PITTSBURGH | Development Rundown II

[BrianTH]

Originally Posted by eschaton

It's just a shame how many of the older towers have such an awkward street level presence. Edit: I note there is at least no corrugated metal siding on the Empire. Some metal paneling around the windows, but that's about it.

Yeah, the street-level design of the new building seems quite good, and the materials are at least decent:

[eschaton]

Originally Posted by JVC

does anyone have any idea when people can start moving into eastside 3?
the scale of that development makes the highland-wallace building look like a duplex

I think the residential portion of the long building which fronts on Highland is done, and they are currently accepting tenants. Dunno about the other two.

Originally Posted by BrianTH

I do know that looking at total unit counts is misleading, because vacancy rates were often high in the older units so the actual occupied unit counts may not be down and in fact could be up. And in turn that means if some long-term residents are moving out, other new lower-income residents may be moving in, which is still good from a public policy perspective, and of course there is always going to be such churn even without changing the underlying units. And in fact I know that there are many efforts to help people manage the transition. But it is at least a real issue, and it would not surprise me if sometimes people were falling through the cracks despite those efforts.

I will bet anything that East Liberty's black population will have barely decreased - perhaps even increased - between 2010 and 2020, since Penn Plaza is the only case we've seen a major loss of low-income units, which ultimately will nearly be mirrored when you consider East Liberty Place + the new units by East Liberty Boulevard.

There will of course be a substantive gain to the nonblack population of East Liberty. Still, I'd be surprised if the Census doesn't find the neighborhood somewhere between 45% and 55% black in 2020.

[BrianTH]

Originally Posted by eschaton

I will bet anything that East Liberty's black population will have barely decreased - perhaps even increased - between 2010 and 2020, since Penn Plaza is the only case we've seen a major loss of low-income units, which ultimately will nearly be mirrored when you consider East Liberty Place + the new units by East Liberty Boulevard. There will of course be a substantive gain to the nonblack population of East Liberty. Still, I'd be surprised if the Census doesn't find the neighborhood somewhere between 45% and 55% black in 2020.

Your predictions are in line with what has been happening so far, so I am not betting against you!

Overall I think East Liberty may end up being considered a huge success in terms of allowing reinvestment and redevelopment without causing too much displacement. But that isn't just going to happen--it is taking conscious efforts which will need to continue.

[BrianTH]

The AC Hotel plan seems reasonable--acceptable scale for that spot and an OK design:

[Evergrey]

http://www.bizjournals.com/pittsburgh/pr...the-strip-a-look-at-10-big-projects.html

Redeveloping The Strip: A look at 10 big projects

Nov 20, 2015, 6:00am EST

These are times of great change for the Strip District, with many construction projects in the works. The two biggest master plans are Buncher Co.’s nearly $400 million, mixed-use Riverfront Landing, which spans 45 acres, and Oxford Development Co.’s 3 Crossings, a mixed-use development that spans six buildings and 16 acres. Other prominent developers, including NPR Group, Concord Hospitality and Solara Ventures, are getting in on the action with projects of their own. And companies are taking notice: The projects have attracted big-name tenants, including tech giant Apple, law firm Burns White LLC, and construction firm Rycon Construction. It’s hard to keep track of all the projects in the works, so the Business Times has compiled the following snapshots of the most significant ones already underway.

...

[Evergrey]

http://www.streetsblog.net/2015/11/19/check-out-pittsburghs-new-bicycle-merge-lane/

Thursday, November 19, 2015

Check Out Pittsburgh’s New Bicycle “Merge Lane”

by Angie Schmitt


Transitions where streets suddenly change are a tricky part of bike lane design. Here’s how street designers in Pittsburgh handled the transition where a two-way bike lane ends at a T-intersection — with a “merge lane” for cyclists turning right across motor vehicle traffic.

Bike PGH is enthusiastic about the new design:

Have you had a chance to ride the two block extension of the Penn Avenue bike lane in Downtown? It ends in a great new “merge lane” that smoothly shepherds people riding their bike in the direction of Point State Park into the traffic lane marked with sharrows proceeding in that direction.

Big thanks to the City — especially the Planning and Public Works departments — for designing and putting in this great lane. We’re fans of this configuration because it’s straightforward and really well marked.

So, what do you think of the new design? The City has tried something relatively new with this one, so leave a comment with your thoughts once you’ve had a chance to ride it.

Here’s another view courtesy of Bike PGH. What do you think?

[Wally G]

Originally Posted by Austinlee

Local architects complain when large projects get designed by out of area firms but when you seek out world class architecture you get much more progressive designs.

Exactly so true and hopefully they step how they design projects. I wish developers would seek out better architects more often.

[BrianTH]

Redeveloping The Strip: A look at 10 big projects

I guess it might not count as underway, but there is also The Andrew, the hotel that may go in across 23rd (23th? Come on, Business Times) from the Cork Factory:

http://www.bizjournals.com/pittsburgh/bl...-on-the-strip-districts-next-luxury.html

And of course the condo highrise would be on that map as well if it goes forward (north side of Penn just west of 27th).

[Wally G]

Originally Posted by BrianTH

The AC Hotel plan seems reasonable--acceptable scale for that spot and an OK design:

I really like this one because it not as bland as some of the other hotels popping up. When you posted this i was pleasantly surprised. Your right nice scale.

[Evergrey]

Interesting article on where the money is moving in Pittsburgh...

http://www.bizjournals.com/pittsburgh/pr...el-most-affluent-community-in-state.html

Fox Chapel most affluent community in state

Nov 20, 2015, 6:00am EST Updated Nov 20, 2015, 8:40am EST

...

