PITTSBURGH | Development Rundown II - Page 569

BrianTH · #**11361** Posted **Feb 11, 2015, 10:31 PM**

Interesting air pollution map of Allegheny County:

http://wesa.fm/post/researcher-maps-pittsburghs-worst-air-pollution#.VNqNrFqvtp8.twitter

Not surprisingly, valleys, major roads and highways, and areas near heavy industry are not so good. I'd also note, however, that a lot of the yellow/blue parts more or less just seem to be tracking population density (stupid dirty humans!).

Anyway, I'm sure this map would have been a lot scarier 40 or even 10 years ago, but there is still a lot more we can do.

BrianTH · #**11362** Posted **Feb 12, 2015, 2:46 PM**

Some interesting projections about jobs growth in the area in 2015:

http://www.trwib.org/admin/uploads/IndustryGrowthProjection_Report_2015.pdf

The projected lead sectors, industries, clusters, and occupations actually seem pretty diverse to me--lots of different familiar threads there (increasing health care services, tourism and entertainment stuff, professional-services-center stuff, tech stuff, business management stuff, mining, and so on). The predicted distribution of new jobs by wages was also interesting--as they note, the model suggests strongest growth in both the lowest and highest wage categories, although when you add up all the middle wage categories that is still significant too overall. I haven't seen projections like that before so I am not sure what is normal, but it seems to me that is likely consistent with a continuation of the recent trend of Pittsburgh experiencing stronger wage growth rates than the U.S. metropolitan portion as a whole.

Anyway, all this continues to suggest to me that while there is plenty of support for having lots of higher-end new housing in the pipeline, we do in fact need to be making sure there is enough affordable housing available as well.

Private Dick · #**11363** Posted **Feb 12, 2015, 4:58 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Austinlee

This really came out of the blue. I can't wait to see PTC built out. It is now very accessible to the increasing number of amenities at SS Works.

Yup, now with residential (along with more office coming and hopefully some supporting retail) at the PTC, and continued residential and office development in the SSW area, the Hot Metal Bridge is sure to see an increase in foot traffic.

BrianTH · #**11364** Posted **Feb 12, 2015, 8:38 PM**

Speaking of interesting jobs data, Chris Briem has a fascinating article in the latest PEQ which uses ACS data to report on which local occupations have the most people who recently moved here, and also which have the most people who are foreign-born:

http://ucsur.pitt.edu/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/peq_2014-12.pdf

Not really surprising stuff if you know Pittsburgh, although I bet a lot of other cities would have substantially different patterns.

Anyway, those occupation lists also probably give some insight into why new apartments are particularly popular in certain places.

Brentsters · #**11365** Posted **Feb 13, 2015, 4:03 AM**

Potentially good news for Aspinwall and Sharpsburg (and anyone who takes the Highland Park Bridge). The 1.5 mile stretch of scrapyard along the riverfront is up for sale, apparently because US Steel shuttered a plant. The person who lead the effort to create the neighboring Aspinwall Riverfront Park is now trying to create a mixed-use development.

From a trail user's perspective, it's a pretty big deal because that property blocked trails from the city/Millvale side from connecting with the Aspinwall park and new trail by Waterworks (and future trails upriver). It also could tie in nicely with the Heth's Run park by the zoo.

http://triblive.com/neighborhoods/yourfo...crookston-project-property#axzz3Raozd4nz

BrianTH · #**11366** Posted **Feb 13, 2015, 6:47 AM**

That's a huge property (47 acres). You could fit thousands of housing units if you wanted to.

SkyPittsburgh · #**11367** Posted **Feb 13, 2015, 1:02 PM**

Quote:

Rivers Casino Considers New Hotel on North Shore
By Mark Belko / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Rivers Casino may be ready to roll the dice on a possible hotel development on its North Shore property.

City Councilman R. Daniel Lavelle said Thursday the casino has been talking to Riverlife and the Carnegie Science Center about vacating a paper street on its land to make way for the construction of a hotel. No details were available as to the number of rooms or type of hotel being planned.

Well, I'm not fully excited for a new casino hotel, I think they too often are tacky and cater directly to who they want to, casinogoers. I'm even a bit more ticked off that they are looking to develop this piece of property, instead of the tons of parking lots adjacent to the casino, or the vastness that is Chateau.

Read more here

eschaton · #**11368** Posted **Feb 13, 2015, 2:28 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by SkyPittsburgh

Well, I'm not fully excited for a new casino hotel, I think they too often are tacky and cater directly to who they want to, casinogoers. I'm even a bit more ticked off that they are looking to develop this piece of property, instead of the tons of parking lots adjacent to the casino, or the vastness that is Chateau.

I was going to say it made sense they sought to develop that parcel, given it has a riverfront view, and the lots between it and the Heinz Field are owned by the Carnegie.

But then I realized that warehouse behind Rivers is now owned by the same holding company. They must be land banking that area for later expansion.

BrianTH · #**11369** Posted **Feb 13, 2015, 3:02 PM**

I'm actually totally on board with a riverfront hotel there. It is a great spot for one in general, and I am in favor of anything reasonable that will encourage more use of the NSC, and also encourage more development west of the Point toward the West End Bridge. In that sense I see it as a sort of complement to the hotel planned for the base of the Duquesne Incline, with hopefully more such stuff to come.

