PITTSBURGH | Development Rundown II

[themaguffin]

I agree. While Riverparc was impressive, this more organic change could be even better. Given Pittsburgh's dynamics right now (probably not imagined when Riverparc was conceived) I think it's almost certain to prove well for the Cultural District.

[guyFROMtheBURGH]

Sasaki Associates is currently conducting a study along the Allegheny Riverfront for a Green Boulevard. There are some very interesting renderings and possible plans if you scroll through the top.

I personally like the idea of a green cycle track!

http://www.sasaki.com/project/260/allegheny-riverfront-green-boulevard-study/

Note that Sasaki Associates is also the same company conducting the study in the Hill District (posted a few pages back).

[Evergrey]

Originally Posted by guyFROMtheBURGH

Sasaki Associates is currently conducting a study along the Allegheny Riverfront for a Green Boulevard. There are some very interesting renderings and possible plans if you scroll through the top.

I personally like the idea of a green cycle track!

http://www.sasaki.com/project/260/allegheny-riverfront-green-boulevard-study/

Note that Sasaki Associates is also the same company conducting the study in the Hill District (posted a few pages back).

We need to make this happen.

[BrianTH]

Sales brochure for the 7th Street property. Those exposed timber ceilings could make for some very nice apartments:

http://www.lwere.com/files/file/listings/121%207th%20St.pdf

[DKNewYork]

Quote:
Originally Posted by chiaroscuro View Post
Was this part of the PCT's original RiverParc plan?

I believe both projects would be occurring within the former footprint of RiverParc. And in fact one silver lining to the demise of RiverParc could be the preservation and re-use of some of the cool historic buildings remaining within that footprint.

BrianTH, couldn't agree with you more. Loved RiverParc design but still hated the certain loss of so many grand old buildings. Given what is happening on Wood Street and already took place with Market @ Fifth (thank you, PHLF!), the Penn-Liberty area could end up a knock out with the gems restored and well-designed (hear that Buncher...well-designed) buildings filling the street-level parking lots.

A request: I live in NY. If anyone is on Wood Street and can take/post a picture of the three cast iron buildings now being restored by PHLF, I would be appreciative. My understanding is that the exterior work is to be completed this week and that they look amazing.

Keep up the great posts. Feels like I am still home when I read about all these great developments.

[DKNewYork]

Originally Posted by guyFROMtheBURGH View Post
Sasaki Associates is currently conducting a study along the Allegheny Riverfront for a Green Boulevard. There are some very interesting renderings and possible plans if you scroll through the top.

I personally like the idea of a green cycle track!

http://www.sasaki.com/project/260/al...ulevard-study/

Note that Sasaki Associates is also the same company conducting the study in the Hill District (posted a few pages back).

We need to make this happen.

This Green Boulevard would be a phenomenal development for the Strip, Lawrenceville and all the way out to Oakmont. But isn't the right-of-way for this proposal the subject of a litigation between Buncher and some railway company? I recall reading that.

On a comic note: The illustration doesn't seem very Pittsburgh. Everyone shown is thin and no one is in a Steeler jersey.

[BrianTH]

I'd also note at some point we will actually run out of historic buildings to redo as residences in the Cultural District. At that point there might be the right conditions to do some really nice infill projects in locations like the former-Riverparc lots.

I believe the AVRR/Buncher easement dispute is only about the stretch along the Produce Terminal. That stretch would only be necessary if they wanted to terminate at 16th Street, which would actually be not-so-great. Another plan they have floated would involve getting on the East Busway at 26th Street and then over to the unused platform at Steel Plaza, which I think would be infinitely preferable.

[chucka]

The Point State Park Fountain is back!

[PghSH22]

http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/ae/a...rubber-duck-coming-to-pittsburgh-690192/

Pretty cool considering this got a lot of international press while it was in Hong Kong and Pittsburgh was chosen as the first U.S. "venue".

[Found5dollar]

I was working the Jazzlive Festival this weekend and noticed just how much renovation work is happening around Ninth and Penn down town. It is turning into a real nice neighborhood with housing, schools, restaurants, shops, and galleries. Plus all the restored facades and beautiful architectural lighting really made it a great place to walk around after dusk.

[glowrock]

Originally Posted by Found5dollar

I was working the Jazzlive Festival this weekend and noticed just how much renovation work is happening around Ninth and Penn down town. It is turning into a real nice neighborhood with housing, schools, restaurants, shops, and galleries. Plus all the restored facades and beautiful architectural lighting really made it a great place to walk around after dusk.

Definitely. Just the 900 block of Penn has something like 4 buildings under various stages of renovation right now, including plenty of apartments/condos as well as a decent number of retail/restaurant spaces!

Aaron (Glowrock)

[BrianTH]

Article reviewing changes in Lawrenceville in recent years:

http://triblive.com/news/allegheny/4097469-74/lawrenceville-upper-neighborhood#axzz2VuOqy1CH

Because development projects in Lawrenceville are naturally smaller in scale, they don't individually get as much attention, but collectively there has been about as much going on in Lower and Central Lawrenceville as anywhere in Pittsburgh, and now activity is pushing into Upper Lawrenceville as well (note too the Green Boulevard plan for Lawrenceville linked above).

