Friends of Mellon Park Look to Reopen Marshall Building
Our friends at Friends of Mellon Park are working to reopen the Marshall building as a community center and could use our support.
The Marshall Building is located in Mellon Park near the corner of Fifth and Shady. It was known as the “yellow building” until a recent re-painting changed the color. The building was given to the city back in 1943 as a means to “serve the public.” The Marshall Building was originally envisioned as a place for communitiy members, neighbors, artists, and groups to gather and connect. For many decades, the building was home to galleries and offices of the Pittsburgh Center for the Arts.
Courtesy of Friends of Mellon Park
2019 was the last time the Marshall Building was open to the public. For six years, this space has not been utilized to the fullest extent by civic and cultural groups. We have all lost out on this space of connection, performance, and creativity.
In 2026, the Marshall Building is a storage facility for CitiParks. Few city employees work out of the building and a small number of community events are held here.
A group of dedicated stakeholders has been urging the City of Pittsburgh to reactivate the Marshall Building. Friends of Mellon Park is one such group that is interested in working to restore the original intended legacy of the building. A variety of stakeholders intend to participate in the City Council meeting on Tuesday, June 9, at 10:00 a.m. to make their feelings known.
If you would like to get involved, Friends of Mellon Park has a list of action items for you to follow:
Join us at the City Council meeting on Tuesday, June 9, at 10:00 a.m. in City Council chambers, City-County Building, 414 Grant Street, 5th Floor.
Sign up to speak or provide written comments at the meeting:
Online: Submit your request using the Pittsburgh City Council Speaker Form via the City Clerk’s office website.
By phone: Call the City Clerk’s office at 412-255-2138.
Deadline for registration is 9:00 a.m. on the morning of the meeting. Registered individuals are allotted three minutes to speak.
Provide written comments by emailing a statement to the City Clerk’s office at cityclerksoffice@pittsburghpa.gov.