PITTSBURGH | Development Rundown II

[eschaton]

Originally Posted by Gee Whiz

I guess that counts Pip. But I as hoping for something out of the ground for a new residential high rise.

My understanding is downtown rents are not yet high enough to warrant new construction. At least, new highrise construction, as the cost of steel-framed structures is much higher than wood-framed structures (which tend to cap out at six stories max).

The other aspect is there are still tons of historic buildings yet to convert to residential use downtown. It just wouldn't make much sense to build new residential structures until these have mostly been dealt with. I mean, we still have many smaller buildings downtown which are basically abandoned above the first floor.

I do think within the next ten years we might start seeing the smaller gaps in areas like the Cultural District filled in by new apartment buildings. But I think we're a good deal further away from seeing residential highrises, unless something ever gets done with the Cultural Trust's parking craters.

[BrianTH]

John Conti doesn't like how the Wyndham addition looks from the outside:

http://triblive.com/aande/architectu...#axzz39zu27Uje

But that copper-colored swoop of an addition on the outside, unfortunately, might as well be a building all by itself, given how poorly it works on the front of the hotel. It is way too big a gesture for the building behind it. If you are on the street directly in front of it, or under the canopy it creates, the sleek sweep of the addition's facade can be quite impressive. But as a graft onto an existing building, it is, well, a grafting that is never going to take. Its proportions diminish and overwhelm the rigorous repetitions of windows and mullions that characterize the mid-century-modern original. Moreover, its copper-colored skin simply doesn't fit well with the gold-color aluminum skin of the main block of the hotel behind it.

I disagree, and in fact Conti is basically identifying what I like about it.

At the outset, it is important to note the addition is supposed to tie directly into the base portion, not the tower portion. Renderings:



This picture is from approximately the right angle, but because of its size and cropping, it is a little difficult to see the base down in the lower right:



So this during-construction photo helps define the look of the base, as does the following close up:





As seen from the other side, with the tower prominently extending out over the base:



To me, the overall effect is to make it look like the tower portion is the sail for a boat, with the base serving as the hull, and the addition becoming the prow. Something like these are the images I have in mind:





Night comparison:





I don't know if that effect was intentional, but seen as such, it is a neat acknowledgement of Pittsburgh's early history in ship building, and thus a more fitting backdrop for the Point:

https://journals.psu.edu/wph/article/viewFile/3352/3183

And as a reminder, this is the before:





I suppose a true purist fan of Modernist architecture might still prefer that, but I for one welcome the change.

[photoLith]

Was riding my bike around yesterday and saw they were restoring this building downtown on 7th St, don't know how I missed it this far into the project. What is it? Residential conversion?
image by photolitherland, on Flickr

image by photolitherland, on Flickr
Then I saw these absolute incredible new buildings, that look so good Id hardly think they were new construction and not just restorations in Deutschtown on Suismon St. This October Development group really does great work, apparently they did those new houses at Doughboy Square and are building another building that just started construction this past week at Doughboy Square on vacant land.

image by photolitherland, on Flickr

image by photolitherland, on Flickr
Also saw they are restoring the house August Wilson was born in in the Hill.

DSC_7928 by photolitherland, on Flickr
Heres that big new development on the Hill, forget the name of it though.

DSC_7945 by photolitherland, on Flickr

DSC_7310 by photolitherland, on Flickr
Bakery Square from Saturday.

[BrianTH]

On Seventh that is the Aria project (high end condos--I love the interiors):

http://www.ariaon7th.com/

That is Addison Terrace up on the Hill. Not bad density, particularly from afar:

http://kbkenterprises.net/projects/addison-terrace/

http://www.mistickconstruction.com/p...terrace-13.jpg

[Found5dollar]

Originally Posted by photoLith

image by photolitherland, on Flickr
Also saw they are restoring the house August Wilson was born in in the Hill.

This is AMAZING news. I am currently designing the set for August Wilson's "Seven Guitars" which takes place in that house and it's backyard. I visited the house a few months ago and was almost brought to tears by how badly deteriorated it was. People sized holes in brick walls, no surviving windows, collapsing second floor and roof. I really hope this is a true repair job and not just a stabilization. That house is one of the most important cultural relics we have in the city.

[photoLith]

^
I looked under the plastic stuff and it looks like they had torn off the entire front facade, Im sure they are restoring it completely, I doubt they would do all of this just to stabilize it and not fully restore it.

[Steel City Scotty]

Originally Posted by photoLith

DSC_7945 by photolitherland, on Flickr

I'm guessing the portion in the top left corner of Three PNC Plaza is where the luxury condos are located? And is the hotel above or below the office space?

[eschaton]

FWIW, October development did design the Doughboy Townhouses way back when, but they fucked up the process and lost site control over the parcels. You can actually see this if you look at the townhouses, because the idiots who took over at the end installed Home Depot lights (none of which matching) on the front stoops of each rowhouse. The new office building going in where the hubcap shop used to be is being developed by Walnut Capital.

