PITTSBURGH | Development Rundown II

[Private Dick]

Originally Posted by Wiz Khalifa

Great idea! A long infinity pool along the promenade like the one on top of the Singapore Hotel would be a no-brainer for this development. Allow both the apartment dwellers and the hotel guests access to it. I could easily see people staying there instead of downtown for the pool and the view alone.

Ewww... apartment dwellers in the hotel pool... I'd stay elsewhere, thank you!

[eschaton]

Originally Posted by BrianTH

But of course this sort of anti-density NIMBYism has me tearing my hair out:

One of my wife's friends lives in Mount Washington, and mentioned this woman and broadly said she agrees with her. Her basic attitude (and I suppose those of my wife's friend and her partner) is Mount Washington has "too much residential already" and that they aren't interested in further development unless it's commercial or brings more jobs and amenities into the neighborhood.

I thought it was rude to argue with someone about their own neighborhood, so I left it there. It is interestingly the inverse of the NIMBYs I dealt with in Lawrenceville though, who for the most part were very supportive of additional housing, but very wary of further commercial development (which was seen as contributing to parking concerns).

[AaronPGH]

Adam Shuck's 'Eat That, Read This' profiled in the P-G. Again, if you guys haven't subscribed to his newsletter yet it really is the best email you'll get all day.

'Eat That, Read This' snarks the best of Pittsburgh's news
http://blogs.post-gazette.com/news/pitts...his-snarks-the-best-of-pittsburgh-s-news

subscribe:
http://tinyletter.com/eatthatreadthis

[Austinlee]

Originally Posted by AaronPGH

Adam Shuck's 'Eat That, Read This' profiled in the P-G. Again, if you guys haven't subscribed to his newsletter yet it really is the best email you'll get all day.

'Eat That, Read This' snarks the best of Pittsburgh's news
http://blogs.post-gazette.com/news/pitts...his-snarks-the-best-of-pittsburgh-s-news

subscribe:
http://tinyletter.com/eatthatreadthis

He said his favorite kind of news item is the one of the regular suburbanite or exurb who somehow makes it into the paper.

lol

[dfiler]

The ironic thing about views from mount washington is that nearly everyone has an average or below average view. It is only the select few properties on the edge of the cliff that have an above average view. That view is certainly spectacular. But it doesn't seem like something that would motivate a neighborhood-wide urban revival.

[daviderik]

Well not everyone that lives near the shore has a great view of the ocean. That doesn't mean they don't take pride in the beach their surroundings. If that neighborhood is ever to be a success "urban renewal" has to extend past Grandview Ave.

[Austinlee]

East Edge, don't worry about it. I honestly didn't think through my comments about how they could be taken to heart by the neighborhood residents. I was fully at fault. I really hope Mt Wash becomes an even bigger asset to the city in the next few years. Mt Adams in Cincy is a great analog.

In other news, lots of info right now on the front page of the Post Gazette about the Point Park Playhouse.

[GeneW]

Originally Posted by AaronPGH

Adam Shuck's 'Eat That, Read This' profiled in the P-G. Again, if you guys haven't subscribed to his newsletter yet it really is the best email you'll get all day.

'Eat That, Read This' snarks the best of Pittsburgh's news
http://blogs.post-gazette.com/news/pitts...his-snarks-the-best-of-pittsburgh-s-news

subscribe:
http://tinyletter.com/eatthatreadthis

He's made my lunch hour much more enjoyable the last few months. Funny stuff.

[BrianTH]

The SEA has issued an RFQ for the two open properties in front of the Convention Center, and will consider non-hotel projects:

http://www.post-gazette.com/business/dev...n-faces-competition/stories/201501230072

While the two parcels have long been designated for a mega hotel with 500 rooms or more, the SEA stated in the new request that it’s also open to pitches that may include retail, office, residential, restaurant, outdoor public spaces, or other commercial uses “that are economically viable” — either apart from or in conjunction with a hotel.

This is necessary because all the hotel plans required massive public subsidies, and they want to avoid those:

In the request for qualifications, the SEA does not list any potential subsidy and, in fact, states that its goal is to “minimize the level of public financial participation in the project and to attain the most distinctive, highest-quality and marketable project possible.”

As Visit Pittsburgh points out, a mixed-use approach could make a hotel more viable:

Craig Davis, president and CEO of VisitPittsburgh, the local tourism group that has long pushed for the hotel, said the fact that the SEA also is considering possible mixed uses could work to the project’s advantage. Adding elements like office, residential or retail to the hotel could help to make the project more financially feasible, he said. “I think most developers look at the site as a natural for a hotel. If you mix in the idea of other uses, including condos, retail or apartments, it may help to bring the whole project to reality,” he said.

Sounds like a good idea. And in fact I wonder if the people who wanted to do the August Wilson Center hotel might be interested in this instead.

[BrianTH]

And of course Point Park is planning to trash the interior of the 1897 Stock Exchange Building (originally Mechanic's National Bank):

http://www.post-gazette.com/business/dev...in-Point-Park-plans/stories/201501220162

Point Park is looking to give the building a pivotal role in its playhouse production. The first floor will become a prop shop. The university will add a full second floor, with part of it being used for a costume shop and the rest for a 24/​7 cafe. That will change the look of the lobby, reducing it from two stories to one and defeating the effect of the Palladian arches.

In other cities, grand historic bank lobbies like this would get renovated as public amenities like bar/restaurants or hotel lobbies:



But in Pittsburgh, we get it chopped up for a student prop shop, student costume shop, and student cafe. Just what Downtown always needed to take off!

