View a map of Herrs Island.

Washington's Landing, previously known as Herrs Island, is an island in the Allegheny River between Troy Hill and the Strip District. It is sometimes considered part of the Troy Hill neighborhood.

The 42-acre island approximately two miles before the convergence of the Allegheny and Monongahela Rivers to form the Ohio. This once blighted island has been transformed into a high-quality, multi-use development, including market-rate housing, office/research and development, and light industrial uses. It also features a marina, a rowing center, and a public park.

The island was originally named Herrs Island, after an early owner, Benjamin Herr. Herr used the island for farming. Later, the island was used extensively for industrial purposes, including stockyards, saw mills, soap works, and the Pennsylvania Railroad.

By the late 1970s, most of the industrial activity had ceased, and as a result Herrs Island became a brownfield site. By 1990, major redevelopment was well underway.

In honor of this rebirth of the island’s vitality, it was renamed Washington’s Landing on October 24, 1987, commemorating a piece of revolutionary folklore: George Washington reputedly slept on the island after his raft capsized in the Allegheny River while on a diplomatic mission to the French at Fort Le Boeuf near Lake Erie during the French and Indian War.

The island is now a showcase project of urban redevelopment for the City of Pittsburgh. It now a mixed use community, home to townhomes and business parks, as well as a marina, the Three Rivers Rowing Association, and the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy.

Remediation and redevelopment

The Washington's Landing project involves the revitalization of this once blighted island into a high-quality, multi-use development, encompassing a full service marina, market-rate housing, office/research and development/light industrial uses, a rowing center, and a public park. The development was undertaken pursuant to a Redevelopment Plan adopted by Pittsburgh's City Council in October, 1983. The Plan regulates development to accentuate the island's natural assets, including the waterfront areas and the secluded views of the downtown skyline. Each development parcel is situated and designed to take best advantage of the island's natural assets. A network of riverfront trails connects the public open spaces and other park facilities. Pedestrian circulation is encouraged through attractive streetscaping and access to the water at entrances located at building sites.

By the 1960s Herrs Island was in a state of deterioration and abandonment. In response, the City and Urban Redevelopment Authority of Pittsburgh initiated a series of planning and site preparation actions to prepare for the reclamation of this unique land resource and sought funding for the implementation of these activities. With these foundation blocks in place, the URA and the City prepared a redevelopment plan in October 1983.

The URA acquired all of the land. Structures were demolished and work began on the construction and signalization of a new bridge and access ramp to the island and a spine road with underground utilities on the island, all preparing the island for private development.

The entire project area was rezoned from industrial to Specially Planned District (SPD). Development within the SPD must meet design guidelines and standards provided in the Preliminary Land Development Plan prepared for the project area. The SPD allows for the orderly, planned development of a mixed-use project such as this to ensure property owners that a certain standard for development will be followed by all developers.

An additional traffic study was completed in May 1987, which indicated that traffic generated from 200,000 square feet office space equivalent could be developed on the island without further major capital investment in the highway system. A housing study, also completed in May 1987, illustrated the economic feasibility of market-rate housing on the island.

The public investment required to prepare Washington's Landing for private development totaled in excess of $26 million.

(Last Update: June 2009)