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http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/12039/1208709-28.stm

Developer eyes Liberty Ave. cigar factory

Wednesday, February 08, 2012
By Mark Belko, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

After successfully converting a vacant three-story building on Forbes Avenue into apartments and a restaurant, Mike Clements is back for an encore.

The developer is seeking to transform an old cigar wrapping facility at 604 Liberty Ave., Downtown, into a two- or three-bedroom townhouse with a street level cafe or bistro.

He is getting assistance from the city Urban Redevelopment Authority, which has secured a grant of up to $200,000 to help make safety and code improvements to the vacant three-story building near Heinz Hall.

Mr. Clements, president of Iron City Ventures, hopes to begin renovation work this summer and have the URA-owned building ready for occupancy by the end of the year. He will take ownership when the work is completed.

He plans to convert the upper floors into a townhouse with high ceilings, bamboo floors and two to three bedrooms.

Outside, he hopes to return the building's exterior to its early 1900s appearance when a restaurant named Rudy's occupied it. He believes the building dates back even further, to at least 1885.

The developer also intends to restore several windows that were covered over in the past. He expects to spend $500,000 to $600,000 on the renovations.

"We're bringing back the historical look of the building," he said.

Mr. Clements sees parallels between his latest Downtown project and the 308 Forbes renovation, where he converted the upper floors into two loft-style apartments and brought in Penn Avenue Fish Co. to open a restaurant on the first floor.

"I want to be like the small-building guy Downtown. Now that I have the blueprint to it, there are a lot of these smaller buildings that no one pays attention to," he said. "I love the retail-residential mix. That's what Downtown needs."

The grant the URA is supplying is coming from a gambling-financed community infrastructure tourism fund overseen by the county's redevelopment authority.

Mr. Clements' building is the second in the vicinity being renovated. PNC Financial Services Group is upgrading a structure at 600 Liberty near the Fairmont Hotel.

Mark Belko: mbelko@post-gazette.com or 412-263-1262.
First published on February 8, 2012 at 12:00 am


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