Long before Target or Bakery Square came along, we were working with residents at ELDI to imagine what a thriving East Liberty could look like. That process led to the neighborhood’s first community plan, A Vision for East Liberty, which set out a clear direction: a mixed-income community, with access to jobs, services, and amenities for all.
In 2007, that vision began to take more concrete shape through a partnership with Streetworks, development consultants that helped us find the best approach to bring the vision to life. Their recommendations focused on building from the neighborhood’s “strong market edges”—areas where investment had already begun, like the corridor near Whole Foods and Home Depot. By strengthening these edges, the strategy aimed to spark more organic, inward growth over time.
While there is still work to be done in East Liberty, we have increasingly turned our attention to supporting neighboring communities across the East End. In Larimer, that work began with the Choice Neighborhoods Initiative, which brought 334 new housing units—74 percent of them affordable—as well as Liberty Green Park spanning Larimer and East Liberty. And last December, ELDI was awarded a $1.2 million Federal Home Loan Bank of Pittsburgh grant to develop eight affordable homes in the neighborhood.
Extending a proven approach into Larimer
Now, a new seven-unit development from GEB Investments on Auburn Street is building on this momentum, offering a different but complementary piece of the neighborhood’s housing landscape.
“I saw Auburn Street as being that leading edge,” shared Bill Stolze, partner at GEB Investments. “Auburn is essentially an underhand stone’s throw from East Liberty Boulevard and a 30-second drive to Target, so it felt like a natural place to start.”
The development will include three single-family detached homes and four single-family attached homes. Each will include three bedrooms, three-and-a-half bathrooms, open-concept first floors, and two-car detached garages, along with mezzanine levels offering expansive views of East Liberty Boulevard.
Designed with community input
GEB is partnering with modular builder Apex to construct the homes and has worked closely with the Larimer Consensus Group throughout the planning process to ensure that the project aligns with community priorities.
“At the last community meeting, the development was extremely well received,” Stolze noted.
Donna Jackson, Executive Director of the Larimer Consensus Group, sees the project as an important step in Larimer’s evolution:
“The opportunity to introduce single-family homes into the Larimer is critical. It creates a pathway for residents to build generational wealth through homeownership while strengthening neighborhood stability and long-term investment.”
All seven homes will be sold at market rate—an intentional addition, Stolze says, to help round out Larimer’s evolving housing mix.
“The neighborhood, by its current nature, lends itself to affordability,” he explained. “There’s already a strong community fabric, and restoration of existing properties is underway and will likely accelerate. What’s been missing is new construction—market-rate homes for resale. This helps fill that gap.”
Construction kicked off last month, and the first unit, which will serve as a model home, is expected to be completed this summer. For Stolze and his team, the goal is not just to complete a single project, but to help set a pattern for what thoughtful, incremental development in Larimer can look like.
“The hope is that this sparks redevelopment—street by street—deeper into Larimer,” he said. “It’s already a strong neighborhood. It’s well positioned, and there’s a real opportunity to shape something meaningful here. Hopefully, this is one step in that direction.”