Bedford Dwellings Receives ULI Pittsburgh’s 2025 Placemaking Award

Bedford Dwellings Phase II, a transformative affordable housing development led by Trek Development, has been honored with the Visionary Place Award at the 2025 ULI Pittsburgh Placemaking Awards for Excellence.

The Visionary Place Award recognizes projects currently being imagined, planned, or under development that promise a lasting impact on the region’s lifestyle, economy, and community fabric. Bedford Dwellings was selected for its bold reimagining of Pittsburgh’s oldest public housing community into a vibrant, mixed-income neighborhood designed to serve residents of all ages and incomes.

A Game-Changing Redevelopment

As part of the Bedford Dwellings Choice Neighborhood Implementation Grant, Phase II represents a pivotal step toward redeveloping a historically significant community in the Hill District. Located just north of Bedford Avenue and Francis Street, the development will feature approximately 180 residential units across multiple phases.

Phase II, now advancing with the support of $1 million in PHARE/Realty Transfer Tax funding, will include 60 senior housing units—50 one-bedroom and 10 two-bedroom apartments—in an elevator-served building designed for residents ages 62 and older. Future phases of the Francis Street plan envision a diverse mix of elevator buildings, townhomes, and walk-up apartments, ensuring housing options that reflect the needs of the broader community.

Moving the Vision Forward

Bohler’s Pittsburgh team is providing site civil and consulting engineering services, guiding the entitlement and permitting process to ensure the development complies with regulatory requirements while supporting community priorities. Bohler’s work is helping enable the project’s financing strategy, which leverages a combination of 9% and 4% Low-Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTCs) awarded by the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency (PHFA).

“Our team is proud to be part of such a transformative project that not only expands access to affordable housing but also redefines what’s possible for community-driven redevelopment in Pittsburgh,” said Michael Takacs, Associate in Bohler’s Pittsburgh office.

The Urban Land Institute (ULI) Pittsburgh hosts the Placemaking Awards for Excellence to recognize outstanding projects, achievements, and leaders in real estate and land use that embody ULI’s mission to shape the future of the built environment for transformative impact.

The Visionary Place Award celebrates bold, in-progress projects that demonstrate community engagement, foster economic vitality, and promise to be true “game changers” for the region.