PITTSBURGH | Development Rundown III

[Austinlee]

Originally Posted by eschaton

Smithfield Café building redevelopment is going forward with a new developer. Looks like there's a new design with some large outdoor porches for some of the units.



Still not happy there's only a single-story building on the side lot, but it's better than the three vacant buildings there now.

Unit count is gonna be way smaller than when it was planned as apartments though, with no more than 1-2 units per floor.

Wow, it looks really good though. I kinda like it.

[BrianTH]

Originally Posted by Austinlee

Wow, it looks really good though. I kinda like it.

I do get a sort of "decadent use of space" vibe, but that is not necessarily a bad thing. Downtown might well be in the midst of a rather serious change of personality due to the pandemic accelerating various work and living trends. So packing every volume available with cubicles or small apartments units is not necessarily the right move for that new emerging Downtown.

[eschaton]

I do wonder what they're doing with the skinnier building which is between the large one and the parking garage. It was involved in the previous redevelopment, but the article says 6-12 units in the building, which seems to imply they're only talking about the large one.

On the other hand, the façade is clearly redone in that rendering for the skinnier building as well. The floor plates do not align properly at all, so are they planning to have step-up lofts? Or is that going to be a phase 2 residential project?

[pj3000]

Tree of Life Synagogue in Squirrel redesign renderings

Tree of Life announces plans for museum, memorial at synagogue shooting site

https://www.post-gazette.com/news/fa...s/202205030088

The new structure is set to include a “dramatic skylight” that will run the entire length of the building, ushering in light and creating the main axis that connects a series of programmatic spaces for the various needs of the institution, officials said. Along the so-called “Path of Light” will be a museum, the “Space of Memory,” intended as an area of reflection and remembrance, and a modernized sanctuary for worship and communal events.

No timeframe for the project has been announced. More information about programming and the building is set to come in November.

The new center will be housed in an approximately 45,000-square-foot building at the corner of Shady and Wilkins avenues in the same footprint where the synagogue now stands. It is being designed by Studio Libeskind, in collaboration with Rothschild Doyno Collaborative of Pittsburgh.

The design incorporates historic building elements, including stained-glass windows depicting stories of American and Jewish history. The limestone façade of the building located at the corner of Wilkins and Shady will also be maintained.

The “Path of Light” will stretch from that portion of the building to the entire length of the structure down Wilkins Avenue.

[BrianTH]

Originally Posted by pj3000

Tree of Life Synagogue in Squirrel redesign renderings

That looks like it could be really beautiful, and in fact emotional.

[SEFTA]

Originally Posted by eschaton

I have to say, I don't see how this development has 60 townhouses included, looking at the renderings. I only see 20 townhouses here - four rows of five each.

That said, I'm unclear what the two medium-sized six-story buildings internal to the site are. Maybe they're both 20-unit condo buildings, but not true townhouses?

This is a truly transformational project. I'm really pulling for this one.

[shantyside]

Originally Posted by BrianTH

That looks like it could be really beautiful, and in fact emotional.

back in architecture school in the late 80's daniel libeskind was the man - before he started his building career he was making these amazing experimental drawings that we would stare at and study for hours - so wild my bus passes by that site and i'm gonna get to see one of his creations get built

http://fineartdrawinglca.blogspot.co...libeskind.html

[Austinlee]

^Whoa, I didn't know he was the MC Escher of architectural drawings.

I love Daniel Libeskind's work. This looks like a great design.
His Keppel Bay project in Singapore is one of my favorites in the world:

[BrianTH]

Originally Posted by Austinlee

I love Daniel Libeskind's work. This looks like a great design.
His Keppel Bay project in Singapore is one of my favorites in the world

Like a SciFi book cover come to life! Which to me is a very good thing.

[Austinlee]

Originally Posted by BrianTH

Like a SciFi book cover come to life! Which to me is a very good thing.

Yeah, I love it. Google image search Keppel Bay: It looks good from so many different angles.

[pj3000]

Come on, PPG!... what are you waiting for??


PwC plans to add its name to the top of Downtown's One Oxford Centre

https://www.post-gazette.com/busines...s/202205100050

[bmust71]

The latest update below from Local CRE expert Jeff Burd. It's nice to see the research building on Forbes moving forward. I thought that was dead after a long period of not hearing anything. Also nice to see Continental breaking ground soon.

Wexford hires Turner for $70M 3440 Forbes tower. Massaro awarded GC on $44M Cargo Bldg 4. $30M Customs & Border pkg out to bid at airport TMP. Continental starting 108-unit North Shore Apts.

