The Pittsburgh makeover
Hamilton group finds striking similarities, inspiration
March 19, 2010
Meredith Macleod
The Hamilton Spectator
PITTSBURGH
http://www.thespec.com/News/Local/article/740050
The possibilities are apparent on every street corner as a group of Hamiltonians travel this Pennsylvania city that is transforming itself from a steel power to a white-collar metropolis based on research and medicine.
Amid gleaming corporate towers are heritage buildings that remind this contingent of home. An historic downtown hotel where the group is booked is eerily reminiscent, from the street and inside, of the dormant Royal Connaught Hotel in its heyday. The 596-room William Penn Omni Hotel is fully booked mid-week in March.
Mayor Fred Eisenberger, who leads the group of city staff and arts advocate Jeremy Freiburger, says he's hopeful the Connaught, owned by a powerful local consortium, will be revived. "I think it's only a matter of time. I'm quite optimistic about it," he says.
Just a stone's throw from the hotel is a former Gimbles department store that now serves as office space for ketchup giant Heinz. It bears more than a passing resemblance to the Lister Block that is undergoing redevelopment on James Street North.
There are several reminders of what's been lost in Hamilton, too. Pittsburgh's courthouse echoes the former City Hall that was torn down to make way for the Eaton Centre. A stretch of old theatres in Pittsburgh's Cultural District conjure up visions of the Century Theatre that was recently demolished. There are two incline railways that carry riders up Mt. Washington on the city's southern end, much like Hamilton once had.
The group excitedly talks about a return of an incline. Perhaps it could be a project of civic pride and Hamiltonians could pitch in to make it happen again, is one suggestion.
Pittsburgh has many of the elements Eisenberger wants for his city: a light rail system, a waterfront stadium, downtown employment. Much like Hamilton but on an even greater scale, the compact, pie-shaped Pittsburgh downtown is a bustling hub in the daytime. It literally clears out at the end of the day.
The visitors are clearly impressed by the conversion of former railyard lands that once served the city's steel industry. A couple of tracks remain and diners are often startled by the squeal of freight trains as they thunder past what is now a beautiful restaurant in a former grand train station.
Much like our city, there is plenty of work to do. There is a lot of vacant street level space and stretches of housing with boarded up windows just outside the core.
But the momentum is clearly here. Just ask Pittsburgh hockey, baseball and football fans who all enjoy new facilities.
While U.S. Steel maintains its headquarters in Pittsburgh, there is little profile for steel anymore. The giant's tower now bears the acronym UPMC, for its biggest tenant, University of Pittsburgh Medical Centre. Where steel was once made is now the Southside Works, a stretch of retailers, restaurants and condo-style apartments. The headquarters of American Eagle Outfitters is there and the only nod to steel is a series of parking garages named things like ingot, ladle and furnace.
Bill Strickland stepped in when the steel industry collapsed in the 1980s and helped local employers like Alcoa and Bayer train workers for its industries. His vocational school and a renowned arts program for high-school students are located about a 15-minute drive from the heart of the downtown in a waterfront industrial area.
The Manchester Bidwell Corporation offers an impressive array of opportunities for young people and adults who haven't been offered many elsewhere, says Strickland. The Hamilton group spent several hours touring the art and design studios, classrooms, culinary arts and horticultural facilities that make up the centre.
Strickland, who visited Hamilton a few months ago, wants to establish 100 centres like his around the U.S. and another 100 around the world. There are several in operation now and the first in Canada will be in Halifax. He encourages the Hamilton group to consider his model but warns that his standards are high.
"It's non-negotiable. We'll build a beautiful building wherever we go. Environment absolutely influences behaviour." The dynamic Strickland, who has convinced CEOs and politicians to hand over millions for his vision, is a firm believer that his students dress well, show up on time and are respectful and committed.
Eisenberger spent about half an hour with Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahl who, when elected three years ago at 26, was the youngest mayor of a major city in the U.S. He didn't know much about Hamilton, said Eisenberger, and seemed unaware of U.S. Steel's presence here.
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