PITTSBURGH | Development Rundown II

[SWPA]

It's not too surprising that St. Louis and Hartford would go. It seems that those two cities are remnant of the USAir hub days. Raleigh, too, but that wasn't affected.

The newer cities like Indianapolis that are served by One Jet seem to have potential. I know the planes are small, but to me I would welcome the personal service with fewer hassles and crowds.

[Evergrey]

I'll bet dollars to doughnuts Southwest does not pick up PIT-STL. But maybe we'll get announcements regarding more service to Myrtle Beach.

[Muckk]

Forgive my ignorance but can anyone direct me to this "ignore" function? I have someone I'd prefer to ignore. Thanks in advance.

[Private Dick]

Originally Posted by Evergrey

I'll bet dollars to doughnuts Southwest does not pick up PIT-STL. But maybe we'll get announcements regarding more service to Myrtle Beach.

Paradise!

[Evergrey]

Originally Posted by Muckk

Forgive my ignorance but can anyone direct me to this "ignore" function? I have someone I'd prefer to ignore. Thanks in advance.

"User CP" at top...

then at left under "Control Panel"... you'll see "Edit Ignore List" where you can enter the user's handle

[Evergrey]

Originally Posted by PITairport

Since then additions have been:

Hagerstown (yet to be added to the map)

I haven't heard about Pittsburgh-Hagerstown.

It hasn't been added to Sun Air's map either.

[PITairport]

Originally Posted by Evergrey

I haven't heard about Pittsburgh-Hagerstown.

It hasn't been added to Sun Air's map either.

Its bookable on their website, starting tomorrow. 2x daily during weekdays, 1x Sa & Su

http://flysunairexpress.com/#reserve

[Evergrey]

There isn't a new nonstop added in the past year that excites me. They all fall into the following categories:

1. secondary airport of a market PIT already had nonstop service to
2. Sun Air commuter links
3. OneJet 9-seater flights
4. minor Florida destinations

Dallas (DAL) - secondary Dallas airport
Milwaukee - 9-seater
Indianapolis - 9-seater
Freeport (incorrectly labeled as Nassau) - seasonal leisure flight
St. Petersburg (PIE, Tampa) - secondary Tampa Bay airport
Punta Gorda (PGD, Ft. Myers) - minor FL airport for retirees/snowbirds
Sanford (SFB, Orlando and Daytona Beach) - secondary Orlando airport
Jacksonville - because we needed yet another Florida destination
Myrtle Beach - I feel like we've always had this one? Was there a year or two gap?
Lancaster - I support the Sun Air commuter flight strategy - it's nice to re-establish some of these local routes and it in theory enlarges PIT's market for more nonstops - but none of these are destinations a Pittsburgher would fly to)
Altoona
Bradford
Franklin
Jamestown
Toronto (YTZ, Toronto City) - secondary airport
Hagerstown (yet to be added to the map) - can't wait!

I guess the Nashville non-stop was added a little over a year ago? Of course, we also lost Memphis - so that kinda cancels out PIT's Tennessee access.

On the other side of the metro, Latrobe is losing all of its non-Florida destinations.

[GeneW]

I've flown to Hartford fairly often in the least few years and it's always been a crowded flight although on fairly small planes. My family lives in Western Mass. so Hartford is the most convenient airport for us to visit them.

[AaronPGH]

Porter airlines into Toronto City excites me greatly. Land, and head straight to the nude beach!

[Private Dick]

Originally Posted by Evergrey

Lancaster - I support the Sun Air commuter flight strategy - it's nice to re-establish some of these local routes and it in theory enlarges PIT's market for more nonstops - but none of these are destinations a Pittsburgher would fly to)
Altoona
Bradford
Franklin
Jamestown
Hagerstown (yet to be added to the map) - can't wait!

Is there really enough demand to fly from Pittsburgh to any of the above places?

