PITTSBURGH | Development Rundown III

[eschaton]

Originally Posted by JDescutner

The Planning Commission approved yesterday the proposed apartment building at the corner of W. North Ave. and Federal St.

https://www.bizjournals.com/pittsbur...k-project.html

It's worth noting a lawyer of Mr. Pascal (the absentee property owner who lives in NYC who is singlehandedly responsible for the last project getting torpedoed) attempted to gum up the works with last-minute objections (like claiming it was only 85 feet away from a residential structure, not 100 feet away).

Originally Posted by pj3000

^^ Saw they also rejected the Troiani Group's latest appeal for their "Development for the Greater Good" ... (Are they serious with that crap on their website, given their track record of knocking down buildings for parking?)... demolition of the Market Street block downtown.

Is it the Troiani Group or is it now Troiani Development? Do they even know what they call themselves? Whatever it is, they clearly don't have their shit together, otherwise they wouldn't have gone back to the planning commission with nothing new to show (i.e., no actual development plan).

https://www.post-gazette.com/busines...s/202007140143

In fairness, they actually did have a lot of new things to show. The most recent updated submission to the Planning Commission was almost 400 pages (though it included a lot of duplicates).

Oddly though, they still failed to submit an interim site plan. or a demolition plan - which is the #1 requirement if you want to demolish anything downtown.

[pj3000]

^ I perused the submissions, but didn’t see anything new that would influence the Board’s decision since the last round.

[JDescutner]

Originally Posted by JDescutner

The Planning Commission approved yesterday the proposed apartment building at the corner of W. North Ave. and Federal St.

https://www.bizjournals.com/pittsbur...k-project.html

From the Biz Times article:

By Tim Schooley – Reporter, Pittsburgh Business Times
Jul 14, 2020, 6:06pm EDT
After decades of court disputes and previous plans struck down by the courts in a zoning dispute, the completion of the redevelopment of the Garden Theater block in the heart of the North Side may finally be coming.

The Pittsburgh Planning Commission voted unanimously today to approve the proposal by Trek Development Group and Q Development to build a ground-up apartment building on the open corner on the eastern end of the site.

“Completing this project will allow us to complete the block in its entirety,” said Bill Gatti, principal of Trek. “We’re hoping we’re near the end of a long journey.”

Trek, working with joint venture partner Q Development received approval for a five-story apartment building of more than 50,000 square feet with first floor commercial space at the corner of North and Federal. It is designed to be just under 62 feet tall, about the same as the previously renovated Masonic Building on the western side of the Garden Theater building. The site also includes the completed Bradbury building renovation.

Based on a design by downtown-based Perfido Weiskopf Wagstaff + Goettel, the new building is expected to include 62 apartments leased at market rates, with a parking space for each unit to be provided in a nearby garage.
Trek and Q are also renovating a neighboring residential property called the Morton House on North Street into nine apartments. The project will seek a LEED bonus density for floor area ratio.

After being delayed and eventually rejected in its attempts to build a larger project expected to incorporate what were historic renovations of the buildings formerly on the corner of Federal Street and North Avenue, Trek and Q's new proposal is completely by right, requiring no zoning variances.

It's a project to be built on what is now an open site after the Urban Redevelopment Authority of Pittsburgh demolished the previous buildings there last year after it was judged they had deteriorated too much to preserve.

The approval by the planning commission comes nearly five years after the URA chose Trek and Q Development to pursue the Garden Theater block redevelopment, a deteriorating collection of properties in the heart of the North Side neighborhoods that has long hampered their commercial image.

While the vote was unanimous and the project was supported by a host of neighborhood community organizations, the project was quested by the lawyer of Stephen Pascal, a North Side property owner who brought legal zoning challenges against Trek and Q over previous proposals for the site.

Pat McGrail, a lawyer who represents Pascal, questioned whether the new project was 100 feet from neighboring residences in achieving its approvals for a project that was awarded a density bonus for its LEED components.

But the commission conferred with staff who advised the project was far enough from other residential properties to earn its height and voted in favor of the project to complete the site's development, which the neighboring community has been for waiting for years.

Maggie Connor, president of the Mexican War Streets Society, representing a neighborhood directly adjacent to the Garden Theater block, urged the commission to approve the project, noting how long the community had waited for the full redevelopment to happen.

