The San Francisco-based ride-sharing company also may have its eye on the former U.S. Steel Duquesne Works for a test track, Duquesne Mayor Phillip Krivacek said Monday.
Known as the City Center of Duquesne, the property is now an industrial park operated by the Regional Industrial Development Corp. Mr. Krivacek said his understanding is that the proposed Uber track would run about half a mile along the Monongahela riverfront.
Officials are expected to make a presentation to the city next month for a final grading permit to control water runoff as a step toward building the track, he said.
The mayor said Uber appears to be planning two tracks in the region — one to test self-driven cars in urban-like driving conditions with stop signs and stop lights, and another to test vehicles at high speeds.
Duquesne, he added, is thrilled to be considered for a track, particularly given the hard times it has endured since the closing of the steel mill more than three decades ago.
“We’re extremely happy. It’s good for the city. It’s good for the Mon Valley,” Mr. Krivacek said. “It’s one of those where you can’t wait for it to happen.”
RIDC is nearing the completion of a new 30,000-square-foot flex building on the mill site. Uber, Mr. Krivacek said, may be interested in taking as much as a third of that as part of its work in the Mon Valley.
However, a source with knowledge of the discussions said that while Uber has had conversations with the city, it doesn’t have anything concrete planned at this time.
If Uber follows through with its plans, the mayor is expecting the initiative to create some jobs, though he’s not sure how many.
Don Smith, RIDC president, declined comment, as did Uber.
RIDC also is managing the Hazelwood site for Almono LP, the consortium of foundations that owns the 178-acre property.
Uber is expected to make a presentation at a public meeting in Hazelwood this evening about the test track planned for the Almono site. The track apparently would be in use for three to five years and then removed to clear the way for other development. The initiative could create as many as 20 jobs, city Councilman Corey O’Connor said.
The ride-sharing company is partnering with Carnegie Mellon University on a joint venture to create a robotics research lab and technology center, one devoted in part to driverless cars.
A former locomotive roundhouse at the Almono site houses CMU’s autonomous car program. Uber also intends to use that facility for technical research, Mr. O’Connor said.
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