PITTSBURGH | Development Rundown II

[BrianTH]

Originally Posted by wpipkins2

This was the best house. From the busway I assumed the addition was a attached garage. To my surprise it is a first floor master bedroom suite with a full bath and two humongous walk in closets. This house is handicapped accessible so it lacks a basement. The house more than makes up for it with extra storage throughout. I especially liked the office area on the second floor landing. Two of the closets on the first and second floor can be easily removed and replaced with a elevator. You can grow old in this house for sure.

Wow, I had also assumed that was a garage. Sound great for someone who requires accessible housing.

[TBone7281]

Demolition of the Tom Ayoob Building in the Strip started. When I left work today most of it was down already.

[BrianTH]

They've now placed most or all of the beams for one of the new ELTC bridges. They also put in place the little bridge connecting to the Luna Park garage.

I love little bridges, so I am irrationally pleased by these developments.

[Found5dollar]

Steel has finally started going up at Scott Hall at CMU.
http://www.cmu.edu/cdfd/scott-hall/current-progress.html

*EDIT* the images i coppied from that page are HUGE! just go look for yourself....

[wpipkins2]

Demolition of the Penn Lincoln hotel started last week as well. Im sad to see it go.

[BrianTH]

Janera Solomon is planning a performing arts district on Penn in the heart of East Liberty:

http://triblive.com/news/allegheny/6495387-74/solomon-theater-strayhorn#axzz39WCvVZaP

She stops at North Whitfield Street in East Liberty near the site where two hotels are to be built. “In my dream, when you're on this block, you'll think you're on a theater square,” she said, sweeping her hand. Solomon, executive director of Kelly Strayhorn Theater in East Liberty, plans to announce her vision to expand her arts group and help develop the four-block stretch on Penn into a mini-cultural district on the 100th anniversary of her theater, originally Regent Theatre, on Oct. 16. Her group received a three-year grant of $1.05 million from The Heinz Endowments in May to expand.

It is early days yet and I'll be interested to see what she has in mind, but I think this idea has a lot of promise.

[BrianTH]

Construction on the somewhat controversial new Frick Enviromental Center has begun (the old structure burned down--some have argued clearing so much land for the new center is not so environmentally friendly):

http://www.bizjournals.com/pittsburgh/bl...f-frick-environmental-center-begins.html

A whole bunch of renderings:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/pghparks/sets/72157629623679142/

[BrianTH]

The URA has put the former Morningside Elementary School out for bid. They are hoping for "green" housing or mixed-use:

http://www.bizjournals.com/pittsburgh/bl...-proposals-to-redevelop-morningside.html

http://apps.pittsburghpa.gov/ura-files/Morningside_School_-_RFP_-_FINAL_080414.pdf

The main old section of the school is very grand:



More pictures including interior here:
https://plus.google.com/photos/106423124855716299183/albums/5992914481338902321?banner=pwa

Site and floorplans here:
https://plus.google.com/106423124855716299183/posts/KzDuoLMWtZm

[BrianTH]

Having heard no further objections . . . the Tiny House project in Garfield now has a site plan:

http://www.citylabpgh.org/8892/



No wrap around porch, but a nice back deck and pocket garden area. I like the fact it is close to the front of the lot. I'm not sure what to think of the parking area--it could be OK if nicely hardscaped, and I can see how it would help sell the concept (I gather it also avoids the need for a zoning variance). One puzzle--it appears to be facing backwards, so I wonder how they intend to address the street side (in the original design, that end looks like below):

[BrianTH]

FYI, per the webcam, the last section of steel is now going in at BKSQ 2.0:

http://bakerysquare.no-ip.biz:8080/view/viewer_index.shtml?id=482

[eschaton]

Originally Posted by BrianTH

The URA has put the former Morningside Elementary School out for bid. They are hoping for "green" housing or mixed-use:

http://www.bizjournals.com/pittsburgh/bl...-proposals-to-redevelop-morningside.html

http://apps.pittsburghpa.gov/ura-files/Morningside_School_-_RFP_-_FINAL_080414.pdf

The main old section of the school is very grand:



More pictures including interior here:
https://plus.google.com/photos/106423124855716299183/albums/5992914481338902321?banner=pwa

Site and floorplans here:
https://plus.google.com/106423124855716299183/posts/KzDuoLMWtZm

We're most likely moving to Morningside, so this (and the Heth's Run news) are promising signs that the neighborhood is only going to get better.

