PITTSBURGH | Development Rundown II - Page 94

BrianTH · #**1861** Posted **Sep 27, 2012, 12:30 PM**

There is SO much untapped potential along the T (and also the Busways for that matter). Hopefully this is just the start of a very big trend.

By the way, when I think of a "New York Style" residential unit, I think of a "three bedroom" made out of studio with cheap dividers and a bed in a closet. But I may be biased by having a lot of friends who lived there straight out of college.

Private Dick · #**1862** Posted **Sep 27, 2012, 2:25 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Austinlee

The Chapel Pointe condominiums (Chapel Harbor waterfront) are on the market now ranging from 300s-600s. Located in Fox Chapel (O'Hara). There are 53 "New York Style" condos. *sigh* (Personal pet peeve; Why does everything have to be New York Style?)

http://www.chapelpointecondos.com/

These look nothing like I've ever seen in New York... maybe they're talking about Long Island...

They actually remind me a lot of what one sees in Dallas, Houston, or Atlanta. I don't dislike them at all... I'm sure they are very nice and I'm all for denser residential development along the riverfronts... I just don't get "New York" when I see them at all.

Quote:

Originally Posted by BrianTH

There is SO much untapped potential along the T (and also the Busways for that matter). Hopefully this is just the start of a very big trend.

By the way, when I think of a "New York Style" residential unit, I think of a "three bedroom" made out of studio with cheap dividers and a bed in a closet. But I may be biased by having a lot of friends who lived there straight out of college.

Yeah, I've wondered for a long time now why areas like Beechview and Dormont haven't seen more investment in recent times... Beechview especially, considering how the T goes right down Broadway. It's a great location... how Broadway runs along the crest of the hill... some very nice old apartment and commercial buildings... it really has that old school feel -- very Squirrel Hillish in a way.

As for your descriptions of "New York Style" apts... spot on... I lived in one of those for a spell.

Jonboy1983 · #**1863** Posted **Sep 27, 2012, 8:12 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Private Dick

These look nothing like I've ever seen in New York... maybe they're talking about Long Island...

They actually remind me a lot of what one sees in Dallas, Houston, or Atlanta. I don't dislike them at all... I'm sure they are very nice and I'm all for denser residential development along the riverfronts... I just don't get "New York" when I see them at all.

Yeah, I've wondered for a long time now why areas like Beechview and Dormont haven't seen more investment in recent times... Beechview especially, considering how the T goes right down Broadway. It's a great location... how Broadway runs along the crest of the hill... some very nice old apartment and commercial buildings... it really has that old school feel -- very Squirrel Hillish in a way.

As for your descriptions of "New York Style" apts... spot on... I lived in one of those for a spell.

Beechview, from what my parents tell me, has start to become more run-down. It's quite a shame if that's the case. Pertaining to Dormont, or at least close to Dormont, you know they're proposing to build a deck over the Mt. Lebanon station with the intention of putting a massive development there, right? I'd say that's close enough to Dormont.

I still kinda wish they could elevate that portion of the T tho; from Dormont Junction to the other side of that ravine that Cape May Avenue runs through.

Brentsters · #**1864** Posted **Sep 27, 2012, 8:21 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Private Dick

Yeah, I've wondered for a long time now why areas like Beechview and Dormont haven't seen more investment in recent times... Beechview especially, considering how the T goes right down Broadway. It's a great location... how Broadway runs along the crest of the hill... some very nice old apartment and commercial buildings... it really has that old school feel -- very Squirrel Hillish in a way.

In Beechview's case, I'm pretty sure the neighborhood was set back when a Brazilian investor took a bunch of money from the URA and fled the country.

http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/local/neighborhoods-city/hopes-gone-with-developer-329132/

So I guess you could say it has seen investment...but that investment is living in Brazil now.

Jonboy1983 · #**1865** Posted **Sep 28, 2012, 3:05 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brentsters

In Beechview's case, I'm pretty sure the neighborhood was set back when a Brazilian investor took a bunch of money from the URA and fled the country.

http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/local/neighborhoods-city/hopes-gone-with-developer-329132/

So I guess you could say it has seen investment...but that investment is living in Brazil now.

What a roach... Is something like that even legal?

