Photos by Neil Strebig

By Neil Strebig

A flora memorial glimmers in the sunlight boldly declaring, “This is exactly where you should be.”

It’s the unofficial motto of Alloy 26 — Western Pennsylvania’s largest co-working space.

“It is the heartbeat of innovation,” said Faros Properties manager partner Jeremy Leventhal.

Alloy 26 replaces the once derelict, vacant halls of the Allegheny Center Mall’s former Woolworth location; a space that has been filled with shadows and ghosts of patrons past for far too long.

“[It’s been a] labor of love. To see something that has sat dormant for largely 20 to 32 years, and turn into something that will be a resource. It is incredibly fulfilling,” said Alloy 26 Director of Operations Mike Woycheck.

This Thursday officially marked the launch of Alloy 26; Faros Properties third chapter of their Nova Place renovations.

The world-class office space uses the scenic downtown Pittsburgh skyline as a backdrop, efficiently using that natural light to stir up a vibrant melting pot of creative ingenuity.

The communal space is decorated with wooden tables, sleek neon colored chairs, couches and even sound proof booths for personal calls. The meeting rooms, covered in polka dots, offer high-definition televisions for video-calls. The sleek designs add such a vivacious appearance making it difficult to believe this was once part of the Allegheny Center Mall.

The ambiance of Alloy 26 aims to inspire the young, innovative, and intrepid minds patrolling its hallways.

According to Woycheck, Alloy 26 has nearly 30 businesses, start-ups, and entrepreneurs currently in house.

Woycheck, who previously worked with Google, praised Faros and Leventhal’s proposal for Alloy 26.

“The more I heard his vision, the more I learned what he was trying to accomplish – I was energized.”

The completion is something that has him and the rest of his team “extremely excited.”

Although the new tech hub’s hip interior will draw immediate attention, the minds behind Alloy 26 are eager for even more rapid changes on their way to Nova Place.

According to Faros Properties Marketing Director Gretchen D’Arti, a state-of-art 10,000 square foot gym will be completed over the next few months and the outdoor concourse will be finished by the end of this year.

“It’s really amazing to finally be able show people what we’ve been working on for a year,” she added.

For Nova Place and the Northside, sometimes good things come to those who wait.