Any Pittsburgh Steelers looking to buy a house? A former teammate may have just the deal for you.
Ian Wild, a veteran of the Canadian Football League who spent the 2015 preseason with the Black and Gold, is selling a Mt. Washington home with sweeping views of downtown Pittsburgh — and Heinz Field.
But that doesn’t mean he won’t sell it to someone else who appreciates the secluded Grandview Park hillside location.
The price is listed at $595,000.
“I’d like to sell it to one of the Steelers,” he said. “If it was five years ago when I was playing with the Steelers, I would have liked it for myself.”
Five years ago, though, the house wasn’t the impressive showcase that it is today, thanks to a total renovation it’s undergone since Wild bought it in December 2018.
The finished product at 27 Roanoke St. is about a third larger than the original, now featuring living space, kitchen and half-bath on the first floor; master suite, two additional bedrooms and a bath on the second level; and a small third-level gathering area leading to a rooftop deck.
The interior finishes are modern, with some original features, such as exposed beams, left intact. The exterior is clad in steel siding, some with a rust finish, as a tribute to Pittsburgh’s steel-making history. A large deck wraps around two sides.
The original modest frame house, built around 1900, clung to the steep slope and lacked a driveway.
“You parked on the street or you didn’t have a car,” Wild said.
A retaining wall was added to support a driveway, a much-needed amenity on the steep, winding, one-lane street.
The Warrendale resident, 30, is no stranger to construction work. His father, Jim Wild, owns JJ Wild Construction Co. in the South Hills. Wild said he worked for his father “in the summers and the off-season when I wasn’t fully employed.”
A Baldwin High School and Mercyhurst College product, Wild studied accounting and said he’s always had an interest in real estate investment.
This is the first project on which he’s served as general contractor. Others may follow, but it will be mostly as a hobby. Wild is in the process of setting up a financial advising business.
As for football, he most recently played for the Toronto Argonauts of the CFL, which is idle this year due to the covid-19 pandemic.
“I don’t know that I retired or just stopped playing. I couldn’t wait around doing nothing,” he said.
Wild said he learned a lot through the renovation project.
“Your plans are always changing. I’ve got a notebook full of all the different plan changes,” he said. “You’ve got to be able to adapt.”
He credits his father and father-in-law, Frank Macko, owner of an Erie construction firm, for their invaluable help — along with his wife, Megan Wild, who helped with the painting and interior design.
For the particular challenges met, Wild said, “I’ve got a list of 100 of them,” including engineering on the steep hillside to support the deck.
He said he and Megan would be tempted to keep the house for themselves, if not wanting outdoor play space for their two young children.
“It’s been a long process and I’m proud of how it turned out,” he said. “I’ll be sad to see it go.”
In little more than a week on the market, Wild said, he’s already shown the house several times. Anyone interested in arranging a viewing can call 412-400-6662 or email iwild21@live.com.