"This development team has been working with the community for the last several years," she said. They have bent over backwards to improve this project with every step."

[Austinlee]

Originally Posted by JDescutner

The Planning Commission approved yesterday the proposed apartment building at the corner of W. North Ave. and Federal St.

https://www.bizjournals.com/pittsbur...k-project.html

I personally really, really preferred the previous design but I guess it will just be nice to finally see a building built. I'm hoping this turns out nice because the renderings don't do much for me.

[eschaton]

Originally Posted by Austinlee

I personally really, really preferred the previous design but I guess it will just be nice to finally see a building built. I'm hoping this turns out nice because the renderings don't do much for me.

Honestly, it looks like a hotel in a generic suburban office park to me.

At least they're restoring the remaining buildings on Federal. And I like the internal courtyard.

[JDescutner]

Originally Posted by Austinlee

I personally really, really preferred the previous design but I guess it will just be nice to finally see a building built. I'm hoping this turns out nice because the renderings don't do much for me.

I honestly don't mind it, especially compared to most new developments. For one, at least the facade is a majority masonry and not cheap metal panels. The massing is also nice and contextual with the Masonic Hall, and it nods to the buildings that used to stand there with the different sections being three windows wide.

I do prefer the old design preserving the historic facades over this one, but at least this isn't the worst.

[BrianTH]

Originally Posted by JDescutner

I honestly don't mind it, especially compared to most new developments. For one, at least the facade is a majority masonry and not cheap metal panels. The massing is also nice and contextual with the Masonic Hall, and it nods to the buildings that used to stand there with the different sections being three windows wide.

I do prefer the old design preserving the historic facades over this one, but at least this isn't the worst.

I pretty much agree all around. I like the old design better but this seems fine for what is now possible.

By the way, if Pascal chooses to sue, it isn't truly over until the courts weigh in. But with there being no zoning variances, unless this distance issue is a real thing, that hopefully won't work this time.

[eschaton]

New ZBA agenda up for August 6th. Fairly busy with small projects compared to the last several. Items of interest:

1. Six new semi-attached houses in Morningside. This location isn't far away from where I live, and is one of the only remaining undeveloped plots of land - although it also has a steep grade. I'm a little disappointed additional driveways will be added to a quiet residential street, but there's not much that can be done considering site configuration.

2. Two new infill homes in Allentown with a panoramic city overlook. Homes have been steadily added in this area for the last few years, showing there's a robust market for infill new construction even in transitional neighborhoods if there's a killer view. I find the plans mostly illegible due to how they were scanned, but feel free to peruse them.


3. A proposed new two-story office structure in Shadyside. The area is technically zoned residential, but it's replacing two now-demolished non-residential structure right on the edge of the Ellesworth business district. Thankfully, while they knocked those buildings down, it seems they kept the little rowhouses on the rear of the parcel.

4. New infill homes in Upper Lawrenceville. There's extensive information in the PDF regarding the design (as ZBA presentations go), and it's fine as modern housing styles go. I'm a little confused though why the summary, front page, and first site plan shows two homes, while the renderings clearly show three.

[eschaton]

7/28 Planning Commission presentation is online. Three new items on the agenda next week - all of which are historic nominations.

1. Nomination of the former J&L Steel office building on 200 Ross Street. This is an excellent nomination, because the building is intact currently, albeit in poor condition internally, and I believe that it will be vacated by the various city offices once the rehab of the former Art Institute building is completed. Historic protection means if sold to a private developer (say for an apartment conversion) the HRC would be able to ensure it wouldn't get remuddled, along with protect it in the more unlikely event it's threatened with demolition if/when there's a redevelopment plan for the surface lot behind it.

2.A nomination of Shrine of the Blessed Mother in Oakland. I have to say I didn't even know this was this weird, lay Catholic shrine to the Virgin Mary stuck at the far point of South Oakland overlooking the Parkway. It's far from high art, but it's in such an out-of-the-way location, and I can't see it ever being used for anything else other than the grounds for some rich person's house, so protection doesn't hurt anything.

3. Nomination of the St. John Vianney Church in Allentown. More properly, this seems like it's just nominating the stained glass windows for historic preservation. The windows seem to have been removed from the Church, which is no longer active and boarded up. I'm not sure what historic preservation of two stained glass windows not attached to anything provides for. I'm not even sure if it's in the purview of the Planning Commission, since it's not a structure of any sort.

