PITTSBURGH | Development Rundown III

[pj3000]

And one more...

Choppin’ Block, a grab-and-go BBQ joint, opening in the Strip

https://www.nextpittsburgh.com/eatdr...-in-the-strip/

The owners of Atria’s and Juniper Grill are opening a grab-and-go barbecue joint in the Strip District later this month, offering Pittsburgh a stripped-down version of their usual full-service business model.

Choppin’ Block BBQ & Smokehouse opens on June 21, bringing wings, ribs, pulled pork, turkey, brisket, sausage links, bone-in chicken and an array of side dishes to lunchtime crowds.

Located at 2627 Penn Ave. in the former Opening Night Caterers facility and next to Savoy, the 480-square-foot eatery is set up like a deli, with walk-up counter service and outdoor seating available Tuesday through Sunday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

[photoLith]

They don't need to remove the trees, just clean up the vines and stuff

[patriotizzy]

Originally Posted by qwho

Strip district - Boy, I hope they clean up some of the trees along the river, what a mess.

What's wrong with you? Greenery is essential in a thriving happy city.

[Minivan Werner]

What is that, kudzu? Yeah that’s gotta go.

[GeneW]

Originally Posted by Minivan Werner

What is that, kudzu? Yeah that’s gotta go.

I don't think that there's any kudzu this far north. It's mostly english ivy and wild grape vines.

[pj3000]

Originally Posted by photoLith

They don't need to remove the trees, just clean up the vines and stuff

Right. Clean out any invasives, but leave the trees and moderate undergrowth. Natural riverbanks favorable for numerous reasons/functions including stability/erosion resistance, flood control, runoff filtration, habitat, aesthetics, etc. Creating some access points/"vistas" is likely planned. Though I have a feeling that we'll see many of the riverbank trees come down on the Allegheny and the Mon so apartment residents can get their unobstructed views of the brown water.

[bmust71]

Walnut Capital's second office building and garage at bakery square officially have the all clear:

https://www.bizjournals.com/pittsbur...or-bakery.html

Walnut Capital Partners now has the full go ahead from the city to cap off the final components of Bakery Square.

After a hearing of more than two and a half hours, the Pittsburgh Planning Commission voted to approve the development firm’s revisions to its master plan to add a new, taller nine-story office building along Penn Avenue as well as a new six-story parking garage of nearly 800 spaces on Dahlem Place on the Larimer side of the development.

The vote by the planning commission was unanimous but came with conditions, with a couple of commissioners not in attendance. The vote came on the heels of a signed consent order between Walnut Capital, the city of Pittsburgh and Allegheny Court of Common Pleas Judge Joseph James dated June 11 granting the development firm zoning approval to expand an office building plan originally limited to six stores. The project is now slated to be nine stories totaling more than 328,000 square feet.

The companion approvals are expected to enable Walnut Capital to add about $50 million in new development to Bakery Square — $30 million for the office building and $20 million for the garage, according to planning agenda materials. With these approvals, Walnut Capital can complete its 10-year-plus effort to turn a one-time empty industrial bakery building into a mixed-use hub and office address for major technology companies.

Gregg Perelmann, principal of Walnut Capital Partners said he was excited to get the approvals and move forward with the new garage and office building. He expects construction to be underway by October and to complete the two new structures within 24 months at time when the company is preparing to celebrate the 100-year anniversary of Bakery Square, whose origins are as a one-time industrial bakery for Nabisco.

The final approvals from the city came with plenty of debate and contention. In April, the Zoning Board of Adjustment rejected plans for of the taller building, resulting in Walnut Capital filing an appeal with the Allegheny Court of Common Pleas. That lead to mediation, resulting in the consent order signed Monday.

At the direction of Planning Commission Chair Christine Mondor, the commission added some conditions to their approval that included a measure that Walnut Capital work with planning department staff to craft a quality entry and passage into and past the new parking garage, which is being built as a potential complement to a new transit station for a neighboring site.

Mondor emphasized the garage project will mark a key entry point for the neighborhood of Larimer and advocated for a design that would treat it as a gateway to the neighborhood and not just the rear of Bakery Square.

