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The Regional Industrial Development Corporation of Southwestern Pennsylvania—known colloquially as RIDC—is a privately funded non-profit[3] serving the Pittsburgh metropolitan area to focus on a regional approach to economic development primarily through managing and rehabilitating area research and industrial parks, often old abandoned or obsolute facilities formerly used as steel mills or other heavy industry, for modern tenants. RIDC was formed on August 8, 1955, as a non-profit corporation after area business, corporate, government and labor leaders supported a central agency responsible for developing and coordinating efforts to create new employment and economic diversity.[4] As of March 2024 it is listed as the fourth largest commercial property manager in metropolitan Pittsburgh with 7,700,000 gross leasable square feet,[5] behind only Oxford Development[6] and CBRE Group[7] while surpassing Jones Lang LaSalle.[8]
Key Information
Research Parks
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RIDC provides development, finance and leasing of new and redeveloped research and business parks using a wide range of real estate development activities. RIDC Research and Business parks are both new development and lab or industrial transfers from such corporations as Sony, Westinghouse and US Steel and include:[9]
- Bakery Square (2007 site preparation)[10][11][12]
- Beaver Manor (since 1987)[13]
- City Center of Duquesne[14]
- Collaborative Innovation Center
- Glassport (historical involvement circa 1978)[15]
- Industrial Center of McKeesport[16] (since 1984)
- Innovation Ridge[17]
- Keystone Commons (since 1893, RIDC since 1987)[18]
- Lawrenceville Technology Center
- Mill 19 at Hazelwood Green[19]
- Neshannock
- Park Lane (1988 site preparation)[20]
- RIDC O'Hara Industrial Park (Giant Eagle headquarters)[21]
- Park West (original home to USAirways Ops Center)[22][23]
- Pittsburgh Technology Center (48 acres since 1984)[24][25]
- Westmoreland Innovation Center
- Southpointe (historical involvement, 589 acres)[26][27][28]
- Thorn Hill (900 acres started December 11, 1968)[29]
- Tech 21 [30]
- New Kensington Advanced Manufacturing Park, a partnership with Westmoreland Industrial Corp, home to Re:Build Manufacturing and other companies.www.ridc.org
- RIDC Mill 19 at Hazelwood Green, home to Carnegie Mellon University's Manufacturing Futures Institute and Advanced Robotics in Manufacturing, along with autonomous vehicle company Motional, and others. www.ridc.org
- Carrie Furnace www.ridc.org
- RIDC Armstrong Innovation Park www.ridc.org
- City Center of Duquesne www.ridc.org
- Industrial Center of McKeesport www.ridc.org
- Neighborhood 91, RIDC is master developer of this advanced manufacturing campus.www.ridc.org
Mission
[edit]RIDC's mission is to foster and support economic growth with job creation through public policy advocacy, economic development initiatives, and real estate development to advance the public interest within the greater Pittsburgh region.[31][32] Relying on public, private, and institutional partnerships, RIDC has assisted both emerging and existing growth opportunities across industry sectors.[33][34][35][36][37]
Community support
[edit]With a long history of successful regional economic development initiatives [38][39] RIDC staff includes professionals in economic development, public policy, finance and property management, planning, engineering, construction, site selection, facility design, construction management with regular interaction with community leaders, corporate CEOs and Chairman.[37][40] RIDC has provided comprehensive and coordinated development or redevelopment of property projects from conceptual design to completion and occupancy as well as business incubators.[41][42] Varied industry needs, including machinery and equipment financing assistance are serviced by the RIDC for new, small and growing business enterprises, applied research and development activities and partnership with Western Pennsylvania's academic institutions.[35][43] Historically the RIDC has hosted Pittsburgh Hilton conferences with area business leaders, Chambers of Commerce and speeches from the Governor of Pennsylvania and head of the Department of Community and Economic Development, as well as County and municipal officials around the region.[44][45] It has partnered with the Appalachian Regional Commission, Carnegie Mellon University the Heinz Endowments and the Richard King Mellon Foundation among others.[36][46][47][48] It has provided board members for the Allegheny County Planning Commission for such projects as Oxford Centre.[49][50]
History
[edit]In early 1955 Pittsburgh business, corporate, government and labor leaders supported a central agency responsible for developing and coordinating efforts to create new employment and economic diversity. The RIDC was established August 8, 1955 as a nonprofit corporation and amended its charter on February 16, 1962 to allow it to engage directly in such things as construction, purchasing, selling and financing of developments.
