PITTSBURGH | Development Rundown II

[Evergrey]

Originally Posted by BrianTH

Crosstown Park

I never knew this was officially a park. That's kind of pathetic to even recognize it.

[BrianTH]

Originally Posted by Evergrey

I never knew this was officially a park. That's kind of pathetic to even recognize it.

I actually like walking through there on occasion. There is a historical marker about the Samuel Kier refinery, and the mosaic in the underpass tunnel is kinda cool.

But generally--yeah. The only way this really becomes a park worthy of a name is if they do the deck-park over Crosstown.

[ks2006]

Mellon square seems to need more of a lawn that you can relax on -- with wooden benches that have backs, not stone slabs. I don't know too many people who want to sit on stone slabs. If they had made an attempt to make it more like Rittenhouse Square, it would be a lot more useful and pleasant.

[Private Dick]

Originally Posted by ks2006

Mellon square seems to need more of a lawn that you can relax on -- with wooden benches that have backs, not stone slabs. I don't know too many people who want to sit on stone slabs. If they had made an attempt to make it more like Rittenhouse Square, it would be a lot more useful and pleasant.

I don't think so. It's not a Rittenhouse Square type of park at all, nor should it be. An expansive lawn would be terribly out of place in Mellon Square.

If you go down there during the day, it is filled with people who seem to have no problem sitting on stone slabs.

[Evergrey]

http://www.bizjournals.com/pittsburgh/bl...sburgh-real-estate-market-continues.html

Jul 21, 2014, 4:58pm EDT

Report: Pittsburgh real estate market continues momentum

Integra Realty Resources reports Pittsburgh’s real estate market is either expanding or in recovery in four major sectors of office, retail, multifamily and lodging in its 2014 midyear Viewpoint.

While the region’s retail market is still recovering from the last recession with only modest new development underway, Pittsburgh’s office market is seeing strong evidence of expansion in both its central business district and in the suburbs while new apartment and hotel development have continued to be strong.

Integra, a commercial real estate valuation firm with offices throughout North America, including in Wexford, described the Pittsburgh Metropolitan Statistical Area as “one of the strongest heartland lodging markets” and described the region’s multifamily market as “extremely strong.”

In the city, Integra notes that more than 800 apartments are under construction with another 3,800 units in the planning stages. There are more than 2,000 apartments under construction and another 2,000 in the planning stages in the suburbs.

...

[Jonboy1983]

Originally Posted by BrianTH

While I also think sometimes quieter, semi-hidden spaces have a place in urban environments, we are talking here about an entire block. Moreover, all the other open spaces nearby (most notably Mellon Green, Steel Plaza, and Crosstown Park) are also lacking in the same ways (ironically, Steel Plaza, a typically awkward highrise-adjacent plaza of its era, is still probably the best of all these).

But obviously Mellon Square is not going to be re-designed any time in the near future regardless of what anyone thinks. So I do think the focus should be on figuring out how to make it a bit more useful.

BrianTH, that is pretty well said. The overall design of the park may be a bit awkward due to the parcel's geography and where it is in relation to the street grid, but it is a nice hide-away from all the hustle and bustle of the traffic and pedestrians. It is nice to see that the city is trying to exercise smart planning practices to enhance this park and its immediate surroundings and make it even more inviting.

Originally Posted by Evergrey

http://www.bizjournals.com/pittsburgh/bl...sburgh-real-estate-market-continues.html

I wonder how many of those 3800 planned units are in/near Downtown or in East Liberty. Then there's that potentially massive planned apartment development along Forbes Avenue in Oakland.

[ks2006]

Originally Posted by Private Dick

I don't think so. It's not a Rittenhouse Square type of park at all, nor should it be. An expansive lawn would be terribly out of place in Mellon Square.

Why do you think so? I think its the perfect place for that type of setting. It could also certainly be a boost to retail activity/food trucks, carts, etc. But for it to work better they'd need to add wide entranceways from all of the surrounding streets, not sure how feasible that is with that parking garage.

[Evergrey]

Rittenhouse Square is one of my favorite urban parks... wish we had an equivalent in Pittsburgh.

I do get a Rittenhouse vibe from Mellon Square with the way its surrounded by towers.

[GeneW]

So, they just spent $10 Million to restore Mellon Square to it's original historic 1955 state. I really don't think that they're going to do any kind of redesign in our lifetimes.

[Evergrey]

McKeesport continues to destroy itself

http://triblive.com/neighborhoods/yourmc.../6479982-74/building-mckeesport-cherepko

'Last of the downtown mansions' demolished in McKeesport



By Patrick Cloonan
Tuesday, July 22, 2014, 4:06 a.m.
Updated 38 minutes ago

Time has run out for the old Eagles hall in downtown McKeesport.

What a former owner termed “the last of the downtown mansions” is being torn down under a city contract by Lutterman Excavating LLC of Greensburg.

“Just a week or so ago, part of the front of the building started to collapse,” Mayor Michael Cherepko said. “We were then in a position to secure it and actually demolish the building.”

The city was put into that position earlier this year when it acquired the building from the Redevelopment Authority of the City of McKeesport, which in turn had taken possession of the 8,400-square-foot property in 2011 for delinquent taxes from Museum Hair Institute.

“The city started litigation under my tenure (as mayor) to take that property and have it demolished,” state Sen. James Brewster, D-McKeesport, said in 2011. “We were concerned about safety hazards and the ability to market that area.”

