PITTSBURGH | Development Rundown III

[eschaton]

Originally Posted by BrianTH

I sent an email to the HRC. Definitely worth doing at least that much.

I don't know what happened at the last meeting, but I can't see how the demolition would even be in question any longer. The developer has submitted a plan to save the facades. Carol Peterson is on the board, and she is a vehement preservationist (to the point she's preserved a historic outhouse on her own property. Matthew Falcone is the president of Preservation Pittsburgh. There are nominally six people with voting power at the HRC, but only 4-5 show up at any given meeting, so all the preservationists would need was one more vote. Ray Gastil and Erik Harless are both city employees, and thus presumably responsive to public pressure.

[Gilamonster]

The foundation and podium permit for 1 of the 2 Station Square apartment buildings was finally issued Nov.17 and on my trolley ride to work this morning, I could see that work was beginning.

Edit: As I look at the site from across the river, it appears the heavy equipment is actually being used for a CSX rail project.

[Steel City Scotty]

Sale of Produce Terminal May Finally Be in Sight

[eschaton]

A bit too much like an advertisement for me, but Next Pittsburgh has a feature on a set of three "passive homes" soon to be built on the 900 block of Mellon Street (here)



The design is garbage generic modernism, IMHO, but I wouldn't expect anything different from Pittsburgh infill.

[photoLith]

^
Ewwwwww

[eschaton]

Originally Posted by photoLith

^
Ewwwwww

That block in general is a big disappointment to me. It used to be a semi-mixed use area, with several storefronts on the western side of the street. Over the last two years two of these abandoned storefronts have been converted into single-family homes. The only remaining business is a dog grooming place. And of course the big vacant lot, which could have housed a small apartment building, will be more rich people housing. I still hope that the one remaining vacant storefront will eventually house a coffeeshop or neighborhood market (or maybe nearby Costar Brewing could take it over), but what was the largest potential cluster of shops between Bryant Street and Penn/Highland will just be another quiet, residential, pseudo-suburban streetscape.

[Minivan Werner]

Does anyone actually live in that brutalist duplex on the left? It looks more like something you'd see in Moldova.

[eschaton]

Originally Posted by Minivan Werner

Does anyone actually live in that brutalist duplex on the left? It looks more like something you'd see in Moldova.

That's actually a three-unit, according to the assessor's site. It's owned by the Highland Park Community Development Corporation, so my guess is it's vacant. It was built some time between 1900 and 1910 judging by the historic maps, so it must have just been horrendously remuddled at some point, not intended to be brutalist.

[pj3000]

Originally Posted by eschaton

That's actually a three-unit, according to the assessor's site. It's owned by the Highland Park Community Development Corporation, so my guess is it's vacant. It was built some time between 1900 and 1910 judging by the historic maps, so it must have just been horrendously remuddled at some point, not intended to be brutalist.

Right, it's definitely an old building that was bizarrely transformed in the drug-induced 60s or 70s. Here's a shot of the monstrosity and the lot to the left where the townhomes are to be built.



I lived on Mellon years ago, and that building always stood out as a "wtf were they thinking with that?" whenever I passed by.

It's almost as if the new townhomes are attempting to incorporate the "architectural style" of it into their design...


Anyway, it's good to see Highland Park really coming back. It's probably my favorite neighborhood overall in Pittsburgh. When I lived there, it was rough if you were a block or so west of Highland. Now, the prices I see there are astounding (even for houses that require significant structural renovations). Based on the Subaru and BMW in the above rendering, it looks like the developers are trying to attract a different demographic than who lives there now...

[photoLith]

Originally Posted by pj3000

Right, it's definitely an old building that was bizarrely transformed in the drug-induced 60s or 70s. Here's a shot of the monstrosity and the lot to the left where the townhomes are to be built.



I lived on Mellon years ago, and that building always stood out as a "wtf were they thinking with that?" whenever I passed by.

It's almost as if the new townhomes are attempting to incorporate the "architectural style" of it into their design...
.

That horribly remudled building looks like it was originally constructed in the late 1910s or so. If it were ever restored it would look great and I'm sure was originally cladded in brick ornementation.

And so now that the city owns the former Penguins land does this mean that development will start hopefully next year?

[BrianTH]

Originally Posted by photoLith

And so now that the city owns the former Penguins land does this mean that development will start hopefully next year?

That's not the deal. The deal is the Penguins no longer have to forfeit land they don't develop until 2028. Moreover, they no longer have to buy the land they develop as they develop it. The public also has to build them a very expensive, 1000-car garage.

In return, we no longer have to give them $14 million in tax credits, which they could use to buy the land. In other words, they basically just bought the land for the future value of $14 million, which is less in present value. Also, if they don't meet certain intermediary benchmarks, they will have to give up a minority of their parking revenue.

Overall, this is a bad deal for the public, because we very likely could have gotten more money for the land and gotten better projects by taking the land back and bidding it off, rather than selling it to the Penguins on a no-bid basis. That garage is also bound to be a money-loser so that is another huge giveaway to the Penguins.

