Music and entertainment venue to open in Lower Hill
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A rendering of the Hill District's new entertainment venue slated for completion in 2026. Image: Courtesy of Live Nation
A new music and entertainment venue is coming to the Lower Hill District to reconnect a neighborhood severed from Downtown for decades.
Why it matters: Citizens Live at The Wylie entertainment venue continues the development momentum of the neighborhood, which was demolished decades ago thanks to so-called urban renewal.
- The 26-story Financial Bank Center opened just across the street from the Wylie last month.
Driving the news: Business leaders, elected officials and community stewards gathered Thursday morning to break ground on the new Live Nation venue.
Zoom in: The name, unveiled Thursday, pays homage to the musical heritage of Wylie Avenue, where some of the biggest names in jazz played during the Hill's heyday.
- "This is a bridge between the legacy of the Hill and its future," said Tom Loudermilk, Western Pennsylvania president for Live Nation.
By the numbers: The Wylie will hold 4,000 seats over 98,000 square feet.
- The cost should be close to $64 million, said Loudermilk.
- The building will include 7,600 square feet of retail.
- A 910-space parking garage is being developed next door by the Penguins, who own rights for the 28-acre development plans for the neighborhood and play two blocks away at PPG Paints Arena.
Context: The Lower Hill District was a vibrant, majority-Black neighborhood before it was controversially demolished in the 1950s to make way for the Civic Arena. The area has remained surface parking lots since 2012, when the arena was demolished.
What they're saying: "This has been a parking lot for far too long," said Allegheny County Executive Sara Innamorato.
- "For generations, artists from the Hill District inspired the world. Although we can't change the past, we can honor those who came before – and build a better future for everyone," said Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey.
State of play: Elected officials and community leaders in the Hill praised the development for working with the neighborhood.
- The venue will create 350 jobs at a base pay of $20 an hour.
- A $2 ticket surcharge will fund affordable housing and programs in the Hill District.
- The developers are contributing $800,000 to redevelop the Ammon Recreation Center on Bedford Avenue.
- The building will feature a permanent retail space exclusively for Hill District small businesses.
Friction point: Some Hill District community members have opposed other pieces of the development plan, though not specifically the venue, saying developers didn't include them enough in their planning.
What's next: Loudermilk said Live Nation is aiming to open The Wylie in the second half of 2026.
- He said the venue will host 80 to 110 shows a year and accommodate a wide range of mostly national acts, from music to comedy.
The bottom line: The Wylie is another step in revitalizing the areas in and around Downtown Pittsburgh, which is set for $600 million in investment to help convert empty, older offices to residential units and spruce up the neighborhood.