PITTSBURGH | Development Rundown II

[Jonboy1983]

Originally Posted by BrianTH

The tall buildings are OK, but otherwise what I am seeing at Google is not that exciting--not very walkable, mostly parking, and so on. But maybe that is just a first phase sort of thing.

Just to show my own cards, here is the Verizon Center in DC:

https://goo.gl/maps/mJeEo

Some representative pictures (although of course you would not need to apply DC's height maximums, so this is more a minimum vision than a maximum in terms of height):





By the way, note the cool facade preservation in the second pic. That is the sort of thing we should be insisting on at the Playhouse site (and we should have required it with PNC Tower too).

The thing with those buildings, though, is they're at least 10 stories tall; something I'd be perfectly fine with if only there was a strong push for such density in the Hill. I think they could still do that in the portions of the hill close to Crawford Square without it blocking too much of the Downtown view.

It really doesn't make sense tho. Sooner or later, that part of the Hill will be part of Downtown...

[BrianTH]

Originally Posted by Austinlee

Yeah, that looks gorgeous of course but unfortunately that size and quality design is worlds away for a city the size of Pittsburgh.

But is it? Size-wise the Skyvue plan for Oakland is very similar. I can't speak to the design work, but we have a lot of good local architects who I suspect could do something at least pretty cool with the Lower Hill building sites if given a chance.

[BrianTH]

Originally Posted by Austinlee

I actually like the arena district in Columbus.

I don't have a huge problem with it, but to me it feels more like what we are trying to do with Southside Works. I'd like to go for more than that in the Lower Hill site.

[Austinlee]

Originally Posted by BrianTH

But is it? Size-wise the Skyvue plan for Oakland is very similar. I can't speak to the design work, but we have a lot of good local architects who I suspect could do something at least pretty cool with the Lower Hill building sites if given a chance.

It's not talent it's $.

EDIT: I did say quality, what I meant was more the will to preserve the historic structures instead of razing for new construction.

[photoLith]

That historic facade integration is sick, if only Pittsburgh was progressive enough to do that.

[acenturi]

Originally Posted by Minivan Werner

Here's a nice look from street view. The actual arena is the red brick structure peaking through the two glass buildings. The tall building is a W hotel.

https://www.google.com/maps/@32.7892148,...3m4!1e1!3m2!1se1LKx-ZVQMjeyw6jcaDDvg!2e0

The only portion of the entire tower that's a "W" Hotel are the first 15 floors (250 Rooms) of the curved glass front and the adjoining prison like structure - ala 1950s Holiday Inn facade. The rest are condos/offices.

[mikebarbaro]

A bit of opposition to The Villas at Winter Park residential development in the Southside Slopes: http://www.sopghreporter.com/story/2014/...e-proposed-slopes-development/14925.html

[BrianTH]

Originally Posted by photoLith

That historic facade integration is sick, if only Pittsburgh was progressive enough to do that.

The odd thing is we did recently--in Homewood (the Homewood Station senior housing project):





Somehow we have to get Downtown developers to bring themselves up to Homewood standards.

[BrianTH]

Originally Posted by mikebarbaro

A bit of opposition to The Villas at Winter Park residential development in the Southside Slopes

If it is true that first the NIMBYs complained about it being a cul-de-sac, and now they are complaining about it being a through street, that would be sadly illustrative.

[BrianTH]

An upscale Greek restaurant is coming to the vacant spot on Market Square where the PNC bank branch used to be. Sounds like a nice addition!

http://www.bizjournals.com/pittsburgh/bl...-to-open-new-upscale-greek.html?page=all

[BrianTH]

The argument over the Lower Hill development is continuing on largely the same terms as before (and I continue to think that if affordable housing is really the issue, the best solution is to upzone the project and add a lot more residential units):

http://www.post-gazette.com/local/city/2...s-for-Hill-District/stories/201410070108
http://triblive.com/news/allegheny/6906928-74/hill-district-housing

But this was a welcome bit of news:

Mr. Williams said the team and the city have agreed to fund half of the estimated $1.8 million cost for the long-delayed Curtain Call art project that was supposed to be part of the Consol Energy Center development. The team hopes to secure the rest of the funding from local foundations by next spring to make the project a reality.

[eschaton]

Based upon comments on another forum, I modified the map of the Ohio Street (ARC House) project.

There are three different groups of parcels across the alley fronting on Phineas Street which are also owned by October Development or its principals. They did not successfully buy out the block though - five parcels remain in the hands of other property owners. I would thus suppose very little of this land will actually be redeveloped as part of the hotel/parking garage/apartment deal, except perhaps an access driveway.

Preservationists are apparently worried October Development will knock down the houses they now own on Phineas. It's possible, but looking at the layout of the block, I think several are in no danger in the near term. Plus October Development also does rehabs of historic properties, so they may just be holding onto most of this block for a "phase 2" which will involve some mixture of rehab and infill historic-styled new construction townhouses.

[BrianTH]

Originally Posted by eschaton

Plus October Development also does rehabs of historic properties, so they may just be holding onto most of this block for a "phase 2" which will involve some mixture of rehab and infill historic-styled new construction townhouses.

It certainly seems ideal for that sort of project.

Is there an existing master/vision plan for this area? Off hand, it seems to me like if they could do bigger projects on the largely empty blocks between Madison and Turtle Way, then infill with smaller projects in the next few blocks to the east, that could be nearly ideal. The new stuff along Madison could be designed to more or less handle the noise etc. from the freeway, and those interior blocks could end up quite pleasant.

I'd also love to a see a deck park over I-279 from around Suismon up to North Street/Spring Garden Avenue. That would further control noise etc. from the freeway, and also serve to help integrate the eastern and western neighborhoods at least a bit better.

