PITTSBURGH | Development Rundown II

[photoLith]

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Photo I took today of a couple of great old 1870s row houses that are being restored on Foreland St in East Allegheny. Meanwhile, across 279, 5 mid 1800s buildings are being torn down on Phineas St for a supposed hotel.

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Also, looks like the skinny and Roberts buildings are mostly done being restored and they look great and the Gardens is coming along nicely.

Heres a photo I took of them last May just for a comparison.
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[BrianTH]

Generally I like what they did with the Roberts and Skinny Buildings, but it would be nice if they could break up the first floor a little more to help establish the Skinny Building as a complete separate building. Even just a vertical line of moulding at the joint or something simple around the corner windows could help.

The original look:

[eschaton]

Originally Posted by photoLith

Meanwhile, across 279, 5 mid 1800s buildings are being torn down on Phineas St for a supposed hotel.

I read elsewhere the entire south side of Phineas was being leveled. I suspected this wasn't true, because 825 Phineas wasn't bought out by October Development, and hasn't been boarded up. At last count I saw 7-9 buildings still standing on the at block (depending upon how you define the duplexes) so it take it some are remaining?

[photoLith]

^
Well it could be all the row homes on that side of Phineas. I hope they at least restore that awesome bank building. Are there any renders for this hotel? Maybe just maybe that will help revitalize that sketchy neighborhood. I would hate to see most of it get torn down, which Im afraid might happen. Im pretty sure every fifth house is a crack den there.

[BrianTH]

By the way, a while back I took but never got around to posting some pictures along Wood. Skinny Building in progress:



I think Hello Bistro looks very nice and inviting in the ISDA building:



And finally, they did a nice job cleaning up the S.W. Straus Building:

[eschaton]

Originally Posted by photoLith

Well it could be all the row homes on that side of Phineas. I hope they at least restore that awesome bank building. Are there any renders for this hotel? Maybe just maybe that will help revitalize that sketchy neighborhood. I would hate to see most of it get torn down, which Im afraid might happen. Im pretty sure every fifth house is a crack den there.

The bank is supposed to be restored. On East Ohio, the development is supposed to extend all the way down to the Staiger building, which is staying put since it's under different ownership. The Caskey building is toast though. IIRC, the development is supposed to include a restaurant/banquet hall in the old bank. Then there is the hotel, some apartments, and a parking garage. I am guessing they are going to stick the garage on the Phinaes side of the block.

I'm shocked they haven't had to go through the Planning Commission yet.

[BrianTH]

PAT is finally implementing automatic transfers for CONNECT card user (take another trip within the time limit and you automatically get the transfer price, no need to inform anyone or get a slip):

http://www.post-gazette.com/news/transpo...Card-system-buses-T/stories/201502090148

[Austinlee]

Originally Posted by PGHFan

Too bad Pfaffman doesn't make it a shadow of the Empire State building-that would really give it that New York feel.

And then they could market it as "New York style shadows".

[Austinlee]

Great pic Lith. And Brian, yes you make an excellent point. I would love to see a more defined line between buildings.

Originally Posted by BrianTH

Generally I like what they did with the Roberts and Skinny Buildings, but it would be nice if they could break up the first floor a little more to help establish the Skinny Building as a complete separate building. Even just a vertical line of moulding at the joint or something simple around the corner windows could help.

[Minivan Werner]

The mural is cool but I think it'd be cooler if they designed a mural that spanned both buildings on the block or, even better, just build a damn building in that parking lot along Grant.

[Austinlee]

Originally Posted by Minivan Werner

The mural is cool but I think it'd be cooler if they designed a mural that spanned both buildings on the block or, even better, just build a damn building in that parking lot along Grant.

I'm sure someday there will be. Maybe in the next few years since downtown is rapidly being renovated.

[BrianTH]

Originally Posted by Minivan Werner

even better, just build a damn building in that parking lot along Grant.

No kidding.

[BrianTH]

Originally Posted by Austinlee

I'm sure someday there will be. Maybe in the next few years since downtown is rapidly being renovated.

Maybe we can entice Point Park to do a 2-story student art gallery and motor pool.

