Redevelopment of the Robert E. Williams Shelter

The Robert E. Williams Park Shelter was established in 1963. Since then, it has become a vital hub for the surrounding community of the Upper Hill District, as well as the Greater Hill District and the Greater City of Pittsburgh.

Recently, the City of Pittsburgh performed an assessment of all its facilities. Included in the review was the shelter at the Robert E. Williams Park, in which several structural issues posing safety risks to the public were highlighted.

Based on this report, the City has embarked on a project to redevelop the shelter anew. A series of 5 community meetings from 2018-2019 were held on site to get feedback from the community on the shelter’s design. The contract for the architect selected for the redevelopment, R3A Architecture, was executed in January of 2020. They have been tasked with executing the design that was vetted by the community.

Due to COVID 19, there have been delays in the redevelopment of the shelter. As of right now, the goal is to begin demolition in late 2020, with construction slated to begin in early 2021. Depending on the state of the pandemic this time frame is subject to change. 

This page serves as a hub for all information related to the shelter, including meeting announcements and materials connected to the redesign of the structure.

Redevelopment of Robert E Williams Playground

As part of the redevelopment of the Robert E Williams Shelter, the City of Pittsburgh will similarly be redeveloping the playground and park grounds. This project will run in parallel with the redevelopment of the shelter in 2021. Towards this end, 2 conceptual plans for the playground have been drafted, in addition to a Community Engagement Survey to solicit feedback that will help guide the project. The plans and the survey can be accessed at the following link: https://engage.pittsburghpa.gov/REW

General Documents

Community Presentation 7.8.2021
Community Meeting Presentation 9.3.2020
Community Meeting 7.28.2020
Community Meeting Presentation 2.7.19
Community Meeting Presentation 10.22.18
Community Meeting Presentation 9.13.18
Community Meeting Presenation - 7.19.18
Community Meeting Informational Card - 7.19.18
Informational Card

Upcoming Community Meetings

Prior Community Meetings

Zoom Community Meeting
Update provided by Public Works on the contract with architect R3A, on the timeline of the project, and on the upgrades to the playground.
Date: Tuesday, December 15
Time: 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm 

Zoom Community Meeting
Update provided on the design of the building and announcement on the updates to the park grounds and playground.
Date: Thursday, September 3
Time: 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm 

Schenley Heights Collaborative Virtual Community Meeting
Update provided on the renovation timeline.
Date: Tuesday, July 28, 2020
Time: 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm

Department of City Planning: Development Activities Meeting
Required meeting per City guidelines for new developments to be presented to stakeholders.
Date: Monday, August 3, 2020
Time: 6:00 pm

Location: Robert E. Williams Shelter
Date: July 10
Time: 6pm-8pm

Location: Robert E Williams Shelter
Date: February 7
Time: 6pm-8pm