PITTSBURGH | Development Rundown II

[eschaton]

My wife is an architect, and she has said that using alternating cladding and brick is really "in" right now. Basically because builders have long deemed it too expensive to do what historically would be done as detail work, such as ornate trim, lintels, or inlay in stone, ceramic, or wood. Hence throwing up an material with a different color and directionality (note modern siding is almost always vertical) is a way to give a building more "punch."

[BrianTH]

Originally Posted by Private Dick

I feel that way about the AE Stage too. Incredibly overdesigned for what is such a simple building.

Although I don't mind it as much, I agree. There are at least two major things I don't like about Stage AE. One is the diagonal line they carry through the south facade:



To me that is completely discordant with the industrial vibe, and kinda ruins the illusion it could be a re-purposed building.

The other thing I really don't like is the divided lintel (or whatever you would call it) they put over the second-floor windows, and also on the top of the center brick section:





To me it again seems discordant with the industrial theme, and unnecessary as an additional design element.

But straighten out that diagonal (at different heights as appropriate), and get rid of that unnecessary lintel-thingy, and I think it would look pretty good.

[Brentsters]

Here's a clip with Lucas Piatt talking about the Saks site. Still planning on just the parking structure initially. But, fwiw, he does go into talking about the 2nd phase...seems to feel pretty positive about condos or apartments.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bzv4gTEoxZI&sns=fb##L@##H

[BrianTH]

Originally Posted by Brentsters

Here's a clip with Lucas Piatt talking about the Saks site. Still planning on just the parking structure initially. But, fwiw, he does go into talking about the 2nd phase...seems to feel pretty positive about condos or apartments.

He seemed to be suggesting they were not contemplating a long gap between completing the first phase and starting the second (hopefully that is true!), and it sounded like they were leaning toward condos but are in the process of deciding.

I'm not sure what the market for condos Downtown looks like these days, but you would think if they would work anywhere, it would be in a site with built-in parking.

[Evergrey]

I really like Stage AE as a venue... really filled a huge hole in the concert venue heirarchy here in Pittsburgh.

[BrianTH]

Originally Posted by Evergrey

I really like Stage AE as a venue... really filled a huge hole in the concert venue heirarchy here in Pittsburgh.

True dat. I don't even mind it being located on the North Shore, despite its overall moderate scale, because I can imagine it being an anchor to a new nightlife district over there.

[Evergrey]

Surprised there's been no discussion concerning this development...

http://www.post-gazette.com/local/city/2...-city-credit-rating/stories/201402030130

Standard and Poor's ups city credit rating



For the second time in seven months, Standard & Poor’s Rating Service has upgraded the city of Pittsburgh’s credit rating.

The city announced this afternoon that its credit rating was increased from A stable to A+ stable, which the agency said is recognition that the city “will likely maintain its ongoing efforts” to improve its finances. The rating had increased from bbb to A stable in June.

....

We've come a long way from this 10 years ago...

http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB106622839356914200

Pittsburgh Debt Is Cut To Junk Status by S&P

By Aaron Lucchetti Staff Reporter of THE WALL STREET JOURNAL

Updated Oct. 16, 2003 10:30 p.m. ET

Standard & Poor's dropped its credit rating of Pittsburgh's municipal debt by five notches to junk status, underscoring the financial difficulties of many cities.

The decision by S&P, announced Wednesday, affects about $879 million of Pittsburgh debt outstanding, all of which is insured, meaning any losses from a possible default would be born by insurance firms instead of investors.

But the action nevertheless made investors nervous as it was one of the sharpest downgrades of tax-exempt municipal debt since California's Orange County filed for bankruptcy protection in 1994.

"We're talking about a major city going below investment grade," says Tom Metzold, a portfolio manager for Eaton Vance Corp., a Boston asset-management firm.

...

[GeneW]

Originally Posted by Evergrey

I really like Stage AE as a venue... really filled a huge hole in the concert venue heirarchy here in Pittsburgh.

Yeah, I've seen a couple of shows there one inside and one outside and it's a nice space. If nothing else, it means that I'll never ever go out to that horror show of an amphitheater in Burgettstown again.

[Evergrey]

Originally Posted by GeneW

Yeah, I've seen a couple of shows there one inside and one outside and it's a nice space. If nothing else, it means that I'll never ever go out to that horror show of an amphitheater in Burgettstown again.