The infill that October Development has been doing in Deutschtown is top notch though. Impressive considering that street isn't in a historic district, and there's no requirement to make infill look historic. That said, the original drawings had the infill as an attached row, so I'm a bit let down to see them redeveloped as duplexes instead.

Northwestern Deutschtown has a whole lot of blight which can yet be redeveloped with houses though. Foreland in particular is an incredibly blighted looking street.

[Private Dick]

Never seen this particular angle before. Thanks for the new perspective on things, photolith!


Also, this is the most attractive view I've ever seen of 3 PNC (which is not a favorite of mine due to its broad flatness):

[Evergrey]

I love the Addison Terrace redevelopment.

[Evergrey]

http://triblive.com/news/allegheny/6...te-development

LTV site in Hazelwood nearly ready for new identity

By Tom Fontaine
Sunday, Aug. 10, 2014, 9:00 p.m.
Updated 9 hours ago

Work to level a former steel mill in Hazelwood is expected to be done by the end of August, clearing the way for contractors to build a 1½-mile road and run utility lines through the 178-acre property, a developer said on Friday.

“Once the infrastructure work is under way, I think it will unlock tremendous interest in the site” from prospective tenants, said Donald F. Smith Jr., president of the Downtown-based Regional Industrial Development Corp.

RIDC is partnering with four foundations under the name Almono to transform the former LTV Steel Co. site. They bought the riverfront property in 2002 and envision more than $1 billion in development happening there during the next two decades, including 1,400 housing units, 1.3 million square feet of office space and nearly 950,000 square feet of industrial space.

Smith said the partnership has received inquiries from a range of developers and potential tenants, although he would not identify them. He said he thinks the first phase of infrastructure work will boost interest.

The partnership hopes to award contracts for infrastructure work in the fall. That work, with an estimated cost of $40 million, is expected to take about a year to complete.

...

[DKNewYork]

Originally Posted by Found5dollar

This is AMAZING news. I am currently designing the set for August Wilson's "Seven Guitars" which takes place in that house and it's backyard. I visited the house a few months ago and was almost brought to tears by how badly deteriorated it was. People sized holes in brick walls, no surviving windows, collapsing second floor and roof. I really hope this is a true repair job and not just a stabilization. That house is one of the most important cultural relics we have in the city.

Great to hear that Wilson home is finally being addressed. Last I heard, the building was owned by a nephew of August Wilson, who intended to transfer ownership to a not-for-profit which would renovate/restore the home as a residence for aspiring African-American writers. Not sure if this is still the plan. Anyone know?

EDIT: Just learned that the current Wilson house project is being handled by Pfaffmann's group. It is entirely stabilization work on the masonry to prevent further deterioration. The full building restoration still is in need of funding. The plan envisions restoration of the original house as well as the yellow brick neighbor. A café or coffee shop will be opened on the first floor with live/work spaces above (apparently for any type of artist, not just writers or African-Americans).

Here's what the Pfaffmann web site shows:

[url]http://www.pfaffmann.com/projects/preservation/AugustWilson.html[/url

[Found5dollar]

^
well at least they are doing something to the house and not just letting it fall to the ground like I was fearing they were.

As an aside, if any of you are interested in the building or other places of not in August Wilson;t life i highly recommend "August Wilson: Pittsburgh Places in His Life and Plays." (http://www.amazon.com/August-Wilson-.../dp/097882847X) A full walking tour and detailed historys and descriptions of all the important places in the Hill that influenced Wilson.

Also, that plan from Pfaffmann was pulled together in 2008. Sadly it has not been updated or funded and I fear it never will...

[DKNewYork]

Originally Posted by photoLith

DSC_7928
Heres that big new development on the Hill, forget the name of it though.

Beautiful pics. Which building is the red brick one in the foreground of the photograph? I'm having trouble placing it...

[photoLith]

Not sure, I took that photo from the top of the William Penn Hotel downtown though.

[designer3d712]

Originally Posted by photoLith

Not sure, I took that photo from the top of the William Penn Hotel downtown though.

This Building.

https://www.google.com/maps/@40.4406...PwxSfDajTw!2e0

[DKNewYork]

Originally Posted by designer3d712

This Building.

https://www.google.com/maps/@40.4406...PwxSfDajTw!2e0

Thanks. I considered that it was the old Bigelow Apartments but I was sure that the building had been torn down...

[BrianTH]

Originally Posted by designer3d712

This Building.

I was going to guess the Doubletree from the angle.

Random aside, but if they ever build up the adjacent end of the Lower Hill with decent-size highrises and do the deck park over Crosstown, the Doubletree is going to look a little like the central feature of a prominent open space in the Greater Downtown fabric.

[BrianTH]

Pass around the hat--Gateway Center is up for sale again:

http://www.bizjournals.com/pittsburg....html?page=all

It will probably just be kept office, but I always thought it would be cool to convert some of the space to residential (those towers were actually based on a residential design).

[AaronPGH]

Originally Posted by BrianTH

It will probably just be kept office, but I always thought it would be cool to convert some of the space to residential (those towers were actually based on a residential design).

I've always thought that something cool could be done with all of the landscaped grounds between the properties. It'd be neat to see more of that put to work in addition to residential.