Row houses have long been a staple on the South Side. But townhouses now seem to be all the rage.

	Riverside Development Group An artist's rendering of the townhouses planned for the end of South 18th Street. They'll sell for $290,000 to $450,000. Click photo for larger image.

--> The Riverside Development Group plans to build 48 high-end townhouse units on city Urban Redevelopment Authority property at the end of South 18th Street by the Monongahela River. The site is near the Pittsburgh Federation of Teachers building.

Riverside is seeking to build off the success of other townhouse developments in the area -- South Shore Place, Fox Way Commons and New Birmingham.

The newest venture consists of townhouses priced $290,000 to $450,000. The homes will have two or three bedrooms, skylights, gas fireplaces, two-car integral garages, optional rooftop terraces, and green building features. Rooftop penthouses also will be available.

Buyers will have 12 different unit types from which to choose. The townhouses will be grouped around European-style courtyards.

Riverside Development Group is made up of developer A.M. Rodriguez and Sota Construction Services Inc. They were selected for the work by officials affiliated with the URA and South Side community groups.

Jack Johnston, president of Jaxon Development Co. who is serving as a consultant to Riverside, said there's a big reason there seems to be so much interest in building townhouses on the South Side these days.

"It's a good market," he said.

Johnston said the 26-unit Fox Way Commons and 32-unit New Birmingham developments, which he did in the 1990s, have sold out and the latest, South Shore Place, with more than 70 units, done by Signature Homes, recently finished selling its townhouses.

"They've been highly successful," he said. "Prices have appreciated very dramatically."

Even before the first townhouses are built, Riverside has a list of 40 to 50 people interested in the new units.

The developer is hoping to begin the first phase of the project in July or August. The timing of subsequent phases depends on how quickly the first units sell. The $16 million development, all privately financed, could take four years to complete.

Exterior features will include brick and metal sheathing and a stone base. The materials were chosen to give a contemporary look to the units while at the same time blending with the industrial heritage of the South Side.

Units also will feature amenities to make for more efficient heating and cooling and more environmentally friendly construction.

"We're trying to produce a real quality development here. I think it's going to work out well," said Ernie Sota, president of Sota Construction Services Inc.

URA Executive Director Jerome Dettore said the site always has been targeted for residential development. He said the new units, with a more contemporary design, will add variety to the existing townhouse stock on the South Side.

The city Planning Commission will review plans for the development in June.