[PITairport]

Originally Posted by Evergrey

There isn't a new nonstop added in the past year that excites me. They all fall into the following categories:

1. secondary airport of a market PIT already had nonstop service to
2. Sun Air commuter links
3. OneJet 9-seater flights
4. minor Florida destinations

They all excite me, but for varying reasons.

1. Secondary airports - DAL, YTZ, etc. While PIT already has service to these metro areas, having new competition in the market will generally lower prices and therefore stimulate demand and increase passengers.

I just checked Air Canada's website. A round trip to Toronto this weekend cost a staggering $1,900.... to ride in this:



You could go to Europe for that fare. When Porter enters the market, that fare will come down significantly. I just hope Pittsburghers support them and even consider a trip to Toronto which is a great city. Porter is a very good airline as well.

2. Sun Air commuter links - You are correct, Pittsburghers won't be using these much, other than perhaps the oil & gas industry. But the folks in these outlying towns will use them, as it is their only choice if they want to travel by air. If some of these folks connect to PIT's other flights, then that only helps the cause. Every little bit helps, especially PIT's west coast flights which are struggling.

3. One Jet 9 seater flights - I don't really consider them to be a complete replacement for the lost airline service in these markets, but it is better than nothing and suited for the business traveler... with the exception of having only one flight a day. But hopefully that will change down the road.

4. Minor Florida destinations Similar to the first point wrt stimulating the overall market such as in Tampa, Ft. Myers, and Orlando. Orlando today is Pittsburgh's largest market believe it or not. Only Southwest serves the market nonstop, other than a seasonal Saturday only by Delta. So Allegiant entering the market via Sanford is great news. They seem to be doing well with their flights at PIT; in fact they recently announced a crew and maintenance base in PIT. That means jobs and hopefully more flights in the future.

On the other side of the metro, Latrobe is losing all of its non-Florida destinations.

With the exception of............. wait for it..........


Myrtle Beach!



Regarding MEM, OneJet is seriously looking at that one (they have a contract with FedEx) and they should be announcing a second focus city any day now, in which PIT is in the running for.

[Private Dick]

Originally Posted by PITairport

2. Sun Air commuter links - You are correct, Pittsburghers won't be using these much, other than perhaps the oil & gas industry. But the folks in these outlying towns will use them, as it is their only choice if they want to travel by air. If some of these folks connect to PIT's other flights, then that only helps the cause. Every little bit helps, especially PIT's west coast flights which are struggling.

But people in Bradford or Jamestown and possibly even Franklin are much more likely to drive to Buffalo or Erie to travel by air. To say nothing of Lancaster or Hagerstown.

I guess that they are banking on people paying a discounted cost of airfare to Pittsburgh as a convenience instead of driving to Pittsburgh airport for connections or to closer airports for connections.

I just don't see the connection here... unless there are price deals to cause someone to in Lancaster who is flying to Chicago for instance, to fly to Pittsburgh on SunAir, then connect on a big airline for a direct flight from there. It seems they would just drive up the road to Harrisburg or a little further down the road to Philly and fly out from there.

[Evergrey]

Originally Posted by Private Dick

But people in Bradford or Jamestown and possibly even Franklin are much more likely to drive to Buffalo or Erie to travel by air. To say nothing of Lancaster or Hagerstown.

I guess that they are banking on people paying a discounted cost of airfare to Pittsburgh as a convenience instead of driving to Pittsburgh airport for connections or to closer airports for connections.

Free parking at Bradford/Franklin/etc.

Erie's service these days is almost as limited as Bradford/Franklin/etc. You'll have to connect to get just about anywhere from there anyway.

[PITairport]

Originally Posted by Private Dick

But people in Bradford or Jamestown and possibly even Franklin are much more likely to drive to Buffalo or Erie to travel by air. To say nothing of Lancaster or Hagerstown.

I guess that they are banking on people paying a discounted cost of airfare to Pittsburgh as a convenience instead of driving to Pittsburgh airport for connections or to closer airports for connections.

