It’s been almost 10 years since the South Side Works burst on the scene with the Cheesecake Factory and a bunch of one-off retailers (at least one-off to Pittsburgh) to join the office and apartments that had been developed earlier. In the intervening years, retail habits have changed and the Soffer Organization had endured some financial pressures. There was also a deep recession. The net result was stagnation in what was a hot spot.

Apartments and a fresh business cycle are bringing the South Side back into the limelight. On Friday there will be a groundbreaking ceremony for the South Side Works City Apartments, being developed by Village Green and built by Rycon Construction. The $50 million development includes 264 luxury apartments and penthouses with 12,000 square feet of ground floor retail/commercial space and a 562-car parking garage.

The City Apartments join the 117-unit Hot Metal Flats (being developed by Oxford Development and PJ Dick) and the 56-unit 3030 South Water lofts (from Ralph Falbo and P. W. Campbell), all under construction. Highwoods Properties has announced plans for a 158,000 sq. ft. office building within a blocks of all this residential development along the river.