New hotel to be redeveloped on site of old DoubleTree in Monroeville
Developers in Monroeville gathered at the former DoubleTree hotel on Tuesday to officially announce plans for the space's redevelopment.
Last July, KDKA-TV detailed a movement to get a flagship hotel into the former DoubleTree by Hilton property in Monroeville.
Now, that hotel has a new identity.
On Tuesday, the announcement was made that the old Hilton will be dubbed The Legacy Hotel and Conference Center.
This new hotel launch was hosted by members of the Grace Life Church, Two Trees Global Development Group, and MBE Hospitality Management LLC.
Pastor Bruce Schafer of Grace Life Church, who bought this property last year and has been heavily involved in its redevelopment, says the new hotel will benefit the region.
"Our community is being redeveloped," said Schafer. "So, to be part of that is a great feeling. To see life come back, to see people come back, employees come back, restoration and to have a management company who knows what they are doing, a hotelier that is very well experienced, it's exciting to have the right people in the right place, to do this well."
The Legacy Hotel will be run by MBE Hospitality Management, and they are looking to transform the 14-story space into a premier destination hotel in the region. The hotel will feature amenities like a restaurant, a high-end spa and fitness center, and updated and spacious guest rooms.
The hotel will be a first-of-its-kind boutique space that will be themed with art and images of legacy-makers from in and around Pittsburgh, including area icons like Fred Rogers, Roberto Clemente, and Andrew Carnegie.
Eric Bahme, the President of MBE, says they are excited, but much work needs done to revamp this massive building with nearly 200 rooms.
"This is a well-built hotel," said Bahme. "So just from the exterior and the bones itself. It's a fantastic hotel. The biggest challenge is the infrastructure, the plumbing, the electrical, just the mechanics of the hotel. We are going to already start on that right away. The elevators have to be replaced. Everything really has seen its day, so we have to start from the ground up and get those things done right."
The new Legacy Hotel doesn't have an official opening date yet, but everyone is hopeful it will be up and running in the next 10 to 14 months.
Officials say they will be open when Pittsburgh hosts the NFL Draft in 2026.