I just don't see the connection here... unless there are price deals to cause someone to in Lancaster who is flying to Chicago for instance, to fly to Pittsburgh on SunAir, then connect on a big airline for a direct flight from there. It seems they would just drive up the road to Harrisburg or a little further down the road to Philly and fly out from there.

You are correct about Hagerstown and Lancaster. I suppose Dulles and Philly are a bit over an hour drive respectively. But those others such as Altoona and Bradford? That seems like a haul to get to the nearest major airport. In theory those people can drive all the way to their final destination if they want.

Free parking at these small airports covers the $30-$40 airfare to PIT vs parking at BUF, PHL, IAD, etc.

So yes the cheap airfare and free parking is exactly what they are banking on.

[Private Dick]

Originally Posted by Evergrey

Free parking at Bradford/Franklin/etc.

Erie's service these days is almost as limited as Bradford/Franklin/etc. You'll have to connect to get just about anywhere from there anyway.

I guess not having to drive and free parking may be enough of an incentive for Bradford, Franklin, Altoona, etc.

Wouldn't go as far as saying Erie's service is as limited as those places. USAirways, Delta, and United all operate out of Erie. But it is true that you'll have to connect in Philly, Detroit, or Chicago. So if one of those 3 cities wasn't your final destination, then it wouldn't really matter if you had to fly to Pittsburgh, change planes, and then continue on I guess.

Originally Posted by PITairport

You are correct about Hagerstown and Lancaster. I suppose Dulles and Philly are a bit over an hour drive respectively. But those others such as Altoona and Bradford? That seems like a haul to get to the nearest major airport. In theory those people can drive all the way to their final destination if they want.

Free parking at these small airports covers the $30-$40 airfare to PIT vs parking at BUF, PHL, IAD, etc.

So yes the cheap airfare and free parking is exactly what they are banking on.

Lancaster and Hagerstown though... I imagine the airfare has to be more than the $30-40 from Altoona, etc.? Lancaster also has Harrisburg very close, but flights are probably expensive.

But I get the discount incentive with the free parking and not having to drive if one of Pittsburgh's nonstop destinations is where you're going. Because if not, that would be a total pain in the ass... and free parking is not going to dissuade you from making the drive to Philly or DC. And if Pittsburgh's direct options dwindle, then there will be less and less of an incentive.

[BrianTH]

Macy's is planning to close another 35-40 stories in 2016:

http://triblive.com/business/headlines/9056717-74/macy-stores-company#axzz3lFDyoS9b

Just a reminder that the closing of the Downtown store is part of an ongoing nationwide downsizing by Macy's, which is being driven by a downward trend in same store sales growth:

http://marketrealist.com/2015/08/macys-store-sales-drop-despite-revival-efforts-2q15/

[Private Dick]

It should be interesting to watch how this plays out, to say the least...


Development rights on table in talks over Penguins sale

http://www.post-gazette.com/local/city/2015/09/05/PENS0905/stories/201509050068

• The public should get a cut of the sale of the Penguins if the deal includes development rights to the 28-acre former Civic Arena site, Mayor Bill Peduto said Friday.
  
• The mayor confirmed that city, county, Sports Exhibition Authority and Urban Redevelopment Authority lawyers are negotiating with the Penguins to ensure that return on the significant public investment will be rewarded when a sale is finalized, if it includes ongoing Hill District redevelopment.
  
• Significant amounts of public money, including $15 million a year in state funding and casino dollars, helped build the rink. Millions more has and will go toward basic infrastructure like roads and utilities for ongoing Hill District development.

Will city of Pittsburgh get a cut of the Penguins sale?

http://www.post-gazette.com/business/dev...ut-of-Penguins-sale/stories/201509090123

• Mayor Bill Peduto’s bid to get the city a cut of the sale of the Penguins if the deal includes development rights to the former Civic Arena site appears to be without precedent in transactions involving sports teams.
  
• But experts questioned whether the city had any legal standing to make such a claim given that neither the agreement reached to build the Consol Energy Center nor another involving the team’s development rights to the land require it.
  
