[Evergrey]

double post

[Evergrey]

hurrah! while i agree that the vibrant nightlife scene of the South Side has negative externalities... this legislation had its own set of negative externalities...

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/07024/756255-53.stm

City rejects a plan to limit bars; South Siders upset
Wednesday, January 24, 2007

By Diana Nelson Jones, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette



The city planning commission disappointed nearly half of the standing-room crowd yesterday -- those from the South Side -- by rejecting a zoning change that would limit liquor licenses in Pittsburgh neighborhoods with commercial districts.

The commission, however, clearly sympathized with the pleas from residents desperate for help with the bar scene on the South Side, which commission member Kyra Straussman called "clearly in crisis."

City Councilman Jeffrey Koch's proposal would have placed a 150-foot restriction between an existing liquor license establishment and any new one.

That measure might stall the South Side's bar growth, but it also would limit bars in every city neighborhood, some opponents said, potentially freezing the opportunity for smaller commercial strips to change the dynamics of their street scenes.

Ms. Straussman proposed, and the commission requested, that planning Director Pat Ford meet with city officials and report back in two weeks on possible solutions for the South Side problem, including the possible creation of a special task force.

Long lines of South Side residents and merchants pled for the zoning change.

In recent years, they have testified before numerous panels, including the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board, that the growth of East Carson Street's entertainment district over the past decade has taken its toll on their quality of life, especially along side streets, where crime swells on the weekends.

Many report their properties are damaged and their sleep deferred. They described themselves as desperate in a dense neighborhood of about 100 liquor licenses.

Almost an equal number of people, and the South Side Chamber of Commerce, spoke against Mr. Koch's legislation. Most of the opposition came from people in the West End and North Side, neither of which would have many chances for development with 150 feet limits.

"The passing of this ordinance would do nothing to improve the South Side's problem," said John Graf, speaking for the North Side Chamber of Commerce. "But it would inhibit development in other" neighborhoods.



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

(Diana Nelson Jones can be reached at djones@post-gazette.com or 412-263-1626. )




oh btw... the Pitt News reported that Steve Bland has decided to keep the 28X Airport Flyer and the 67C (Forest Hill) after the public hearing the other day... but I haven't seen this confirmed in other media...

[Evergrey]

a better article on Rendell's aid to Riverparc... disappointed to hear the shovels won't hit earth until next year though...

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/07024/756178-53.stm

State gives Downtown housing a boost
Wednesday, January 24, 2007

By Timothy McNulty, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette



Gov. Ed Rendell issued the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust a $12.3 million check yesterday in support of its half-billion dollar, arts-driven riverfront housing project, which is set to be the biggest in Downtown history.

The state funds will support public infrastructure in the $90 million first phase of the RiverParc project. Overall construction of some 700 housing units on the Allegheny River at Eighth Street, adjacent to the Cultural District, could take a decade.

The governor called the project "one of the linchpins to the revitalization of the city of Pittsburgh," joining with other projects to possibly bring thousands of new residents to Downtown and the North Shore.

"This will be as exciting and well thought out a Downtown residential and retail project as any American city has had in the last 10 years," he said.

The $460 million project will follow environmentally friendly "green" building practices, and combine housing with public amenities such as performance spaces, parks, retail establishments and a link to the river. The hope is to boost 24-hour residential and cultural life Downtown, adjacent to existing Cultural Trust facilities, such as the Benedum Center and the O'Reilly Theater.

Developers planned to break ground at the development site between Seventh and Ninth streets this summer, but that may be pushed back to early 2008, said Phoenix-based lead developer Susan Eastridge. Construction should take 14 months, meaning the homes could open in early 2009.

Realtor Hoddy Hanna said pre-sales of the roughly 250 housing units in the first phase will begin before construction starts, in the late summer or fall of this year. The company has a list of 200 people who are tentatively interested, he said.

Prices are not set, but the bulk should be two- and three-bedroom units costing $300,000 to $400,000, Eastridge said. Some will cost less (about $180,000) and some grander condominiums more. The initial phase will include a high-rise and a mid-rise apartment building, and town-homes along Eighth Street, all of them interspersed with public spaces and a 420-space underground garage.

The public areas and the green-building plans were the key to the state support, Rendell said at a Benedum Center news conference.

The $12.3 million in state funding includes: $7 million in state capital funds for the parking garage; $3 million in tax credits for the two mixed-use buildings, which will have both housing and retail; $2 million in "Growing Greener" funds for demolishing two buildings on the site and other needs; and $300,000 for park spaces.