That said, I do hope the fact it is associated with the casino doesn't make it too tacky. On the other hand, the riverfront side of the casino is actually pretty nice. So if it was built on that aesthetic (lots of curvy glass and such) and was reasonable in height and overall scale, it could be a really nice addition there. Ideally it would be taller than the parking garage and therefore overshadow it--call it 12 stories or more I would guess.

SkyPittsburgh · #**11370** Posted **Feb 13, 2015, 3:12 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by BrianTH

I'm actually totally on board with a riverfront hotel there.

Ok, allow me to clarify, I just wish they weren't developing over a park.

eschaton · #**11371** Posted **Feb 13, 2015, 4:28 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by SkyPittsburgh

Ok, allow me to clarify, I just wish they weren't developing over a park.

It's not really a park, although Google Maps wrongly labels it as such. The land (minus the paper street) was already owned by Rivers Casino. It was nothing but landscaping because it was a property in limbo until they decided what to do with it. Similar to what UPMC has been doing along Fifth in Oakland.

AaronPGH · #**11372** Posted **Feb 13, 2015, 4:33 PM**

Yeah, my first thought was "YES! Something to hide that terrible garage." Let's hope they pull through with it.

BrianTH · #**11373** Posted **Feb 13, 2015, 5:07 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by SkyPittsburgh

Ok, allow me to clarify, I just wish they weren't developing over a park.

Ideally they will consult with some green water management people about what is needed to limit runoff, but generally speaking I think just a narrow park around the riverfront trail is sufficient as a public amenity.

On the other hand, I completely agree all those surface parking lots around the T Station need to be developed too. But it seems to me that a successful hotel in this location will make that more likely.

Don't Be That Guy · #**11374** Posted **Feb 13, 2015, 5:10 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brentsters

Potentially good news for Aspinwall and Sharpsburg (and anyone who takes the Highland Park Bridge). The 1.5 mile stretch of scrapyard along the riverfront is up for sale, apparently because US Steel shuttered a plant. The person who lead the effort to create the neighboring Aspinwall Riverfront Park is now trying to create a mixed-use development.

From a trail user's perspective, it's a pretty big deal because that property blocked trails from the city/Millvale side from connecting with the Aspinwall park and new trail by Waterworks (and future trails upriver). It also could tie in nicely with the Heth's Run park by the zoo.

http://triblive.com/neighborhoods/yourfo...crookston-project-property#axzz3Raozd4nz

This is a huge opportunity to close the gap in Sharpsburg and connection Aspinwall and eventually Highland Park/Morningside directly to Downtown via trail. And while mixed-use sounds good, I don't know if that area needs more retail. What they do need is more single family homes as the prices in Aspinwall and O'Hara Twp. (the municipalities where the scrapyard is technically located) have gone through the roof recently.

The environmental remediation though...

Minivan Werner · #**11375** Posted **Feb 13, 2015, 5:14 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by SkyPittsburgh

Ok, allow me to clarify, I just wish they weren't developing over a park.

Yeah, the parking lot just to the north would be much better.

The plus side of it, though, is that it'll block the view of the massive garage when viewed from the river and the city. Assuming the hotel is at least 8 stories, of course.

BrianTH · #**11376** Posted **Feb 13, 2015, 8:43 PM**

Break through for Pittsburgh aerial gondolas? Peduto is tweeting about them:

https://twitter.com/billpeduto/status/563093074847744002

And thanks to Adam Shuck (of the marvelous Eat That, Read This, the best daily read in Pittsburgh) for tweeting back a link to my old proposal at the Gondola Project:

http://gondolaproject.com/2010/08/16/a-pittsburgh-gondola/

Google map here:

https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=ze0rDctypi6g.kFBJd_Lqp1xQ&ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&z=13

photoLith · #**11377** Posted **Feb 13, 2015, 9:03 PM**

I dont believe Pittsburgh will ever see that come to fruition.

CF Lion · #**11378** Posted **Feb 13, 2015, 9:34 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by photoLith

I dont believe Pittsburgh will ever see that come to fruition.

Perhaps at Kennywood.

Evergrey · #**11379** Posted **Feb 13, 2015, 9:36 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by photoLith

I dont believe Pittsburgh will ever see that come to fruition.

What about this?

http://triblive.com/news/adminpage/7772988-74/rail-harrisburg-pittsburgh

Quote:

Cost of high-speed, Pittsburgh-Harrisburg rail link starts at $1.5B

By Bobby Kerlik
Friday, Feb. 13, 2015, 11:45 a.m.
Updated 6 minutes ago

PennDOT officials released a long-awaited study Friday detailing potential options to establish high-speed rail service between Pittsburgh and Harrisburg.

The study detailed four options to improve rail connections ranging in cost from $1.5 billion to make minor track curve modifications to $38.3 billion to build a new electrified, two-track, high-speed train on a path similar to that of the Pennsylvania Turnpike.

Implementation of high-end improvements could make the rail trip time from Pittsburgh to Harrisburg approximately four and a half hours on a 244-mile corridor. The rail trip currently takes about five and a half hours.

The plans would include either a rail connection to State College or a bus connection to an existing rail station at State College.

photoLith · #**11380** Posted **Feb 13, 2015, 10:13 PM**

^
Now that would be sweet.