Pittsburgh’s Post Industrial Economy Shifts to a Change for the Better

Source: Changing Gears Presents Reinventing Pittsburgh: Part 1

As December welcomes us with a crisp snowfall that blankets our city streets and rivers, we look forward to a promising new economy for Pittsburgh, where the manufacturing plants and industrial buildings have been reinvented to accommodate emerging healthcare, education and technology corporations.

Our smoky, dust filled skyline of yesteryear, now greets us with the fresh air of change. Changing Gears, a public media project about the future of the industrial Midwest, is spending the next few years looking at ways to reinvent the Midwest economy. Reinventing Pittsburgh is the start of their first week-long series.

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The manufacturing hardships experienced in the early 1980’s left the future of the Steel City economy uncertain. Virtually overnight, 150,000 jobs were wiped out, the deindustrialization of the Pittsburgh region began, and the future was unclear.

But today, the economic horizon has made a shift, for the better. The steel industry, which was the muscle of our region in decades past, is a fraction of its former self today, and has evolved from basic industry to service industries in the region. Warehouses and industrial sites are being renovated for new uses, as the homes for corporations in biomedical research, multimedia production, computer gaming development, and even for use as condos, upscale retail, and more.

According to a recent Post-Gazette article article on Pittsburgh neighborhoods, a state tax-incentive for technology start-ups looped Pittsburgh’s Uptown into an innovation zone that includes part of Downtown and the North Side. Development proposals are piling up -- new restaurants in the Consol Energy Center, a residential "portal" project near the Birmingham Bridge, condos in the Fifth Avenue High School, renovation of a Fifth Avenue warehouse into apartments, and more.

“Pittsburgh has changed,” said Raymond Orowetz, P.E., LEED Green Associate of NAI Pittsburgh Commercial. “Whether it’s for the better or not depends on how one has been affected. Regarding the Uptown section of the City in particular, I can’t understand why it’s taken so long. There’s a major university (Duquesne), a major sports venue (the Mellon Arena, most recently replaced by the Consol Energy Center) and a major hospital (Mercy). They’ve been there “forever” and they’re located along the most highly travelled corridor in the city which joins our CBD with our educational/cultural hub coupled with excellent access to public transportation along the entire route. It should be rockin’ just like East Carson Street.”

NAI Pittsburgh Commercial is a Pittsburgh proud locally owned and operated company. To see some of the investment and development opportunities available in the Pittsburgh region click here.

NAI Pittsburgh Commercial is Pleased to Announce

The Hiring of David J. Thor as Associate

PITTSBURGH, PA – (November 12, 2010) - NAI Pittsburgh Commercial is pleased to announce that David J. Thor has been named as an Associate of the firm. Specializing in Tenant Advisory Services and Agency Representation, David is responsible for assisting clients with strategy, site selection, proposals, financial analyses and lease negotiations, in addition to identifying and securing tenants and/or buyers. His responsibilities also include developing agency and tenant representation relationships and performing the associated client-related professional services in office, industrial, land and retail transactions.

Prior to joining NAI Pittsburgh Commercial, David represented the interests of his clients, while serving as a Product Manager for Accenture, a global management consulting and technology services outsourcing organization. Additionally, David has played an integral role in various local real estate-intensive ventures, cultivating relationships and serving in both Project Management and Operational Management capacities. Mr. Thor is a native of the Pittsburgh area and has over 12 years of professional experience, with a focus on client service. He is a LEED Accredited Professional.

Patrick Sentner, Founding Principal at NAI Pittsburgh Commercial, said that Mr. Thor will be a great asset to the firm and its commitment to providing the highest level of service to its clients. “Mr. Thor’s impressive work experience coupled with his stronger work ethic will help NAI Pittsburgh Commercial to provide our clients with an even higher level of service to our current and future clients.”

NAI Pittsburgh Commercial, locally owned company and established leader of Western Pennsylvania’s Commercial Real Estate Industry, provides results-oriented brokerage, consulting, marketing and research services to businesses and investors throughout the world.

About NAI Global

NAI Global is one of the leading commercial real estate services providers worldwide. Headquartered in Princeton, New Jersey, NAI Global manages a network of 5,000 commercial real estate professionals and 325 offices in over 55 countries, and completes over $45 billion in annual transaction volume. Since 1978, NAI Global clients have built their businesses on the power of NAI’s expanding network. NAI Global’s extensive services include corporate real estate services, brokerage and leasing, property and facilities management, real estate investment and capital market services, due diligence, global supply chain consulting and related advisory services. To learn more, visit www.naiglobal.com.


NAI Pittsburgh Commercial is a Pittsburgh proud locally owned and operated company. To see some of the investment and development opportunities available in the Pittsburgh region click here.