[Austinlee]

Originally Posted by eschaton

7/28 Planning Commission presentation is online. Three new items on the agenda next week - all of which are historic nominations.

1. Nomination of the former J&L Steel office building on 200 Ross Street. This is an excellent nomination, because the building is intact currently, albeit in poor condition internally, and I believe that it will be vacated by the various city offices once the rehab of the former Art Institute building is completed. Historic protection means if sold to a private developer (say for an apartment conversion) the HRC would be able to ensure it wouldn't get remuddled, along with protect it in the more unlikely event it's threatened with demolition if/when there's a redevelopment plan for the surface lot behind it.

2.A nomination of Shrine of the Blessed Mother in Oakland. I have to say I didn't even know this was this weird, lay Catholic shrine to the Virgin Mary stuck at the far point of South Oakland overlooking the Parkway. It's far from high art, but it's in such an out-of-the-way location, and I can't see it ever being used for anything else other than the grounds for some rich person's house, so protection doesn't hurt anything.

3. Nomination of the St. John Vianney Church in Allentown. More properly, this seems like it's just nominating the stained glass windows for historic preservation. The windows seem to have been removed from the Church, which is no longer active and boarded up. I'm not sure what historic preservation of two stained glass windows not attached to anything provides for. I'm not even sure if it's in the purview of the Planning Commission, since it's not a structure of any sort.

I really hope the J&L tower is renovated into something good. That's a really cool building and needs to be capitalized on. Plus it is in great proximity to Pittsburgh's Chinatown!

[eschaton]

Originally Posted by Austinlee

I really hope the J&L tower is renovated into something good. That's a really cool building and needs to be capitalized on. Plus it is in great proximity to Pittsburgh's Chinatown!

It seems like it would be a good candidate for residential conversion. Relatively small floor plates, and the building is shallow from front to back, which means it would be easy to have a central hallway and all units having access to natural light.

The very small front entrance means it probably wouldn't work well as a hotel.

The one potential downside of historic preservation are the windows along the back side of the building. They go all the way to the ground floor, which could make filling in the surface parking lot on the back side of the building a bit more complicated than if they could just build a tower flush against it.

[BrianTH]

They've been discussing the possibility of a residential conversion of 200 Ross forever (it seems). Both the building and the location (including being right next to a T station) do seem very suitable, and I think the holdup has mostly just been the city offices.

[eschaton]

August HRC agenda is online. It's very busy compared to the past few months, in large part due to the expansion of the Mexican War Streets meaning more properties are now under review.

1. Construction of a new one-story mosque in Manchester. This is the location. The organization is The Age of Light Mosque, which has been bouncing around meeting in various places in the North Side for the last two decades. Note that this is also on the August 13th ZBA agenda, but the individual presentations for that week are not yet online. The design has nods to traditional Islamic architecture, including a dome and tiny ornamental minaret. The archways and detailing on the cornice look vaguely Islamic to me as well, but I'm not well versed enough with the architectural forms to say for sure. It will sure be eclectic in Manchester, but it could either be a welcome addition or kind of tacky depending upon how much care is really taken with the materials.

2. There are a shit-ton of infill townhouses by October Development proposed. By my count the number is seven - four on Alpine, and three on Arch (they basically abut Randyland). Oddly for October Development the buildings are very contemporary in style, with fiber-cement panel cladding and accents around the window and on the first floor which seem to occupy a rainbow spectrum of color (each building with a different accent color). They may have chosen to go this route because all but one of them lack alley access, meaning the only way to have off-street parking is to have a garage facing the front. This will, I'm sure, lead to some opposition due to seven new curb cuts.

Unrelatedly, I listened into part of the ZBA hearing this morning. The Rothschild-Doyno project on Amber Street (converting an assisted living site into a 30+ unit apartment) seems in deep trouble, with a half-dozen different NIMBYs coming on - some to complain about the development being "too dense" for the area, but mostly to whinge about the parking situation already being difficult, and not believing that the number of spaces being offered by the developer (which was less than zoning required) would be sufficient.

I also know from Nextdoor that NIMBYs in my own neighborhood are starting to mobilize to defeat the planned six-unit infill development a few blocks from me.