Rendell's office estimated the first construction phase would create 1,000 construction jobs, 90 retail jobs and 20 management positions.

Cultural Trust CEO Kevin McMahon said public meetings on the plans will be held in coming months, before they are refined and taken to city planners for formal approvals.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

(Tim McNulty can be reached at tmcnulty@post-gazette.com or 412-263-1581. )

[Evergrey]

Sorry, I had just woken up and was in a post-sleep funk so I didn't elaborate. :slob:

Basically, the place is really tacky. They didn't build it with nice materials, really cheaped out on everything. The musical format is nothing different from every other club in the city. An example of the terrible decor: in one of the rooms, there is this black marble bar with decorative clutter above (think like TGI fridays type of stuff) such as wooden barrels on the wall. It really doesn't make sense. Poorly designed. They are already feeling it because of this. There is too much competition when it comes to nightclubs here. I thought I would never say it but Pittsburgh got too many clubs too fast. Think about how many opened in the past year. Diesel, Elixir, Prive, Pure, Metropolis, Krobar, X-Bar, Palm Bar, Town Tavern.

When you add those into the already established places, you have a LOT of clubs, and the new ones aren't exactly small either. Most of them hold 500-1200 people! I hate to say it, but Pittsburgh can't support that, and there are going to be some very painful nightlife deaths this year. We will see some old favorites close (Deja Vu RIP soon), and some of the worst new ones die. If Prive and Pure are having a hard time surviving, then Metropolis is going to bite it much sooner.

The biggest problem is that they all try to do the same thing. They all play the same music and they all try to pull from the same market. Prive took a nice step in diversifying their crowd by picking up 80's night from The Upstage (which just closed permanently this month). Pure just started a gay night on Thursdays. While I think this stuff is great, it's a red flag for the clubs. It shows that they're not doing as well as they would like, so they're reaching out to markets they never thought they would be having to go after. These are clubs that have better interiors and better staff than Metropolis. They were clubs that were executed properly, but are suffering from an over-saturation of new venues.

If you want my pick for best of the bunch - a club that was actually done right and will survive because it's doing something completely different - it's Palm Bar in Station Square...the newest of the bunch. I think this club is going to have a much bigger impact overall on the nightlife around here than a Batmam/Superman themed nightclub. It holds only 350 people (a manageable size), yet it's going after a market that isn't even touched here. It's going after the supper club/house club market (which is a sign of a very sophisticated nightlife city). The interior is stunning, the food is out of this world, and the music is completely different than anything else in the city. They are bringing the world's biggest DJs to an intimate sell-out sized venue. Their owner is educated and has done his research. They will survive.

Metropolis, in a couple of months, is going to have to take a hard look at what type of club they are and what they stand for. Pittsburgh is not Vegas. Tacky movie/TV themed clubs won't fly here because that gets old fast. It works in Vegas because of the revolving door of customers - all tourists. Those clubs in Vegas are always fresh and new to everyone because they're constantly filled with different people.

Sorry to sound like a brat...lol. I didn't mean to come off like that. I am the king of over-analyzing the nightlife here since it's what I'm involved in.

Thanks for the analysis. It was the after-hours portion of the development that piqued my interest.

The nightclub business is ephemeral and constantly in flux... no matter where you are. People have fun... a club gets old... a new one takes its place... we've seen in happening in the Strip for years now. The best ones offering the most unique experiences might have a longer shelf life. Just look at the prime space Prive is in... I went there in 2001 and it was Metropol... that seems ages ago... an industrial-chic club that had frequent concerts by national recording artists (a rarity in PGH these days ugh)... then it was Empire and a brief fling as The World... and now it's an ultra-lounge. Everyone's jumping on the Ultra-Lounge trend now... just like everyone's jumping on the tapas trend in dining... some do it right... some don't... and they die. The Strip will always be a destination... and now its evolving into something more with its burgeoning residential component. I think the nightlife will become less "rowdy frat boy"-oriented and a bit more... chic.

[PA Pride]

Am I the only one who hates the stupid Piatt building (ex-Lazarus)?

Ok, whoop de do, they are putting in 65 residential units; But look at an aerial of that intersection of 5th and Wood streets; That should be about a 30-50 story mixed use building or a corporate HQ tower or something of much more significance. I mean, that two story department store is such a bad use of that amazing location in downtown.

I can't believe planners ever let such a dinky building get built there a few years ago; That could've been a 300-600 ft tower that would be retail/restuarants at street level and had room for several hundred condos above it.

That's my opinion at least.

