PNC return could boost Downtown Pittsburgh's daytime rebound
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PNC Pittsburgh regional head Louis Cestello in the sky-high garden at the PNC Tower in Downtown. Photo: Ryan Deto/Axios
Thousands of PNC workers will return to Downtown later this spring, and the company's Pittsburgh regional head says it could help jumpstart the neighborhood's daytime rebound.
Why it matters: Since the pandemic, Downtown has recovered in terms of restaurant, entertainment and sports visitors, but weekday office worker recovery has been slow.
By the numbers: Downtown has recovered only about half of its pre-pandemic workforce, according to data from the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership.
- That's about 30,000 weekday workers, a number that has remained steady since 2023.
What they're saying: "When you're walking around a cavernous Downtown that echoes because there's nobody in it, you just don't feel good," PNC Pittsburgh regional head Louis Cestello tells Axios. "But we need people to be attracted to Downtown outside of just events and shows. They just need to be here."
State of play: PNC, one of the region's largest employers, announced last month that it will require remote employees to return to the office five days a week, including its Downtown skyscraper headquarters.
- The company doesn't disclose how many employees work in its Downtown tower, but the Pittsburgh Business Times counts over 11,000 regional employees for PNC.
Cestello manages the company's Pittsburgh-based employees. He said the return-to-office mandate is intended to improve PNC's workplace culture.
- "What makes a company work is the culture within the company. And you build that culture hand in hand, face to face," he said.
Between the lines: Cestello believes bringing workers back will create a flywheel effect on Downtown, which will help PNC's business by making the city more attractive to outside talent.
- "We need this to be an A+ city in order for us to attract A+ talent. And you can't do that without a vibrant Downtown."
- Other office workers might already be following suit. The 11 Stanwix tower in Downtown has added over 135,000 square feet of office leases since late 2024, and its management firm JLL said in a statement that Class A office space is attracting companies back to the neighborhood.
Zoom in: PNC has underwritten $5 million to help Downtown small businesses, Cestello says, and he noted the company's efforts over the years to help fund the Second Avenue shelter and open a police substation on Wood Avenue near its headquarters.
- Downtown saw 24 new businesses open last year, more than in any of the previous three years, according to Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership.
What's next: Cestello believes that Pittsburgh hosting the NFL Draft in late April will be a huge moment to remind people of Downtown's potential.