University Times

Pitt has been sued by the developer of Oak Hill (formerly known as Allequippa Terrace), an 80-acre public housing residential area adjacent to the upper campus.

The civil suit was filed Sept. 19 in Allegheny County Common Pleas Court on behalf of Beacon/Corcoran Jennison (B/CJ) Partners, LLC, a Boston-based residential real estate development company.

The suit alleges Pitt is trying to thwart existing legal agreements. B/CJ claims the right to continue with Phase II of building housing units at Oak Hill. The development is on the site of Pittsburgh’s largest housing project, built in 1943, which by the 1990s had been largely abandoned.

Phase I of the project resulted in 639 apartment and townhouse units completed in 2002. The developer wants to add another 200 units, while Pitt wants to purchase the undeveloped land to build athletics fields.

B/CJ alleges that Pitt is trying to undermine agreements, dating back to 1996, between the developer and the mayor’s office, the Housing Authority of Pittsburgh and the Oak Hill Resident Council.

Specifically, the suit alleges that in August 2004 Pitt officials verbally offered inducements to members of the residents council, including full-tuition scholarships, entrepreneurial opportunities, construction of a co-op grocery store and a dry cleaners and a resident-controlled concession in the Petersen Events Center.

The suit asks for damages in excess of $25,000.

Pitt has acknowledged interest in purchasing the undeveloped portion of the land — about 15 acres — to construct fields for athletics teams, particularly soccer and track and field.

Pitt Vice Chancellor for Public Affairs Robert Hill confirmed that the University had offered $3.5 million to purchase the land.

Hill declined comment on the suit’s specific allegations. “But I will say that the University has a longstanding relationship that includes a number of projects with the residents of Oak Hill, a relationship that predates the B/CJ involvement. There is mutual respect there,” Hill said. “We would expect that relationship to get better over the years.”

—Peter Hart