The Vision on Fifteenth — an eight-story office building that opened in mid-2022 — was lauded as one of the most unique and creative projects across Pittsburgh.
The speculative office development was named the Commercial Development of the Year in Pittsburgh for CoStar's 2023 Impact Awards by real estate experts familiar with the market.
The building at 1500 Smallman St. was "specifically designed for the modern workforce," offering progressive workplace design, on-site amenities like a fitness center, wellness programming and outdoors spaces, along with proximity to entertainment options for tenants.
About the project: The eight-story complex with 245,000 square feet of commercial office space and 30,000 square feet of street-level restaurant and retail space, opened in April 2022 in Pittsburgh's Strip District. The property is owned by Pittsburgh-based Burns Scalo Brokerage.
What the judges said: Judges applauded the Vision on Fifteenth project for it's creativity in a difficult time for office developers, and they also believe it could be a harbinger of things to come in the city.
"Office development in 2022 has been notoriously difficult," said Kristen Hook, development manager for Dalian Development. "Pulling off this project in the wake of the pandemic speaks to the strength of the team's adaptability and the Pittsburgh market as a whole."
It "will allow for growth and supports relocations of businesses to an urban fringe location with significant demand drivers [with] potential spillover effects to [the] core business district," said Mike Heinricher, director of asset management for the Regional Industrial Development Corporation in Pittsburgh.
They made it happen: Scott DiGuglielmo, vice president of Burns Scalo Brokerage.