Riley’s Pour House: From ashes to new beginnings
Efforts to rebuild Riley’s Pour House in Carnegie took a major step forward Friday with a groundbreaking ceremony at 215 E. Main St., the site of the fire that destroyed the landmark pub nearly two years ago.
Video by Carrie Moniot
“I never thought it was going to come, and it feels good to be here,” owner Joe Riley said. “Just really looking forward to this being the start of the rebuild.”
The Pour House was a popular gathering spot for over 40 years, until a kitchen fire leveled the building on Nov. 14, 2024. A gravel lot now sits in its place, but that’s about to change.
“What happened that day was devastating, but what happened since that day has been remarkable,” Riley told the appreciative crowd gathered for the groundbreaking, citing various fundraisers and the outpouring of support from the community.
“I can tell you that I have a deeper understanding of why this Irish pub means so much to so many people.”
Former Mayor Stacie Riley referred to Friday’s groundbreaking as “the rising of a legacy.”
“They didn’t just lose a building that day,” said Stacie Riley, who is Joe Riley's niece. “They watched their establishment, their memories, their livelihood burn to the ground, but the perseverance to rebuild was never in question.”
Determined to rebuild, Joe Riley said he and his partners Eric Kraemer and Dan Phillips selected the team that could bring their vision to reality: Sewickley architectural firm Studio St. Germain, KeyBank, along with SBA construction funding, and construction manager Allegheny Construction Group.
“When you’re from Carnegie, when you’re from Pittsburgh, when you’re from western Pennsylvania, and you get knocked down, you get up, you dust yourself off and get back in the game,” Joe Riley said, as the crowd cheered.
Stacie Riley echoed those sentiments.
“When Riley’s Pour House burned to the ground, I stood here as your mayor and as someone who has lived through every challenge that this community has endured,” she said. “From floods, to fires, to COVID, Carnegie has taken its hits. But, Carnegie never stays down. We rise, we rebuild and we show the region what true resilience looks like.”
The newly designed Pour House will honor the spirit of the original pub, with the addition of updated features for patrons. The patio will be fully air conditioned in the summer and fully heated in the winter, with large windows that open, taking the place of the garage doors and offering more natural light than the Pour House ever had.
A stage for all the performers who graced the old Riley’s Pour House is also in the works. With no second story or basement — what’s called slab on grade construction — all the piping and utilities will be underground.
Despite significant cost hurdles, construction is expected to begin next week, with a reopening targeted for March 2027.
Photos by Drew Moniot
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