PITTSBURGH | Development Rundown II

[BrianTH]

The Addison Terrace redevelopment project got Housing Authority funding for its final phase:

http://triblive.com/news/adminpage/5469997-74/housing-authority-million#axzz2rEO07b00

[eschaton]

Originally Posted by DKNewYork

You are completely right but, since the view is prized and this developer or the next one will eventually build on that lot, I think people should still voice their complaints with the current mediocre proposal. It is really bad. Really bad. It still reminds me of a prison block. With a view.

To be honest, I've been wondering for awhile if Mount Washington is going to "make it." The far eastern portions of it (east of Ruth) have been in steady decline similar to the rest of the Southern Hilltop (albeit not as severe). Many people say the only difference between them and Allentown is the name. And I've been hearing more negative things about the "Chicken Hill" extension to the south as well (more drug addicts, petty break ins, etc).

I don't think it's too late for Mount Washington to become something sweet. But it seems like a lacunae in the redevelopment of Pittsburgh these days in general. Another few years of slow decline and the sketchy areas will be nearly bumping up against Grandview, at which point even considering medium-sized apartment projects might be a bridge too far for investors.

Originally Posted by DKNewYork

You are dead-on that one block off Grandview things head south. For such a large neighborhood, the lack of a decent business street is really surprising. The Virginia Avenue corridor could be just fine but it surely is not there now. Maybe a large, well-designed apartment project at One Grandview would prod further investment on Virginia.

Shiloh Street is better, but only like a block and a half. It's too bad there's a Parking Authority garage that fronts on it. I've never been able to figure out why. Is it a park and ride for the incline? Regardless, it really should be a spur off a walkable business district, not the core walkable district itself as it is currently.

[DKNewYork]

Originally Posted by dfiler

Or can we make that judgement already? Is an apartment building on grandview bad no matter what?

My brother lives in that neighborhood and attends a lot of the community meetings, particularly those regarding One Grandview. He thinks the opposition is mostly due to the current design, not NIMBYism. His take is that most of the area residents want the site developed.

My brother also thought there was much less opposition to the first proposal.

[dfiler]

Originally Posted by DKNewYork

My brother lives in that neighborhood and attends a lot of the community meetings, particularly those regarding One Grandview. He thinks the opposition is mostly due to the current design, not NIMBYism. His take is that most of the area residents want the site developed.

My brother also thought there was much less opposition to the first proposal.

My guess is that both are factors. Keep in mind that NIMBY reactions don't have to be against all development. The distinguishing factor is if that people would prefer it to be done elsewhere. That's why I would bet that much of the opposition isn't opposed to big apartment complexes unless those complexes happens to be in their neighborhood.

That isn't to say the design is good or that it should be built there or anywhere for that matter. If I lived in that neighborhood, I too would prefer the previously proposed, extended promenade. That is… unless I was a resident of the newly proposed apartments with an awesome view of downtown.

[BrianTH]

By the way, I vaguely recall that after the new design was presented and people complained about the public promenade being eliminated, they suggested it might reappear in the final design.

Edit:

See here:

http://www.post-gazette.com/neighborhood...dview/stories/201309200121#ixzz2fQVSLsu0

After scrapping a grandiose hotel and condo project on Mount Washington in favor of apartments, a developer once again is tinkering with plans for the development. The 300 apartments won't be changing, but developer Beau Beemsterboer is adding an overlook and building a more "iconic" tower at the site of the former Edge restaurant at the east end of Grandview Avenue. Charles L. "Luke" Desmone, the architect for the project, said Thursday the changes are being made to address concerns and comments raised by residents at meetings to discuss the switch from the hotel/condo project to the apartment complex. As part of the latest revisions, a "stage-like" platform will be built just east of the Monongahela Incline and will offer visitors views of the Downtown skyline. While part of the proposed apartment complex, Mr. Desmone said the goal is to have the observation deck open to visitors.

The "iconic" tower also sounds intriguing.

[Evergrey]

Originally Posted by dfiler

I enjoy when people post opinions opposed to mine. It is actually quite beneficial to not avoid those differing opinions. It is the free flow of differing opinions that makes this one of the most active threads on this forum. Thank you everyone for the lively discussion!

Agreed. We should celebrate the diversity of thought in this thread.

