After a university board vote to go forward with the plan last month, SomeraRoad has announced that it has reached final terms for a lease with the University of Pittsburgh School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences to serve as an anchor tenant for The Box Office, the company’s redevelopment of the SouthSide Works Cinema into an office property.
The school is set to take 23,321 square feet of the office space, setting up above and beside the established Pins Mechanical Co. also in the building along with an Urban Outfitters store.
The plan for the school is to use the space as “a dedicated home” for what’s expected to be 180 students serving in a hybrid low-residency Doctor of Physical Therapy program.
SomeraRoad was represented by Carmine DiLucente of CBRE in the deal while the University of Pittsburgh was represented by David Koch of Newmark.
Retail tenants announced to be coming to the project include Kura Revolving Sushi Bar and Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams, both of which are expected to open late summer.
The university expects the new Box Office space will “provide a more sustainable and financially feasible option to host immersions, rather than renting other Pittsburgh venues and paying to store lab equipment,” according to the announcement. The university program’s immersions are described as “integrated hands-on laboratory experiences with faculty that are held in-person twice per term.”
