Pittsburgh begins $4 million Downtown facade renovation program
Mayor Luke Ravenstahl and other stakeholders chipped tile from an old building on Fifth Avenue today, signaling the latest initiative to improve the Downtown commercial corridor.
The mayor, Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Foundation President Arthur Ziegler, and other politicians and Downtown business representatives gathered outside One PNC Plaza to announce the kick off of a program to renovate facades and make other improvements to older buildings. It was made possible through a $4 million state capital grant.
Buildings to be renovated under the initiative include the "Three Sisters" buildings at 418, 420 and 422 Wood Street; the Italian Sons and Daughters of America building at 419-423 Wood; the Thompson Building at 435 Market St.; and the Kashi buildings, at 445 Wood and 254 and 256 Fifth, one of which was the subject of the noontime masonry work by Mr. Ravenstahl.
As part of the program, the facades of the buildings will be restored, windows will be replaced, and storefronts will be rejuvenated. Mr. Ziegler said the "Three Sisters" buildings on Wood are the last in the city with unrestored cast iron fronts.
He praised Mr. Ravenstahl for his dedication and willingness to preserve and restore older buildings Downtown rather than having them destroyed. Mr. Ziegler had battled former mayor Tom Murphy over efforts to demolish large sections of the Fifth and Forbes corridor to make way for new development. The buildings were never torn down and some have since been renovated for new uses.
Mr. Ziegler said new buildings like Three PNC Plaza now blend harmoniously with older restored buildings like the former G.C. Murphy store, which now houses apartments, retail and restaurants.
"You look down Fifth Avenue today and it is just a miracle of restoration, reuse and there is no empty space. Rather there's a waiting line for the retail, there's a waiting line for the apartments," he said.
Alan Kashi, representing the Kashi buildings at the corner of Fifth and Wood, said the owners will be renovating the facade and adding residential housing to the upper floors of the building with the help of the grant money. He expects the work to take two to three months.
"We just want to make the city look a lot better, more beautiful and more appealing to everyone," he said.
Mr. Ziegler, whose foundation owns two of the "Three Sisters" buildings on Wood, is hoping to turn that block into a women's fashion corridor. He said officials have a list of 40 retailers interested in securing space there once it becomes available.
The foundation also has cut a deal with Point Park University to lease some of the upper floor space for student housing.
http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/loca...wntown-facade-renovation-program-648346/
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Hey BrianTH. I saw your ideas regarding how to expand the public market into more of a mixed indoor-outdoor venue. Well, in that detailed outline for the Allegheny River waterfront it looks like there's a rendering that includes a possible light rail or streetcar line that runs down Smallman Street. How would that play in with your vision?
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