Nova Place is creating room to grow for Pittsburgh businesses

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When wireless infrastructure company Everest Infrastructure Partners searched for a new office in Pittsburgh in early 2019, the company had no idea what the future would hold. As the dust settled after the pandemic, the company discovered their team’s drive to return to office was stronger than ever. 

That might have something to do with the office space itself — Nova Place. Five years and lots of growth later, Everest Infrastructure Partners still proudly calls it home, said CEO and founder Matt Newton.

A good office space is hard to find. What’s even more challenging is finding one that can evolve with you, said Kristen Oelschlager, COO of health tech firm Castle Biosciences, another Nova Place tenant.

In a time when “work from anywhere” is making headlines, Nova Place is creating a workplace community that bucks the trend. Home to commercial office space, residential living and lifestyle amenities, the complex tucked away in the North Side is changing the way its tenants return to work. 

Location, Location, Location

The team at Everest wanted to be in the city, but not inside the city, a unique nuance for the Pittsburgh region. 

It’s just a quick trip across a bridge to downtown, but access to Nova Place is far superior when it comes to commuting and meeting with clients. 

Being just a couple blocks in one direction can add significant travel time. Finding a balance between central location and average commute time for employees was a big part of the office search.

Employees can easily walk over for client meetings, but if they had to drive in and out every day it would add significant time to the work day, said Mike Mackey, president of Everest Infrastructure Partners. 

“We have employees coming from all over the greater Pittsburgh region,” Newton said. Easy access was a priority for the Everest Infrastructure team, and the convenience of Nova Place delivers. 

Situated on several bus lines, close to a T stop and a couple blocks off the North Shore bike path, commuting is a breeze for city-situated employees who want to use public transit or trails to get to the office. 

On the other hand, car commuters benefit from easy access to major highways and a massive garage under Nova Place for tenants. Employees can easily zip in and out of Nova Place and be in a bustling part of the city. 

“It became very clear early on that Nova Place was the right fit for us, not only in their willingness to help build out a space that meets our needs, but also being in such a central location that is a draw for new employees,” Oelschlager said.

Area Amenities 

It’s not just the commute that gets Nova Place tenants excited about the space. 

For employees, there’s a salon, a gym and food hall Federal Galley on site. PNC Park, Acrisure Stadium and Stage AE are just minutes away by foot for after-work entertainment. “It’s only like a 15-minute walk to Penn Avenue, and there’s a gazillion entertainment options there,” said Newton, the Everest CEO.

Among Nova Place’s two office towers, Concourse and coworking space, there are many meeting spots, seating areas and comfortable chairs tucked away for one-on-ones or breakout meetings. There’s ample space to collaborate with coworkers or socialize with any other tenants across the campus. 

In addition to organizing monthly events for tenants, Nova Place also hosts several seasonal events that occur annually. Among those events are a summer Cornhole Tournament, a Fall Fest, and a Holiday Party with a gingerbread house decorating contest, creating a festive atmosphere for cross-company socializing. They also co-host The Solar Concert Series with North Side neighbor, The Children’s Museum.

Room to Grow

Both Castle Biosciences and Everest Infrastructure have experienced explosive growth at Nova Place. However, square footage has never been a hindrance to their development. 

When Everest moved in, the company had only 10 employees in its Pittsburgh office, occupying just 3,000 square feet of office space. 

“In four-plus years, we’ve gone from 3,000 to 20,000 and keep growing. That has been a particularly strong experience with Nova Place. They’ve been able to provide growth solutions for us that have all fit. And so we have almost a full floor now in the second tower,” said Newton. “We’ve done three different build-outs at this point.”

Mackey, the Everest president, said finding the space to fit all the employees has never been a stressor during these periods of growth. “Nova Place has been such a good partner in helping us grow.” 

Similarly, Castle Bioscience’s team in Pittsburgh has ballooned from approximately 35 to more than 100, all since the company has occupied Nova Place. 

“An office could be, you know, made of gold,” said Oelschlager, “but if you don’t have a good partnership, it’s worth nothing. The property manager, Faros Properties, has been an excellent partner as we’ve grown our company, helping us scale to meet our needs while staying in the same location.”