PITTSBURGH | Development Rundown II

[Urbana]

What I assume is and updated rendering.



image source: Strada

[Austinlee]

^Yes that rendering has been out for awhile now. On the right is the $130 million Bakery Square 1.0 and in the foreground is the $120 million Bakery Square 2.0.

$250 million in development on one site - Not bad!

[Jonboy1983]

I definitely agree that the latest proposal for Bakery Square 2.0 is an upgrade. Apartments are definitely in demand, and the prices I think are just right for the market. I would like to see what other type(s) of development spring up as a result of this project. It should lead to a continued re-investment and rebirth of East Liberty and the surrounding vicinity. Is that strip mall adjacent to the Bakery Square development fairly new? I know Trader Joe's is there, but what about the rest of it? In my opinion, that type of use doesn't seem appropriate for that space given the Bakery Square projects...

[bmust71]

Koppers will be putting their name on top of their building for those who didnt know... they are waiting for approval.

[Jonboy1983]

Originally Posted by bmust71

Koppers will be putting their name on top of their building for those who didnt know... they are waiting for approval.

Wow... No I did not know that. So the art-deco building adjacent to the Gulf Tower will have signage atop it? I wonder what that will look like...

[BrianTH]

Originally Posted by Jonboy1983

Is that strip mall adjacent to the Bakery Square development fairly new? I know Trader Joe's is there, but what about the rest of it? In my opinion, that type of use doesn't seem appropriate for that space given the Bakery Square projects...

I don't know when it was built, but I do know that in the presentation materials for the East Liberty Transit Center, they indicated the possibility of redeveloping that strip mall (currently known as the Village of Eastside I believe), along with the strip mall on the other side of Penn (with the Giant Eagle and such). See this video, starting at about 1:55:

• Video Link

It would be really great if all that was developed along the same lines as Bakery Square, creating a more continuous extension of downtown East Liberty. And of course those areas are in fact even better located to make use of the new transit center.

[BrianTH]

Just one unit, but another great example of creative infill/reuse in a historic rowhouse neighborhood that has moved upscale:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000...ate_HouseOfDay

Note:

Before undergoing a nine-month renovation, the property was a modest, one-story 'concrete block' once used for church group meetings.

How many opportunities like that are there in Pittsburgh's formerly working class neighborhoods? A lot.

[Evergrey]

http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/...roject-670959/

Signs of life for Mount Washington hotel project
January 18, 2013 12:32 am

...


Mr. Beemsterboer said Thursday he is close to an agreement with a development partner that could help to jump start the long-stalled project, which also would include a plaza, a scenic overlook, a two-story lounge and an observation deck. He would not name the potential partner but said it is one with experience developing hotels, condos and apartments.

Charles L. "Luke" Desmone, the Pittsburgh architect who is working with Mr. Beemsterboer on the project, said an agreement could be in place within 30 days.

...

[Evergrey]

http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/...ations-670944/

Pittsburgh International Airport offers incentives for nonstop destinations

Airport puts 12 places on its nonstop wish list

January 18, 2013 12:19 am


By Mark Belko / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

San Diego, Seattle, New Orleans and Jacksonville, Fla., top the list of destinations being targeted for nonstop service by officials at Pittsburgh International Airport.

The Allegheny County Airport Authority is offering incentives, ranging from a waiver of landing fees to marketing support, for any airline willing to take a gamble on those routes or eight other coveted destinations.

But one big international stop not on the latest list is London, even though it was the top write-in vote getter in an online poll done by the airport authority last year. It also was the top destination singled out by voters in a Pittsburgh Post-Gazette online poll this week.

...

[Jonboy1983]

Brian, thanks for the video. I saw sooo much potential for that neighborhood. Every vacant space could be seen as an opportunity. Who is responsible for doing the development work in that video (land developer)? I always wanted to work as part of a design team. It's good that they intend to redo that strip mall between the transit center and Bakery Square. Strip malls are just a bad use of any land adjacent to first-rate transit access AND a new mixed-use development that's only going to get bigger as time progresses.

Evergrey, I think that push for more non-stops is a lost cause, at least for now. I do see traffic picking up tho as the energy/technology sectors continue to drive Pittsburgh's economy, boosting demand for those locations over time. Regarding that latest piece of news regarding One Grandview, it looks promising. Perhaps in another month something could be finalized on that which would allow this project to move forward...

[BrianTH]

Originally Posted by Jonboy1983

Brian, thanks for the video. I saw sooo much potential for that neighborhood. Every vacant space could be seen as an opportunity. Who is responsible for doing the development work in that video (land developer)?

