A developer’s $600 million plan to turn a “derelict” North Side industrial site into a riverfront destination anchored by a giant Ferris wheel has received a big lift. After a 75-minute hearing Tuesday [Nov. 12], Pittsburgh Planning Commission members unanimously approved the master plan for the Esplanade, clearing the way for Piatt Companies to move ahead with the 15-acre redevelopment along the Ohio River.

The decision came after Manchester community groups and a number of residents threw their support behind the project, saying it could be a catalyst for the neighborhood and efforts to increase affordable housing.

In his own remarks, Lucas Piatt, CEO of Piatt Companies, vowed to make the Esplanade “a project for everyone,” noting that his firm has been working on it for the past eight years. “We want to create a wonderful destination for the region,” he said.

But the Esplanade also provides an opportunity to bolster the Manchester neighborhood and “the possibility for growth in the Chateau riverfront area, unlocking hundreds of acres of positive economic development,” he added.