PITTSBURGH | Development Rundown II

[Brentsters]

Universities, especially top research universities, get tons of visitors, so there is definitely demand. CMU is also building their own hotel on Forbes.

[Evergrey]

It's amazing to think that it was only a few years ago there were hardly any chain hotels within city limits outside of Downtown, a few in Oakland and that lovely Days Inn on Banksville Road.

North Shore, South Side, Strip District, East Liberty, Bloomfield/Shadyside... these are all new! (and hotels are coming to Lawrenceville and Deutschtown...)

[Private Dick]

I know the hotels that Oakland has. I guess I'm just surprised that with all the hotel construction in the city, none has been built in Oakland -- where one would think demand is highest. There has been available property in Oakland for years now.

[Urbana]

Originally Posted by Brentsters

Universities, especially top research universities, get tons of visitors, so there is definitely demand. CMU is also building their own hotel on Forbes.

Speaking of. They were supposed to release some details on that way back in November - never happened. Anyone know what's going on with the project?

[Evergrey]

What about the Oakland Portal project? I was thinking about that the other day.

http://caselaw.findlaw.com/pa-commonwealth-court/1689139.html

[JVC]

it appears ace is becoming more realistic about their rates
which is a good thing because the ace hotel needs to be a success

from dec 2015


from feb 2016 (discounted 30%)

[JVC]

Progress made in finding housing for Penn Plaza residents & presenting new vision for East Liberty Park plans

http://newpittsburghcourieronline.com/20...-new-vision-for-east-liberty-park-plans/

"Consultants at Fu Wilmers Design are currently engaged in comprehensive park planning for East Liberty, in conjunction with ongoing work they are doing on the planned Mellon’s Orchard site at Euclid Avenue and Station Street. Fu Wilmers held an initial meeting with Pennley Park South, the community and City Planning at which the partners agreed to a planning process to be held through mid-March."

found this diagram on their website - looks to be a rehash of earlier plans with emphasis on the stormwater mitigation garden in front of the church and a few tree-lined streets

and if a planner is going to use symbols such as circles and triangles and red bands on a diagram then they should include a legend to explain what they mean

[BrianTH]

La Gourmandine (a small local French bakery chain) is the latest to try to get a jump on Hazelwood redevelopment:

http://triblive.com/news/allegheny/9959378-74/hazelwood-bakery-gourmandine

And the City Council hearing on Enright Park has been postponed to allow time for community meetings:

http://www.post-gazette.com/local/city/2...oned-until-March-22/stories/201602150123

[Evergrey]

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/17/reales...waps-macys-for-mixed-use-giant.html?_r=0

Pittsburgh’s Reviving Center Swaps Macy’s for Mixed-Use Giant

Square Feet
By JOE GOSE FEB. 16, 2016

PITTSBURGH — A plan to convert Pittsburgh’s 12-story landmark Macy’s department store into a one-million-square-foot mixed-used behemoth has become one of the latest votes of confidence in the decade-long resurgence of the city’s downtown.

Core Realty, based in Philadelphia, in July paid $15 million for the property just months before Macy’s closed. The building, on the corner of Fifth Avenue and Smithfield Street, dates to the late 1800s and for years was the flagship of the Kaufmann’s department store chain. It went through several expansions and renovations, including a heralded Art Deco interior makeover of the first floor in 1930.

Randy Mineo, executive vice president of Core Realty and a Pittsburgh native, envisions a mix of retailers, restaurants and entertainment spots to complement a 155-room Even Hotel and 312 luxury apartments. Named the Grand at Fifth Avenue, the estimated $100 million project will feature an open-air atrium beginning on the fifth floor and 600 parking spaces, a sparse commodity downtown.

“I’ve always looked at Pittsburgh as a hidden gem; it’s a city that has been kind of ignored,” said Mr. Mineo, who with the owner of Core Realty, Michael Samschick, began hunting for properties in the city three years ago. “But you could tell that underneath the surface, Pittsburgh was bubbling.”

Developers, corporations, educators and others have pumped about $5 billion into the city’s downtown, also called the Golden Triangle, over the last decade, according to the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership.

Investors have converted old office buildings into residential units, hotels and classrooms, constructed new office buildings, and built up the district’s restaurant and entertainment base...

...

[BrianTH]

Well, that was a pretty nice article--New York's recent love affair with Pittsburgh continues, and shouldn't hurt our ongoing ability to attract new investors, entrepreneurs, and so forth.

[themaguffin]

The article notes the downtown area population as around 12,000 - is
that accurate? Are the using a broad radius?

[Austinlee]

Originally Posted by Evergrey

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/17/reales...waps-macys-for-mixed-use-giant.html?_r=0

Awesome

Originally Posted by BrianTH

Well, that was a pretty nice article--New York's recent love affair with Pittsburgh continues, and shouldn't hurt our ongoing ability to attract new investors, entrepreneurs, and so forth.

Philadelphia

[eschaton]

Originally Posted by themaguffin

The article notes the downtown area population as around 12,000 - is
that accurate? Are the using a broad radius?

These type of articles often define 'Greater Downtown" to include Downtown, North Shore, South Shore, plus sections of the Strip District, Uptown, and Crawford Roberts. Under such a broad definition, Greater Downtown pretty clearly would include that many people.

[BrianTH]

Originally Posted by eschaton

These type of articles often define 'Greater Downtown" to include Downtown, North Shore, South Shore, plus sections of the Strip District, Uptown, and Crawford Roberts. Under such a broad definition, Greater Downtown pretty clearly would include that many people.

Yep. The PDP defines "Greater Downtown" in that fashion, and had the population in 2014 at 12,604:

http://www.downtownpittsburgh.com/_files/docs/2015_sodp-final.pdf

Edit: I think these might be the exact figures used by the NYT:

http://triblive.com/news/allegheny/6202435-74/downtown-units-percent

But the population living Downtown has soared. Census data show the area was home to 12,343 people last year, up 10.5 percent from 2010.

[TBone7281]

Life has been stupid busy the last couple months so I haven't been around much. Going to post some updates that go back to December so I apologize if I am showing something that's already been covered.


Oxford (Three Crossings) stuff first...


2555 Smallman (office building)

12/3/15




12/8/15




12/15/15




1/5/16




2/15/16

[TBone7281]

The Yards

12/3/15




1/25/16




2/16/16

[TBone7281]

Riverfront East/West


12/3/15 - Easter Seals Building still up, but prepping for demo




Demo:

1/11/16




1/19/16






1/25/16




2/15/16

[TBone7281]

Smallman Place

12/3/15




12/10/15




2/1/16 (plus a sweet cameo from my hand, somehow)

[TBone7281]

2500 Smallman

12/3/15 - the alley side, not Smallman




12/7/15 - not development so much, but after several years they finally reopened the Allegheny River Trail through the Strip.








1/11/16 - they continue to make progress at Three Crossings. This hearing notice was so they can move along with The Hub.




1/26/16 - I'm sure someone mentioned that Marty's Market closed.

[TBone7281]

1/26/16 - old 4 Moms building. Not sure if they are moving ahead with a remodel or new development, but they recently fenced off the property.




2/9/16 - The Gardens (I forget what it's called now) is looking a lot better than I originally thought it would.




Plus the completed Tower at PNC, just because I was down there.




2/16/16 - new Midwife Center Building




2/16/16 - Pittsburgh Ballet Theater addition