39 seniors set to move into $25 million Beltzhoover school conversion

A vacant school building in the Beltzhoover neighborhood of Pittsburgh is set to house 39 low-income seniors this week. The structure, which has stood empty since 2004, is being converted into the Dr. Lewis A. Venson Senior Lofts. This development addresses a local demand for affordable housing while preserving a historic site on the National Register.

The project cost more than $25 million and required a complex mix of funding sources. Addy Cullen, senior project manager for TREK Development, listed the contributors. These include the Federal Home Loan Bank, state historic tax credits, and Low-Income Housing Tax Credits. Public funds also came from the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency and the Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh. The Urban Redevelopment Authority’s Housing Opportunity Fund provided rental gap program revenue bonds.

Beltzhoover Consensus Group, a neighborhood advocacy organization, purchased the property on Cedarhurst Street in 2018. Jennifer Cash Wade, a managing consultant for the group, guided the project. She noted that the group initially considered using the space as a community center. However, the pressing need for affordable housing led them to choose residential units instead. Cash Wade has a background in real estate and viewed the conversion as the best reuse for the building.

The building retains its original school character despite the renovation. Large windows, wide hallways, and stairwells remain intact. Some apartments still feature lockers in the halls and chalk wells, the troughs at the base of blackboards. The original structure contains 24 units, while a new addition holds 15 more. Anthony Ceoffe, senior director of property operations at TREK, said the sturdy construction of the historic school aided the transition.

The project names honor Dr. Lewis A. Venson, a longtime principal at the school. The apartments are available to income-qualified seniors aged 55 and older. Cash Wade reported that former students, teachers, and neighbors have expressed pride in the building's revival. The Dr. Lewis A. Venson Senior Lofts can be contacted at (412) 830-2500 or vensonlofts@trekdevelopment.com.