The Senator John Heinz History Center in Pittsburgh’s Strip District is planning an expansion that will include a new theater, exhibition space and classrooms.
“The expansion will help secure long-term sustainability for the museum and further position the History Center as a premier cultural attraction in Pittsburgh,” Brady Smith, a museum spokesman, said.
On Tuesday, the Planning Commission approved the first step — tearing down four buildings on Penn Avenue to pave the way for an addition.
The center owns the buildings, located beside the main museum, and uses them for storage and exhibition preparation, Smith said.
The structures are in poor condition, Chip Desmone, CEO of Pittsburgh-based Desmone Architects, told commissioners.
Smith did not answer questions from TribLive about the expansion’s timeline or cost.
The museum, an affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution, opened its Strip District location in 1996. It showcases pieces of local history, a sports museum and special collections.
In 2004, it opened its Smithsonian wing, which has hosted exhibitions on the Civil War, Vatican artwork, the steamboat Arabia, World War II, toys from the 1950s through 1970s and the Apollo 11 moon landing.