A newer generation of CEOs coming to Pittsburgh have shown a preference for city living. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. CEO William Demchak, who was raised in Fox Chapel, moved to Squirrel Hill when he returned to the city in 2002, and, more recently, Ian Stewart, CEO of treasury services at Bank of New York Mellon Corp. and chairman of BNY Mellon Pennsylvania, opted for the Strip District.

“It’s changed,” observed Roslyn Neiman, a realtor at Howard Hanna Real Estate Services. “Fox Chapel was always a top neighborhood because, 35 years ago, the schools in Pittsburgh were very difficult, so young couples moved there so they didn’t have to send their kids to private schools. But the school system in the city has improved, and young executives coming here don’t want to move to the suburbs. We’re not seeing as much action in Fox Chapel in the past two years. We’re having a change in population, especially in West Shadyside and Murdoch Farms in Squirrel Hill. Right now, the suburbs are slow, and the city is crazy hot.”

...

[JVC]

Originally Posted by Wally G

I really like this one because it not as bland as some of the other hotels popping up. When you posted this i was pleasantly surprised. Your right nice scale.

very nice scale, particularly on the ground level

especially compared to the scale of the highland and penn building ground level which looks like a department store

[eschaton]

Originally Posted by Wally G

Exactly so true and hopefully they step how they design projects. I wish developers would seek out better architects more often.

This just comes from being married to an architect, not having experience myself, but my two cents:

Architects tend to be very creative people, and are taught in architecture school to come up with creative, wild designs. They then get a job with an established firm, where the principals quickly make it clear that certain things just can't be done. Added to this construction managers and clients keep pushing for lower-cost/lower-hassle materials and designs. When you put it all together, you end up with uninspired dreck.

I think the major international firms buck the trend not so much because they have more creative teams, but because they have the star power to get away with proposing cool design to begin with.

[BrianTH]

Originally Posted by Evergrey

Interesting article on where the money is moving in Pittsburgh...

If you have a solution to any school issues and can afford a nice house, there is little reason not to strongly consider those sorts of city neighborhoods these days. And I think a lot of people have realized that no matter how nice your house and yard, minimizing your commute and maximizing convenient access to activities outside your home are precious as well, because time is precious regardless of personal wealth.

[BrianTH]

By the way, I was looking at the floorplans for the AC Hotel, and it is pretty interesting. Ground floor is parking (aside from a corner "coffee shop"). Floors 2 through 6 are room floors, then the lobby and public spaces are on the 7th floor. If I am not mistaken, the gray column in the middle of the long side with the teal "AC Hotels" sign on top is actually a glass front elevator bank.

I've seen this sort of approach before in some hotels (minus the external glass front elevator), and I always like it compared to the more conventional lower-level lobby/public floor with internal elevators up to the rooms, although I think it can confuse people a bit at first.

[themaguffin]

I find this fascinating - a big development was just proposed in Cleveland
for also 1,200 residential units (see Cleveland thread).

Of course the land is flat there, but I do like the density of that proposal.
It's interesting that there is a similar attempt to have trees well represented.

[BrianTH]

Cleveland stuff:



http://www.cleveland.com/business/index....rk_capital_plan_a.html#incart_river_home

Green space, green roofs, tree coverage, water retention--these are all big deals these days, as they should be. But you do want to make sure the street level works as well from an urban fabric perspective.

[photoLith]

Just drove through homestead and this building is almost done.

[Wally G]

Originally Posted by eschaton

This just comes from being married to an architect, not having experience myself, but my two cents:

Architects tend to be very creative people, and are taught in architecture school to come up with creative, wild designs. They then get a job with an established firm, where the principals quickly make it clear that certain things just can't be done. Added to this construction managers and clients keep pushing for lower-cost/lower-hassle materials and designs. When you put it all together, you end up with uninspired dreck.

I think the major international firms buck the trend not so much because they have more creative teams, but because they have the star power to get away with proposing cool design to begin with.

I get where your coming from but i don't think anyone on this site wouldn't disagree with sometimes some architects are just better than others. Look at the hotel designs for instance and how some of them are built in the same price range and similar amount of square footage. Though the design be worlds apart. Strada got designs all over the city and all their work look very similar. All architects have their own style they follow star power are not. My friend Abbie who's an architect designs buildings with more shapes and angles. She hates Strada's work and said for the price range they can take more chances in design. I do agree how outside firms to have an advantage of getting away with more risky designs.

[Wally G]

Originally Posted by photoLith

Just drove through homestead and this building is almost done.

Nice find!!! I like this one simple but different.

[eschaton]

I find the brick styling on the first floor of that building in Homestead horrendous. It looks straight out of the 1960s.

Originally Posted by Wally G

I get where your coming from but i don't think anyone on this site wouldn't disagree with sometimes some architects are just better than others. Look at the hotel designs for instance and how some of them are built in the same price range and similar amount of square footage. Though the design be worlds apart. Strada got designs all over the city and all their work look very similar. All architects have their own style they follow star power are not. My friend Abbie who's an architect designs buildings with more shapes and angles. She hates Strada's work and said for the price range they can take more chances in design. I do agree how outside firms to have an advantage of getting away with more risky designs.

There's no doubt that architects vary in skill and creativity. But I just can't believe that all Pittsburgh architects are design challenged. That couldn't happen unless you believe that all decent architects leave town, or perhaps that CMU's architecture program (which is still probably where half of local architects come from) is actually not good.