[BrianTH]

Fresh pics of North Shore Place:







I'll be blunt: it is turning out absolutely awful. We knew the scale was terrible and the overall design was uninspired. But it turns out the finishing materials look incredibly cheap. Worse of all, they changed the brick mix between the second and third floor without any border, making the third floor look like a badly-done addition.

This is inexcusable, and I'd be happy if the Steelers/Continental never laid a finger on another parcel in Pittsburgh. It therefore sickens me that they still control so many development rights on the North Shore.

In more cheerful news, they are cleaning and repairing the S.W. Straus & Co. building facade along Wood:



The "before":

https://www.google.com/maps/@40.4396077,...3m4!1e1!3m2!1s0-MrlrPsakK9U_SfW51p7w!2e0

[pghaedesign]

That looks like they ran out of old mortar they had laying around from Heckinger's and had to go to Home Depot to get some more. Who saw those buildings and said, yep they're good enough?

[DKNewYork]

Originally Posted by BrianTH

In more cheerful news, they are cleaning and repairing the S.W. Straus & Co. building facade along Wood:

Thanks for posting this. I had just been told this morning that the Straus building was being cleaned.

Just learned the latest on Weldin's: The building was assessed yesterday by one of PHLF's GCs. The building, while a gem, still needs a lot of work (the roof and rear wall were replaced this past winter and spring). Next the Wood Street façade will be pointed and cleaned, windows repaired and awning removed/possibly replaced. The installation of a new HVAC system will mean that the large decrepit AC unit blocking one of the clerestory windows will be removed. The first floor retail space is apparently quite splendid. It has a mezzanine balcony---like the old Scribner's in New York---but Weldin's mezzanine is lined with original built-in bookcases (all of which are to be restored). The restored first floor space should be a distinctive and unique enough to generate interest from a range of retailers. It should be ready to be let about the same time as PNC will be finished.

For now, the upper floors are to be left untouched. The plan is to eventually install an elevator in the adjacent building (the one with the womens' boutique on the ground level) that will service the apartments on the upper floors of both buildings. There was no way to install the elevator in the Weldin's building without compromising the intact interior.

Exterior work should be underway by 1Q15.

[BrianTH]

Originally Posted by DKNewYork

Just learned the latest on Weldin's . . . .

Cool updates, thanks! Although for nostalgia reasons I am sad to see Weldin's move, I am otherwise very excited to see the building refurbished.

Too bad about the delay in upper-floor apartments, but understandable under the circumstances.

[Evergrey]

Interesting article in the FT about how Altoona has become the only city in the US to fully implement a Land Value Tax. Pittsburgh had LVT until 2001.

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/c92e084a-4300-11e4-8a43-00144feabdc0.html

Property: Land of opportunity

By Robin Harding

To its advocates, land value tax has almost magical powers. Has its moment finally come?

...

Part of the problem is Altoona’s leaders had unrealistic expectations. LVT was never going to ignite a construction boom. There are fine art-deco structures vacant and boarded up because, as in many post-industrial cities, demand is modest at any price. Altoona is using LVT in a city where neither land nor buildings have much value.

Joshua Vincent, executive director of the Center for the Study of Economics in Philadelphia, is a modern-day disciple of Henry George. He has been involved with Altoona’s LVT from the start and pushed similar efforts in other Pennsylvania cities. Scrapping tax on buildings has at least ended the owners’ incentive to let them fall down, he says.

“The regular property tax encourages disinvestment and so it encourages blight and depopulation,” says Mr Vincent. “I believe that the land tax has had some role in slowing the bleeding.” The city’s level of construction may be low, he says, but Altoona is taking a larger share of investment in its local area.

Mr Vincent points out several other benefits to Altoona. The city collects almost $1m a year from vacant lots under the LVT, compared with the $122,000 it would get under the old system that mainly taxed buildings. About 73 per cent of households pay less under the LVT than they otherwise would.

The big political problem is that these households do not notice the tax cut – most people in Altoona seem oblivious to LVT – but commercial landowners, such as car dealers, feel the tax acutely.

Richard Johnston, an Altoona real estate agent, points out an empty 2½ acre parcel of hillside land. The out-of-town owner is desperately trying to sell after his annual taxes trebled when LVT moved the burden on to land. “He can’t even get $20,000 for the property,” says Mr Johnston.

To proponents of LVT this is a feature and not a bug – penalising idle land is what the tax is all about. To Mr Johnston and many in the Altoona business community, however, it is unfair. The owner is being taxed heavily on land that earns nothing, while big buildings pay little.

. . .

[eschaton]

This is just idle chatter, but I went to my dentist today, and she said she was working on a young man from PMC properties the other day. He bragged that they have 1700 units of residential housing in development for Downtown.

[Johnland]

Originally Posted by BrianTH

Fresh pics of North Shore Place:







I'll be blunt: it is turning out absolutely awful. We knew the scale was terrible and the overall design was uninspired. But it turns out the finishing materials look incredibly cheap. Worse of all, they changed the brick mix between the second and third floor without any border, making the third floor look like a badly-done addition.

This is inexcusable, and I'd be happy if the Steelers/Continental never laid a finger on another parcel in Pittsburgh. It therefore sickens me that they still control so many development rights on the North Shore.

Ugh. Really, really bad. So cheap. Obviously fake brick stick on panels, that yes, don't match. I mean what are those white seams - caulking? They don't even attempt to convey brick, but more like siding. And those done-to-death awful roof overhangs that jut out here and there. I guess those are the 'style' elements in lieu of actual design. They look like buck teeth. And then they put an 'olde timey' light over the side entrance as if mixing poor imitation 19th century with totally generic current crap is a 'look'.