PITTSBURGH | Development Rundown II

[JVC]

Originally Posted by SkyPittsburgh

That, coupled with apartments here could really heat up Technology Center in terms of forcing ALMONO to become much bigger.

they should change the name of ALMONO to AL-NO-NO because that project is never going to happen

it's a nice idea of course but this current economic expansion is getting old and when the next recession starts financing is going to evaporate for big, risky projects

[SkyPittsburgh]

Originally Posted by JVC

they should change the name of ALMONO to AL-NO-NO because that project is never going to happen

it's a nice idea of course but this current economic expansion is getting old and when the next recession starts financing is going to evaporate for big, risky projects

There's that good ol' Pittsburgh pessimism.

I doubt that something like that is going to happen anytime soon.

[JVC]

Originally Posted by SkyPittsburgh

There's that good ol' Pittsburgh pessimism.

I doubt that something like that is going to happen anytime soon.

call it pittsburgh realism

or you could call it the business cycle

[Private Dick]

Originally Posted by BrianTH

Speaking of Starwoods, how about something like the Sheraton Huzhou?

If that was built on the Civic Arena site, I would totally fuck it!!

Originally Posted by acenturi

Put that at the rear of the Golden Triangle and you'd have a brand new Pittsburgh landmark - recognized worldwide.

Also, I would fuck it!!

Originally Posted by JVC

god bless Christine Mondor for speaking the truth about this horrible design

"I'm just concerned that it looks like it could be anywhere. It looks like it could be a suburban office building somewhere," she said.

word

Making up for approving Point Park Playhouse design.

[BrianTH]

Originally Posted by SkyPittsburgh

It looks like they are looking at the parcel here which, I would assume to include a hotel and 130,000 square feet of office space, would require at least 6 stories.

The way I read it, they are talking about two different parcels. The Hotel Indigo would go into Parcel 8A:

http://www.ura.org/developers/availableProperties/Hazelwood-PTC.pdf

I believe Bridgeside III would go into Parcel 4B.

But even so, all that is great. I really think the key to PTC being at least acceptably urban is to "double layer" it (meaning having substantial building both along the river and along Second Ave). Between these two projects and the apartment building, I think there should be double-layering for most of the middle part of the PTC.

[JVC]

the alnono site is so inaccessible it might as well be on another planet

name one major road or bridge that leads to the site (second avenue is not an acceptable answer)

[Private Dick]

^ Mon-Fayette Expressway

[Gilamonster]

I suspect that's a sarcastic reply but it's funny regardless.

[BrianTH]

More details on the new PTC hotel proposal:

http://triblive.com/news/allegheny/7943279-74/hotel-center-pittsburgh#axzz3U4dvRYzd

Woody Weissinger, project manager for Northpointe, said the firm specializes in developing hotels at or around business parks and technology companies. It recently developed a Holiday Inn Express at the sprawling Southpointe development in Washington County. “We want a unique type of property that isn't cookie-cutter,” Weissinger said of the proposed Hotel Indigo, expected to cost $14 million to $15 million to develop. . . .

The Pittsburgh Technology Center hotel would feature meeting space for up to 120 people, and a restaurant with seating for 104 people.

Sounds good! And it should help tie into the South Side Works.

[TBone7281]

Originally Posted by BrianTH

I believe this is the plot in question for The Andrew.

It would be great to close a bit more of the gap between the Cork Factory and the Buncher site, but . . . can you really have a 5-star hotel wedged up against a truck terminal?

That's the only place I could think of and I walk through there almost every day. It's an open lot and it's on the river. Other than that I can't really think of any other big positives. It's not a great spot and whatever they put in there is really going to be shoehorned in. And your mention about being next to a truck terminal is pretty spot on. It's actually closer than the satellite view would have you believe.

Street View

[eschaton]

Originally Posted by TBone7281

That's the only place I could think of and I walk through there almost every day. It's an open lot and it's on the river. Other than that I can't really think of any other big positives. It's not a great spot and whatever they put in there is really going to be shoehorned in. And your mention about being next to a truck terminal is pretty spot on. It's actually closer than the satellite view would have you believe.

They may have the long view here, or even know about a plan for the Consumer's Pride terminal. Certainly with it being nearly surrounded by mixed-use development on all sides, and being the only industrial property along the river which will be left below 27th Street, the days of this terminal should be numbered.

[Minivan Werner]

Are those tracks along Railroad Street in use by anyone? They seem to lead to nowhere. Are those going to be paved over in Buncher's development or could they be re-gauged for light rail?

[JVC]

Originally Posted by eschaton

They may have the long view here, or even know about a plan for the Consumer's Pride terminal. Certainly with it being nearly surrounded by mixed-use development on all sides, and being the only industrial property along the river which will be left below 27th Street, the days of this terminal should be numbered.

absolutely - the consumer's pride terminal that is used to bring vital goods into the city has very little value

what would really provide value to the city is another hotel (and more restaurants)

"I think a boutique hotel is what we need," said Hammel
"the first five-star boutique hotel in Pittsburgh" with a theme to reflect "Pittsburgh's history as an industrial powerhouse."

they should design the hotel in the shape of a tombstone to reflect the fact that industry in pittsburgh is dead

there should be a plan to replace by the end of the decade every good-producing and goods-distributing industrial facility in the city with a hotel or a restaurant

[BrianTH]

Originally Posted by TBone7281

That's the only place I could think of and I walk through there almost every day. It's an open lot and it's on the river. Other than that I can't really think of any other big positives. It's not a great spot and whatever they put in there is really going to be shoehorned in. And your mention about being next to a truck terminal is pretty spot on. It's actually closer than the satellite view would have you believe.

