PITTSBURGH l 350 Fifth Ave l FT l 33 FLOORS

[Gilamonster]

With the Gardens at Market Square construction starting, this project is next in the air off the tarmac. I'm still holding out hope for the skyscraper option and I think Oxford is as well. The properties have been empty for half of a year and they could have started remodeling a long time ago if that was the option they wanted. It would be cool to have three biggies going up at once in a 2 block radius. The Gardens is technically a midrise but it is going to be quite a wide building and have a big presence since it will be essentially adjacent to Market Square which is open air. If the skyscraper is chosen by Oxford, It probably wouldn't get underway until PNC is topped out but regardless it would be nice to have 2 new skyscrapers in the city.

[Evergrey]

updated renderings

Originally Posted by Urbana

Found some real renderings of Oxford's 350 Fifth skyscraper on DLA's website. It said that it was designed in association with Gensler for an "private client." I am really liking it form some angles but am still a but unsure. Not sure what this means for their search for an anchor tenant.



^^^Can anyone tell what the company logo on top is?









Image credit: DLA Architecture

http://www.dlastorino.com/studio/

[bmust71]

Wow, those are much nicer than the original. Do you know when these were released?

[TexasRE]

It would be nice to see this project get built to maintain the progress of downtown Pittsburgh. Pittsburgh is another city that I would really like to have some healthy growth. The architecture in the city is 1 of the best in the country. What downtown really needs is to continue growing its residential population.

[Austinlee]

Originally Posted by TexasRE

It would be nice to see this project get built to maintain the progress of downtown Pittsburgh. Pittsburgh is another city that I would really like to have some healthy growth. The architecture in the city is 1 of the best in the country. What downtown really needs is to continue growing its residential population.

Thanks for the support.

[Gilamonster]

Zzzzzzzzzzzzzz

[Evergrey]

Originally Posted by Gilamonster

Zzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Oxford has downsized the tower proposal to 20 stories. New rendering looks better despite the size reduction...

Oxford pitches new Downtown office tower

August 8, 2014 12:00 AM

By Mark Belko / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Oxford Development Company is pitching a revised plan for a new office tower Downtown — 20 stories instead of 33 with a soaring 18-foot-high lobby and a host of eco-friendly features.

Dubbed 350 Fifth, the new high-rise would be built on the west side of Smithfield Street between Forbes and Fifth avenues, replacing an existing Oxford-owned building, which would be demolished.

For two years, the developer has been debating whether to renovate the nearly vacant building at 441 Smithfield at a cost of $40 million or build a new 33-story high-rise at the site. But it was unable to secure the anchor tenant needed to make the latter work.

Wanting to leave its own imprint on Downtown’s resurgence, it has now settled on a third option — a striking 20-story glass and aluminum tower envisioned for multiple tenants.

In its marketing materials, Oxford touted the new building as the “most efficient Class A high-rise in Pittsburgh” with a “smart” design intended to make the space more cost effective for its users.

The 521,000-square-foot project is expected to cost $190 million to $200 million. In addition to the office square footage, Oxford is planning street level retail and restaurant space and underground parking for more than 100 vehicles.

...

Here's the tower website:

http://www.3505thpittsburgh.com/

[Muckk]

I was checking on this project just yesterday. Then this morning my dad asks if I'm aware of it because he read the most recent article. I felt momentarily out of the loop because I was just freakin' here. Guess I came in a day early. I'm not bothered too much by the height reduction. It still looks like a classy design. I say build the thing.

[Gilamonster]

20 stories huh? What a non-surprise. Check out post #58.

[AaronPGH]

Oxford, please just stop.

[Austinlee]

Originally Posted by Gilamonster

20 stories huh? What a non-surprise. Check out post #58.

you nailed it.

[Gilamonster]

I think it's a pretty nice looking modern glass tower. At 20 stories though, that thing will barely be visible outside of a few blocks away.

[Evergrey]

Originally Posted by Gilamonster

At 20 stories though, that thing will barely be visible outside of a few blocks away.

Which is a credit to Downtown Pittsburgh's density and verticality. This tower would have a dominant presence in say... Dayton or Syracuse or Charleston, WV.

(maybe I shouldn't go there...)

[Evergrey]

"Urban Genius"

[AaronPGH]

Originally Posted by Evergrey

"Urban Genius"

Urban Ripoff. Maybe they got a discount from Gensler on used plans.

[qwho]

Honestly, renovate the existing building, and don't build a copy of 3 PNC...

[Evergrey]

Architect is Gensler... again...

http://www.post-gazette.com/business...s/201408150056

Oxford Development working to once again leave its mark on skyline with ‘world class’ tower
August 15, 2014 12:00 AM

By Mark Belko / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

In the early 1980s, Oxford Development Co. was a key contributor to the city’s second renaissance with construction of 45-story One Oxford Centre on Grant Street.

Nearly 35 years later, the developer once again is looking to leave its mark on the Downtown skyline — this time with a 20-story office tower it is billing as the most efficient in the city.

In an interview Thursday, Steven Guy, Oxford’s CEO, said it was “absolutely important” for the company and its ownership “to do another great legacy project for the community.”

“There are few times in a city’s history that a city is ready and capable of accepting a new product — something world class, something that makes a difference — and this is one of those times,” he said from his office on the top floor of One Oxford Centre.

Oxford hopes to start construction of the $192 million glass and aluminum tower in the second quarter of 2015 with completion expected in 2018. It would be built on Oxford-owned property on Smithfield Street between Fifth and Forbes avenues, with an existing building there to be demolished.

The company settled on a 20-story tower after considering two other options for the site for the last two years. One was a new $238 million, 33-story skyscraper for which Oxford was unable to secure an anchor tenant.

The other was a proposed $40 million renovation of the existing building, but that received “no market support,” Mr. Guy said.

Sent back to the drawing board, Oxford came up with its newest plan — the 20-story high-rise designed very deliberately to maximize the use of every inch of space, thus saving tenants money.

In the month or so that Oxford has been marketing the project, it has been well received, with interest from both national and local companies, Mr. Guy said.


...

[Urbana]

So I guess they are dead set on this plan. I am disappointed, but not as much as I thought. It will be a fine tower at what I reckon to be 350 feet - just nothing to write home about.

[Urbana]

It will have more of an impact on the skyline than I anticipated.

Originally Posted by Urbana

Another rendering from Oxford's website:



http://www.oxforddevelopment.com/our...-fifth-avenue/

[photoLith]

Pretty much yawn inducing and to think they are tearing down a perfectly fine historic building for this suburban Houston like building. It wont even make an impact hardly at all on the skyline.