[Austinlee]

Originally Posted by eschaton

It seems like it would be a good candidate for residential conversion. Relatively small floor plates, and the building is shallow from front to back, which means it would be easy to have a central hallway and all units having access to natural light.

The very small front entrance means it probably wouldn't work well as a hotel.

The one potential downside of historic preservation are the windows along the back side of the building. They go all the way to the ground floor, which could make filling in the surface parking lot on the back side of the building a bit more complicated than if they could just build a tower flush against it.

Interesting points. I don't think that tiny lot behind the building (where the motorcycles are parked in Google Maps street view) but now you've got me thinking; Those two much larger parking lots behind that could really be prime building lots some day. There's not many vacant lots left downtown but those ones right next to a T station could be a used for highrises perhaps?
And speaking of vacant land, I know downtown office space is less in demand nowadays as modern tech and medical companies prefer the East End, Strip and other locations but the vacant lot across from Chinatown Inn and the vacant lot on Grant St next to the Lawyers building are prime locations as well. I hope that someday all of these lots are utilitized to their fullest potential.

[pj3000]

Originally Posted by Austinlee

Those two much larger parking lots behind that could really be prime building lots some day. There's not many vacant lots left downtown but those ones right next to a T station could be a used for highrises perhaps?
And speaking of vacant land, I know downtown office space is less in demand nowadays as modern tech and medical companies prefer the East End, Strip and other locations but the vacant lot across from Chinatown Inn and the vacant lot on Grant St next to the Lawyers building are prime locations as well. I hope that someday all of these lots are utilitized to their fullest potential.

I think those are all City and County lots. If I'm recalling correctly, wasn't a hotel planned for the City-owned lot, which obviously never materialized?

I think mid-rise residential/hotel might work best there. Though I don't see the T station being adjacent as too much of a selling point... considering that if you're living there, what do you need the T for, to go to the South Hills?

Anyway, I could see these lots being residential, catering to young professionals and Duquesne students (particularly for the new medical school that will be just up Forbes).

Obviously, a lot will also depend on what happens in the Lower Hill. I just wonder what the residential market demand is for Downtown, now and in the future, considering that the greater East End/Lawrenceville/Strip continues to add significant unit counts... and I think those areas are always just going to be much more in demand for living than Downtown will ever be.

[eschaton]

Originally Posted by Austinlee

Interesting points. I don't think that tiny lot behind the building (where the motorcycles are parked in Google Maps street view) but now you've got me thinking; Those two much larger parking lots behind that could really be prime building lots some day. There's not many vacant lots left downtown but those ones right next to a T station could be a used for highrises perhaps?

And speaking of vacant land, I know downtown office space is less in demand nowadays as modern tech and medical companies prefer the East End, Strip and other locations but the vacant lot across from Chinatown Inn and the vacant lot on Grant St next to the Lawyers building are prime locations as well. I hope that someday all of these lots are utilitized to their fullest potential.

The block is theoretically divided in two, with that pass through and the little shed building in the same parcel as the building, while the larger surface lot is in another. That said, both are owned by the URA, and given how it works I'm guessing it will want to sell the entire block to facilitate some sort of master-planned development (for better or worse).

The surface lot on the block immediately to the north is owned by the County. The block to the south has a lot in private hands. And of course there's the big surface lot catty-corner on Ross which was the site of that failed hotel development years back. Plus some small lots on Third Avenue on the Chinatown block, and the big enchilada on Forbes (unfortunately nothing is happening with the Distrikt Hotel lot any time soon).

I've said before that I do think if something is done with the lots back by the railroad tracks it would make sense to continue B Street northward by two blocks. The three pluses of this would be you could screen the railroad tracks a bit with some trees, give road access to those two blocks on all sides, and there would be more direct access to First Avenue station.

[eschaton]

Originally Posted by pj3000

I think those are all City and County lots. If I'm recalling correctly, wasn't a hotel planned for the City-owned lot, which obviously never materialized?

I think mid-rise residential/hotel might work best there. Though I don't see the T station being adjacent as too much of a selling point... considering that if you're living there, what do you need the T for, to go to the South Hills?

Anyway, I could see these lots being residential, catering to young professionals and Duquesne students (particularly for the new medical school that will be just up Forbes).

Obviously, a lot will also depend on what happens in the Lower Hill. I just wonder what the residential market demand is for Downtown, now and in the future, considering that the greater East End/Lawrenceville/Strip continues to add significant unit counts... and I think those areas are always just going to be much more in demand for living than Downtown will ever be.