[East Edge]

Mt. Washington's biggest roadblock to development is greed. The business districts have come a long way but land speculators wiring for their ship to come in one day have unrealistic prices on properties that send most people packing. To my knowledge there is plenty on the drawing board for streets cape improvements as well as commercial development along Virginia and Boggs avenues but the property owners with high price tags are making that challenging for the community to see their vision realized. It would be one thing if the property owners kept up their properties but they figure their properties would most likely be razed for future development anyhow so what is the use.

I am pretty familiar with the neighborhood and there are a lot of people in favor of the apartment being built and the picture in the article that was posted is not the latest one. There is just a small group of opposition that unfortunately have the loudest voices but overall the community is ready for a development to place whether its an apartment or hotel. Quite frankly the business district would be better served by apartments anyway so that they can actually cultivate a customer base with residents vs someone in town for a few nights.

A sweet apartment project is about to open in the former prospect elementary school which sits atop of one of the highest point in pittsbugh with an amazing panorama of the city skyline. Its an art deco gem and will start leasing this spring.

Its a neighborhood to keep an on especially with Bistro 19 taking over the tired georgtowne inn. There are a few restaurant fronts like isabella and the cliffside that getting a make over this year as well. The important thing is that it still has affordable houses and a great location so the neighborhood dynamic is really changing and young and young at hearts with above average incomes are flocking in. The MWCDC has been hard at work creating demand with the enhancement of amenities such as the Emerald View park system which opens up sweet hiking trail segments every year.

So you may want to do your homework eschaton before making blanket negative statements without facts to back it up.

[BrianTH]

Quick transit note with a development element--thanks to the new state transportation bill, PAT is looking at adding back some more service:

http://triblive.com/news/allegheny/5470695-74/routes-authority-port#axzz2r2F6oLkG

Fitzgerald said decisions on which routes would be added have not been made but mentioned the potential for large-scale park-and-rides with 300 to 400 cars, including one in the North Hills. “There's a lot of demand for an enhanced park-and-ride in the North Hills,” he said.

Port Authority spokesman Jim Ritchie said the agency is in the midst of talks with PennDOT to determine how much money is earmarked for the Port Authority. Route additions will be based on “what makes the most sense. Where is there the most opportunity to grow ridership and where is there opportunity to benefit economic development projects? Those are the kinds of things we're looking at,” Ritchie said.

Park and rides are not inherently exciting, but they do serve a purpose in terms of expanding the ridership base into a wider (and therefore more politically weighty) footprint. I would also hope we start looking at park and rides as an element of TOD projects rather than just standalones (e.g., like that new senior housing conversion in Overbrook we were looking at recently).

[GeneW]

I know for certain that more park-and-ride lots or even better, garages, in the east suburbs would get used. When I lived out in Murrysville, the park-and-ride lots at the start of 286 and at Hills/Ames/RoomfulExpress would fill to capacity by 7:15 in the morning. The busses were packed too.

Nice to see PAT talking about expanding after only ever reading stories about them reducing service.

[BrianTH]

Originally Posted by GeneW

I know for certain that more park-and-ride lots or even better, garages, in the east suburbs would get used.

As I understand the conversations that have gone on about all the existing park-and-ride lots that are clearly insufficient for potential demand, the hold up has basically been that the next step would likely have to involve structures, and those are radically more expensive. You can try to help finance them by charging fees, but even then it can be tough to make the numbers work out. But that is where associated development can really make a difference, because if the parking is shared with the tenants of the development, that can make up the financial gap.

Nice to see PAT talking about expanding after only ever reading stories about them reducing service.

Amazing what not cutting their funding can do!

[DKNewYork]

From today's Pittsburgh Business Times: An article about the Carrick Dairy District project. I really like this proposal, as it focuses on an older South Hills business district and also that it involves a working dairy. How cool is that! Desmone is the architect.

http://www.bizjournals.com/pittsburgh/pr...elopers-hope-to-milk-potential-from.html

[GeneW]

Originally Posted by BrianTH

As I understand the conversations that have gone on about all the existing park-and-ride lots that are clearly insufficient for potential demand, the hold up has basically been that the next step would likely have to involve structures, and those are radically more expensive. You can try to help finance them by charging fees, but even then it can be tough to make the numbers work out. But that is where associated development can really make a difference, because if the parking is shared with the tenants of the development, that can make up the financial gap.

Expensive but certainly much cheaper than building more highways or tunnels to (or attempt to) reduce traffic.

