he was vetting the project before the Local Share Account committee.
At the time, Gatti said he would add 24 apartments to the building’s annex tower, down from 45 units he proposed in 2012 when he was in the process of purchasing the building.
He said the project to add the apartments was estimated at $11 million, and he secured $8.6 million in private equity.
Gatti also said there would be space for some retail in the building.
Trek Development purchased the building from the Richman family in 2013.
The planning commission will meet at 7 p.m. May 25 in council chambers of City Hall at 55 W. Maiden St.