PITTSBURGH | Development Rundown II

[Evergrey]

I am not concerned about the number of hotel rooms. Pittsburgh has been under-hoteled compared to peers for a long time... we're merely playing "catch up". That fact combined with our strong economy has resulted in some of the best occupancy rates in our peer group despite the absorption of a few thousand new rooms.

[AaronPGH]

Originally Posted by markson33

I still imagine that Hilton would like to/needs to have a hotel downtown. I'm not sure the Federal Reserve Building is the right fit for them though - I see it as a large limited service hotel.

It's funny you mention Hilton. I heard rumblings from a friend plugged into things that at one point there was a study being done for a Hilton to go into the Regional Enterprise Tower. Obviously that's not happening now with the apartments going in there. I can't imagine they've given up on the idea though, and that's one classy-ass building.

[BrianTH]

I think the needs of the convention center is the key point. Supposedly they need 400 or more additional rooms so they can stop being bypassed by some bigger conventions:

http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/loca...onvention-center-hotel-revisited-230761/

Ideally that would be provided in the form of a convention center hotel in the long-planned location, but that project seems to be in limbo and unless and until that hotel happens I think additional rooms near the convention center could be helpful, and this is a really close location.

[BrianTH]

Originally Posted by Evergrey

I am not concerned about the number of hotel rooms. Pittsburgh has been under-hoteled compared to peers for a long time... we're merely playing "catch up". That fact combined with our strong economy has resulted in some of the best occupancy rates in our peer group despite the absorption of a few thousand new rooms.

I agree with this too. Downtown in particular is only getting more and more attractive for potential visitors, so as of now I don't see much danger of relatively modest-sized hotel projects outstripping potential demand growth.

[themaguffin]

Just want to add that often it's not the hotel brand owner who decides or looks for places to be - they may be part of the process and smaller boutique chains might include more involvement, but a lot of the larger brands are franchised so essentially if a hotel franchiser (for a downtown hotel it's probably a company that owns several hotels) would be the ones looking at opportunities.

It might be possible also for more involvement in flagship brands for larger cities may have corporate scouts too, but not sure if Pittsburgh is on the radar for that or not.

[DKNewYork]

Originally Posted by photoLith

Arthur Ziegler is no preservationist. He's a schmuck whose been bought and sold to the highest bidder.

Not a fair comment, nor an informed one.

I think you would be surprised to learn how many of the buildings and neighborhoods that you have photographed (great photos, BTW) were wholly or in part saved through the involvement of Arthur Ziegler or PHLF, which he co-founded. Or how different---how much worse off---Pittsburgh would be had Arthur Ziegler not decided to try to save the houses on Liverpool Street back in 1964. Lots of us talk up preservation now, but Ziegler was promoting it---fighting for it, standing in front of bulldozers to ensure it---when it was completely contrary to popular opinion and a very tough sell.

If you disagree with Ziegler’s stance on the Forbes Avenue facades, fine. But to claim that he is not a preservationist is silly. And to dismiss him as some schmuck who has “sold out to the highest bidder” is not only non-sensical but implies that he is somehow making money from his stance on this project. He is not.

[Jonboy1983]

Wow, I'm glad I'm not alone here with the suggestion for a hotel at this particular building. Glowrock does have a valid argument about the number of hotel rooms coming on line within the next year or so. However, Evergrey made a nice counter with which I agree. Pittsburgh's economy is booming and it's only the beginning. Pittsburgh's only going to need more rooms as the economy shifts into high gear.

I also see this as a limited services hotel use. Could Four Points by Sheraton possibly work here? Is there a Sheraton in Downtown? I know Marriott is in Chattam center; there's a Residence Inn across the Allegheny River...

[themaguffin]

There is a Marriott a Chatham Ctr, plus the Renaissance and Courtyard downtown.

[daviderik]

Originally Posted by Jonboy1983

Wow, I'm glad I'm not alone here with the suggestion for a hotel at this particular building. Glowrock does have a valid argument about the number of hotel rooms coming on line within the next year or so. However, Evergrey made a nice counter with which I agree. Pittsburgh's economy is booming and it's only the beginning. Pittsburgh's only going to need more rooms as the economy shifts into high gear.

I also see this as a limited services hotel use. Could Four Points by Sheraton possibly work here? Is there a Sheraton in Downtown? I know Marriott is in Chattam center; there's a Residence Inn across the Allegheny River...

I believe the only Sheraton near downtown is the one in station square. If that's still a Sheraton. It's hard to keep up. 180 rooms is pretty stout for the looks of old fed building. But looks can be deceiving. If they do make it a hotel they should only except gold for payment. Just Because.

[Jonboy1983]

Originally Posted by daviderik

I believe the only Sheraton near downtown is the one in station square. If that's still a Sheraton. It's hard to keep up. 180 rooms is pretty stout for the looks of old fed building. But looks can be deceiving. If they do make it a hotel they should only except gold for payment. Just Because.

Good one.

