PITTSBURGH | Development Rundown II - Page 485

Brentsters · #**9681** Posted **Sep 17, 2014, 2:29 AM**

About the development on the 1000 block of Fifth, it looks like 1040 will be incorporated.

Quote:

Cypress Partners is currently developing a state-of-the-art student housing building near the campus of Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The building under its current design is 77 units with a total of 191 beds. The 10 story building will offer residents a common area on the tenth floor equipped with a kitchen, roof deck, study rooms and lounge. Construction is expected to start in Spring 2015 and open to students for the 2016 academic year.

http://www.cypresspartners.biz/#!development/c1vw1

photoLith · #**9682** Posted **Sep 17, 2014, 3:10 AM**

^
And it looks like they will also be tearing down an historic building, ugh. Im very confused though, the building to the left of this new building looks like its 9 stories tall when its really only 4. Are they going to extend the height of that existing historic building also? It absolutely freaking maddens me why they do that, tear down an existing building when there are hundreds of vacant lots all over Uptown located in areas that have already been destroyed. Why destroy more when you could easily fill up a vacant parking lot that mars the landscape instead of tearing down yet another building.

WillyC · #**9683** Posted **Sep 17, 2014, 3:21 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by photoLith

^
And it looks like they will also be tearing down an historic building, ugh. Im very confused though, the building to the left of this new building looks like its 9 stories tall when its really only 4. Are they going to extend the height of that existing historic building also? It absolutely freaking maddens me why they do that, tear down an existing building when there are hundreds of vacant lots all over Uptown located in areas that have already been destroyed. Why destroy more when you could easily fill up a vacant parking lot that mars the landscape instead of tearing down yet another building.

Totally ok with losing 1034. The building is a dump. Definitely ok if they are going to add some floors to 1040. Would be interesting to hear how they plan to do this and to what effect it will have on the 1040 building. Kinda sad they aren't tearing down 1042, that building has got to go.

eschaton · #**9684** Posted **Sep 17, 2014, 3:35 AM**

Eh. The project is going to eliminate at least one gap in the street wall, so I think it's a step up. Not to mention saving (most of) the facade of the nicer of the two buildings (the cornice is going to have to be chopped off if they are adding an additional five floors).

My biggest disappointment is this is going to be a dorm. I was really hoping for a second market-rate apartment building to be in the works for Uptown.

BrianTH · #**9685** Posted **Sep 17, 2014, 11:18 AM**

1040 is obviously a bit nicer, but 1034 is apparently an 1890 building, and it has some nice period brickwork.

Some day we are going to regretting casually tearing down so many historic commercial buildings from the late 19th and early 20th period, particularly in cases like this or the Point Park Playhouse where the replacement building is unremarkable (I can understand a bit more when it is something like PNC Tower, although I still think that they should have saved those facades). The fact that there was a large number of such buildings still standing in Pittsburgh following the "modernizing" wave in the decades after WWII was an amazing and distinctive legacy, and now we are squandering it for stuff that is just making Pittsburgh more generic and less cool.

qwho · #**9686** Posted **Sep 17, 2014, 11:22 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by eschaton

I was really hoping for a second market-rate apartment building to be in the works for Uptown.

What is the first? Washington Plaza?

BrianTH · #**9687** Posted **Sep 17, 2014, 11:27 AM**

In more positive news, the Immanuel Church in Deutchtown is being preserved and reused as an arts center:

https://www.facebook.com/NorthsideLeader....415019268527143/903631679665897/?type=1

eschaton · #**9688** Posted **Sep 17, 2014, 1:23 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by qwho

What is the first? Washington Plaza?

Fifth Avenue Lofts is market rate. But I was referring to the hope that two different market-rate apartment buildings being in the works for Uptown, as IIRC one is planned for the north side of Fifth. The area should be prime, but is still pretty much forgotten in terms of development. Even the Lower Hill gets more.

pghaedesign · #**9689** Posted **Sep 17, 2014, 3:00 PM**

I hope whoever buys the Scolieri law building across the street, at 1207, preserves it. It still has the tin ceilings inside. Plus I like the contrast it plays against the Consol center. There are huge parking lots beyond it to build on.

BrianTH · #**9690** Posted **Sep 17, 2014, 4:24 PM**

The URA may opt to lease rather than sell the Produce Terminal:

http://www.post-gazette.com/business/201...ct-produce-terminal/stories/201409170059

The usual problem with doing that is the lack of property taxes, but they think they can solve that either by doing a long-term lease (over thirty years), or writing payments equivalent to property taxes into the lease. The main advantage of this sort of deal would be to preserve control over the future development of the property. I'd more prefer that be done through the HRC process, but with the City Council having rejected that approach, this may be a reasonable substitute.

photoLith · #**9691** Posted **Sep 17, 2014, 4:33 PM**

Another historic building just got knocked down yesterday to replaced by a loading dock on 3rd avenue downtown. Hooray!

Urbana · #**9692** Posted **Sep 17, 2014, 4:52 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by photoLith

Another historic building just got knocked down yesterday to replaced by a loading dock on 3rd avenue downtown. Hooray!

Do you have an address?

Evergrey · #**9693** Posted **Sep 17, 2014, 5:06 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by photoLith

Another historic building just got knocked down yesterday to replaced by a loading dock on 3rd avenue downtown. Hooray!

More details?

photoLith · #**9694** Posted **Sep 17, 2014, 6:15 PM**

The Commonwealth Trust Co. building, I think its 335 3rd Avenue or something like that. Dont have an exact address but if you look it up on google streetview youll see it, its a small building but it getting torn down destroyed what was otherwise an intact streetwall.

Urbana · #**9695** Posted **Sep 17, 2014, 6:30 PM**

Do you mean this small portion of the Commonwealth Trust Building facing 3rd?

https://www.google.com/maps/@40.4386718,...3m4!1e1!3m2!1sXcqq8FTstYXdpihIeLxvtA!2e0

BrianTH · #**9696** Posted **Sep 17, 2014, 6:35 PM**

It looks like it may be an extension/former back entrance to the Commonwealth Trust Company building along Fourth.

photoLith · #**9697** Posted **Sep 17, 2014, 7:30 PM**

Yeah, thats what they tore down, didnt know it was an extension, thought it was a small seperate building, but still it disconnects the streetwall.

Evergrey · #**9698** Posted **Sep 17, 2014, 8:10 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by photoLith

Yeah, thats what they tore down, didnt know it was an extension, thought it was a small seperate building, but still it disconnects the streetwall.

Who is the loading dock for? Point Park University?

photoLith · #**9699** Posted **Sep 17, 2014, 9:08 PM**

Don't know.

BrianTH · #**9700** Posted **Sep 17, 2014, 9:29 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by photoLith

but still it disconnects the streetwall.

Yep. I'm not sure yet I see it as an historic preservation issue per se, but if they are planning to create a new gap and curb cut, that kinda sucks.