[BrianTH]

Originally Posted by chucka

The Point State Park Fountain is back!

It is a great experience in person--definitely unique (both in Pittsburgh and beyond).

[BrianTH]

More details on the former Schneider Engineering conversion, and a bit on the Hotel Monaco:

http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/busi...-to-join-reviving-downtown-scene-691284/
http://triblive.com/business/headlines/4173120-74/hotel-pittsburgh-building#axzz2VuOqy1CH

Like PMC, the group doing the Schneider Engineering project, Red Rocks Group, is based in Philly and is looking for more opportunities to do projects in Pittsburgh. We are seeing here the benefits of Philly's downtown having set the precedent for a very successful residential (and other uses) boom, and these developers are looking to do it all again in Pittsburgh.

[BrianTH]

Not sure this strictly counts as a development project, but it is very cool and will likely draw a lot of positive attention:

http://triblive.com/news/allegheny/4179274-74/bridge-blankets-knitted#axzz2VuOqy1CH

Preparations have been underway for months as 1,242 people in knitting groups, schools and nursing homes have knitted large blankets to help cover the Warhol Bridge, formerly the Seventh Street Bridge. Organizers hope to begin covering the bridge by the second week of August, weather permitting, and plan to leave the display up for up to four weeks, said Darla Cravotta, special projects coordinator for the county. The bridge towers will be covered in machine-made knitted fabric, while the walkways will be covered with the handmade blankets. After the blankets are removed, they will be washed and distributed to homeless shelters, nursing homes and animal shelters.

[BrianTH]

Article on the local economic impact of the arts industry:

http://triblive.com/aande/moreaande/4159294-74/arts-culture-pittsburgh#axzz2VuOqy1CH

Spending on the arts also stimulates spending on a lot of other goods and services, leading to the support of many more jobs in addition to the ones directly in the arts. And people in the Pittsburgh region spend more on the arts than the national average.

Generally, people telling the story of Pittsburgh's economic renaissance used to focus on eds and meds, and now the story is typically all about shale gas, but the truth is that it has really been a broad-based recovery, including most of the industries associated with thriving cities.

[glowrock]

Originally Posted by BrianTH

More details on the former Schneider Engineering conversion, and a bit on the Hotel Monaco:

http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/busi...-to-join-reviving-downtown-scene-691284/
http://triblive.com/business/headlines/4173120-74/hotel-pittsburgh-building#axzz2VuOqy1CH

Like PMC, the group doing the Schneider Engineering project, Red Rocks Group, is based in Philly and is looking for more opportunities to do projects in Pittsburgh. We are seeing here the benefits of Philly's downtown having set the precedent for a very successful residential (and other uses) boom, and these developers are looking to do it all again in Pittsburgh.

The most important aspect of this news is that developers seem to finally be acknowledging that Pittsburgh is ripe for lots of additional residential and hotel units in the Golden Triangle and beyond. Other than a few major local development firms, as well as PMC of course, it seems most developers have always shyed away from Pittsburgh. Finally, this seems to be dissipating!

Aaron (Glowrock)

[BrianTH]

I happened across this recent version of the iconic view of Downtown with the Duquesne Incline in the foreground, which shows off the new paving and lighting design around the Point fountain quite well (larger versions available through the link):

http://www.flickr.com/photos/60247446@N03/8923465906/sizes/l/in/set-72157633876012362/

[BrianTH]

Originally Posted by glowrock

Other than a few major local development firms, as well as PMC of course, it seems most developers have always shyed away from Pittsburgh. Finally, this seems to be dissipating!

I'm not surprised it is Philly-based firms leading the way (among outsiders)--Philly was also once an unconventional place to look for such opportunities. And in fact there will likely still be a lot of developers who cannot conceive of doing downtown projects outside of the old standbys like Boston and NYC, but we don't need them all to show up here, just enough to keep up with potential demand growth (although we don't appear to be there quite yet).

[Evergrey]

http://www.bizjournals.com/pittsburgh/bl.../06/signs-of-progress-at-the-garden.html

Jun 12, 2013, 1:59pm EDT

Signs of progress at the Garden Theater block

After a developer was first chosen in 2010 and a plan established that was expected to start in 2011, the team working to redevelop the long neglected properties in the Garden Theater block on the North Side is expected to start on a portion of the project this month.

That's according to the new agenda for the Thursday board meeting of the Urban Redevelopment Authority.

The project, initially projected to cost $7.5 million, has faced its share of delays and revisions since a partnership between Philadelphia-based Zukin Realty and Pittsburgh-based Collaborative Ventures was chosen three years ago.

The partners operate as Allegheny City Development LLC.

The URA reports that Allegheny City Development will start construction on two major portions of the project this month, the conversion of the Masonic building into eight apartments with first-floor retail and the redevelopment of the Garden Theater building into a restaurant space.

A Nakama was originally expected for the Masonic building, but it will now become a new home for the City of Asylum. However, I checked with the owner of the Lawrenceville restaurant Piccolo Forno, who confirmed he's still on board to open a second location in the Garden Theater building.

I'll have more details after covering the URA meeting Thursday afternoon.