Commissioner Fred Brown pushed for a new advisory board to be established to work with Walnut Capital Partners to better ensure that the Bakery Square development proves more beneficial in the long-term to many of the communities that neighbor it.

It was a vantage point exemplified by East Liberty resident Verna Johnson, who spoke out against the plan, expressing concern that public subsidy for the development hasn’t always benefited residents such as her.

“I’m disappointed that things have been said, but they don’t really show how we’re a part of it,” she said.

Laura Wiens, director for the advocacy organization Pittsburghers for Public Transit, spoke out against the level of public subsidy Walnut Capital has received and a garage she believed undermined the well-established public transit access in the vicinity of the development plan. Noting there were 10 bus stations within walking distance, she said a major parking garage would encourage more private car use.

“This is directly in opposition to all forms of transit-oriented development,” she said.

Among others, Walnut Capital said the plan was supported by Carnegie Mellon University and Councilman Ricky Burgess, in whose district the new garage will be located.

Burgess noted that Walnut Capital’s development of Bakery Square played a key role in the Larimer community securing a $30 million Choice Neighborhoods grant from the federal government that’s helping to revitalize the community.

Expressing his strong support for the plan, Burgess expects Bakery Square to help raise the fortunes of the often poor communities of his district.

“Even though you see this as a market rate development project, if you look at on a macro level, we will use it to impact the whole neighborhood,” he said.

The project, which has received various forms of public support, will contribute to a Transit Revitalization Investment District funding mechanism for public infrastructure needs and affordable housing.

But Brown noticed a lack of expressed support from community organizations in Larimer for the plan and believed Walnut Capital’s dealings with the neighborhood have been “more transactional than transformational.”


He added he believed Walnut Capital has exemplified “three of the four ‘Ps’” in Mayor Bill Peduto’s p4 development ideals of people, planet, place and performance.

“The ‘P’ that’s missing for me is the people,” he said.

Todd Reidbord, president of Walnut Capital, took some mild exception to that characterization, noting his work with Burgess. He said he believes that the Bakery Square development is helping to bring transformational change to Larimer.

But he conceded more could be done to work with the advisory board to improve relationships with the neighboring communities of Larimer and others, adding, “I’ll take it to heart. We want to make it better for everybody.”

In other matters, the planning commission approved a plan by Carnegie Mellon University to build a larger TCS Hall building on its campus.

IMO, the design for this building is way better than the existing one next door

One surprising thing is the building is projected to cost $30 million while the garage $20 million. I wouldn't guess the two to be close (building I would think to be 2x more) but I know nothing about construction.

[BrianTH]

If locals and neighborhood groups want input, it helps a lot to be concrete, and constructive. I see a lot of vague complaining about a lack of engagement, but it is often hard to figure out what they actually want.

[qwho]

Originally Posted by pj3000

Right. Clean out any invasives, but leave the trees and moderate undergrowth. Natural riverbanks favorable for numerous reasons/functions including stability/erosion resistance, flood control, runoff filtration, habitat, aesthetics, etc. Creating some access points/"vistas" is likely planned. Though I have a feeling that we'll see many of the riverbank trees come down on the Allegheny and the Mon so apartment residents can get their unobstructed views of the brown water.

What PJ said is what I meant by clean up... I think it is all knot weed on the bottom, much like all the banks were during my 'cruise'. I'm in agreement with keeping the actual trees.

[Nitwit]

Originally Posted by bmust71

IMO, the design for this building is way better than the existing one next door

One surprising thing is the building is projected to cost $30 million while the garage $20 million. I wouldn't guess the two to be close (building I would think to be 2x more) but I know nothing about construction.

I would definitely agree with you on the cost aspect. The article says the building is about 328,000 square feet, which means they plan to build it for around $91.50 per square foot. An office building of this size and height could reasonably be expected to cost around $150 or more per square foot, so I am not sure how they plan on doing it for 60% of that cost. At any rate, I think this project is a win for the area.

