PennDOT considers repurposing site of old Western Penitentiary
By ADAM BABETSKI
TribLive
A former maximum-security prison on Pittsburgh’s North Side could be in for a very different second life as transportation officials seek to redevelop the property.
The Gothic prison most recently known as State Correctional Institution Pittsburgh — formerly Western Penitentiary, and nicknamed “The Wall” for its imposing 1,000-foot length — has loomed over Marshall-Shadeland from its perch on the banks of the Ohio River since 1882.
Government officials permanently closed the facility in 2017 to save tens of millions in operating costs amid a widening state budget gap. In 2024, the state Department of General Services announced its intent to demolish the site by 2027.
But SCI Pittsburgh may be spared from death row. PennDOT District 11 spokesman Steve Cowan said in a brief statement that his agency has held preliminary discussions regarding future use of the 21.7-acre site.
PennDOT Press Secretary Alexis Campbell added that the agency was looking into whether the site could feasibly “help enhance our operations in the region and save taxpayer dollars,” although she did not elaborate further on potential conversions.
Officials had previously estimated that the facility would cost up to $50 million to demolish.
Department of General Services spokesman L. Paul Vezzetti declined to comment on any potential interest or plans involving PennDOT.
SCI Pittsburgh maintained a longstanding reputation as a violent prison. It experienced several major inmate riots during the 20th century, and four corrections officers were murdered during its history.
The prison, which was Pennsylvania’s oldest operating prison and traced its roots to 1827, deteriorated over the decades as its inmate population shrank. Officials revamped the facility to focus on specialized mental health services toward the end of its operations.
After closing, the prison became a frequent filming location for “Mayor of Kingstown,” a police thriller TV show starring Jeremy Renner. Other smaller projects to film onsite were “Escape at Dannemora,” a true crime series directed by Ben Stiller, and “Mindhunter,” a psychological crime thriller TV show.
Several local developers have released proposals to preserve the site, including a recent plan to convert the prison into an RV park.
Pittsburgh Film Office Executive Director Dawn Keezer said that “Mayor of Kingstown” spent hundreds of millions employing thousands of Western Pennsylvanians for the show, and it has provided a major economic boost for the region.
SCI Pittsburgh’s unique architecture and riverfront location made it “an amazing location to have” for filming, she said.
“I’m hopeful, if this is what’s happening, that there will still be some opportunity for the film industry to be able to use some of the location as opposed to demolishing it,” she said.
“Mayor of Kingstown” wraps production at the prison for its fifth and final season in July, Keezer said. After that, the facility’s future is up in the air.
“We’ll see what happens,” she said.