I do wonder if this could be an independent or a boutique hotel and have an appropriate name to reference the fact that this building once housed FED offices.

Hotel Goldfinger
Gold Nugget Suites
Grant Inn (for Grant St.)

I'm actually getting some ideas here, and I'm going to post them in my next blog post. I haven't posted anything in a couple of days.

[BrianTH]

Originally Posted by Jonboy1983

Hotel Goldfinger

Ironically, Hotel Bond would be more appropriate . . . before they went paperless, the Pittsburgh Fed was responsible for the sale and servicing of savings bonds and Treasury securities for the entire eastern United States.

[Jonboy1983]

Originally Posted by BrianTH

Ironically, Hotel Bond would be more appropriate . . . before they went paperless, the Pittsburgh Fed was responsible for the sale and servicing of savings bonds and Treasury securities for the entire eastern United States.

Damn! Good one, BrianTH! I actually did not know that about the Pittsburgh FED.

Anyway, here is my blog post on the subject.
http://urbandesigneggshell.blogspot.com/2013/08/pittsburghs-federal-reserve-bank.html

[Urbana]

New development planned near Pittsburgh Airport

A group of local investors is planning a new $150 million development near the Pittsburgh airport.
The group says that the office, retail, apartment and hotel complex would be located on 30 acres in Findlay. The partners in the CRD Development Group LLC, are Ron Sofranko, Charlie Brown and David J. Dietrich.
They hope to develop the former Park `N Fly Inc. property located at Interstate 376 and Pittsburgh International Airport. Current plans call for Class A office space, a 250-unit apartment building, a 125-room hotel, convenience stores with gasoline stations, and parking.
The group is also talking to corporations about building on the site.

http://www.timesonline.com/news/state/ne...d4cad65-97c1-5381-bf40-7ceb50334373.html

[SkyPittsburgh]

Let's hope they don't pull a USAir.

[markson33]

I would be somewhat surprised it that development was successful. It's just too far out there.

[Jonboy1983]

Where specifically is this former Park'n'Fly lot? I always thought there should be some kind of mixed use development directly west of the long-term parking lot and exit to I-376/576. Also, I could see this location being the terminus for the LRT if it's ever extended to the airport. I also would like to see some BRT lines extend into some of the western suburbs/exurbs from that point as well, connecting those areas to KPIT as well as Downtown.

[Steel City Scotty]

Aaron -- While reading through the comments section beneath the P-G article about the Hazelwood site, I noticed you (kind of) defended the development of The Waterfront. I know that project gets some criticism for not tying into the Homestead neighborhood very well, but I've always really liked it down there.

On a side note -- as my hometown's director of economic development, I recently began attending a series of workshops in Harrisburg at the PA Downtown Center. The organization's executive director is from Pittsburgh, and he and I have gotten the chance to discuss development in the city during our downtime. It turns out he was actually very instrumental in laying the groundwork for The Waterfront project when he used to work in the Steel City.

[glowrock]

Originally Posted by Steel City Scotty

Aaron -- While reading through the comments section beneath the P-G article about the Hazelwood site, I noticed you (kind of) defended the development of The Waterfront. I know that project gets some criticism for not tying into the Homestead neighborhood very well, but I've always really liked it down there.

On a side note -- as my hometown's director of economic development, I recently began attending a series of workshops in Harrisburg at the PA Downtown Center. The organization's executive director is from Pittsburgh, and he and I have gotten the chance to discuss development in the city during our downtime. It turns out he was actually very instrumental in laying the groundwork for The Waterfront project when he used to work in the Steel City.

Yeah, kind-of defended the Waterfront development is right, Steel City Scotty! Only because it was one of the first of the brownfield redevelopments and because access was already pretty lousy because of the extremely-busy rail line that separates it from Homestead itself. Hopefully the new owners will put their money where their mouth is and actually make it a better place overall. Add some additional housing, some additional office space, eventually have less surface parking and make some of it structured, etc... It's not a lost cause, but it's going to be a very difficult thing to ever integrate it with the rest of Homestead, no doubt about it.

Aaron (Glowrock)

[markson33]

The rail line in Homestead did make things difficult, but they should have created more access points from 8th Avenue. They made pretty poor use of the riverfront as well - there should have been a riverfront park like at SSW.

[glowrock]

Originally Posted by markson33

The rail line in Homestead did make things difficult, but they should have created more access points from 8th Avenue. They made pretty poor use of the riverfront as well - there should have been a riverfront park like at SSW.

They can still do a park of some sort, but it's still not well-connected to Homestead. The problem is that there really was no way to create new access points from 8th Ave. because of that rail line being so extraordinarily crowded. Makes it difficult to justify at-grade crossings when the tracks are so busy, unfortunately.

I'm really not sure if there ever was or is a solution to it, unfortunately. I think the new owners will do everything they can to integrate it better into Homestead, but I'm really not sure what they can actually do about it right now. Without the tracks (really a train freeway!), there would be a ton that could be done, but with them, I'm not sure anything can really be done.

Aaron (Glowrock)