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PITTSBURGH-On Friday Gov. Ed Rendell announced the Department of Environmental Protection is providing $1 million to help remove asbestos and other hazardous construction materials from the former seven-story Nabisco bakery building in East Liberty. The bakery has been shuttered since 1998 and is being redeveloped by Walnut Capital Partners into a $100 million mixed-use community.

It is estimated that the asbestos removal process will cost $1.3 million. The bakery site is part of the 6.5-acre tract where Walnut Capital plans to break ground by fall on its mixed-use venture designed to house 223,000 sf of office space, 165,000 sf of retail, a 120-room hotel, a 1,200-car garage, 38 residential condominiums and a 38,810-sf fitness center. The project is expected to create 1,600 new jobs.

In a prepared statement, Rendell says, "We can grow our economy, create new job opportunities for our working men and women, and improve the environment by cleaning up these abandoned industrial sites." He adds, "Making these sites shovel-ready helps Pennsylvania attract investors and stimulates development, which is great news for our communities and our residents."