THE MARKET ANCHOR ENVISIONED FOR MARKET SQUARE | RENDERING COURTESY OF PITTSBURGH DOWNTOWN PARTNERSHIP

The reimagining of Downtown’s Market Square has begun.

A year of construction officially kicked off on Tuesday on a $15 million project that aims to modernize this historical square while also honoring its original roots with a new design.

Work led by the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership starts in the north half of the square on the Original Oyster House side and will include McMasters, Market and Graeme streets. There will be one-way, northbound traffic (on Forbes, from Wood Street to Stanwix Street) on the south half of the square through the summer.

Later this year, construction will shift to the south side (facing PPG Plaza) with traffic rerouted to the north. Pedestrian access will be maintained throughout, and all businesses are expected to stay open during construction, according to the partnership.

Construction should be completed by April 2026, just in time for the NFL Draft here on April 23-25, which could draw between 500,000 to 700,000 fans to Pittsburgh.

Market Square’s new design eliminates all parking around the perimeter and limits vehicular traffic to the north side of the square.

NEW TRAFFIC PATTERN FOR MARKET SQUARE DURING THE FIRST PHASE OF CONSTRUCTION | COURTESY PITTSBURGH DOWNTOWN PARTNERSHIP

Among the improvements will be installation of the Market Anchor, a pergola-like, semi-circular pavilion that was inspired by the semi-circular building in the market here in the 1700s. It will provide Led lighting and electrical and other hookups to support concerts, the future farmers markets and other activities.

The chunky cobblestones around the perimeter will be replaced by smooth precast pavers to improve accessibility and be ADA compliant. Curbs will be removed and seating will be rearranged to ease pedestrian movement. Vibrant lighting will be added.

Market Square’s modernization is part of a “Vision Plan” to reimagine three green spaces Downtown that also will include Arts Landing around Eighth Street in the Cultural District and Point State Park. It’s also part of $600 million in investment by state, county and city governments, private companies and nonprofits that Gov. Josh Shapiro announced last fall to revitalize Downtown over the next 10 years.

As a reminder, because of the construction, the popular farmers markets, as well as the Yoga on the Square sessions will move this year just a block away at PPG Place Plaza starting next month. The farmers market enters its 21st year on May 15 and will run each Thursday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. into the fall. The Yoga in the Square series will kick off on May 11 and be held on Sunday 10 to 11 a.m. and Tuesday 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. through the end of September.