• Mr. Peduto said last week that the city, the Sports & Exhibition Authority and the Urban Redevelopment Authority are negotiating with the Penguins in an effort to get part of the sale proceeds if the transaction involves the development rights to the publicly owned 28-acre arena site.
  
• He argued that the city has a right to seek such a cut because of the large amounts of public money that have been invested in the site to prepare it for development. The state also is kicking in $7.5 million a year out of gambling revenues to pay for the new arena.

[BrianTH]

Hopefully they can work out a negotiated deal, because if they have to go to court, it could get dicey.

[Evergrey]

http://www.bizjournals.com/pittsburgh/pr...ential-rush-puts-pressure-on-prices.html

Residential rush puts pressure on prices

Mar 7, 2014, 6:00am EST

When Kathleen Keating got preapproved for an $80,000 mortgage at the beginning of the year, she had high hopes she would easily find her first home in Pittsburgh’s East End.

But the search quickly turned futile.

“There’s just nothing that is both affordable and habitable,” said Keating, 27, a project manager for Economic Development South who originally came to the region to get a master’s degree from Carnegie Mellon University. “I kind of got immediately priced out.”

In a city with a long-time identity for affordable homes, the phrase “priced out” is being used more and more as Keating, who has lived in more expensive metros including Boston and Washington, D.C., listed East End neighborhoods — Stanton Heights, upper Lawrenceville, Morningside — where she hoped to find something in her first-time home buyer price range and had been told there were once affordable homes there.

“That’s no longer the case,” she said. “It quickly became apparent that the housing stock or the price range wasn’t doable for me.”

Ultimately, Keating turned to the south city neighborhood of Brookline for a new house, on which she hopes to close in the next month at a price higher than her preapproved mortgage level.

Older homes crimp supply

Keating isn’t alone in her struggle to find affordable housing in a city that’s going through a growth spurt but still has substantial amounts of old building stock.

As the city shows signs of rejuvenation and new Mayor Bill Peduto outlines his ambitions to increase its residential population, the problem is likely to only grow more pronounced as the region’s economy rebounds and a trend of young people returning to the city bumps into what close observers see are limitations in both the quality and quantity of places to live.

Chris Briem, a regional economist with the University of Pittsburgh’s University Center for Social & Urban Research, refers to a color-coded map of Pittsburgh’s 90 neighborhoods to illustrate the problem (see Page 11). The darker areas represent neighborhoods where the average home was built more than 100 years ago, while the lighter ones reflect region’s where housing was built as recently as the early 1980s.

Pittsburgh offers a treasure trove of houses full of historical charm, with 22 neighborhoods in which the average home is more than 100 years old, but there are only three with homes averaging build dates between 1971-1983, and none offering more than a scattering of homes newer than that.

It’s a situation Briem said out-of-town real estate observers find hard to believe because it’s so extreme.

Often, notes Briem and others, so many of the older houses come with aging furnaces, leaky roofs, poor insulation and a wide range of structural issues and demands for significant renovations. There’s also large numbers of houses that have tax liens or are in foreclosure.

The age of the homes doesn’t tell the whole story, added Briem, comparing Pittsburgh to Boston, which has seen much more of its old housing stock updated.

“I would argue that it doesn’t actually reflect the disinvestment in our housing stock,” he said.

Beyond age, the number of homes in the city that are vacant totals 19,948, which represents 12.8 percent of the total number of homes, according to U.S. Census Bureau statistics tabulated by the UCSUR.

In a study the UCSUR conducted on the city’s southern Hilltop neighborhoods completed last spring, the organization reported there are 10,048 homes in Pittsburgh that are essentially uninhabitable due to issues of age and neglect, compared to the 11,633 houses that are in livable condition. All those old homes are typically mixed in with others nearby that are occupied but also in deteriorating condition while saddled with low values.

“The bottom line is we have an incredibly old housing stock in the city of Pittsburgh and the region as a whole,” Briem said.

...