Having T access downtown is still useful. I'm sure downtown residents take it during the winter and when it is raining a fair amount, and it also allows you to commute to the North Shore for work (not like there's many places to actually live there).

My office is moving out of Gateway Center and moving to an older building on the corner of Smithfield and Fort Pitt this weekend. I look forward to when we can go back to work and I'll be able to spend some more time exploring this side of town.

Downtown still has a healthy residential market from what I can tell, but there are still so many smaller historic buildings to convert. We probably need to have more of the low-hanging fruit taken care of before we see major action here.

[Austinlee]

Originally Posted by pj3000

I think those are all City and County lots. If I'm recalling correctly, wasn't a hotel planned for the City-owned lot, which obviously never materialized?

Thank god because that proposed building was a squat little 4-5 story hotel for such a nice big lot large enough for a skyscraper.

[Austinlee]

Originally Posted by eschaton

The block is theoretically divided in two, with that pass through and the little shed building in the same parcel as the building, while the larger surface lot is in another. That said, both are owned by the URA, and given how it works I'm guessing it will want to sell the entire block to facilitate some sort of master-planned development (for better or worse).

The surface lot on the block immediately to the north is owned by the County. The block to the south has a lot in private hands. And of course there's the big surface lot catty-corner on Ross which was the site of that failed hotel development years back. Plus some small lots on Third Avenue on the Chinatown block, and the big enchilada on Forbes (unfortunately nothing is happening with the Distrikt Hotel lot any time soon).

I've said before that I do think if something is done with the lots back by the railroad tracks it would make sense to continue B Street northward by two blocks. The three pluses of this would be you could screen the railroad tracks a bit with some trees, give road access to those two blocks on all sides, and there would be more direct access to First Avenue station.

That corner of downtown has already had some nice development in the last 20 years with PNC Firstside being a significant development plus that great park they built across the street as well as the Firstside T station which was a great addition. I'd like to see that trend continue with these lots and other structures such as the J&L building.

Originally Posted by eschaton

Having T access downtown is still useful. I'm sure downtown residents take it during the winter and when it is raining a fair amount, and it also allows you to commute to the North Shore for work (not like there's many places to actually live there).

My office is moving out of Gateway Center and moving to an older building on the corner of Smithfield and Fort Pitt this weekend. I look forward to when we can go back to work and I'll be able to spend some more time exploring this side of town.

Downtown still has a healthy residential market from what I can tell, but there are still so many smaller historic buildings to convert. We probably need to have more of the low-hanging fruit taken care of before we see major action here.

Good points. I look forward to seeing more smaller buildings renovated and for the economics to catch up to justify quality new construction.
I believe buildings such as the Lumiere (former Saks 5th Avenue site) seem to be selling well in the MLS from what I can see.

[pj3000]

Originally Posted by eschaton

Having T access downtown is still useful. I'm sure downtown residents take it during the winter and when it is raining a fair amount, and it also allows you to commute to the North Shore for work (not like there's many places to actually live there).

Sure, I agree. A nearby transit option is always useful -- I just don't see the T being much of a big selling point for Downtown living currently, considering that it really doesn't go anywhere that most Downtown residents would seem to travel to often.

A growing office presence on the North Shore helps in that department though, but it doesn't seem like we're going to see much more of that, unless more surface lots are developed for office space which does not seem likely for the long foreseeable future.

Originally Posted by Austinlee

That corner of downtown has already had some nice development in the last 20 years with PNC Firstside being a significant development plus that great park they built across the street as well as the Firstside T station which was a great addition. I'd like to see that trend continue with these lots and other structures such as the J&L building.

Hmmm... I guess that park has always seemed a little weird to me. It's definitely nice to have green space. Just gives off 'out-of-place' and 'no-mans-land" vibes to me. The Blvd totally walls it off... and being right at an on/off ramp to the Parkway just limits the amount of pedestrian traffic in the immediate area.

I know that the only reason PNC built it was to get LEED points towards their Firstside Center back then. So, it could be plowed over and developed whenever PNC has the urge, I imagine.

If the building and park traded places, it would be a MUCH better (and much more utilized) setting, tying in with the First Ave. T Station and garage and bike trail.