Private Dick · #**1866** Posted **Sep 28, 2012, 5:23 PM**

Thoughts from Pittsburgh day trip earlier this week... the good: Good to see 5th Ave school and adjacent building renovated to apartments in Uptown. And the new hotel in SSW looking better from across the river -- nice added density.

The bad: the River Vue's purple sign is possibly the cheesiest thing I've seen on a luxury apartment building. And the Forbes Ave apartment building in Squirrel Hill is a disappointment -- design change for the worse... bland and generic and boxy and dormitory/assisted living come to mind.

Johnland · #**1867** Posted **Sep 28, 2012, 6:54 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Private Dick

Thoughts from Pittsburgh day trip earlier this week... the good: Good to see 5th Ave school and adjacent building renovated to apartments in Uptown. And the new hotel in SSW looking better from across the river -- nice added density.

The bad: the River Vue's purple sign is possibly the cheesiest thing I've seen on a luxury apartment building. And the Forbes Ave apartment building in Squirrel Hill is a disappointment -- design change for the worse... bland and generic and boxy and dormitory/assisted living come to mind.

I just came to Pittsburgh Wed for a week's visit. One thing that struck me was how empty the airport is .. I came in an A gate and it was the only one in operation in the whole concourse. Just dead.

Yes, the River Vue sign is a little lacking.

One the plus, Monroeville seems to have improved since I was here last. It is looking better and has more signs of life - some of the old hustle and bustle was going on.

Austinlee · #**1868** Posted **Sep 28, 2012, 7:12 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Private Dick

Thoughts from Pittsburgh day trip earlier this week... the good: Good to see 5th Ave school and adjacent building renovated to apartments in Uptown. And the new hotel in SSW looking better from across the river -- nice added density.

The bad: the River Vue's purple sign is possibly the cheesiest thing I've seen on a luxury apartment building. And the Forbes Ave apartment building in Squirrel Hill is a disappointment -- design change for the worse... bland and generic and boxy and dormitory/assisted living come to mind.

Where is this exactly? That's not what replaced the old seaford restaurant near the parkway entrance is it?

Private Dick · #**1869** Posted **Sep 28, 2012, 7:19 PM**

^ No, it's on Forbes if you're going out just before you get to Murray. Basically, across from where the JCC is.

The original design looked much better, and even though they demolished some quality old brick and stone houses, I warmed to the idea of the condos. But now they are just rentals, and the finished (almost) product is way lower in quality than originally touted. Word on the street in Squirrel Hill is that the neighborhood is pissed off and the developer is always out of the country, unable to be contacted. They seem to think some shady deals went on because he never was required to have the final designs made public or approved.

Private Dick · #**1870** Posted **Sep 28, 2012, 7:37 PM**

...

Jonboy1983 · #**1871** Posted **Sep 28, 2012, 10:00 PM**

What a d-bag. I guess the neighborhood is double pissed. One, they could never get a hold of that guy during the onset of the project, and b, that he came up with that eye vomit...

Private Dick · #**1872** Posted **Sep 28, 2012, 10:15 PM**

^ Yeah, though I really don't know much about how the project went down or about the developer. You can get a lot of info from the neighborhood locals at the coffee shop, but you never know for sure how much of it is accurate. It think it's safe to say that the civic leaders in Squirrel Hill are not pleased with the product though.

Looking for a photo, I found this old PG article though, which seems to agree with some of the complaints I heard:

http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/loca...an-vexes-squirrel-hill-neighbors-319520/

The city's planning office agrees that it meets that goal, but neighborhood groups and the city councilman representing the area remain disgruntled over the project's architecture and tortured history.

"He's lost the trust of the community," said Councilman William Peduto.

The main complaint is that Mr. Mongell did not have to resubmit his new building plans to the zoning board after changing them to address earlier complaints, mostly about the building being too high.

His original plan called for four stories, prompting an appeal to the zoning board in 2009 by residents of nearby Marlborough Street and a few residents on Forbes...

But since then, Mr. Mongell has eliminated the gabled roof in favor of a flat roof covered with big air conditioning units, opponents say. Mr. Mongell also plans to rent apartments now instead of selling condos.

Essentially, Mr. Peduto and some neighbors say, Mr. Mongell has pulled a bait-and-switch -- getting approval for a high-end project and then changing the plans to build a lower-end one.

