UPMC provides proposal for new Oakland expansion

The University of Pittsburgh Medical Center wants to start laying the groundwork for some future… The University of Pittsburgh Medical Center wants to start laying the groundwork for some future expansion in the Oakland area.

UPMC officials have announced a proposal to plan the construction of a 12-story clinical services and patient care building in place of the old Children’s Hospital building on Fifth Avenue at DeSoto Street.

The Children’s Hospital moved to its current campus in Lawrenceville in May 2009, and a green lawn has since taken its place in Oakland.

“It is important to understand that this is just a tentative proposed plan. Nothing is confirmed or approved yet,” UPMC spokeswoman Susan Manko said.

Department of City Planning zoning administrator Susan Tymoczko said that UPMC has yet to submit any part of its plan to her department.

Regarding the length of time it takes for approval for construction on this scale, Tymoczko said that, “It’s a legislative process by zoning code.”

Manko said there is no set time frame for the approval process by the City Planning Commission, but she said it will most likely begin next spring.

If the proposal is approved and the plan goes through, Manko said that traffic will be permanently re-routed in Oakland. Meyran Avenue and Darragh Street would be the roads primarily affected.

The proposed plan comes as a result of UPMC’s Institutional Master Plan process — a planning process required by the city — during which the organization will outline its short-term and long-term goals for the next 10 and 25 years, respectively. UPMC presented the plan to the Oakland community at a meeting.

The community and UPMC have collaborated cooperatively overall, and the needs of the community have been considered in the plan, Manko said.

“We all live in Oakland and we all have the same goal: to make Oakland the best it can be as an economically strong, progressive, safe and attractive community,” she said.

The proposal also lays out plans for the construction of a 250-space parking garage below the 12-story building.

Aside from the main building, the project would also involve the construction of a four-story office space, to be built above the parking garage behind UPMC Montefiore, off Buffalo Street.

University spokesman John Fedele said that Pitt has no comment on UPMC’s plans or how they will affect Pitt’s campus.