The Pittsburgh Planning Commission on Tuesday approved plans for a new community field in the Hazelwood Green development.
The field, spearheaded by the Pittsburgh Steelers, will sit along Hazelwood Avenue near the entrance to the sprawling Hazelwood Green development.
“The field is designed as a multipurpose, multisport regional asset, one that will serve as a vibrant hub for youth development and community wellness addressing the region’s need for more fields for team sports,” said Austin Gelbard, managing director of development at New York-based Tishman Speyer, the developer behind Hazelwood Green.
Plans call for an artificial turf football field with bleacher seating for about 3,000 spectators. A permanent concession stand will be built on the site, with space for a few food trucks nearby. An existing garage will be converted to locker rooms and restrooms, and the stadium will be outfitted with field lighting, a scoreboard and an audio system.
Just outside of the stadium, a new green space will feature seating areas, trees, a pavilion and public art.
Community organizations and athletic leagues will be able to rent the field for practices, trainings and events, Gelbard said.
The Steelers in late 2023 announced plans for the field, which received a $10 million grant from the Richard King Mellon Foundation.
Commissioner Holly Dick was the lone dissenting vote. She said she voted against the proposal because of concerns about the artificial turf after a resident questioned its environmental impacts.
Commissioner Rachel O’Neill recused herself from the vote.
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The broader Hazelwood Green development — constructed at the 178-acre site of a former steel mill along the Monongahela River — will house Carnegie Mellon University’s Robotics Innovation Center and a biomanufacturing facility for the University of Pittsburgh.
The Planning Commission in January approved plans for a 50-unit, mixed-income apartment complex with first-floor retail space.