Plus, the HP bus out of Plum was one of the few things that helped me keep my sanity while living in Murrysville. If I'd had to drive in on the Parkway East every single day, I would have gone totally mad.

[7068073429]

Does anyone know what's going on at the old Connelly Trade School building? I see that they have removed the yellow sections of walls facing town that had the large black C-O-N-N-E-L-L-Y letters on them and installed some nice looking (from town anyhow) black frames windows.

I poked around the 'net a bit and didn't see anything mentioned.

Thx

[AaronPGH]

Pittsburgh needs the Ultraviolet Loop brought back so F*ing bad.

[DKNewYork]

Originally Posted by 7068073429

Does anyone know what's going on at the old Connelly Trade School building? I see that they have removed the yellow sections of walls facing town that had the large black C-O-N-N-E-L-L-Y letters on them and installed some nice looking (from town anyhow) black frames windows.

I poked around the 'net a bit and didn't see anything mentioned.

Thx

I read in the most recent PHLF News that the Connelly Trade School is being converted to the Energy Innovation Center. I will be honest---I'm still not sure what an Energy Innovation Center is or does. Guess we will find out. The PHLF article discussed how Landmarks obtained an easement to protect the Connelly School's façade. Below is the whole newsletter---the Connelly article is on Page 8.

http://www.phlf.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/179_PHLF-NEWS_2013.pdf

[Muckk]

I'm still waiting to hear if the intended condo plan will be approved at the former site of Highland Country Club in Ross Twp. If a park & ride were incorporated into the design then it could actually work. A major concern is the added traffic on Highland Ave and an alternative entrance/exit onto Rochester may not necessarily be something that can be built. Granted, there is a park & ride within a mile away at the end of the HOV lane on 279, but I'd like to see a proposal for the old country club site. It seems to me that the Port Authority would be nuts if they neglect to bring back some of the cancelled routes, especially since many of them already have crisp new (several years old but still fairly new) infrastructure in place. Like on Route 19 north of West View, for example. I don't see the region getting serious about light rail expansion to new areas until bus ridership is peaked.

[doo dah]

Apropos of nothing, I came across this interactive Pittsburgh Zoning map today:
http://pittsburghpa.maps.arcgis.com/apps...l?appid=5fea701090294e008fd4677c3654bde4

in case anyone finds it useful.

[BrianTH]

Originally Posted by GeneW

Expensive but certainly much cheaper than building more highways or tunnels to (or attempt to) reduce traffic.

Absolutely. Unfortunately, there is no easy way to re-direct federal and state highway funding to such projects, although sometimes you can sneak them in as part of joint projects.

[BrianTH]

Originally Posted by DKNewYork

I read in the most recent PHLF News that the Connelly Trade School is being converted to the Energy Innovation Center. I will be honest---I'm still not sure what an Energy Innovation Center is or does.

This has been in the works for a while now. Here is the main project website:

http://eicpittsburgh.org/

I agree it can be tough to cut through the buzz language, but basically it is still going to be a sort of vocational school, with some business incubation on the side.

[Evergrey]

another dagger from Doug Parker

http://www.post-gazette.com/local/region...t-operations-center/stories/201401240148

US Airways to close Moon flight operations center, affecting 600 jobs

January 24, 2014 1:03 PM


By Mark Belko / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
US Airways has decided to close its $32 million flight operations center in Moon and move the work to Dallas-Fort Worth, where the new American Airlines will be based.

The move will affect about 600 employees at the center, according to Matt Dinkel, press secretary for U.S. Rep. Mike Doyle, D-Forest Hills. Most of the employees will be offered the chance to transfer, said Todd Lehmacher, a spokesman for American Airlines.

The airline notified employees and local political leaders of the decision this morning.

“We’re very unhappy. Mike’s been working for some time with local leaders to keep the center in Pittsburgh. If they were going to consolidate we thought it made sense to do it in Pittsburgh,” Mr. Dinkel said,

“It’s not good news, that’s for sure. It wasn’t anything totally unexpected. We’ve been doing everything we could to keep it here. When the merger went through, the writing was on the wall,” Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald said.

Concerns over the operations center have been brewing since March when US Airways CEO Doug Parker, who will serve the same role with American, indicated that the center might move.

The Moon facility, which opened in November 2008, was built with the help of $3.75 million in state grants and tax credits.