Remaining Downtown: While others move on, an accounting firm is expanding in the Golden Triangle

By Mark Belko / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

At a time when many firms are downsizing their office space, Louis Plung & Company is going against the flow.

The accounting and advisory firm is moving its Downtown headquarters to the 20 Stanwix — an office building at Stanwix Street and Fort Pitt Boulevard overlooking the Monongahela River — where it has signed a lease for 18,041 square feet of space.

In announcing the move Wednesday, Lou Plung, the firm’s managing partner, said the new office is several thousand square feet larger than what the company currently has at One Gateway Center.

The relocation will take place in April 2025.

The move will not only allow Louis Plung & Company to expand its team, but will keep the firm Downtown at a time when some other businesses have departed because of concerns about crime, safety, and other issues.

It was “extremely important for us to remain Downtown. We’ve been a part of this city for over 100 years and we want to remain an integral part of Pittsburgh’s vibrant business community and help shape the city’s future,” Mr. Plung said in a statement.

The 22-story 20 Stanwix office tower is owned by Chicago-based M&J Wilkow. Both Louis Plung & Company and the building owner were represented by the Jones Lang LaSalle real estate firm.

Among its amenities, 20 Stanwix features a two-level parking garage.

Louis Plung & Company, which got its start in 1921, is the latest firm to make a move Downtown.

Two weeks ago, the Post-Gazette reported that the Strada architectural firm was close to a deal to take about 15,000 square feet at 11 Stanwix, the former Westinghouse building across the street from 20 Stanwix.

Strada is now located in the 31-story former Alcoa Building, now named the Regional Enterprise Tower, at 611 William Penn Place.

Kairos Investment Management Company recently acquired 11 Stanwix from M&J Wilkow through a deed in lieu of foreclosure. However, M&J Wilkow is still involved as the property and asset manager.