BSRE - About Us - Gene Boyer III

WE ARE BURNS SCALO

A vertically integrated, privately held commercial real estate development firm, Burns Scalo Real Estate Inc. (BSRE), is a rare blend of uniqueness. Our President and CEO, James Scalo, brings over four decades of expertise as an astute real estate investor and developer. Mr. Scalo has built an organization known for developing the finest Class A commercial and mixed-use real estate in the Western Pennsylvania market.

BSRE operates with three distinct divisions: Brokerage, Development and Construction, and Management. Our portfolio includes over three million square feet of Class A commercial office, mixed-use, retail, and flex/warehouse space. Initially formed in 1956, the owners of BSRE began investing in small to mid-sized multifamily properties.

By 1982, BSRE had assumed a modest 300-unit portfolio. By 1991, Mr. Scalo had grown BSRE into 3,000 units, all of which he sold to begin the next evolution of BSRE.

Jim Scalo | CEO Burns Scalo Real Estate

WHO WE ARE

BSRE is a large-scale, programmatic real estate developer. We develop high-impact, dynamic projects and emphasize programmatic mixed-use developments epitomizing the “live, work, play” model.

We are a leveraged investor. Our priorities when evaluating investment and development opportunities are simplified with five fundamental principles:

1. Preservation of capital.

2. Capital appreciation through long-term hold / operating resulting in increased equity value;

3. Intelligent disposition of assets and realizing capital gains when our modeling determines it is time to sell.

4. Rigorous financial discipline in operation and maintenance of our investments; and

5. Modeling and alignment to ensure that the preservation of capital is maintained for our investment partners and our organization’s long-term and continued growth.

WHAT WE DO

We develop transformational real estate projects that energize and drive communities. We are strategic, long-term investors with vision and courage who perform rigorous research to determine the best investments for our firm and investors. We maintain control of our assets from concept through delivery, lease-up, and operations by managing the entire process in our vertically integrated model. By operating the whole process, we are the sole point of accountability to our investors.

RECENTLY COMPLETED PROJECTS

SOUTH FAYETTE TOWNSHIP, PA

180,000 SF

A Class A luxury office property located in the fast-growing South Fayette submarket. South Fayette Township is a growing suburb south of the City of Pittsburgh, filled with top-rated schools and a growth in new residential development. Based on substantial market research and our industry knowledge, we invested more than $40 million in this location, and have secured a second site for Beacon 2 adjacent to Beacon 1.

SOUTH FAYETTE TOWNSHIP, PA

49,000 SF

Completed in June 2022, the Piazza is our newest destination for experiential retail development. Four fully leased new retail buildings and the first restaurant, Firebirds, has recently opened. Additionally, the Pittsburgh legendary franchise, Primanti Brothers, a Pittsburgh Italian favorite, Pizzaiolo Primo, and the regional chicken favorite, Raising Caine’s, have all signed leases, adding to the retail scene.

SOUTH OAKLAND, PA

160,000 SF

The Riviera is a state-of-the-art luxury wet lab building located in Pittsburgh’s technology corridor and only minutes away from the University of Pittsburgh, Carnegie-Mellon University, and Carlow University.

BSRE has developed strategic partnerships with these universities to create spaces to provide education, training, and cutting-edge space for companies that form out of their enterprise groups. We currently have several biotech spinouts from Pitt and UPMC that have leased tens of thousands of square feet of office and wet lab space. These organizations are leading the world in life sciences research and development. As such, BSRE is proudly a leading developer of luxury wet lab/life science space in the market.

STRIP DISTRICT, PA

265,000 SF

Completed in 2022, the Vision on Fifteenth is our newest Class A luxury office building in the fastest-growing submarket in the City of Pittsburgh, the Strip District. This 200,000+ square feet state-of-the-art building has already secured its first tenant, ATI, a legacy industrial / technology firm.

Reflecting the next iteration of the office, ATI relocated its headquarters from the central business district to the Strip District, cutting its space by half. This is the future of office space. There is a flight to quality and new office space. The Vision reflects the latest real estate trend in the market.

MOON TOWNSHIP, PA

542,000 SF

Our latest ground-up, mixed-use development, Diamond Ridge, broke ground in 2022. Located in the dynamic Parkway West Corridor and minutes away from the Pittsburgh International Airport, Diamond Ridge will activate and drive the transformation of hundreds of acres of new development, including 500 for-sale single-family and townhouse units tied into the Diamond Ridge infrastructure.

BSRE partnered with the Moon Transit Authority to contribute to significant road and traffic infrastructure to enhance and energize the entire area.

PITTSBURGH, PA

180,000 SF

During the fourth quarter of 2019, BSRE purchased 225 North Shore and repositioned it as The Cascade, a Class A office building on the Allegheny River in the heart of the North Shore. It is conveniently located between the iconic stadiums, Acrisure Stadium and PNC Park. Acrisure Stadium is the home of the six-time Super Bowl-winning Pittsburgh Steelers.

The North Shore is home to restaurants, brew pubs, and commercial office buildings that remain vibrant and dynamic during the week, season, and off-season. Site selection consultants heavily tour the property, and we anticipate leasing will proceed quickly. Current capital improvement projects include a significant lobby upgrade and the build-out of a gourmet coffee shop which will be a trendy destination for the businesses and workers on the North Shore.

SOUTHPOINTE, PA

116,000 SF

Built initially by BSRE in 1995 and sold in 2004, we repurchased it in 2022 as a value-add opportunity. The building is undergoing a capital improvement project, including preparing speculative suites and a refresh of the lobby and common areas.