PITTSBURGH | Development Rundown III

[BrianTH]

Originally Posted by eschaton

But I don't think Centre is that awful. Nodes like this and this could be built upon to make secondary business districts.

You are right there are individual corners like that which could be considered small local business districts, but I doubt they will ever be stitched together into something continuous in light of what is going on between them.

Edit: I'm also resigned to 5th Avenue in Oakland never really being walkable. The entire north face is taken up by Pitt/UPMC institutional uses, and I think the south face will slowly get eaten away to make new towers. Thankfully Forbes is a pretty high-quality commercial street for several blocks - and it can be extended further in towards Downtown.

Yeah, institutions in theory can be required to provide "street walls" occupied by general public-serving tenants, occupying the upper floors for themselves. But there seems to be like zero interest in any such requirements around here.

[eschaton]

McKight Realty Partners (owners of the Oliver Building and The Highline, among other) has purchased 1700 Smallman Street, a historic warehouse the next block up from McCaffery's redevelopment.

It sounds like there's no immediate plans to kick out the old owners/current tenants (Mahla antiques) but presumably they will move towards restoring/improving the building, with conversion into office space or residential eventually.

Note that although it's not clear, the building does take up an entire block.

[BrianTH]

Originally Posted by eschaton

McKight Realty Partners (owners of the Oliver Building and The Highline, among other) has purchased 1700 Smallman Street, a historic warehouse the next block up from McCaffery's redevelopment.

It sounds like there's no immediate plans to kick out the old owners/current tenants (Mahla antiques) but presumably they will move towards restoring/improving the building, with conversion into office space or residential eventually.

Note that although it's not clear, the building does take up an entire block.

The first set of redone warehouses next door are looking quite swank:

https://www.google.com/maps/@40.4502...7i16384!8i8192

So I definitely think this is the right trajectory.

[WillyC]

Has the Cricket Lounge gone out of business or is this becoming a Pittsburgh tradition where the fancy schools are located next to a strip club?

[BrianTH]

This article about Five Below possibly joining Target and a relocating Burlington in the former Kaufmann's building turns into a general roundup at the end:

https://www.post-gazette.com/busines...s/202110220070

Five Below is a rapidly growing chain based in Philly but now in 38 states that is basically like a dollar store, except they offer products up to $5 (a few above), and they are also specifically marketed at tweens and teens with an upbeat "fun" vibe (although I personally like their stores too). They've got some locations in the suburbs (Ross, Waterworks, Robinson, etc.), but this would be their first in the core.

As for the roundup:

Since taking over the stalled Kaufmann’s Grand redevelopment last year, Philadelphia-based Lubert-Adler has poured $40 million into the building.

It has finished all 311 apartments, a 410-space parking garage, and added amenities like a rooftop basketball court that will be converted into an ice skating rink in the winter.

It also is in the process of buying the Pittsburgher, formerly known as the Lawyers Building, at 428 Forbes across from Kaufmann’s, with plans to convert it from offices to apartments.

Lubert-Adler also is working with Cleveland-based Stark Enterprises to transform another old department store — Frank & Seder — across from Kaufmann’s Grand on Smithfield into another mixed-use development that could include offices, apartments, and retail.

This seems to be firming up Lubert-Adler's role in revitalizing the Frank & Seder project. Around this time last year, Stark reportedly had plans to turn a lot of it into a co-working complex. This Pittsburgh Magazine feature back in August said Lubert-Adler was "in the early stages of considering a $50 million partnership in Cleveland-based Stark Enterprises’ Smith & Fifth, a mixed-use retail and residential development in the former Frank & Seder department store":

https://www.pittsburghmagazine.com/r...still-ticking/

As that article elaborates, Lubert-Adler sees this as an emerging "district", and it would in fact be nice of the Frank & Seder project finally got done.

Now about that CVS building at that corner . . . .

