No End in Sight for Pittsburgh's Downtown Rental Boom

Lackluster sales in Pittsburgh's luxury condominium market haven't dissuaded developers from betting on the continued demand for residences in the city's downtown. A 95 percent occupancy rate in rental buildings is driving apartment construction.

1 minute read

October 22, 2012, 7:00 AM PDT

By Jonathan Nettler @nettsj


"These days, it seems, just about everybody wants to build apartments Downtown."

This sentence could likely be said about dozens of cities across America, as developers strive to keep up with swelling downtown populations. In the case of this article, Mark Belko chronicles the surge in apartment development in Pittsburgh's Golden Triangle. With nearly 1,000 new apartments in the pipeline, on top of 2,262 existing units, some are asking "[j]ust how many apartment units can Downtown support?"

"'They're renting as fast as they can get them built,' said Carole
Clifford, an associate broker for Stonebridge Realty, who follows the
market closely."

"Ms. Clifford sees a 'rental economy' Downtown and
elsewhere in the region for the next five to 10 years. Factors driving
that include the difficulty in getting mortgage money, the high down
payments required for home buying and a transient population more
comfortable with renting than buying."

"We're not even at the top of the curve yet in the rental market," she said. "I think rental is the new normal. I really do."

 

Sunday, October 21, 2012 in Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

July 16, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Green vintage Chicago streetcar from the 1940s parked at the Illinois Railroad Museum in 1988.

Chicago’s Ghost Rails

Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.

July 13, 2025 - WTTV

Blue and silver Amtrak train with vibrant green and yellow foliage in background.

Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail

The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.

July 14, 2025 - Smart Cities Dive

Worker in yellow safety vest and hard hat looks up at servers in data center.

Ohio Forces Data Centers to Prepay for Power

Utilities are calling on states to hold data center operators responsible for new energy demands to prevent leaving consumers on the hook for their bills.

July 18 - Inside Climate News

Former MARTA CEO Collie Greenwood standing in front of MARTA HQ with blurred MARTA sign visible in background.

MARTA CEO Steps Down Amid Citizenship Concerns

MARTA’s board announced Thursday that its chief, who is from Canada, is resigning due to questions about his immigration status.

July 18 - WABE

Rendering of proposed protected bikeway in Santa Clara, California.

Silicon Valley ‘Bike Superhighway’ Awarded $14M State Grant

A Caltrans grant brings the 10-mile Central Bikeway project connecting Santa Clara and East San Jose closer to fruition.

July 17 - San José Spotlight