[eschaton]

Originally Posted by GeneW

I don't think that there's any kudzu this far north. It's mostly english ivy and wild grape vines.

Kudzu was first found in Allegheny County back in 2006. It's definitely invasive here now, albeit not predominant yet like in the South.

[eschaton]

URA agenda up for the meeting tomorrow. These agendas are never as detailed as what goes in front of the city boards, but there are some interesting items.

1. The first public meetings about the redevelopment of Lexington Technology Park in Point Breeze North have begun. I actually saw the postings about the meetings on the wall when I was shopping at the Co-Op last weekend. IIRC the general one has already happened, but a later one on housing has yet to occur.

2. $2.1 million in funds are going to an engineering firm to help prepare development for the second phase of Summerset at Frick Park (the part which will be in Swisshelm Park)

3. Sale of the Woods House in Hazelwood to a private firm to be made into a Scottish pub (which has been covered in the HRC presentations) is being finalized.

4. The URA is selling off a number of properties in Manchester to a private developer. Many are vacant lots, but it also includes stands of small alley rowhouses here and here. IIRC there were rehab proposals for these in front of the HRC in previous months, so hopefully something happens here soon.

5. The URA is moving along with a transfer of the Broad Street Plaza to the City of Pittsburgh. This area is a terrible remnant of the urban renewal era. They stopped allowing cars to park in the surface spaces some time ago for reasons I'm not entirely sure of. Hopefully the redesign makes the block more pedestrian friendly and attractive.

[pj3000]

Originally Posted by BrianTH

If locals and neighborhood groups want input, it helps a lot to be concrete, and constructive. I see a lot of vague complaining about a lack of engagement, but it is often hard to figure out what they actually want.

Right, unfortunately the initial outcry often seems to be dominated by two camps... one that has a NIMBY attitude and is against it for the sake of being against it... and another that when it comes down to it is looking for a handout of some sort as if they are entitled to it because it is their neighborhood. Finding that third middle ground camp which often has constructive ideas for what the neighborhood actually needs is difficult.


Also... "Mondor emphasized the garage project will mark a key entry point for the neighborhood of Larimer and advocated for a design that would treat it as a gateway to the neighborhood and not just the rear of Bakery Square."

Maybe I'm not fully understanding the layout planned, but given the propsed location of the parking garage, how will it really serve as a "key entry point" or "gateway" to the Larimer neighborhood?

I know that it is potentially part of a proposed transit hub at the busway, but I still don't see it as a natural "gateway" to Larimer specifically... considering you have the busway, two sets of railroad tracks, and then a multiple block industrial and warehouse tract (that probably covers double the acreage of the Bakery Square footprint) before you even get into the actual neighborhood of Larimer. Connection to the neighborhood/access for residents is obviously important. However, it just seems a bit clumsy to force something that might not really be there. The planning commission has some do-gooders who don't always seem to be realistic about the development context.

[eschaton]

Originally Posted by pj3000

I know that it is potentially part of a proposed transit hub at the busway, but I still don't see it as a natural "gateway" to Larimer specifically... considering you have the busway, two sets of railroad tracks, and then a multiple block industrial and warehouse tract (that probably covers double the acreage of the Bakery Square footprint) before you even get into the actual neighborhood of Larimer. Connection to the neighborhood/access for residents is obviously important. However, it just seems a bit clumsy to force something that might not really be there. The planning commission has some do-gooders who don't always seem to be realistic about the development context.

I believe the idea here is that once the pedestrian bridge is constructed, they want to make it inviting for people to cross the bridge into Larimer to shop and wander around.

Of course, the logical outcome of the busway stop is going to be that Larimer - or at least the Hamilton Ave corridor - begins to gentrify. I believe Walnut Capital has all but said that if the busway stop is built they plan to start assembling a "Phase 2" campus deeper in Larimer. And that part of Larimer is already attracting "gentrified businesses" like East End Brewing, CrossFit Pittsburgh, Grow Pittsburgh, Absolute Ballroom & Dance, etc.