Still, everyone involved in the deal is swearing this means development will start now and move along faster, despite the fact they just waived the original deadlines and associated penalties. We'll see, but the local history of these deals is when the sports team/developer doesn't meet its benchmarks/targets, the enforcement of the old deal is waived and it gets a new deal instead . . . which is exactly what just happened.

[BrianTH]

Eyeball report: looks like the Larimer development phase across from the Target is moving along well--there are cranes and structures going up. That is really going to transform that stretch of Broad and further expand the "East Liberty" footprint.

[Steel City Scotty]

More information about Walnut Capital's purchase of the Pittsburgh Athletic Association's clubhouse in Oakland

[photoLith]

Originally Posted by BrianTH

Eyeball report: looks like the Larimer development phase across from the Target is moving along well--there are cranes and structures going up. That is really going to transform that stretch of Broad and further expand the "East Liberty" footprint.

Is all that new development around the abandoned St Peter and Paul Church and across from the Target just public housing? If so, that won't really help with any revitalization efforts.

[BrianTH]

Originally Posted by photoLith

Is all that new development around the abandoned St Peter and Paul Church and across from the Target just public housing? If so, that won't really help with any revitalization efforts.

This is Phase III of the Choice Neighborhoods plan. It is a mix of affordable and market-rate housing, which has been working out great so far in that area. Of course the usual suspects will assert with great confidence that no one with a decent income would ever choose to live in mixed-income developments. And then all the market-rate units quickly lease out.

Edit: Oh, and it may contain some ground-floor retail. At least that was the original plan. Also, I should note "affordable" includes both actual HUD-assisted units and "workforce" units, with the latter units having higher qualifying income limits.

[pj3000]

Originally Posted by photoLith

Is all that new development around the abandoned St Peter and Paul Church and across from the Target just public housing? If so, that won't really help with any revitalization efforts.

I think that's all part of the Larimer/East Liberty Gardens plan. Comprehensive with housing, parks, sports facilities, etc.

I think it will drastically revitalize an area that was nothing but poorly-constructed 1970s low-income apartments.

[eschaton]

Originally Posted by pj3000

I think that's all part of the Larimer/East Liberty Gardens plan. Comprehensive with housing, parks, sports facilities, etc.

To be fair, I do think there is a planned, small "Phase IV" which will be developed on the semi-abandoned ballfield if additional funds are ever found.

It may be a long time coming, however. Both the House and Senate tax bills reduce the number of affordable units developed through Low Income Housing Tax Credits. Thus we're quite likely to see a rollback in privately-funded mixed-income housing in the next few years.

Originally Posted by pj3000

^ There is no possibility of restoring that building. It could certainly be improved, but it is structurally altered to an extent that it could not be restored to its original appearance without basically demoing it and rebuilding it. Probably 80% of it is not original anyway. It's a lost cause and would be best leveled.

It's mildly surprising that demolition of the building isn't part of the infill project. The Highland Park Community Development Corp owns the now vacant lots, not only that godawful building. While the cost to the developer to demo it would raise the project cost a bit, considering they are selling the homes at $650,000 each I would think they could make a fourth larger and fancier unit. Or hell, if they were okay with 20 foot property widths, they could have fit five homes there instead of four.

On the flip side, I would guess the unit right next to the decaying husk will be rather hard to sell.

[Wally G]

Originally Posted by photoLith

Is all that new development around the abandoned St Peter and Paul Church and across from the Target just public housing? If so, that won't really help with any revitalization efforts.

Anything is a huge step up from what was already there and will be a better fit for that area.

[eschaton]

The Penguins have decided on the minority-owned developer which is going to be building part of of the Lower Hill project. Most salient quote...

The first phase of residential construction in the Lower Hill will include 54 “affordable” units at the corner of Crawford Street and Wylie Avenue.

They will be adjacent to 201 market-rate units in a rectangular block along Crawford stretching to Centre Avenue, design renderings presented Wednesday show.

The second phase — to be developed by Intergen — includes 250 mixed-income residential units and community open space.

Another 450 units will follow in the third through fifth phases.

Prospective tenants can choose from one-bedroom units at 612 square feet, two-bedroom units at 928 square feet and three-bedroom units at 1,164 square feet, each with its own washer and dryer.

Latest "master plan"



I'm not sure I like that the first phase is segregating the affordable and market-rate units - it defeats the whole purpose of mixed-income housing (which is to stabilize the development by avoiding concentrated poverty). It does look like the density in 1A is higher than they originally called for (I believe this was originally a townhouse area) I also like that they are (theoretically) building out the Centre Avenue side of the development first, because it will probably help move along new development in Uptown.

[bevansr]

Originally Posted by eschaton

The Penguins have decided on the minority-owned developer which is going to be building part of of the Lower Hill project. Most salient quote...



Latest "master plan"



I'm not sure I like that the first phase is segregating the affordable and market-rate units - it defeats the whole purpose of mixed-income housing (which is to stabilize the development by avoiding concentrated poverty). It does look like the density in 1A is higher than they originally called for (I believe this was originally a townhouse area) I also like that they are (theoretically) building out the Centre Avenue side of the development first, because it will probably help move along new development in Uptown.

Phase 2 of the plan should be fairly tall structures since it appears there is proposed community open space directly below Phase 1A. Not a fan of having open space there either..