Crate & Barrel, the trendy home furnishings chain, heads the list of retailers a Washington, D.C.-based developer is seeking as part of a project to revitalize lower Fifth Avenue, Downtown.

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Pittsburgh Mayor-elect Bob O'Connor said the store is the kind of retailer he's been looking for to help turn around the blighted Fifth and Forbes corridor, which has lost two department stores and numerous other businesses over the last few years.

"Certainly that would be the 'Wow' I'm looking for," he said. "We're looking for something in that category."

Mr. O'Connor said developer Madison Marquette also is interested in New York-based Tiffany & Co., the upscale jeweler that crafts the Vince Lombardi Super Bowl Trophy.

The mayor-elect said he is looking for retailers that are "going to be a draw" and seemed to be pleased that both Crate & Barrel and Tiffany's could be among those in the mix for the corridor. He said the city has been missing a strong anchor.

"We haven't had that Downtown for a long time. We're looking for that," he said.

Crate & Barrel spokeswoman Bette Kahn said Pittsburgh "is certainly a town we are looking at" but added the city isn't on its list for store openings in 2006. The retailer usually opens five to six stores a year.

"We will be getting to Pittsburgh as soon as we can but it's not yet," she said.

Crate & Barrel has only one store in Pennsylvania, in King of Prussia, near Philadelphia. Neither Madison Marquette nor Tiffany's representatives could be reached for comment yesterday.

Madison Marquette is working with the private Pittsburgh Task Force, a group of foundations and nonprofit organizations headed by the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership, on plans for a residential and retail complex on Fifth and Forbes avenues, using the old G.C. Murphy store and other buildings owned by the city and the Urban Redevelopment Authority.

Task force Chairman Herb Burger confirmed that Mr. O'Connor "is right on both store possibilities."

"I agree with Mr. O'Connor that Crate & Barrel would be a superb addition to our downtown. It would represent a store that is not in every mall, that is upper tier, and would appeal to young as well as middle-aged consumers. I think we should urge Madison Marquette to pursue them among the best possible candidates," he said.

Mr. Burger added that the goal of the Downtown redevelopment is to seek retailers that "do not already exist in the malls to make Downtown Pittsburgh a unique shopping experience for visitors, suburbanites and residents of the city."

The task force is hoping to finalize arrangements with Madison Marquette by early next year. Mr. O'Connor, who takes office next month, has said he is still waiting for more details from the developer on various issues, including project costs and financing, before committing. Besides retail, the development would have about 150 residential units, Mr. O'Connor has said.

If a deal is reached, Crate & Barrel and Tiffany's would be among the retailers Madison Marquette would immediately pursue as tenants, Mr. Burger said. He called Tiffany's "an example of another niche store that would be a great addition to Downtown Pittsburgh."

Both companies had been on the wish list of other developers that looked at the Fifth and Forbes corridor in the past.

Crate & Barrel was among the retailers Urban Retail Properties coveted as part of Mayor Tom Murphy's ambitious $522 million plan to remake the Fifth and Forbes corridor into a retail and entertainment destination. That plan collapsed when key retailer Nordstrom opted out and because of opposition from some Downtown property owners.

The Madison Marquette complex is one of three major developments in the works in the Fifth and Forbes corridor. Officials are hoping the synergy will be attractive to upscale retailers that do not have stores in the Pittsburgh area.

This week, Millcraft Investments, headed by Washington County developer Jack Piatt, announced a $49 million redevelopment of the Lazarus-Macy's store at Fifth and Wood. It will include 28 luxury condominiums and 19 rooftop townhouses, plus office and retail space.

As part of its plan, Millcraft is hoping to recruit one-of-a-kind retailers as well as a market that would offer prepared foods and cater to residents and office workers.

PNC Financial Services Group is planning a $170 million office, residential and retail development on Fifth Avenue opposite the old Murphy's store. It is expected to formally announce details of that project, including an anchor tenant, this month, perhaps next week.

It has been talking with the Downtown law firm of Reed Smith about serving as the anchor for the building.