Morningside's business district is quite weird. I say this because while it's nominally more or less around Greeenwood street (where the old streetcar line used to turn around for the Jancey/Chislett loop) the storefronts are virtually all oriented on the cross streets. It makes for a potentially walkable core, but with a lot of the buildings somewhat "hidden" to those on a casual stroll, to the point you might not even realize how extensive the business district is. It's also probably in the saddest shape of any of the non-blighted East End commercial districts, although Greenfield's come close. Really besides having a decent neighborhood pub now there isn't much there - a hole-in-the-wall pizza place, a few old salons, some real estate agencies, etc. Really needs a sit-down restaurant or two.

That said, we're moving really far down in Morningside - closer to the Heth's Run playground. So it would take us just as long to walk up there as to Bryant Street. So until more stuff begins to go in, I can't see us frequenting that area much at all.

[BrianTH]

I'll admit I pretty much never even see, let alone actually go to, the Morningside commercial district. Because of the nearby competition and the fact that Morningside in general is sort of out of the way, I'd guess it is destined to remain a local-neighborhood-oriented area, rather than draw from a broader area, for quite a while. But even if that is true, that's still enough to support quite a bit of demand for living in Morningside.

[Gee Whiz]

Morningside has that small commercial area around Greenwood. It is also conveniently only minutes away from all that is across the Highland Park Bridge like the Waterworks Mall, Aspinwall etc. Highland Park and Morningside also have the attribute of also being close to all the East End has to offer. It is not a super vibrant neighborhood, but safe and in a great location to access various areas.

[BrianTH]

A former missile defense site in Collier which is being put up for auction is attracting developer interest:

http://triblive.com/news/allegheny/6562750-74/collier-property-kelly#axzz39WCvVZaP

[PghSH22]

"The first of what could eventually number more than 320 slips at a new marina on the Monongahela River at SouthSide Works are planned to be ready for the start of boating season next spring."

Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/local/city/2...light/stories/201408050059#ixzz39cU44HbJ

I'm kind of confused about this statement: "There’s enough space for the possible addition of a small food service area but not much else, he said, adding that the project also will include publicly financed landscaping, grading and the extension of a paved bike path."

I thought earlier discussions about this development mentioned that there would be restaurants and some sort of a boat club type thing attached to this? Does anyone know any more detail about this development. I kind of envisoned a sort of destination for anyone wanting access to the water, not just a boat dock for those who have boats.

[eschaton]

Originally Posted by BrianTH

I'll admit I pretty much never even see, let alone actually go to, the Morningside commercial district. Because of the nearby competition and the fact that Morningside in general is sort of out of the way, I'd guess it is destined to remain a local-neighborhood-oriented area, rather than draw from a broader area, for quite a while. But even if that is true, that's still enough to support quite a bit of demand for living in Morningside.

There's a back street which takes you from the extreme north of Stanton Heights to the Morningside business district. But it has limited connectivity otherwise to residential areas outside the neighborhood - at least on the end the business district is in - my side blends seamlessly into East Liberty/Highland Park.

But even as a neighborhood business district, it could do far better. I mean, even Brighton Heights (which isn't gentrifying) has its California Avenue business district 100% occupied now. For that matter Sharpsburg looks great in comparison to Morningside. There's no reason for it to be half vacant storefronts, and I'm sure it will at least see marginal improvement as the mixture of people there starts to change.

[BrianTH]

Originally Posted by eschaton

There's no reason for it to be half vacant storefronts, and I'm sure it will at least see marginal improvement as the mixture of people there starts to change.

That makes sense. I more had in mind the sorts of "restaurant rows" that draw people from all over, but you are absolutely right there could be fewer vacancies in general.

[dfiler]

Originally Posted by Found5dollar

Steel has finally started going up at Scott Hall at CMU.
http://www.cmu.edu/cdfd/scott-hall/current-progress.html

*EDIT* the images i coppied from that page are HUGE! just go look for yourself....

Thanks for posting. As an alum, I didn't even know this was being built.

Scott Hall construction cams:
http://www.cmu.edu/cdfd/scott-hall/scott-hall-construction-cameras.html

[DKNewYork]

Isn't the public discussion/presentation on the three Produce Terminal proposals at the History Center tonight? Anyone going?

[Austinlee]

Originally Posted by BrianTH

Construction on the somewhat controversial new Frick Enviromental Center has begun (the old structure burned down--some have argued clearing so much land for the new center is not so environmentally friendly):

http://www.bizjournals.com/pittsburgh/bl...f-frick-environmental-center-begins.html

A whole bunch of renderings:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/pghparks/sets/72157629623679142/

That looks super tranquil. Reminds me so much of the entry building/gift shop at Fallingwater which is itself a stunning entrance.