I don't know what happened to Point Park--they used to be pretty good on preservation issues. Was it a change in management? Did they lose too much money during the recession? Whatever it is, they are now just awful.

[BrianTH]

Just a quick photo tour of what Pittsburgh is NOT getting. I was in Boston a while back, staying in the Langham Hotel, which is in a former Federal Reserve building. They converted the former bank lobby into a bar/lounge called Bond (get it?):



Note the decor pulls in the history of the space, and the drink menu does too (as I know perhaps a bit too well).

But I know what you are saying--that's Boston, Brian. We're just dumpy old Pittsburgh, and we can't afford to have nice things. Except this is Cleveland:



And this is Minneapolis:



And this is Denver:



But hey--at least the students are getting a prop shop!

[Wiz Khalifa]

Point park is very quickly becoming an abomination downtown. Is there anything we can do beyond being relatively insignificant voices on a message board to help stop them before they ruin all of this amazing historic architecture?

Maybe we can create an action plan or something to work towards making a real difference. Like repeatedly calling Peduto's office 24/7 until he listens, I don't know... I'm just tired of getting a sick feeling in my stomach every time they release more information about how they are destroying their block downtown.

With the backwards people that are running that institution now, their inevitable day of financial insolvency is moving closer... unfortunately it might not be soon enough to save these important and incredible pieces of history.

[eschaton]

Originally Posted by BrianTH

The SEA has issued an RFQ for the two open properties in front of the Convention Center, and will consider non-hotel projects:

http://www.post-gazette.com/business/dev...n-faces-competition/stories/201501230072

Great news! I do have to say the picture confused me though, because they were showing the (Buncher-owned) parking lots across from the Convention Center, not the two parcels which front on Penn Avenue (which I'm 99% certain are the parcels in question).

[BrianTH]

It is definitely a political question. If these buildings were nominated for historic status under the City's Historic Preservation Code they would easily qualify given the criteria in the Code. Hopefully that would mean the Historic Review Commission would approve the nomination and the Planning Commission would confirm.

However, the final step in the process is in the hands of City Council. And when all this happened with the Produce Terminal (another easy case), City Council reversed the decision. And so I think if it were not for that last step, groups like Preservation Pittsburgh would be less reluctant to go ahead and just nominate the buildings.

My understanding is Peduto has so far been supporting this plan. I'm not sure where City Council is, but his allies would have been the best hope to begin with, so I am not very confident about what would happen.

Accordingly, I do think the question is how to put pressure on either Peduto to change his mind, or on City Council not to approve. Indeed, I think a working majority on City Council could come out and say they didn't like this plan, and it would force Point Park to go back to the drawing board.

So, I'd suggest anyone who lives in the City write to Peduto and their City Council representative. And we certainly could consider doing something more organized--a petition might be a good idea, for example, particularly if you did it by Council district.

[BrianTH]

Originally Posted by eschaton

Great news! I do have to say the picture confused me though, because they were showing the (Buncher-owned) parking lots across from the Convention Center, not the two parcels which front on Penn Avenue (which I'm 99% certain are the parcels in question).

Yep. Here is a link to the actual RFQ notice (in PDF form):

http://www.pgh-sea.com/files/1597049837RFQ_notice_Jan202015.pdf

It makes clear you are right about the parcels in question.

[eschaton]

Originally Posted by BrianTH

Yep. Here is a link to the actual RFQ notice (in PDF form):

http://www.pgh-sea.com/files/1597049837RFQ_notice_Jan202015.pdf

It makes clear you are right about the parcels in question.

I'm down that way on a daily basis, since my son's daycare is at the corner of Penn and 10th. Filling in the streetwall gaps at that intersection will work wonders for the corridor. It will still be marred by the Westin (I still wonder what the hell UDA was thinking there) but we'l have to live with that.

[TBone7281]

Originally Posted by BrianTH

Yep. Here is a link to the actual RFQ notice (in PDF form):

http://www.pgh-sea.com/files/1597049837RFQ_notice_Jan202015.pdf

It makes clear you are right about the parcels in question.

So, are they pushing for any particular way to use the properties? Two separate developments vs. one development that you would drive through, like is done with the convention center? Or maybe two buildings attached with an elevated walkway or something? This sounds vaguely familiar, but I don't remember any details, which I guess is the point of the RFQ.

[BrianTH]

Originally Posted by eschaton

I'm down that way on a daily basis, since my son's daycare is at the corner of Penn and 10th. Filling in the streetwall gaps at that intersection will work wonders for the corridor. It will still be marred by the Westin (I still wonder what the hell UDA was thinking there) but we'l have to live with that.

It is a nice spot when I think about it. Between the Cultural District and Strip, pretty convenient for East Busway buses or the T, and the walk down to the river under the Convention Center is awesome, and from there you can easily walk on to the North Shore. I'd think a residential/hotel combination with maybe first floor retail would be a natural there.

[BrianTH]

Originally Posted by TBone7281

So, are they pushing for any particular way to use the properties? Two separate developments vs. one development that you would drive through, like is done with the convention center? Or maybe two buildings attached with an elevated walkway or something? This sounds vaguely familiar, but I don't remember any details, which I guess is the point of the RFQ.

I can't get the RFQ itself without registering (I think), but another poster once linked this:



I don't love that design in detail but I think the general concept is solid.

[BrianTH]

Some nice upgrades coming to PAT's signage:

http://triblive.com/news/allegheny/7618182-74/signs-system-authority#axzz3PMyzJbw9

I'm also regularly using their real time information on my computers and phone. It has bugs and flaws that can be annoying and hopefully will get worked out over time, but it is still very handy.