Cherepko was city council president then.

“A local society fought us and tried to intervene,” Cherepko said, referring to the McKeesport Preservation Society, directed by Maryann Huk.

...

According to Jonathon Denson's Discovering Historic Pittsburgh website, Dr. Henry Hitzrot built the house, employing architect Frederick Sauer to design it.

Denson said Sauer designed a variety of buildings that became landmarks in and around Pittsburgh.

...

[Evergrey]

Nice article on the Lando Lofts and 900 block of Penn:



http://www.nextpittsburgh.com/features/t...-and-that-gem-of-a-block-of-penn-avenue/

Todd Palcic, the Lando Lofts and that gem of a block on Penn Avenue

Melanie Linn Gutowski July 21, 2014

Downtown might be considered the city’s ultimate phoenix, rising from the ashes of the industries that occupied the Point and both riverbanks for much of its history and beginning anew. Not long ago, some streets downtown were distinguished more by the reasons to avoid them than by their attractions. Today it’s a different story and downtown is the stuff urban dreams are made of, especially certain sections.

Have you seen the 900 block of Penn Avenue lately?

That block of Penn, lined with trees, stylish restaurants and architecturally noteworthy buildings, is one of developer Todd Palcic’s favorite places. “This block is a destination block,” he says. “There’s no other block (downtown) that brings in this kind of spending on dining, residential, et cetera.” The etcetera could be referring to the International Jazz Festival, among other festivals recently held there, which brought thousands of people to the street on a warm summer weekend.

Palcic has good reason to be optimistic about this street: he’s just launched his third real estate project on Penn Avenue in nearly four years. Lando Lofts, at 907 and 909 Penn Avenue, will be his first rental building thus far and the only one on this stretch of the street.


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[BrianTH]

Originally Posted by ks2006

But for it to work better they'd need to add wide entranceways from all of the surrounding streets, not sure how feasible that is with that parking garage.

It is not just the parking garages--there is a substantial slope there, which is why being street level on the William Penn side means being way above street level on the Smithfield side.

Under the circumstances, I actually don't have a huge problem with the entrances. Maybe a couple more side entrances where the garages are located instead would be ideal, but the wide, prominent entrances at both the Smithfield corners seems like a reasonable approach.

Rather, what makes it so poor as a public square is all the stuff in the interior chopping up the space. But as noted by another poster, all that stuff cost a bunch of money and isn't going anywhere.

[BrianTH]

Originally Posted by BrianTH

Under the circumstances, I actually don't have a huge problem with the entrances. . . . Rather, what makes it so poor as a public square is all the stuff in the interior chopping up the space.

To clarify, though, I also meant to include in my critique all the planters and such on the Smithfield side which limit access to the two designated entrances. I am imagining a hypothetical square much more open on that side, including at the corners.

[Evergrey]

exciting news!

http://www.bizjournals.com/pittsburgh/ne...-north-shore-building-to-be-renamed.html

Jul 22, 2014, 3:47pm EDT

Del Monte no more: North Shore building to be renamed Big Heart Pet Brands Center

Look for a new corporate name to soon rise on the North Shore riverfront, and another to come down.

A plan was presented Tuesday at the Pittsburgh Planning Commission to change the name of Del Monte Center to Big Heart Pet Brands Center to reflect the new name of the company doing business in the building. The plan follows the February announcement the consumer products division of Del Monte had been sold to Del Monte Pacific Ltd., a move that lead the new ownership to adopt the Big Heart Pet Brands name.

The brands of Big Heart Pet Brands include such familiar names as Milk-Bone, Meow Mix, 9Lives and many others.

Tim Schooley covers retail, real estate, construction, hospitality, arts and entertainment, and government. Contact him at [email protected] or 412-208-3826.

[Evergrey]

http://www.bizjournals.com/pittsburgh/bl...l-fast-tracks-apartment-building-at.html

Jul 22, 2014, 4:12pm EDT

Walnut Capital fast tracks apartment building at Bakery Square 2.0

Apartment leasing has been strong enough at Bakery Square 2.0 that Walnut Capital Partners is pushing ahead with a second building on an accelerated schedule.

The development firm briefed the Planning Commission on a second 175-unit apartment building, a new phase of the project that included no changes from the established master plan.

Todd Reidbord, a principal with Walnut Capital Partners, said the firm has leased 75 percent to 80 percent of the first building, which opened in June.

Instead of breaking ground on a second building next spring as originally planned, Reidbord said Walnut Capital now intends to begin construction on the second apartment building in November or December for a project it expects to open in spring 2016.

...

[photoLith]

Photos I took last night.

DSC_7073 by photolitherland, on Flickr

DSC_7088 by photolitherland, on Flickr

[BrianTH]

Hopefully if they finish up all of BKSQ 2.0 on an accelerated schedule, that means they will be pushing something else into the pipeline sooner as well.

[BrianTH]

Article about the restaurant opening in the Hotel Monaco (former James Reed building). The walk up window sounds like it could be a nice amenity, and is maybe a start on improving the utilization of Mellon Square:

http://www.post-gazette.com/life/dining/...tel-Monaco-Downtown/stories/201407220019

[TBone7281]

Originally Posted by photoLith

Photos I took last night.

DSC_7073 by photolitherland, on Flickr

I really like this shot. Not a perspective you see much of. That's down Wood Street, right?

[AaronPGH]

I will never stop wishing the new PNC tower had maybe 10 more floors.