PITTSBURGH | Development Rundown II - Page 802

DKNewYork · #**16021** Posted **Mar 10, 2016, 9:18 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nitwit

Parts of the facade/cornice are falling onto the street below, so they're trying to put something temporary in place to catch all of it.

^ Thanks.

hammersklavier · #**16022** Posted **Mar 10, 2016, 10:16 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by photoLith

^
The only gym I know about downtown that anyone can join is Golds Gym where I go. All the other gyms I believe are in hotels and office buildings for workers. Also, instead of building all of these sprawl inducing highways, I wish this city could build a decent rail network. Its only of the only major cities that has a complete garbage light rail system. Most cities are building new ones or expanding on old ones. The bus system is crap as well.

Fun fact: In 1950 Pittsburgh had one of the most comprehensive commuter rail systems in the country (as well as its extensive streetcar network). Between the city's four major railroads (PRR, B&LE, B&O, and P&VW) there would've been around 10-15 distinct commuter railroad routes. The PRR alone ran six commuter lines in the region!

The last one to run, the former B&O route to Versailles, didn't even end until the very early 1980s.

Pittsburgh is sitting on a silver mine of transportation resources. The hills and circuitous routes along riverbanks are a factor, but the city remains one of the country's main trade route nexuses.

BrianTH · #**16023** Posted **Mar 10, 2016, 11:03 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by PITairport

Based on that, you must really be up in arms when the topic of cross-state high speed rail comes up.

Well, last I knew the cost benefit analysis for the Chicago Hub and Northeast Corridor HSR networks looked very good. But Pittsburgh might link first on the Chicago side due to construction costs eastward. Interestingly, though, the case for that link improves as the size and speed of the networks increases on both sides.

BrianTH · #**16024** Posted **Mar 11, 2016, 5:46 AM**

And, of course, the Penguins are delaying development yet again in the Lower Hill site:

http://www.post-gazette.com/business/dev...mer-Civc-Arena-site/stories/201603110159

Quote:

The hockey team plans to pay another $75,000 for a second six-month extension that will allow it to retain the rights to the property. It will be the second extension the Penguins have purchased since October, when they initially were required to “take down” or buy the first 2.14-acre parcel needed for development under their agreement with the Pittsburgh-Allegheny County Sports & Exhibition Authority, which owns a large portion of the 28-acre former arena site.

Under that agreement, the team has the ability to buy extensions in six-month increments for $75,000 each for a period of up to two years. If it still has not purchased the parcel by then, it could lose the development rights. The Penguins can tap into $14.5 million in development credits available as part of the deal to build Consol Energy Center in 2007 to pay for the extensions.

Great, using the public's own money to pay to not to develop the public's land. When that runs out, I look forward to them asking for and getting more extensions anyway, just because.

But it isn't all bad news. Hopefully this means they are struggling to find tenants for the former US Steel HQ as planned, because that plan sucked. A re-design would be very welcome.

Meanwhile, they still seem to be more or less on track to start the BIG-designed residential portion later this year. So that's good.

BrianTH · #**16025** Posted **Mar 11, 2016, 5:52 AM**

Shannon Transit Village is finally moving forward!

http://www.post-gazette.com/local/south/...inally-move-forward/stories/201603110129

Shannon Transit Village, a joint $42.3 million project of JRA Development Group and real estate broker Herky Pollock, will have 152 market-rate apartments on the top eight floors and 15,000 square feet of retail space on the first floor. A Port Authority committee Thursday recommended approval of the 52-year lease for the property and the full board is expected to approve the deal next Friday.

That's a nice TOD project, and hopefully it will be a big success with more to follow.

speagles84 · #**16026** Posted **Mar 11, 2016, 12:23 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by BrianTH

And, of course, the Penguins are delaying development yet again in the Lower Hill site:

http://www.post-gazette.com/business/dev...mer-Civc-Arena-site/stories/201603110159

Great, using the public's own money to pay to not to develop the public's land. When that runs out, I look forward to them asking for and getting more extensions anyway, just because.

But it isn't all bad news. Hopefully this means they are struggling to find tenants for the former US Steel HQ as planned, because that plan sucked. A re-design would be very welcome.

Meanwhile, they still seem to be more or less on track to start the BIG-designed residential portion later this year. So that's good.

Well, that's not surprising. Even more proof sports teams should never be responsible to develop such an important piece of land.

Quote:

Originally Posted by BrianTH

Shannon Transit Village is finally moving forward!

http://www.post-gazette.com/local/south/...inally-move-forward/stories/201603110129

Shannon Transit Village, a joint $42.3 million project of JRA Development Group and real estate broker Herky Pollock, will have 152 market-rate apartments on the top eight floors and 15,000 square feet of retail space on the first floor. A Port Authority committee Thursday recommended approval of the 52-year lease for the property and the full board is expected to approve the deal next Friday.

That's a nice TOD project, and hopefully it will be a big success with more to follow.

That's fantastic news! I was just reading the first page of this thread the other day to see how many projects proposed back in 2011/12 came to fruition or are in construction. I had all but given up on this one but that's great news for Castle Shannon and the whole south hills!

GeneW · #**16027** Posted **Mar 14, 2016, 3:36 PM**

Maybe too small a development for this page but we're all pretty excited about City Books moving to Allegheny West from the South Side. Our little business district is slowly, slowly progressing.

