Pittsburgh Brewing wants to make sure docks are in place for summer concerts

One way or another, boaters are expected to have another summer of concert-listening from the water at Pittsburgh Brewing in East Deer.

The company submitted an application with the state Department of Environmental Protection to build a temporary dock on the Allegheny River at the rear of its facility along Ferry Street, similar to the one that drew thousands this year for its summer concert series.

It’s a backup plan in case work on a permanent dock is delayed, officials said. Applications for that are still pending, according to Lauren Camarda, DEP regional communications manager.

“The (new) application was more for the temporary dock we had in place in case we would like to utilize that for next season,” said Rachel Gill, Pittsburgh Brewing marketing director.

There are no renderings yet, she said.

Township Commissioner Tony Taliani lauded the plan but said details are scant.

“We know nothing about it, outside of the fact that we got a letter from DEP that they had applied,” he said. “We have no information about the design or how big it will be.”

Commissioner Ed Kissel said a letter from Pittsburgh Brewing, located on the site of the former PPG Glass plant in Creighton, did not provide any details.

The temporary dock was a T-shaped floating dock that extended 60 feet from the riverbank, Camarda said. It was 160 by 8 feet and was removed at the end of the season.

Brewery officials in August said they were applying for a permanent boat dock permit after the success of this summer’s temporary digs. It is hoped the permanent Iron City Dock will attract people to the site, where an amphitheater has become another staple for local entertainment.

Trees were cleared, fences torn down and brush removed to ready the land for concert crowds, some of which grew into the thousands.

There’s been virtually no downside to events at the brewery, Taliani said. A summer car cruise drew crowds of up to 7,000 people and caused traffic tangles on Freeport Road, but Taliani said it’s a learning process.

“Outside of a bit of a traffic jam, there’s been no problems,” he said. “I think it’s a good thing that so many people are coming to the A-K Valley for their entertainment.”

Friends of the Riverfront, a nonprofit promoting the region’s waterways, has yet to come up with statistics on the economic impact of water recreation.

But to Courtney Mahronich-Vita, the organization’s director of trail development and government relations, communities are saying loud and clear they want more boat launches.

“We are seeing a huge increase in water usage, especially since the pandemic with everyone kind of getting outdoors and rediscovering the wonders of recreation,” she said.

The docks and marinas that do best, in her experience, are the ones that makes themselves an attraction beyond just a place to launch a boat. Food and, of course, beer can be big draws.

“Pittsburgh Brewing Co. is a destination,” she said. “That’s what makes (marinas) successful.”

Recreational interest in this section of the river has been growing for years.

Data from the Army Corps of Engineers shows that a combined 3,800 recreation vessels have passed through the locks bookending East Deer so far this year — up 69% from 2019.

Taliani said the township is not required to do anything for the process to move forward.

“No response is required from us, no action is required from us,” he said. “We just had to be notified.”

Taliani said he’s all for it.

“I think a permanent dock would be a good thing for their activities,” he said. “Any new development they have done has been positive so far, and I think it will benefit not only the township but the whole Valley.”