Parks Conservancy revitalizing Riverview Park's Valley Refuge Shelter

One of Pittsburgh’s most popular and historic park shelters is set to get an upgrade next summer.

The Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy is spearheading an effort to revitalize Riverview Park’s Valley Refuge Shelter and improve accessibility at the site.

The shelter is one of the most popular in the city, with permits issued 77 times last year. It was the tenth most heavily-used shelter out of all of Pittsburgh’s seasonal shelters last year, according to city data, and was used for picnics, parties, reunions and even yoga.

Revitalizing the aging site was a “major priority,” said Brandon Riley, director of community projects and engagement with the Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy.

The shelter was originally constructed in 1939 as part of the National Youth Association, which was an arm of the Works Progress Administration, a New Deal agency that employed millions of jobseekers to conduct public works projects.

One of the stones on the shelter is marked with the year and an indication it was a Works Progress Administration initiative, Riley said.

The conservancy’s work will include upgrades to the bathrooms to make them ADA-compliant, as well as upgrades to the lighting, plumbing and electrical systems, Riley said. A new drinking fountain will be installed to replace one that doesn’t work there now. Crews will repair the roof and historic masonry on and around the structure.

Some of the historic flagstone paving that has “fallen into disrepair” and made the site less accessible will also be fixed, he said.

The goal, Riley said is to give it “an overall repair and upgrade so that it can continue to be a joy for future generations.”

“What we’re really focusing on is improving accessibility, improving functionality and making sure we’re providing for the longevity of the structure,” he said.

A grant from the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission will require the project shows “respect for the history” and meets standards for preserving historic materials, Riley said.

The open-air shelter is used predominantly in the warmer months, Riley said, though it appears at one point there had been sliding doors that could enclose the shelter. He believes those may have been installed during a renovation in the 1960s, but they’ve since been removed.

The project is currently in the design phase, Riley said, with construction expected to start early next spring. Work should be finished by mid-summer 2025.

The $240,000 project is funded, in part, by $130,000 from Pittsburgh’s parks tax.

The city allocated money from the controversial 0.5-mil tax — which the city started collecting in 2021 after voters narrowly approved it in a 2019 ballot referendum — to help the conservancy fund upgrades at Allegheny Commons Park and build a sensory-friendly classroom in Frick Park.

“It demonstrates we can do more, we can get a lot more work done, if we’re partnering on these things and sharing these costs,” Riley said.

Riley said the city also may provide labor from its construction division. Spokespeople for Mayor Ed Gainey did not immediately respond to requests for comment Friday.