[eschaton]

If anyone wants a laugh, look at this "presentation" that OPDC put together regarding Walnut Capital's plan. The audience here seems to be the local neighborhood watch group. I particularly like the claim that drive-thru businesses will be built in the area (despite zoning changes to ban them now working through City Council), or that a wastewater treatment plant may be located there. Plus the pictures of "redevelopment" they show.

[BrianTH]

Originally Posted by eschaton

If anyone wants a laugh, look at this "presentation" that OPDC put together regarding Walnut Capital's plan. The audience here seems to be the local neighborhood watch group. I particularly like the claim that drive-thru businesses will be built in the area (despite zoning changes to ban them now working through City Council), or that a wastewater treatment plant may be located there. Plus the pictures of "redevelopment" they show.

And they actually have a point about the affordable housing requirement being rather weak, which to me is undermined by burning their credibility on those allowed use claims.

But I suppose the affordable housing requirement could be beefed up without the project being killed, which is probably not their goal.

[SouthCentralPA]

Originally Posted by eschaton

If anyone wants a laugh, look at this "presentation" that OPDC put together regarding Walnut Capital's plan. The audience here seems to be the local neighborhood watch group. I particularly like the claim that drive-thru businesses will be built in the area (despite zoning changes to ban them now working through City Council), or that a wastewater treatment plant may be located there. Plus the pictures of "redevelopment" they show.

Wow, that's incredible that they think they would ever put a wastewater treatment plant there... and those pictures are top notch!

[eschaton]

Originally Posted by SouthCentralPA

Wow, that's incredible that they think they would ever put a wastewater treatment plant there... and those pictures are top notch!

Maybe I was being too subtitle in my sarcasm, but this is not a good-faith effort to inform the general public. This is a purposefully inflammatory presentation designed to piss off whoever attended the neighborhood watch meeting today and make them raise holy hell with Kraus and Lavelle. It's specifically constructed to incite NIMBY fear and radicalize people.

[eschaton]

Looks like we're soon getting an inclusionary zoning overlay for Bloomfield and Polish Hill.

Seems like a waste, TBH. There's not all that many large developable parcels in either neighborhood which would allow for developments of a large enough scope to apply (20+ units). I suppose it will apply to whatever is done with the Shop 'n Save site. I don't see much more opportunity, but it's possible another new apartment building is constructed somewhere along Baum Boulevard along the fringes of the neighborhood.

For Polish Hill, the development along Liberty by Herron Avenue is already underway - as are the townhouses by the Busway - but there's the potential for a few other 'technically in Polish Hill" areas along Liberty to get redeveloped into larger-scale apartments.

[eschaton]

A DC-area developer is on the precipice of buying the empty 640-642 Fort Duquesne Boulevard building owned by Mark Cuban.

Looks like the plans are to convert it to about 140 apartments - nearly twice the number Cuban was considering. This is largely because Cuban planned for a mixed-use building with some office space, whereas the new owners want to go strictly residential.

[BrianTH]

Originally Posted by eschaton

Looks like we're soon getting an inclusionary zoning overlay for Bloomfield and Polish Hill.

Seems like a waste, TBH. There's not all that many large developable parcels in either neighborhood which would allow for developments of a large enough scope to apply (20+ units). I suppose it will apply to whatever is done with the Shop 'n Save site. I don't see much more opportunity, but it's possible another new apartment building is constructed somewhere along Baum Boulevard along the fringes of the neighborhood.

For Polish Hill, the development along Liberty by Herron Avenue is already underway - as are the townhouses by the Busway - but there's the potential for a few other 'technically in Polish Hill" areas along Liberty to get redeveloped into larger-scale apartments.

Yeah, as we were discussing earlier, I personally think that zone west of the Neville/Busway ravine, going up the slope, is maybe the most promising area for some significant development in that vicinity. But that's North Oakland and Upper Hill. Bloomfield and Polish Hill cut off right before you are in that zone.

[BrianTH]

Originally Posted by eschaton

A DC-area developer is on the precipice of buying the empty 640-642 Fort Duquesne Boulevard building owned by Mark Cuban.