[pj3000]

Originally Posted by eschaton

I believe the idea here is that once the pedestrian bridge is constructed, they want to make it inviting for people to cross the bridge into Larimer to shop and wander around.

Of course, the logical outcome of the busway stop is going to be that Larimer - or at least the Hamilton Ave corridor - begins to gentrify. I believe Walnut Capital has all but said that if the busway stop is built they plan to start assembling a "Phase 2" campus deeper in Larimer. And that part of Larimer is already attracting "gentrified businesses" like East End Brewing, CrossFit Pittsburgh, Grow Pittsburgh, Absolute Ballroom & Dance, etc.

Right... that's really the only "gateway" I see happening in the future. Redevelopment of the warehouse/industrial area into a destination, which will then bleed into the Larimer neighborhood proper, resulting in significant gentrification. Which is 100% fine with me, but it's quite ironic that there are some hardcore anti-gentrification planning commission members who's recommedations will lead to the exact outcome that they are supposedly attempting to somehow protect against.

[eschaton]

Originally Posted by pj3000

Right... that's really the only "gateway" I see happening in the future. Redevelopment of the warehouse/industrial area into a destination, which will then bleed into the Larimer neighborhood proper, resulting in significant gentrification. Which is 100% fine with me, but it's quite ironic that there are some hardcore anti-gentrification planning commission members who's recommedations will lead to the exact outcome that they are supposedly attempting to somehow protect against.

Larimer actually seems like a very, very easy neighborhood to gentrify to me. Population density is very low, with some blocks having only one (or even no) houses on it. Much of the remaining population are elderly homeowners who are going to age in place and die off. It's very self-contained, with few connections to the outside except for its margin with East Liberty. Obviously the new mixed-income stuff is going to stick around indefinitely, but the remainder of the neighborhood could flip pretty rapidly.

Of course, the question is if/when prices raise enough to warrant market-rate infill. Even Garfield isn't there yet. But I could easily see something unfolding over the next few decades where a few major market-rate apartment buildings are built in the Hamilton corridor, which leads young hipster types to buy houses when they come on the market, slowly eroding Larimer's status as a black neighborhood.

[wpipkins2]

Originally Posted by bmust71

IMO, the design for this building is way better than the existing one next door

I like both designs and the two buildings will compliment one another very well. This new larger building will be the icing on the cake. The canyon will be impressive traveling down Penn Ave.

[BrianTH]

I agree with the commentary above about the likely future of that part of (and maybe all of) Larimer. I'm also a little skeptical a lot of people will use that as a through-path to get from that part of Larimer to Bakery Square and vice versa (as opposed to arriving at the station and going one way or the other).

But that being said, I agree with the substantive requirement. It will be a "gateway" to at least Bakery Square in the sense people will get off the Busway there. And if that area on the other side of the Busway is going to become a highly-active redevelopment zone, the way the garage and such looks from that side should be decent.

And Mondor is right about the renderings in the presentation--the end facing Bakery Square looked a lot better than the end facing the Busway, with the aesthetics of the latter apparently being ignored:





And that is an issue since as seen from across the Busway, that garage will be very prominent, particularly since the neighboring structures are short:





Long story short, I agree that should look better, even if the sense in which it will be a "gateway" between the parts of Larimer on either side of the Busway is pretty limited.

[pj3000]

^ Oh sure, I think the aesthetics of the design are important regardless of which side of the structure we're talking about.

Thanks for posting those pics... I can obviously get a much better idea of the proposed layout now.

[eschaton]

Again, (now that Brian has posted the pictures) it really surprises me that the pedestrian bridge/busway station is expected to be at that vacant lot. I had always expected it to align with Putnam Street - in large part because it's a public ROW, while that lot is privately owned. However, a straight shot across would result in the "Bakery Square side" being on the campus of the Port Authority bus garage. I can see why they don't want to do this - since they have their own, employee-only stop just a few hundred feet away.

I could easily see the bridge resulting in much higher foot traffic for East End Brewing however - right now you basically have to drive there (unless you live or work in Larimer) but it will open up everyone in the Bakery Square zone to going there as well.