[BrianTH]

The lovely 711 and 713 Penn are going to be converted to residential:

http://www.post-gazette.com/business/dev...onverted-to-housing/stories/201502100076

Trek Development Group and Q Development have teamed up to purchase the two eight-story buildings at 711 and 713 Penn for about $2.4 million with plans to convert them to apartments. William Gatti, Trek CEO and president, said both are important and strategic properties in the heart of the cultural district “and we’re very excited to begin exploration of our residential conversion.” The partnership is considering as many as 50 units within the existing buildings, but Mr. Gatti said there may be a way to add more floors — and more units — to the top of each property. . . . Trek and Q would like to start construction on the conversion this year, although Mr. Gatti stressed that no timetable has been set.

And again, nice to hear this:

As more and more apartments in Downtown are renting for $1,200 a month or higher, Trek and Q are looking at the potential for adding more affordable units to the mix. “It’s a core value of our company to provide unique living experiences that serve a broad range of incomes, something that I think is very important for the Downtown market long term,” Mr. Gatti said. “We’re always looking for ways to serve the middle market. We don’t have rent projections of price points set for this location, but we’re going to be looking at that closely over the next six months.”

[photoLith]

Thank god, those buildings are awesome.

[Evergrey]

Will Wilkinsburg lift its anachronistic alcohol ban? I think there's about a 0% chance of that happening.

http://www.nextpittsburgh.com/city-design/east-end-community-looks-shake-235-year-booze-ban/

...

Tracey Evans of the Wilkinsburg Community Development Corporation thinks lifting the booze ban could help jumpstart Wilkinsburg’s commercial economy.

“We have a good group of people involved in this,” Evans says. “We’re getting to be in a really great place with interest in Wilkinsburg and the businesses moving in.”

In order for Wilkinsburg to lift the booze ban and jump from the 19th century directly into the 21st, a petition the CDC is circulating in the community needs to collect 1,059 signatures. That will allow for the issue to go on the ballot as a referendum for the May 19 primary election.

“There are so many great little restaurants in the East End and we’re right next door,” Evans says. “It’d be a great way to get people interested and coming into Wilkinsburg.”

If residents wind up voting to lift the ban, Wilkinsburg, with its convenient location, reasonable real estate prices and need for economic development, could become the next target for Pittsburgh’s food and drink industry.

...

[BrianTH]

Originally Posted by Evergrey

Will Wilkinsburg lift its anachronistic alcohol ban? I think there's about a 0% chance of that happening.

More than 0%, I think. Last time they needed 2010 signatures but only got 844. But this time they only need 1059, and they are much better organized.

Generally, there has been a growing constituency in Wilkinsburg over the last several years for pro-development policy changes. So I think if it gets on the ballot, anything can happen, although I would not offer guarantees.

[eschaton]

Originally Posted by BrianTH

The lovely 711 and 713 Penn are going to be converted to residential:

I thought something was up as soon as I saw that Mahla was moving to the Lower Strip.

I only have one issue with a potential apartment conversion. 713 Penn lacks any side windows, which could make apartment conversion difficult. I worry that the developers will desire to cut out windows on the exposed side of the building. If they do this, it could mean the parking lot next door is locked in for the long run - or at least limited to a 1-2 story infill structure.

Side windows may not be feasible however. It looks as though the old side wall of the now demolished building next to 713 Penn is still there, and they'd presumably need to chip this off before doing further side work. Maybe they could combine the buildings into one and use 713 mostly for circulation space and elevators. It looks as though the floors align pretty well, despite the very different facade treatments of the buildings.

[BrianTH]

Originally Posted by eschaton

I only have one issue with a potential apartment conversion. 713 Penn lacks any side windows, which could make apartment conversion difficult. I worry that the developers will desire to cut out windows on the exposed side of the building. If they do this, it could mean the parking lot next door is locked in for the long run - or at least limited to a 1-2 story infill structure.

The Cultural Trust owns the parking lot, and offhand I wouldn't think Trek/Q could force an easement just by adding windows. But I also wouldn't mind if they wanted to negotiate a very narrow easement for just the upper floors (I'd want the street wall to remain unbroken).

In fact, it is going to be a challenge infilling that lot anyway, and it could well be that something which straddles 8th is the best approach. In that case, losing a few feet on that side of the lot to an easement may not be a big deal.

Edit: And it could just be an easement on the back part of the lot, incidentally. I don't think you would need side windows from front to back.

[BrianTH]

As quick addendum, this also says PAT will soon implement online CONNECT loading:

http://pittsburgh.cbslocal.com/2015/02/09/new-port-authority-connect-card-features-launch-today/