Lawrenceville United pilot program to sale houses through an RFP Process

Lawrenceville United (LU) works to improve the overall quality of life for Lawrenceville residents and stakeholders.  LU has worked over the past ten years to eliminate blight throughout Lower, Central, and Upper Lawrenceville by targeting nuisance and problem properties and prioritizing the demolitions, acquisition and redevelopment of such properties.

As part of this process, we have acquired and maintained properties throughout the neighborhood to ensure that they experience a higher, more effective and positive use in the future for the residents of Lawrenceville.  LU acquired many of these properties by working with the City of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh Community Reinvestment Group’s Vacant Property Working Group, the Elm Street Program, and working with various other public and private agencies and partners.

As part of our Vacant Lot Reuse Program that launched in 2010, we identified parcels and properties that could be transformed into sideyards and backyards for adjacent and responsible property owners, community gardens, and adjacent greenspace for commercial buildings. Ten parcels have been leased for eventual ownership to responsible property owners, helping to add value to their existing properties, and playing a role in the revitalization of the community.

Four properties have been designated potential home-ownership projects for current and potential Lawrenceville residents. We are inviting responsible and interested people looking to become an owner-occupant of one of our LU-owned properties to submit written proposals and a bid for one of the four LU-owned properties LU-owned properties. We are hoping that the potential owners and residents will help Lawrenceville United continue to revitalize the community through creative reuse of vacant property. 

LU seeks individuals who would like to become owner-occupants of one of our four houses, and individuals with the capacity and creativity to turn this property to productive residential use.  Upon review of submitted materials,  the LU Housing Committee will rate and select proposals that best fit the goal of the project based on the selection review criteria detailed later in the proposal and recommend sale of each parcel to the selected proposed buyer to the LU Board of Directors who will authorize approval for sale.  

To download the RFP and learn more about the process, please click here.