Pittsburgh’s Andy Warhol Museum Announced $45 Million Expansion Proposal

The Andy Warhol Museum has proposed a $45 million expansion plan that would increase the institution’s footprint by more than 60%, according the Associated Press.

The expansion is part of the museum’s “Pop District” initiative, which, according to their website includes a “multi-block public art initiative, a youth-focused, creative economy workforce program, flagship live event & performance venue.”

The Pop District initiative was announced in 2022, as a $60 million project that will transform the area surrounding the museum into a cultural hub that draws on Warhol’s legacy for inspiration. The expansion is planned to roll out over ten years and will absorb six blocks around the museum. 

The multimillion-dollar proposal will convert the museum’s existing 58,000 square foot parking lot into a new building with a concert venue with standing room for 1,000 on the first floor, a mezzanine, office spaces, and a 360-person events space on the fourth floor.

When the initiative was first announced the museum said its goal was “to generate $1 million in annual income for workers with the program” and boost the local economy. In a statement the museum’s director, Patrick Moore, said “We now have the plan and resources to follow suit as an agent of change for Pittsburgh.”

Of the current plans, Rick Armstrong, a spokesperson for the museum, told news outlets that construction could begin as early as the Spring of 2024, however the project is still in the planning and development stages, so timelines are “still flexible.”