New Green Space Coming to Downtown Pittsburgh

Written by Amanda Buchman

Ahead of the 2026 NFL draft, Downtown Pittsburgh is investing $600 million in community development projects. Arts Landing, a 4-acre outdoor entertainment complex, is an exciting addition to these upgrades. The $31 million public park will host concerts, birthday parties, and free festivals. 

Construction along the Allegheny River between Eighth and Ninth Street is already more than halfway done and 1-2% under budget. The project is being led by the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust and is set to be completed by April 2026. 

Pittsburgh Cultural Trust President and CEO Kendra Whitlock Ingram said that “nearly everything” that goes on at Arts Landing will be free. The organization is already planning events, including the Dollar Bank Three Rivers Arts Festival next summer. 

Artists will play in a soon-to-be-constructed bandshell, and attendees can enjoy these performances on a great lawn elevated 6-8 feet in front of the Rachel Carson Bridge. People will “get to see a new sliver of river from another green space,” said Ingram. 

The lawn will feature a garden walk parallel to Eighth Street with beautiful landscaping. When spring flowers are planted along the walk in May, the site will be complete. Additionally, bench seating will line a paved path that wraps around the lawn’s perimeter. 

Other features of the complex include public art, pickleball courts, a small running track, and a welcome center with public restrooms at 819 and 821 Penn Ave. Next to the future welcome center, space has been cleared for Downtown’s first playground. 

Thanks to funding from the state, the Richard King Mellon Foundation, the Heinz Endowments, and the Bank of New York Mellon, residents of Downtown Pittsburgh will be able to take in the outdoors in a groundbreaking new facility.