Although if the truck terminal land was redeveloped (as residences, offices, mixed-use, etc.), and the Produce Terminal and Buncher developments go well, then I think it could end up a very good spot.

[BrianTH]

Originally Posted by eschaton

They may have the long view here, or even know about a plan for the Consumer's Pride terminal. Certainly with it being nearly surrounded by mixed-use development on all sides, and being the only industrial property along the river which will be left below 27th Street, the days of this terminal should be numbered.

Knowing about plans for the truck terminal would explain it.

Although I could see a hotel going into that spot even as-is, but I'm not sure it would really qualify as 5-star in the industry sense.

[AaronPGH]

Originally Posted by Minivan Werner

Are those tracks along Railroad Street in use by anyone? They seem to lead to nowhere. Are those going to be paved over in Buncher's development or could they be re-gauged for light rail?

When I worked in the Crane Building a couple of years ago there were usually trains every night around 11pm that came through. Probably to that terminal. Always blew my mind that Cork Factory people had to deal with the insane noise. It was LOUD.

[BrianTH]

Originally Posted by Minivan Werner

Are those tracks along Railroad Street in use by anyone? They seem to lead to nowhere. Are those going to be paved over in Buncher's development or could they be re-gauged for light rail?

There was a whole bunch of litigation about that. Just going off (possibly inaccurate) memory, I think they are still sometimes used up through the Consumer terminal at 21st (I'm not sure about the branch that went into the Ayoob properties). There was a claim to an easement that continued through the Buncher properties to 16th Street, and there was talk of using that for commuter rail on the AVRR, but last I knew that easement had been ruled abandoned.

I have no idea if the AVRR commuter rail idea is still alive, but in the meantime it had also started looking at alternatives like turning up 26th Street, then using the Busway to access the tracks that lead to the unused platform at Steel Plaza. That would be a vastly preferable result anyway.

There has also been periodic talk of a Strip streetcar line, but I think usually the preferred alignment has been on Smallman.

[TBone7281]

Originally Posted by Minivan Werner

Are those tracks along Railroad Street in use by anyone? They seem to lead to nowhere. Are those going to be paved over in Buncher's development or could they be re-gauged for light rail?

Originally Posted by AaronPGH

When I worked in the Crane Building a couple of years ago there were usually trains every night around 11pm that came through. Probably to that terminal. Always blew my mind that Cork Factory people had to deal with the insane noise. It was LOUD.

Originally Posted by BrianTH

There was a whole bunch of litigation about that. Just going off (possibly inaccurate) memory, I think they are still sometimes used up through the Consumer terminal at 21st (I'm not sure about the branch that went into the Ayoob properties). There was a claim to an easement that continued through the Buncher properties to 16th Street, and there was talk of using that for commuter rail on the AVRR, but last I knew that easement had been ruled abandoned.

I have no idea if the AVRR commuter rail idea is still alive, but in the meantime it had also started looking at alternatives like turning up 26th Street, then using the Busway to access the tracks that lead to the unused platform at Steel Plaza. That would be a vastly preferable result anyway.

There has also been periodic talk of a Strip streetcar line, but I think usually the preferred alignment has been on Smallman.

Yes, Consumer Produce uses them, though not during they day from what I've ever seen. You can see the unloading bays on the front of the building HERE. They are usually refrigeration cars. The tracks on both sides of Railroad St. end at 21st. I *THINK* the tracks on Ayoob's side of the street used to have train cars parked there occasionally, but I haven't seen anything there in a long time.

[JVC]

Originally Posted by TBone7281

Yes, Consumer Produce uses them, though not during they day from what I've ever seen.

that type of noisy commerce needs to be relocated immediately so the future guests of the proposed 5-star andrew hotel are not disturbed

this relocation might negatively impact the andrew's (and the city's) ability to serve fresh food at its restaurants, but this minor hindrance should not deter the developer from proceeding with the much needed boutique hotel

[eschaton]

This is a bit of an aside, but does anyone know why PlanPGH was killed? I noticed once Peduto was elected the planned elements stopped being implemented. The site itself is now gone (redirects back to the Department of City Planning). You can still get the PGH SNAP data, but I don't know where PreservePGH, OpenSpacePGH, and MovePGH went to, since they are no longer online.

Hopefully this all means that Peduto decided that the plan which was in the works was not ambitious enough, and something better is coming. However, I can't help but get the sinking feeling the director was canned, and they didn't know what to do with the project after their departure.

Edit: I did find this fascinating report, which shows some of the work of PreservePGH in particular is continuing.