Austinlee · #**16028** Posted **Mar 14, 2016, 3:38 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by GeneW

Maybe too small a development for this page but we're all pretty excited about City Books moving to Allegheny West from the South Side. Our little business district is slowly, slowly progressing.

This is cool.

BrianMM111 · #**16029** Posted **Mar 14, 2016, 8:20 PM**

Thought this was interesting.. There has been some discussion about autonomous vehicles on this forum before.. What do yinz think?

http://gizmodo.com/these-7-american-cities-will-compete-for-40-million-to-1764431906

Quote:

These 7 American Cities Will Compete for $40 Million to Create Transportation Utopias
Alissa Walker
Gizmodo
3/12/16 4:30pm

The US government is offering seven cities a remarkable challenge: reinvent urban transportation for the 21st century, with a particular focus on autonomous vehicles. To pull it off, those cities will work with some of the world’s most powerful tech companies, and are eligible to get $40 million from the US Department of Transportation.

Gilamonster · #**16030** Posted **Mar 16, 2016, 12:24 AM**

After a few week layoff, activity has resumed on the New Holiday Inn off of Fort Pitt Blvd. Work is also continuing on the Graphic Arts building right across the alley in it's conversion to apartments. That little area is going to perk up quite a bit when those 2 projects are complete. Hopefully somebody will open a new coffee shop or cafe in the building which used to house "Verde Beans" on the other side of the Graphic Arts building. Also, there is the Distrikt hotel being worked on not too far away across the Blvd. of the Allies. which will hopefully add some vibrancy to that general area, though I suspect the guests there will be more drawn to the core of the city.

Extreme close up.....lol

eschaton · #**16031** Posted **Mar 17, 2016, 7:29 PM**

New Planning Commission presentation...

New Business.

1. New Stadium Authority garage immediately east of Heinz Field. The siting of it on the parcel is really odd - sort of slanted to align with Reedsdale and the T line, and placed towards the middle of the existing lot. An optimistic way to read it is the placement allows it to eventually be surrounded by buildings which will partially obscure the garage. However, that eventuality is still clearly far in the future.

2. Plaza upgrades to 20 Stanwix Street downtown. Currently it's cracked-out concrete, so something with a bit more green space would be an improvement.

2. Minor zoning changes around 5600 Forward Avenue in Squirrel Hill. The site is currently divided into five parcels and three zoning districts. Buncher is seeking it all to be turned into LNC, which would allow for its redevelopment more easily.

That's all folks. Can't wait for the slow season to be done.

dfiler · #**16032** Posted **Mar 17, 2016, 8:10 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by BrianTH

Shannon Transit Village is finally moving forward!

http://www.post-gazette.com/local/south/...inally-move-forward/stories/201603110129

Shannon Transit Village, a joint $42.3 million project of JRA Development Group and real estate broker Herky Pollock, will have 152 market-rate apartments on the top eight floors and 15,000 square feet of retail space on the first floor. A Port Authority committee Thursday recommended approval of the 52-year lease for the property and the full board is expected to approve the deal next Friday.

That's a nice TOD project, and hopefully it will be a big success with more to follow.

Is it strange that a transit-oriented development is entirely surrounded by a parking lot? It seems more like a car-oriented development located near a transit stop.

And maybe that's more appropriate given the area. I'm unfamiliar with it. It's just that this exemplifies how we often don't even realize how car-oriented we are. It's to such a degree that whenever the tiniest bit of transit is thrown in, that's enough to qualify as transit oriented. To me, being located near a transit-stop does not enough to qualify as transit-oriented.

Jonboy1983 · #**16033** Posted **Mar 17, 2016, 10:27 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by dfiler

Is it strange that a transit-oriented development is entirely surrounded by a parking lot? It seems more like a car-oriented development located near a transit stop.

And maybe that's more appropriate given the area. I'm unfamiliar with it. It's just that this exemplifies how we often don't even realize how car-oriented we are. It's to such a degree that whenever the tiniest bit of transit is thrown in, that's enough to qualify as transit oriented. To me, being located near a transit-stop does not enough to qualify as transit-oriented.

That is a good point. I think a good example of what TOD -- TRUE TOD should be is what you'd find immediately adjacent to the Dunn-Loring metro station along WMATA's Orange Line near Falls Church, VA. Ballston and Rosslyn, VA also come to mind.

themaguffin · #**16034** Posted **Mar 18, 2016, 12:50 AM**

Quote:

What a weird place! I get attacked as a troll just because I'm a conservative patriot while others can insult me as much as they want!

Also, how slow it's been for a supposedly booming city this year. Maybe the hype is ending.

"conservative patriot"

Thanks for the one laugh before you get banned again.

Cro Burnham · #**16035** Posted **Mar 18, 2016, 2:14 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by themaguffin

"conservative patriot"

Thanks for the one laugh . . . .

A person who feels the need to portray himself as a "conservative patriot" is, like a restaurant that needs to proclaim it has "great food" on its entrance marquee, invariably full of crap.

Real patriots are content to keep it to themselves and demonstrate patriotism through actions. Insecure phonies use stickers, ribbons, pins, buttons, and slogans.