Operational goals of the RIDC are to maintain a dynamic economic development portfolio through preserving, strengthening and expanding the area's employment base through retention and expansion of job opportunities, and by developing and promoting programs that assist in the creation of a more diversified economy.[51]
Presidents
[edit]- John P. Robin 1955–1967[52][53][54]
- Hiram Milton 1967–1981[55]
- Frank Brooks Robinson 1981–2003[37][56]
- Robert C. Stephenson 2003–2009[57]
- Dr. Donald F. Smith Jr. 2009–Present[1][58]
Managing Initiatives RIDC also manages several programs, including the Strategic Investment Fund, Keystone Innovation Zone, Foreign Trade Zone, and PIDA loan applications.
References
[edit]- ^ a b Don Smith, RIDC (Video) Pittsburgh Business Journal
- ^ "RIDC Home". Ridc.org. Retrieved November 13, 2013.
- ^ White, William A. (June 26, 1956), "Power Firm Turned Lake Area Into Gigantic Chemical Shore", Pittsburgh Press, Pittsburgh, PA, p. 1
- ^ Boren, Jeremy (January 25, 2013), "RIDC O'Hara confounds its critics for 50 years", Tribune-Review, Pittsburgh, PA
- ^ Pravlik, Melissa (March 29, 2025), "RIDC", Pittsburgh Business Times, Pittsburgh, PA, p. 3
- ^ Pravlik, Melissa (March 29, 2025), "Oxford Development", Pittsburgh Business Times, Pittsburgh, PA, p. 4
- ^ Pravlik, Melissa (March 29, 2013), "CBRE", Pittsburgh Business Times, Pittsburgh, PA, p. 5
- ^ Pravlik, Melissa (March 29, 2013), "Jones Lang Lasalle", Pittsburgh Business Times, Pittsburgh, PA, p. 2
- ^ "RIDC Home". Ridc.org. Retrieved November 13, 2013.
- ^ Green, Elwin (February 10, 2007), "$1 million state grant to aid Bakery Square project", Post-Gazette, Pittsburgh, PA
- ^ Yeomans, Michael (May 11, 2004), "The heat is on: Bakery revival uncertain", Tribune-Review, Pittsburgh, PA
- ^ "Nothing in oven yet, but bakery ready to go", Post-Gazette, Pittsburgh, PA, August 13, 1999
- ^ Ironton, Gabriel (November 27, 1987), "Hopewell site to be home to new firms", Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Pittsburgh, PA
- ^ "Brownfield sites get $8M for redevelopment", Business Times, Pittsburgh, PA, October 13, 2005
- ^ Snyder, Thomas P. (February 25, 1978), "County hopes to save jobs at Copperweld", Pittsburgh Press, Pittsburgh, PA
- ^ "McKeesport on the move", Post-Gazette, Pittsburgh, PA, September 27, 1984
- ^ Hritz, Thomas M. (December 12, 1968), "Warrendale Center will not be closed, State, County agree.", Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Pittsburgh, PA
- ^ Linn, Virginia (November 27, 1987), "Westinghouse building could house several firms", Post-Gazette, Pittsburgh, PA
- ^ "RIDC Mill 19".
- ^ "Office center unveiled", Beaver County Times, Beaver, PA, March 10, 1989
- ^ "RIDC Business Alliance". Retrieved November 4, 2013.
- ^ "Massive merger of USAir, Piedmont airlines takes off tomorrow", Post-Gazette, Pittsburgh, PA, August 4, 1989
- ^ Scheckner, Bill (May 22, 2002), "CCAC Ponders new center in Findlay", Post-Gazette, Pittsburgh, PA
- ^ "Institute called boost to economy", Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Pittsburgh, PA, November 15, 1984
- ^ O'Toole, James (November 15, 1984), "CMU wins software war", Post-Gazette, Pittsburgh, PA
- ^ Gannon, Joyce (May 3, 1991), "Home for High Tech", Post-Gazette, Pittsburgh, PA
- ^ Timlin, Kim (May 5, 1991), "High-tech site, golf course set pace for Southpointe", Pittsburgh Press, Pittsburgh, PA
- ^ Mullig, Mario (May 3, 1991), "Development group details Southpointe plan", Washington Observer-Reporter, Washington, PA
- ^ Fitzpatrick, Dan (June 10, 2004), "US Airways shifts 130 training jobs to N.C.", Post-Gazette, Pittsburgh, PA
- ^ "RIDC acquires Tech 21 business park in Pittsburgh's North Hills - Pittsburgh Business Times". Archived from the original on November 29, 2014.
