A new building combining apartments, offices and commercial space at the entrance to Pittsburg's revitalized Old Town downtown district was welcomed with a grand opening ceremony on Nov. 29.

"What do you think of this new building? Isn't it great?" asked City Councilman Ben Johnson, who presided over the well-attended ceremony for Entrata ("gateway" or "entrance" in Italian) at 10th Street and Railroad Avenue.

"This has been a labor of love, and it wasn't an easy project. We had to go through a lot of trials and tribulations to make this happen. It's all about getting things done - and we did get this done. It looks beautiful, and it's going to work great."

Entrata, one of several new development projects deemed critical to the revitalization effort in Pittsburg's downtown, cost over $12 million and includes 28 apartments and 8,000 square feet of commercial space around a central courtyard. It was financed in part through $8.9 million in loans and assistance from the Pittsburg Redevelopment Agency. Thirteen of the apartments are reserved for low-income and very-low-income residents.

On the east side of the first floor of the building is the city of Pittsburg's Community Access Department, formerly known as the Pittsburg Housing Authority. The west side of the building is currently available for lease, and may become a restaurant or cafe. Public art is on display in the courtyard along with several clocks showing the time in Pittsburg's sister cities around the world.

Entrata is the result of a partnership between the Pittsburg Redevelopment Agency and Domus Development of San Francisco. The agency purchased the land, demolished two dilapidated buildings on the site and developed the design for Entrata. Domus managed construction of the building and will market and manage the property.

As part of the repayment of a Redevelopment Agency loan to finance construction, Domus will return ownership of the building to the Redevelopment Agency in 15 years.

"It's always wonderful to be able to celebrate accomplishments," said Meea Kang, president of Domus. "From the beginning, it hasn't been easy. But, as the mayor said, it's about teamwork. And behind every great building there are great people. And in this case we've had exceptional people working on the project.

"It's been an incredible pleasure to work with this city. I've worked with a lot of different cities before, and truly this is a city that is outstanding. It's outstanding in their process and in their support. And we look forward to many more projects with the city."

Entrata is one of five buildings that will mark the entrance to the revitalized Old Town. Other projects in the city's downtown that have been completed or are underway include the Marina Promenade, Marina Walk Park, Marina Park, the Vidrio townhouse/commercial development and Marina Elementary School.