This will be a hotel with one grand staircase.

A plan to transform the old Edge Restaurant on Mount Washington into a luxury hotel and condominium development won't stop on Grandview Avenue.

It would run all the way to Carson Street, with the help of a proposed glass-enclosed stairway that would weave its way down the mountainside on the foundation of an old freight incline.

The 720-step stairway is the most breathtaking aspect -- literally -- of a $70 million to $80 million plan put together by developer Steven Beemsterboer and architect Luke Desmone for the Edge Restaurant site at the end of Grandview next to the Monongahela Incline.

Anchoring the development would be a five-star luxury hotel and 60 condos, studios to three bedrooms, ranging in price from $300,000 to $1 million. The project also would include two restaurants, one fine dining and one casual; a full-service spa; a fitness center with swimming pool; and a 340-space parking garage.

But the element that has generated the most interest is the 10- to 15-foot-wide stairway, which would be built adjacent to the Mon Incline and zigzag its way up the mountain with numerous landings, or rest stops perhaps, to help break up the journey.

Mr. Desmone said he developed the idea as a way to honor the laborers who helped to build the city. The stairway would feature a number of green elements, including the use of solar power to light it at night.

"Everybody that has seen it has been really excited about the idea," Mr. Desmone said. "I haven't heard anyone say what a lousy idea that is. Everybody I meet says what a great idea."

City planning commission members will get their first briefing on the project Tuesday.

The stairway technically is part of the development's second phase, but Mr. Desmone hopes to have it finished in time for the hotel and condo grand opening in 2011.

The architect has been trying for more than three years to redevelop the boarded-up and dilapidated Edge Restaurant, which has been closed for more than two decades. As part of the plan, the restaurant itself would be demolished, along with three houses on nearby Vinecliffe Street.

Mr. Beemsterboer, a Chicago-area developer who spends a lot of time in Pittsburgh, hooked up with Mr. Desmone after hearing about his idea to redevelop the Edge site. He could not be reached for comment.

"It's coming to a start," Mr. Desmone said. "We're incredibly excited about it. It's great for us personally. I think it will be a credit to the city. It will be a tourist attraction. It will be a symbol of good stewardship from the environmental side."

The Mount Washington Community Development Corp. favors the project, President Frank Valenta said.

"We're supporting the project because we think it definitely will be an asset to the Mount Washington area. What's over there now is an eyesore. It's terrible," he said.

Mr. Desmone said the financial turmoil triggered by the federal bailout of American International Group Inc., and the Lehman Brothers bankruptcy, should not affect the project, which will include "significant equity."

Nonetheless, the proposed redevelopment still has a long way to go. In addition to needing planning commission approval for the demolition of the three Vinecliffe Street structures, the developers will be seeking a zoning change that will require action from both the planning commission and City Council.