- ^ Ackerman, Jan (July 4, 1984), "School districts score: taxes up, jobs down", Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Pittsburgh, PA
- ^ Shropshire, Corilyn (August 3, 2004), "Roofing firm plans to stay, add workers", Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Pittsburgh, PA
- ^ "RIDC Home". Ridc.org. Archived from the original on November 2, 2013. Retrieved November 13, 2013.
- ^ "Development group files for charter", Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Pittsburgh, PA, p. 28, August 4, 1955
- ^ a b "RIDC Home". Ridc.org. Archived from the original on November 2, 2013. Retrieved November 13, 2013.
- ^ a b "Nine southwestern counties form state's first economic district", Observer-Reporter, Washington, PA, August 31, 1967
- ^ a b c Kelly, Charlie (July 23, 1981), "Panel to Map Region's Economy", Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Pittsburgh, PA
- ^ "GM warns Michigan", Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Pittsburgh, PA, April 30, 1957
- ^ "Area's Economy Reported Strong", Beaver County Times, Beaver, PA, September 23, 1974
- ^ "Air development at AID seminar", Beaver County Times, Beaver, PA, October 30, 1963
- ^ Wilhelm, Kathy (July 25, 1985), "Incubators help hatch new firms", Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Pittsburgh, PA
- ^ Daparma, Ron (August 30, 2007), "South Oakland's tech strip to expand", Tribune-Review, Pittsburgh, PA
- ^ "The Pittsburgh Press - Google News Archive Search". news.google.com. Retrieved April 22, 2023.
- ^ McConnell, Dave (February 27, 1970), "Look before you leap, C of C says", Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Pittsburgh, PA
- ^ "RIDC Parks - Pittsburgh Airport Area Chamber of Commerce - Pittsburgh Airport Area Chamber of Commerce". Paacc.com. January 26, 2010. Retrieved November 13, 2013.
- ^ Daparma, Ron (August 31, 2007), "Master developer sought for Hazelwood", Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, Pittsburgh, PA
- ^ Bauman, Mary Lou (July 26, 1977), "Toxic Research Lab Scheduled For Penn", News Dispatch, Jeanette, PA
- ^ "Development Crosses Lines", Beaver County Times, Beaver, PA, October 30, 1963
- ^ Snyder, Thomas P. (November 27, 1978), "Grant Land Complex Gets Support", Pittsburgh Press, Pittsburgh, PA
- ^ Snyder, Thomas P. (November 27, 1978), "Grant Land Plan Gets More Support", Pittsburgh Press, Pittsburgh, PA
- ^ Smock, Douglas (June 20, 1975), "Allis plant material to be 'cannibalized'", Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Pittsburgh, PA"
- ^ "Robin Chosen Head of Industrial Plan", Pittsburgh Press, Pittsburgh, PA, July 30, 1955
- ^ Copage, Eric V. (May 13, 2000), "John P. Robin, 87; Led the Redevelopment of Downtown Pittsburgh", The New York Times
- ^ "Robin resigns Secretary of Commerce Job", Gettysburg Times, Gettysburg, PA, August 9, 1955
- ^ "Hirman Milton an economics consultant", Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Pittsburgh, PA, March 31, 1984
- ^ Daparma, Ron (April 17, 2003), "Robinson to retire as RIDC president", Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, Pittsburgh, PA
- ^ "Robert Stephenson Named as President of RIDC; Frank Brooks Robinson, Sr. Steps Down", PR Newswire, April 17, 2003
- ^ Daparma, Ron (November 27, 2008), "CMU-Pitt official moving to development nonprofit", Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, Pittsburgh, PA
"Rebuilding Pittsburgh: RIDC and the Transformation of the Steel City, Jeffery Fraser, 2025, Globe Pequot "A Focus on Partnerships," Pittsburgh Business Times, June 27, 2025
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