You Can’t Build That — Clark Building
April 26, 2026
For our sixteenth entry in our “You Can’t Build That Here!” series, we take a stroll down Liberty Avenue to the Cultural District.
It’s been a while since we’ve done one of these! For our sixteenth entry in our “You Can’t Build That Here!” series, we take a stroll down Liberty Avenue to the Cultural District.
Each entry in this series highlights a currently existing building that would be illegal to build under the existing zoning code. The purpose is to highlight how flawed our zoning code is.
The Clark Building is a historic twenty-five[1] story high-rise building at 717 Liberty Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15222. Named for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer magnate James Bly Clark, the building is currently owned by PMC Property Group, which converted it into a predominantly residential apartment building in 2014. The lowest three floors are dedicated to the Pittsburgh Jewelry District and space for the adjoining Benedum Center. The building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is a centerpiece of the Penn-Liberty Historic District.
The Clark Building on a sunny April day. This century-old skyscraper provides housing to 200 Pittsburghers. Photo credit: Nick Rizzio
The Clark Building was first proposed in 1926, just three years after the first zoning ordinance in Pittsburgh was passed into law. Financed by the Stanley-Rowland-Clark Company, it was part of a combined project which included the Stanley Theatre, now known as the Bendum Center, for a cost of $10,000,000 (over $180,000,000 in 2026 dollars). But before the shovels could hit the ground, the City of Pittsburgh rejected the permit application.
According to the Bureau of Building Inspection, the Clark Building violated the 1923 zoning ordinance because its proposed 23 stories exceeded the 21 stories allowed by code. On September 8th, 1926, the Stanley-Rowland-Clark Company appealed to the Pittsburgh Zoning Board of Appeals, and on September 20th, 1926 – just twelve days later – the Board of Appeals accepted the appeal and allowed the Clark Building and Stanley Theatre to be granted their permits. Construction began and was completed by 1928.
The reaction to the decision was swift. On September 30th, 1926, a prescient letter to the editor was published in the Pittsburgh Press. Written by an author merely attributed as J.M.R, the letter stated:
