PITTSBURGH | Development Rundown II

[Evergrey]

Originally Posted by AaronPGH

Interesting to read the Portland vs. Pittsburgh comparison from the Portland point of view for once:

http://bikeportland.org/2014/09/17/pitts...ity-that-portland-wants-to-become-110941

There was an interesting article on Portland in the NYT times the other day detailing that city's struggle to generate employment for the masses of Millennials who flock there.

"Will Portland Always Be a Retirement Community for the Young?

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/21/magazi...-retirement-community-for-the-young.html

and of course... there's a Pittsburgh mention...

Albouy told me that he has always wondered why Portland doesn’t invest more in its institutions of higher education. If you took Portland’s quality of life and citizens, he said, and added Pittsburgh’s universities, you would come out with a world-class city.

Gee... thanks.

[photoLith]

Good, so something will replace the street wall. That building wasnt really of note, I just dont like to see a loss of density.

[Evergrey]

On the topic of the somewhat quiet "FirstSide" sector of Downtown... Melissa McCart reported on the burgeoning restaurant scene in that part of Downtown... primarily along Smithfield.

http://www.post-gazette.com/life/dining/...Smithfield-Downtown/stories/201409180126

A feast of ethnic dining has sprouted on Downtown's Smithfield Street

September 18, 2014 12:00 AM

While the focus of growth Downtown has been the Cultural District, stadiums and splashy restaurants in and around Market Square, a parallel renaissance has been going on right under our noses: the rise of inexpensive ethnic restaurants.

They fan out on and around Smithfield Street, from Liberty Avenue to the Smithfield Street Bridge. And while some of them have been plugging along for decades, nine spots have opened or relocated to the stretch in the past year.

It makes sense, says Herky Pollock, executive vice president of the commercial real estate firm CBRE, which has had a hand in the recent development of Downtown.

"Smaller ethnic restaurants are going to take advantage of lower rents in tertiary locations in a booming neighborhood," he said.

...

[BrianTH]

Originally Posted by DKNewYork

The portion torn down, which was built in the '40s as the parking entrance, is to be rebuilt as the service entrance/loading dock for the Fourth Avenue building but will have occupied floors above.

That doesn't sound too bad.

[BrianTH]

Originally Posted by Evergrey

On the topic of the somewhat quiet "FirstSide" sector of Downtown... Melissa McCart reported on the burgeoning restaurant scene in that part of Downtown.

Ethnic restaurants are in fact another good fit with the sort of area we have been describing, but I also suspect the Smithfield Street stuff is largely a lunch thing right now. So I agree with the previous analysis that to take this to a new level, you will need a higher nighttime population.

[Private Dick]

Originally Posted by Evergrey

Some of the superfluous lanes on Blvd of the Allies should be converted to bike lanes... a less harsh Blvd would really help out the "FirstSide" section of Downtown.

Yup... bike lanes are PERFECT for the Blvd.

Originally Posted by Evergrey

North Carolina developer is planning to build a high-end hotel on a large parking lot behind the Pittsburgh Athletic Association's iconic club in Oakland, a local partner with the firm said Thursday.

Nice. This is the massive UPMC lot where the Mosque used to stand, correct?

Originally Posted by BrianTH

Maybe it is just me, but I don't find BoA to be that big of a barrier. I wouldn't necessarily want to live right on it, but in terms of just walking past, I don't find it an issue.

That said, I recall at one point, Point Park was proposing turning a good chunk of it into a true boulevard with a median strip and such. People have also talked over time about possible bus lanes and bike lanes. Stuff like that could make it a lot more pleasant. (edit: and I see Evergrey made the same point in the next post)

Yeah... I don't see it as that much of an actual barrier, but I think the perception is there that it's a definite break from the tight streets throughout the golden triangle. But softening it and making it more of a true boulevard would do wonders... I envision something like Broadway on the UWS of Manhattan.

Originally Posted by Evergrey

and of course... there's a Pittsburgh mention...

Albouy told me that he has always wondered why Portland doesn’t invest more in its institutions of higher education. If you took Portland’s quality of life and citizens, he said, and added Pittsburgh’s universities, you would come out with a world-class city.

Gee... thanks.

So... Portland's citizens are just some sort of superior human lifeform?

To me, Pacific Northwest white folk doesn't scream "world-class"..

[DKNewYork]

Originally Posted by Evergrey

Is that E.V. Bishoff? (sp?)

Don't know but can ask.

[BrianTH]

Originally Posted by Private Dick

But softening it and making it more of a true boulevard would do wonders...

Heck, do it right and fronting on the Boulevard could actually be a selling point some day. You get more light and a view of the action, and maybe some BRT stations and such. That's certainly how it seems to have worked with the nicer downtown boulevards I am familiar with.

[DKNewYork]

Originally Posted by Evergrey

Is that E.V. Bishoff? (sp?)

I think not. Bishoff's web site shows it owns 322 Fourth, which is the older narrow building just east of the Commonwealth Trust building. Unless Bishoff owns both buildings and has a combined entrance at 322, I think it is a different owner. I recalled hearing that Commonwealth's owner was local. Will try to get an answer.

[eschaton]

Originally Posted by DKNewYork

It's not a Point Park project. Apparently the owner of Commonwealth Trust building intended to apply for a demolition permit. He was talked out of that and will now renovate the building. The portion torn down, which was built in the '40s as the parking entrance, is to be rebuilt as the service entrance/loading dock for the Fourth Avenue building but will have occupied floors above.

Sounds like excellent news overall. Minor demolition, but a more occupied downtown.

Originally Posted by DKNewYork

I think not. Bishoff's web site shows it owns 322 Fourth, which is the older narrow building just east of the Commonwealth Trust building. Unless Bishoff owns both buildings and has a combined entrance at 322, I think it is a different owner. I recalled hearing that Commonwealth's owner was local. Will try to get an answer.

I spent some time looking at the property records online, but then realized that Google Street View answered this anyway.

E.V. Bishoff owns almost the entire block except for Wood Street Commons (Action Housing), Dollar Bank, and the two buildings that front on Smithfield. Technically I guess they don't "own" the Carlyle any longer since it's condos. Regardless, I dunno why they don't bother marketing most of the buildings they own on that block.

[Jonboy1983]

Are there any hotels in Pittsburgh that have any kind of spa service, like either a full-service spa or one where you can request an in-room massage? I think that is something that could be missing from Pittsburgh. I wonder if a Kimpton Hotel is, or has been, or was, in the works for the Burgh.

[Private Dick]

Originally Posted by Jonboy1983

Are there any hotels in Pittsburgh that have any kind of spa service, like either a full-service spa or one where you can request an in-room massage? I think that is something that could be missing from Pittsburgh. I wonder if a Kimpton Hotel is, or has been, or was, in the works for the Burgh.

Of course there are. One of my favorite spots -- The Fort Pitt Motel:

http://www.fortpittmotel.com/index.html

[Minivan Werner]

So the Oakland hotel is going to go where the Syrian Mosque used to be? Or in the smaller parking lot right behind the OAC?

[WillyC]

Originally Posted by eschaton

Yeah. The new hotel, IIRC, is going to be pretty small though. And honestly with the crazy number of hotels in the works over the next 1-2 years, I have to wonder if we're going see a slowdown soon. Just counting the projects I know about in the works, I can think of four downtown, plus one in the lower strip and one on the North Shore. We may not actually fill all the unmet demand, but soon developers may want to wait out the current rush of projects and see how vacancy levels look.

Not to mention, there's only really one place to build a big hotel on First Avenue without knocking down anything. Some of the old office buildings (e.g., Four Smithfield Street) might be nice conversions though.

Have friends that are seniors in the commercial real estate department at two of the city's most prominent banks and they said the exact opposite as far as a slow down anytime soon. Developers are rushing ahead to get approval on anything they have on the drawing board built now for fear that there will be a glut in the future that will prevent them from securing financing.

I wouldn't be surprised at all to see more hotels announced over the next 6 months.

[BrianTH]

Another article about Buncher's progress on its Strip development:

http://www.post-gazette.com/business/201...Strip-District-land/stories/201409190069

Not a lot of new details, but they hope to have the road and infrastructure done in about a year, with the first residential development to start next year or 2016.

[AaronPGH]

If you've ever wanted to party in the Union Trust Building, the 2014 edition of VIA will be landing there in a few weeks.

VIA Festival 2014 to blow the roof off Union Trust Building
http://www.nextpittsburgh.com/city-design/via-festival-2014-pop-space-union-trust-building/

[Don't Be That Guy]

Originally Posted by Jonboy1983

Are there any hotels in Pittsburgh that have any kind of spa service, like either a full-service spa or one where you can request an in-room massage?

The Fairmont

[Don't Be That Guy]

Originally Posted by Minivan Werner

So the Oakland hotel is going to go where the Syrian Mosque used to be? Or in the smaller parking lot right behind the OAC?

The Trib article says that it's the smaller lot directly behind and owned by OAA. UPMC owns the larger former Syria Mosque lot.

[SkyPittsburgh]

Originally Posted by Don't Be That Guy

The Trib article says that it's the smaller lot directly behind and owned by OAA. UPMC owns the larger former Syria Mosque lot.

The article does make a specific reference to the the athletic club potentially using this as a revenue stream. No way UPMC is selling that lot.

[Private Dick]

Originally Posted by SkyPittsburgh

The article does make a specific reference to the the athletic club potentially using this as a revenue stream. No way UPMC is selling that lot.

Yeah, I'd be really surprised if UPMC sold the lot... that's a big space for future expansion.

The proposed hotel will likely have to be a pretty small one though... that's not a very large footprint at all on the PAA lot... and I wouldn't think a hotel proposal would rise higher than the PAA itself since it would basically have to be attached to the rear of the PAA building. Weird. Though I understand the PAA need to do this for revenue... the place has gone downhill in recent years with its membership dwindling.