In May, Pitt purchased the property that housed Hemingway’s Café for more than 40 years.

The property is adjacent to Litchfield Towers on Forbes Avenue, with the street entrance to the Towers ground floor and the Eatery just steps away.

A Pitt spokesman said the University “cannot speak to specific plans for the space at this time.”

"Hemingway’s has been an integral part of the Oakland community for four decades, and woven into the fabric of Pitt’s campus for just as long,” the spokesman said. “Generations of Pitt students celebrated milestones there, forged lifelong friendships, and made it their first stop back on campus when visiting. The University appreciates this rich history and recognizes that Hemingway’s will always have a place in the hearts and memories of countless Pitt students. 

“The University is committed to growing in ways that are thoughtful and strategic, and we're always looking for opportunities near campus that support our long-term mission and give us flexibility to meet future academic and community needs.”

Part of the Campus Master Plan completed last year is a proposal to build a “Tower D” in the next block, bordered by Oakland Avenue, Fifth Avenue and South Bouquet Street, to expand first-year housing. Until recently, part of that space was leased to UPMC for use during construction of the new UPMC Presbyterian tower and the rest is a metered parking lot.

While Pitt owns all the property along Fifth Avenue from South  Bouquet to Bigelow Boulevard, there is a corner — bordered by Euler Way, Forbes Avenue and South Bouquet — of the large block that remains in private hands.

— Susan Jones

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