Pittsburgh: David L. Lawrence Convention Center

Wed, 01 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Pittsburgh: David L. Lawrence Convention Center#

Opened: 2003 (replacing 1981 original). Exhibit space: 313,000 sq ft. Walk Score: 97. Transit Score: 90.

The first convention center in the world to achieve LEED Gold certification — later upgraded to LEED Platinum for Existing Buildings. Named for the mayor and governor who drove Pittsburgh’s mid-century “Renaissance I” urban renewal.

What Was Here Before#

The 2003 building replaced the original David L. Lawrence Convention Center (1981, ~130,000 sq ft). Before that: industrial and warehouse uses along the Allegheny riverfront, part of Pittsburgh’s lower Strip District. No documented residential displacement for either the 1981 or 2003 construction — the land was already industrial/commercial.

Leed on Convention City Almanac

Pittsburgh: David L. Lawrence Convention Center

Pittsburgh: David L. Lawrence Convention Center#

What Was Here Before#