Jonboy1983 · #**1873** Posted **Sep 28, 2012, 10:39 PM**

You know, I kept thinking you were referring to him as "Mr. Mongrel." Anyway, leave it up to good ol' Councelman Peduto to express dissatisfaction and displeasure with a project that is very clearly subpar.

Off topic, but what are your thoughts of him running for Mayor? I liked him back in 2006 and I still like him to this day. Bob O'Connor at least go some of the projects off and running before his untimely death prompting Ravenstahl to take over. He did favor something that nobody else wanted, a consolidated city and county...

Private Dick · #**1874** Posted **Sep 28, 2012, 11:17 PM**

I like Peduto. I know him personally, and he's a good guy. He's definitely involved and truly interested in taking action to make Pittsburgh a better place, to an extent that the mayor only pretends to be. He's got big ideas, and that scares the established order though. Ravenstahl is a puppet and therefore will be tough to beat.

Austinlee · #**1875** Posted **Sep 29, 2012, 4:30 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Private Dick

I like Peduto. I know him personally, and he's a good guy. He's definitely involved and truly interested in taking action to make Pittsburgh a better place, to an extent that the mayor only pretends to be. He's got big ideas, and that scares the established order though. Ravenstahl is a puppet and therefore will be tough to beat.

Peduto is definitely a smart and progressive guy. I sometimes think his ideas are a little too good for "the traditional Pittsburgh establishment".

Austinlee · #**1876** Posted **Sep 29, 2012, 5:18 AM**

I think forumer AaronPGH did some design work for him before.

Jonboy1983 · #**1877** Posted **Sep 29, 2012, 8:06 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Austinlee

I think forumer AaronPGH did some design work for him before.

What kind of design work? Urban design?

I know that he has to go up against the puppet that is Ravenshtahl, but if he has Fitzjerald among a slew of other folks behind him, I'd say he has a shot...

His ideas may be "too good" for the region, but they are something that is needed in order to make/keep the city and region more competitive with other cities domestically and on the global market...

Austinlee · #**1878** Posted **Sep 29, 2012, 9:09 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jonboy1983

What kind of design work? Urban design?

I know that he has to go up against the puppet that is Ravenshtahl, but if he has Fitzjerald among a slew of other folks behind him, I'd say he has a shot...

His ideas may be "too good" for the region, but they are something that is needed in order to make/keep the city and region more competitive with other cities domestically and on the global market...

No, I think he designed at least one of his campaign flyers a few years ago. Aaron's a graphic designer.

And concerning progressive ideas, I think in any body of people the majority have to be on the same page before a place can transform.

Jonboy1983 · #**1879** Posted **Sep 30, 2012, 3:01 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Austinlee

No, I think he designed at least one of his campaign flyers a few years ago. Aaron's a graphic designer.

And concerning progressive ideas, I think in any body of people the majority have to be on the same page before a place can transform.

That be true, unfortunately. One prinicpal city surrounded by 129 other municipalities; each of them wanting to maintain their own sovreignty, more or less. What people don't seem to realize is that having that many municipalities within one county border really puts a strain on local government and causes it to be fragmented when trying to do things at a regional level. That's how Pittsburgh is going to remain (or become more) competitive -- by advancing and doing planning at a regional level.

Here's an example of how fragmented this whole thing is, and forgive me for preaching to the choir. I grew up in Baldwin. Route 51 is a major corridor leading into the city, and it's the main focus for urban (or suburban) renewal that will affect Baldwin, Brentwood and Whitehall. Right as you leave the city, you pass through Brentwood, then Whitehall, and finally through the narrow sliver that is South Baldwin before entering Pleasant Hills and West Mifflin. Well, they want to redevelop the Rt 51 corridor into more of a attractive boulevard that will appeal to economic development. Right now, it's pretty much at a standstill. Brentwood and Whitehall are in favor of ponying up money to have this redone. Baldwin wants no part of it because the road goes through such a small part of the borough. It is for that reason alone pretty much why nothing is happening.

I have a vision for this road, having grown up in Baldwin. Unfortunately, it will probably never happen because of the fragmented government that is in place...

Wave · #**1880** Posted **Sep 30, 2012, 4:30 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jonboy1983

I have a vision for this road, having grown up in Baldwin. Unfortunately, it will probably never happen because of the fragmented government that is in place...

What is your vision...? It's a difficult stretch of road to imagine as anything but an eyesore so I am curious what you have come up with. I too would love to see that stretch improved.