It means I don't have to travel to Cleveland anymore to see mid-tier national touring acts.

[BrianTH]

That's at least a mild endorsement of what S&P is hearing from the new political leadership. Which is good.

To be fair, though, it is easier to have good finances when your tax base is growing nicely. That's not the whole story, but a good chunk of it.

[DKNewYork]

From the Pgh Biz Times re: the new development on Fifth/Forbes Allegheny County Health Department property in Oakland:

http://www.bizjournals.com/pittsburgh/news/2014/02/05/apartments-offices-part-of-30m.html

[Evergrey]

Originally Posted by DKNewYork

From the Pgh Biz Times re: the new development on Fifth/Forbes Allegheny County Health Department property in Oakland:

http://www.bizjournals.com/pittsburgh/news/2014/02/05/apartments-offices-part-of-30m.html

uh-oh... the architecture in that rendering is gonna piss off some people here

[Austinlee]

Glad that the city has been upgraded from "junk" back up to "A - Stable".


US Airways, after downgrading PIT airport from "Hub" to "Focus city" to "a destination" has recently upgraded us to "Dog shit on USAir's shoe". Yay!

[Steel City Scotty]

Originally Posted by DKNewYork

From the Pgh Biz Times re: the new development on Fifth/Forbes Allegheny County Health Department property in Oakland:

http://www.bizjournals.com/pittsburgh/news/2014/02/05/apartments-offices-part-of-30m.html

It looks like the construction for that project is going to be awfully close to the Carlow University building that currently faces Craft Avenue.

I don't think that will affect anything. Just something I noticed on Google Maps.

[Steel City Scotty]

Originally Posted by BrianTH

And from the above interactive site, here is what Pittsburgh looked like in that era:

Does the North Side really get that hilly so close to the river?

I know the land is raised once you get back to Perry and obviously, the suburbs in the North Hills. But, looking at that image, it makes it look like there's a significant incline as soon as you get past the North Shore.

[GeneW]

Originally Posted by DKNewYork

From the Pgh Biz Times re: the new development on Fifth/Forbes Allegheny County Health Department property in Oakland:

http://www.bizjournals.com/pittsburgh/news/2014/02/05/apartments-offices-part-of-30m.html

Tasso Katselas is designing it?! According to his own website, he's in his mid-eighties, impressive if he's still doing design work.

[Brentsters]

And it shows...

Good for him if he's still working, but the most recent design under his featured work was nearly two decades ago!

[BrianTH]

It is hard from me to tell from the linked rendering what the buildings will really look like. But I definitely like the scale of the project.

[BrianTH]

Originally Posted by Steel City Scotty

Does the North Side really get that hilly so close to the river? I know the land is raised once you get back to Perry and obviously, the suburbs in the North Hills. But, looking at that image, it makes it look like there's a significant incline as soon as you get past the North Shore.

That's Monument Hill you are seeing just past the Point (originally Hogback Hill--it was renamed when a Civil War monument was placed on it). Because of the angle of that drawing it is sort of dominating the foreground, but there is a big expanse of flats on either side and behind of it.

Here is a link to a nice topographic map from 1906--you can see Monument Hill just north of the Point:

https://mywebspace.wisc.edu/rpday/web/extras/maps/1906pittsburg.html

The other thing happening in that drawing is that there is in fact a gradual sloping up even of the flats portion, which has been foreshortened by perspective.

Edit: There is a cool description of Pittsburgh from a visitor in 1828 here, with references to the topography including Hogback Hill (she wasn't impressed with that hill in particular):

http://books.google.com/books?id=SW6ZPfz...ge&q=hogback%20hill%20pittsburgh&f=false

[Austinlee]

Originally Posted by Brentsters

Here's a clip with Lucas Piatt talking about the Saks site. Still planning on just the parking structure initially. But, fwiw, he does go into talking about the 2nd phase...seems to feel pretty positive about condos or apartments.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bzv4gTEoxZI&sns=fb##L@##H

Thanks for posting! That was very interesting...


He said the second phase is around ONE HUNDRED apartments or condos. Now 151 Firstside is what, 19 stories and it's only 83 apartments!

So I would guess that if the tower is built on top of said parking garage I would guess it might be around 18-25 stories.