PITTSBURGH | Development Rundown III

[eschaton]

I remain frustrated that although Gold 4 is going to be redeveloped over the next three years - and Gold 2 has to be redeveloped eventually - there are apparently no plans at all to develop the surface parking sections of Gold 1. It's been utterly absent from any discussions in the media.

I mean, when the Gold 1 garage was built, I presumed it was sunk way back on the parcel next to the T tracks because the eventual plan was to totally surround it with development, making it largely invisible from the street. But apparently no...this section of the sea of parking will stay indefinitely.

[pj3000]

I have a feeling that Lot 1 might always be surface parking. I think it will be quite hard to wrest it away from the Steelers control, given that it’s the prime tailgater lot.

Which to me, is totally dumb. But then again, I think hanging out on an asphalt parking lot surrounded by vehicles and fat, drunk people in Steelers jerseys is totally dumb.

[WillyC]

Peduto tweeted no to the new Strip proposal. Zero chance if the mayor office is already coming out swinging.

[Don't Be That Guy]

Originally Posted by WillyC

Peduto tweeted no to the new Strip proposal. Zero chance if the mayor office is already coming out swinging.

Every attorney in Allegheny County with a twitter account just saved a screenshot of that tweet.
I recently spoke with a more knowledgeable friend about this and he thinks that at this point developers in Pittsburgh should just assume that they will have to get their approvals from the courts and not the Planning Commission. He also said that project likely couldn't be done by-right without variances, so who knows?

[Minivan Werner]

Originally Posted by WillyC

Peduto tweeted no to the new Strip proposal. Zero chance if the mayor office is already coming out swinging.

What’d he say? Can’t find the tweet, unless it was deleted.

[eschaton]

I believe that area of the Strip (up to the 16th Street Bridge) has downtown zoning, meaning there is no height limit whatsoever. There are however FAR requirements which I believe may preclude building something of this square footage on that parcel.

[WillyC]

Link here:

https://twitter.com/billpeduto/statu...13971751079936

[Jonboy1983]

As I stated, I would rather see twin structures reaching a total height of around 21 floors rather than having one single building with that kind of massing. It does look a bit out of place.

[mikebarbaro]

The apartment building next to The Cork Factory is officially under construction. This is the one where the balconies resemble a cruise ship....

[pj3000]

The Gulf Tower looked terribly out of place when it was built, so did the Steel building, and so does the Cathedral of Learning.

Should they not have been built?

A 20 story building will only look “out of place” until the next taller buildings are built on all the Strip parking lots bordering downtown.

[BrianTH]

Originally Posted by pj3000

The Gulf Tower looked terribly out of place when it was built, so did the Steel building, and so does the Cathedral of Learning.

Should they not have been built?

A 20 story building will only look “out of place” until the next taller buildings are built on all the Strip parking lots bordering downtown.

Exactly. Everything on the Downtown side of the 16th Street Bridge should be considered on its way to a Downtown vibe, not still part of the Strip-type built environment.

[fonzi]

Originally Posted by pj3000

The Gulf Tower looked terribly out of place when it was built, so did the Steel building, and so does the Cathedral of Learning.

Should they not have been built?

A 20 story building will only look “out of place” until the next taller buildings are built on all the Strip parking lots bordering downtown.

I rarely chime in on this forum, but had to show emphatic agreement with this logic. With at least one other rejected mid rise proposal in the strip, I think Peduto and the overall NIMBY-ism are only delaying the inevitable. It's the best place for downtown to expand.

It's rather irksome to have a mayor try to stifle a 21 story project, when your immediate and near immediate big metro neighbors either having a new tallest in progress, or are being proposed.

[Jonboy1983]

I'm not opposed to this being a 21 story building. I just think the architectural style could be different. I'd love to see a 20-plus story building go up in that part of the city.

[BrianTH]

Originally Posted by Jonboy1983

I'm not opposed to this being a 21 story building. I just think the architectural style could be different. I'd love to see a 20-plus story building go up in that part of the city.

I can see some reasonable controversy over just the design/style parts of it. I was persuaded by some of the renderings, but those can be deceptive.

[East Edge]

Agreed! The smart ass comment from the mayor doesnt show a spirit of welcoming development in the city. There is definitely a more productive way as Mayor to express his vision for higher quality design. Just goes to show that this power has gone to his head and how out of touch he is with his constituents.

Originally Posted by fonzi

I rarely chime in on this forum, but had to show emphatic agreement with this logic. With at least one other rejected mid rise proposal in the strip, I think Peduto and the overall NIMBY-ism are only delaying the inevitable. It's the best place for downtown to expand.

It's rather irksome to have a mayor try to stifle a 21 story project, when your immediate and near immediate big metro neighbors either having a new tallest in progress, or are being proposed.

[pj3000]

Originally Posted by East Edge

Agreed! The smart ass comment from the mayor doesnt show a spirit of welcoming development in the city. There is definitely a more productive way as Mayor to express his vision for higher quality design. Just goes to show that this power has gone to his head and how out of touch he is with his constituents.

His tweet was a bit too smug. To me, it would have been much more mayoral to tweet something more in-line with his follow-up comments, but it would be no less ridiculous.

Peduto offered a basic statement further explaining his tweet in an email to the Pittsburgh Business Times on Tuesday afternoon.

"The architectural design doesn't match the Strip District," he said. "The design makes the building stand out in an area where there's been a lot of growth, but where there's been an attempt to make the new buildings blend in with the historic nature of the area, and the design of that building should do the same."

I find this excuse to be a lazy cop out. First, the Strip district does not have a specific "design". Second, trying to "match" or "blend in" with buildings that are a century-plus older rarely results in anything good, and third, if there in fact has been some attempt to make new buildings blend in as the Mayor asserts, well, they've done a really shitty job.

In addition, on the blocks bounded by the 16th Street Bridge and the Convention Center (the tract where the proposed building will go), few buildings even exist there currently... and all of the sizable buildings there are relatively newer anyway... and the Homewood Suites and AC Hotel certainly don't respect the "historic nature of the area".

Should the citizens of Pittsburgh demand that the developer "blend in" like what Buncher did up and down Liberty Ave. in the past? You know, to match the long, low train terminal?
https://www.google.com/maps/@40.4465...7i16384!8i8192

Do these new developements "blend in"??
https://www.google.com/maps/@40.4567...7i16384!8i8192

https://www.google.com/maps/@40.4559...7i16384!8i8192

Is this a nod to the historic nature of the area?
https://www.google.com/maps/@40.4530...7i16384!8i8192

[Austinlee]

I just found an actual photo of BrianTH in real life...

[Austinlee]

Originally Posted by East Edge

Agreed! The smart ass comment from the mayor doesnt show a spirit of welcoming development in the city. There is definitely a more productive way as Mayor to express his vision for higher quality design. Just goes to show that this power has gone to his head and how out of touch he is with his constituents.

Agreed

[BrianTH]

Originally Posted by Austinlee

I just found an actual photo of BrianTH in real life...

Ha! I have them on t-shirts too . . . .

[BrianTH]

I also agree with East Edge et al. I really don't think the Mayor should be involved in design stuff to begin with, and if he is going to comment anyway, at least make it diplomatic and constructive, not snarky and dismissive.