Looks like the plans are to convert it to about 140 apartments - nearly twice the number Cuban was considering. This is largely because Cuban planned for a mixed-use building with some office space, whereas the new owners want to go strictly residential.

Yeah, I think Cuban's plan was something like residential on 6-9, office on 2-5. Sign of the times it might all be residential now.

The article also noted they could do a 3-5 story addition on top. But off hand, I am not sure they would need that for 140 units, if they are doing all the existing floors.

[eschaton]

Mozart Management is planning on demolishing two chopped up single family homes and building a new 131-unit apartment building in Shadyside.

Location is here. Indovina will be the designer, and PJ Dick will be the contractor. There will also be a first-story storefront area which may involve commercial space.

I may be misremembering things, but I think there were plans for a smaller-scale building replacing these at one point? Also I'm pretty sure I've seen plans to expand the adjacent Arlington building (also owned by Mozart) with a new wing occupying the surface lot on Centre. Maybe these were the same project?

Looks like they have a presentation going before both the Shadyside Action Coalition and the Baum-Centre Corridor Initiative for Thursday. Can't find documentation online though.

[BrianTH]

Originally Posted by eschaton

Mozart Management is planning on demolishing two chopped up single family homes and building a new 131-unit apartment building in Shadyside.

Location is here. Indovina will be the designer, and PJ Dick will be the contractor. There will also be a first-story storefront area which may involve commercial space.

I may be misremembering things, but I think there were plans for a smaller-scale building replacing these at one point? Also I'm pretty sure I've seen plans to expand the adjacent Arlington building (also owned by Mozart) with a new wing occupying the surface lot on Centre. Maybe these were the same project?

Looks like they have a presentation going before both the Shadyside Action Coalition and the Baum-Centre Corridor Initiative for Thursday. Can't find documentation online though.

Yeah, bmust found some renderings on the Indovina website which we discussed back in February:

https://skyscraperpage.com/forum/sho...17#post9180517

You are correctly recalling the portion where the houses are located was rendered as relatively low scale, but there was a much bigger building on Centre:





I'd say that latest report is at least consistent with those renderings, or some sort of evolution of them.

[SouthCentralPA]

Originally Posted by eschaton

Maybe I was being too subtitle in my sarcasm, but this is not a good-faith effort to inform the general public. This is a purposefully inflammatory presentation designed to piss off whoever attended the neighborhood watch meeting today and make them raise holy hell with Kraus and Lavelle. It's specifically constructed to incite NIMBY fear and radicalize people.

Oh I understood, I was just reiterating the absurdity of what the presentation was showing.

[ragerunner5]

Last week I visited Pittsburgh for the first time and loved it. I put together a video of my walk around downtown and thought you might enjoy it. The weather was perfect and the sky was deep blue.
I will be putting together a few neighborhood videos soon and will post them as well, if you are interested.

• Video Link

[SouthCentralPA]

Originally Posted by ragerunner5

Last week I visited Pittsburgh for the first time and loved it. I put together a video of my walk around downtown and thought you might enjoy it. The weather was perfect and the sky was deep blue.
I will be putting together a few neighborhood videos soon and will post them as well, if you are interested.

As someone who doesn't live there, I enjoyed seeing all the different views. Thanks for sharing! I would love to see the other videos.

[ragerunner5]

Originally Posted by SouthCentralPA

As someone who doesn't live there, I enjoyed seeing all the different views. Thanks for sharing! I would love to see the other videos.

Thanks for the feedback. I will post the other neighborhood videos soon.

[DoctorDevelopment]

Originally Posted by ragerunner5

Last week I visited Pittsburgh for the first time and loved it. I put together a video of my walk around downtown and thought you might enjoy it. The weather was perfect and the sky was deep blue.
I will be putting together a few neighborhood videos soon and will post them as well, if you are interested.

Thanks for sharing. Glad you enjoyed your time in Pittsburgh. I recently returned to working Downtown, and there is certainly something special about getting to spend so much time in the heart of the city.

Glad you ended the video with shots around sunset. That's an especially beautiful time to be Downtown with the bridges, rivers, and lights of the buildings.