Here is the project website, which was based around an application for federal funding (which they got) for the Transit Center:

http://eltransitcentertod.com/

I think that makes the longer-term private development projects shown on the video pretty speculative, but I know the URA and ELDI were directly involved in this project, and I suspect the people directly involved were also at least consulting with Mosites, Walnut, and anyone else engaged in developing that area.

Incidentally, what is shown happening in that video is (roughly speaking) only the half of it. You could turn 90 degrees to left (so from around ENE to NNW) and illustrate a bunch more Greater East Liberty projects in the works or at least possible (meaning based on the current use of the sites in question). If all of East Liberty eventually does get developed along these lines, it will start to rival Oakland as a secondary urban center. In other words, doing all this would be almost like building out a new small city.

I do see traffic picking up tho as the energy/technology sectors continue to drive Pittsburgh's economy, boosting demand for those locations over time.

It does strike me that a good number of those proposed destinations reflect an "Energyburgh" theme.

[BrianTH]

Not to be a downer, but I'm not really going to believe One Grandview is restarted until it gets financed. I'm not saying that couldn't happen, but until it happens, I think it is being realistic to categorize the project as stalled.

[Topher51]

Originally Posted by Evergrey

http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/...church-669520/

I drove by the former St. Nicholas Church this morning. The retaining wall, the cornerstone and some rubble is all that remains. BUMMER.

[Evergrey]

http://www.bizjournals.com/pittsburg...-schenley.html

Pittsburgh Public Schools receives Schenley High bids

...

The highest bid came from the company that sought to buy Schenley before, Philadelphia-based PMC Property Group, which increased its $2 million bid made last year to $5.2 million. The second-highest bid came from Kossman Develpoment Co., at $4.6 million, followed by the alumni group led by tech entrepreneur Edward Alexie at $4.1 million and Ralph A. Falbo, Inc., which bid $4 million.

The bidders appear to split evenly between candidates who seek the property to operate as as a school versus those who would convert it into apartments.

While the alumni/Alexie group already has publicized its interest in turning the empty building into a new high school oriented to technology and the arts, Kossman's bid was made as an authorized agent for Provident Charter School.

Both PMC and Ralph A. Falbo Inc. are known primarily as residential developers.

...

[Jonboy1983]

Originally Posted by Evergrey

http://www.bizjournals.com/pittsburg...-schenley.html

According to the rest of the article, the winner will be chosen based not only on the bid, but on the developers' proposed uses for the building and how it will impact the surrounding neighborhood. I like that approach rather that saying, "ok, you're the highest bidder; here you go." I'd like to see what becomes of this building. As was said numerous times, apartments are in high demand, but a specialized charter school (preferably partnered with CMU, Google, and/or Pitt or UPMC) would do wonders for the community.

[Johnland]

Originally Posted by Topher51

I drove by the former St. Nicholas Church this morning. The retaining wall, the cornerstone and some rubble is all that remains. BUMMER.

I understand the concept of moving on, but still, all I can say is 'tis sad to see the church gone'.

[Austinlee]

I drove by the former St. Nicholas Church this morning. The retaining wall, the cornerstone and some rubble is all that remains. BUMMER.





They brought thing down super fast too. One day, maybe two at the most.

It was a pretty building, but cmon, even as a kid like 25 yrs ago I was thinking, that building is in the way!

Also, in the Pgh metro I would GUESSTIMATE that there are around 200-300 churches of that quality, some even bigger and better. There is definitely a massive supply. And I know firsthand that a building that large, that dilapidated are just impossible to save all of them. I'm not sad.

[Austinlee]

Originally Posted by BrianTH

Not to be a downer, but I'm not really going to believe One Grandview is restarted until it gets financed. I'm not saying that couldn't happen, but until it happens, I think it is being realistic to categorize the project as stalled.

Totally agree. It seems like one of those "unlikely projects" but hey, I would love to see it built!

[Austinlee]

Originally Posted by bmust71

Koppers will be putting their name on top of their building for those who didnt know... they are waiting for approval.

Oh boy; We can only hope that it will be tasteful.

[BrianTH]

The additional factors for evaluating the Schenley bids include the impact on the tax base, and barring an unusual analysis I would think that would favor the residential projects.

Personally, I think PMC should probably get it. They are reasonably good at what they do, what they want to do fills an important need, they shouldn't have any problems completing their proposed project, and they were the highest bidder by a substantial margin.