[BrianTH]

"The Park" has broken ground at SouthSide Works:

https://nextpittsburgh.com/city-desi...uthside-works/

This is in the riverfront space between Hofbrauhaus and the marina, so is filling a very important gap:

https://www.google.com/maps/place/So...!4d-79.9661238

Generally speaking, as these things go I like the design--it has a bit of an organic feel that I think makes it seem a little more substantial/interesting:







The article also includes this note:

SomeraRoad has been trying to change the trajectory of SouthSide Works. While office and residential demand has been solid, the retail component has languished as the site lost its movie theater and shops, including national chains such as Sur La Table. SomeraRoad announced it is spending approximately $137 million to redevelop the property and attract locally-owned businesses, such as The Speckled Egg and Commonplace Coffee.

More residents will mean more shoppers and more foot traffic for the planned public spaces, which include a dog park, playground and community garden. A sign in front of the Town Center, which is currently under construction, indicates that Lucha Street Tacos, Slice on Broadway and Smoking Ghost BBQ are on the way.

Also at SouthSide Works, the former movie theater is being transformed into the Box Office, which will house office space for tech firms. The Box Office will also be the home of Pins Mechanical Co., a 30,000-square-foot entertainment complex that pairs duckpin bowling, classic pinball and arcade games with cocktails and beer.

We happened to have been at Hofbrauhaus just recently, and it definitely feels like an area in transition. But I am reasonably confident it can successfully make that transition away from a regional retail center to more of a walkable mixed office/residential/local-retail vibe. That is certainly how things are headed in general, and it remains a lovely and central setting.

[CaptainJilliams]

Last time I was at Hofbrauhaus was 2017 for a bachelor party, and I knew that land next door was screaming for infill. Really exciting to finally see something go up here!

[eschaton]

Planning Commission agenda is now up for May 17th. There are two items on the agenda - substantial residential projects downtown which have been bubbling along for awhile, but will now be officially up for a vote.

1. The smaller of the two projects is the residential conversion of 642 Fort Duquense Boulevard. This will result in 142 units of new housing across the nine stories of the structure. They're going with strict residential, with only a lobby on the first floor (no retail) which I think makes sense given how little foot traffic Ft. Duquense has (and the down-cycle for Downtown retail). Restoring appropriate windows and taking out the ground-floor garage doors will make a big difference in terms of curb appeal. They also plan a total rebuild of the sidewalk. The building will also include three accessible units. Not too much else to say on this one - limited information.

2. The other project is the long-planned new City Club Apartments tower on the YMCA site. At some point the developers hired Indovina, and while there are still some...odd...choices in terms of the façade (not sure how I feel about the terra-cotta accent color on a building that tall, or the randomly scattered bay windows and balconies), it's much sharper than back when it went to the ZBA. Total unit count is 300, of which 6 units are accessible, and 30 affordable.

So, between these two projects, we're talking about 442 additional units downtown. A big move up.

[pj3000]

Love the proposed City Club apartment tower by Indovina

[202_Cyclist]

Future of transportation: Could we ever see the ‘T’ go to Pittsburgh International Airport?

By Jennifer Tomazic
WPXI-TV
May 11, 2022

"PITTSBURGH — What is the future of transportation in a city that has long relied on public transportation?

“Our city was built on street cars,” said Katharine Kelleman, CEO of the Port Authority.

But what about T cars, specifically ones that go out to the airport?"

https://www.wpxi.com/news/local/futu...J5KOGEDRPBFTY/

[H2O]

Originally Posted by pj3000

Tree of Life Synagogue in Squirrel redesign renderings

Tree of Life announces plans for museum, memorial at synagogue shooting site

https://www.post-gazette.com/news/fa...s/202205030088

Wow, it's actually a Libeskind! My first reaction to the rendering is that somebody was doing their best Libeskind impersonation. Looks like a more positive outcome emanating from a very terrible event.

[photoLith]

Originally Posted by pj3000

Love the proposed City Club apartment tower by Indovina

Man, thats awesome. Always hated that ugly YMCA building. Hopefully this happens.

[BrianTH]

Originally Posted by pj3000

Love the proposed City Club apartment tower by Indovina

I like it too!

One of the things I always like to say about Downtown Pittsburgh is it is like an architectural museum in that we have good representatives of virtually every major American style of "Downtown" buildings from a very long period of time. I like some styles/eras better than others, but it is cool to have them all represented well.

And this looks to me like a good representation of the current era of Downtown residential buildings.