[themaguffin]

The building was already there. I am happy that they are at least adding something to it.

It's a fine looking building. I don't think it is realistic that they building would be razed.

[PittPenn 03]

I am devastated by the news that Upstage has closed. I wondered why Pegasus was having a goth night and maybe even took on Ceremony. I have been wanting to go to the Upstage for a few years, but I have been worried I would be older by more than a decade of the next oldest person in the bar. Now I wish I would have gone even if just for a few minutes to see it one last time. The Upstage was an Oakland institution IMO, and unless I have missed the news, I am surprised that its passing went so quietly. It always puzzles me why Oakland seems unable to establish a nightlife beyond underage drinking at a few greek heavy bars.

[Evergrey]

I am devastated by the news that Upstage has closed. I wondered why Pegasus was having a goth night and maybe even took on Ceremony. I have been wanting to go to the Upstage for a few years, but I have been worried I would be older by more than a decade of the next oldest person in the bar. Now I wish I would have gone even if just for a few minutes to see it one last time. The Upstage was an Oakland institution IMO, and unless I have missed the news, I am surprised that its passing went so quietly. It always puzzles me why Oakland seems unable to establish a nightlife beyond underage drinking at a few greek heavy bars.

Wasn't the Upstage located in the same building as the defunct Club Laga on Forbes Ave. in Oakland? If so, that building has been purchased by Pitt for residential conversion.

[AaronPGH]

And in more nightlife news, Prive Ultralounge will be changing it's name to Priviledge Ultralounge because they are getting sued by the REAL Prive down in South Beach Miami - the legendary one that started the ultralounge craze in the first place. I was wondering when something like this would finally happen. Maybe this will make venue owners wake up and stop ripping off globally famous clubs.

[Evergrey]

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/07026/757029-53.stm

Demolition bids to clear properties for arena awarded
Friday, January 26, 2007

By Mark Belko, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette



Even as the Penguins and state and local officials haggle over funding for a new arena, the city-Allegheny County Sports & Exhibition Authority is making way for its construction.

The SEA board yesterday awarded a $926,419 contract to Empire Dismantlement Corp. of Grand Island, N.Y., to demolish 11 buildings in the Centre and Fifth avenue corridors to clear the site for a new arena across the street from Mellon Arena.

Nine of the buildings to be demolished are on Fifth Avenue and two are on the Epiphany Church campus. The church itself is not affected.

The SEA plans to begin razing buildings Feb. 1 in anticipation of a September groundbreaking for a $300 million arena. It would open in October 2009 in time for the start of the National Hockey League season.

In a timetable presented to the city planning commission, the demolition work will start with the Epiphany Church school and the St. Regis residence and then proceed to Fifth Avenue. All 11 buildings should be demolished by mid-June.

Of course, whether an arena gets built is largely dependent on whether the Penguins and state and local politicians can cut a deal for its funding. Talks broke off Jan. 18 without an agreement.

After a week of pitched rhetoric, including a threat by Gov. Ed Rendell to take his case directly to the NHL if the Penguins try to leave, the two sides could get together again early next week, when Mr. Rendell is in Pittsburgh.

Mr. Rendell talked by phone to Penguins co-owner Ron Burkle Tuesday night and expects to do so again early next week, signaling a possible thaw in the negotiations. Mr. Burkle also talked by phone to Allegheny County Chief Executive Dan Onorato and Mayor Luke Ravenstahl this week.

It's questionable whether local public officials would move ahead with the arena construction if they can't get an agreement with the team. Mr. Onorato has instructed the SEA to undertake site demolition and preparation "to build a new arena and keep the Penguins here and that's what they're doing," spokesman Kevin Evanto said.

"He's operating under the assumption that we will have a new arena and the Penguins are the major tenant. Until something changes, we are moving forward under that assumption," Mr. Evanto said.

The new arena would be built on a 6.5-acre site bordered by Centre Avenue, Washington Place and Fifth Avenue. One major piece still needed by the SEA for the site is the old St. Francis Central Hospital owned by the Penguins.

Any arena deal likely would include the purchase of that property, which the team bought for $8 million. Whatever the SEA pays for the building could end up being counted against the $8.5 million upfront contribution the Penguins have been asked to make toward the arena.

The funding formula also calls for Pittsburgh casino winner Don Barden to pitch in $7.5 million a year for 30 years. Another $7 million a year would come from a gambling-financed state economic development fund.

The Penguins' share has yet to be determined, but Mr. Rendell has said it would be a "fraction" of the $2.9 million a year the Pirates contributed toward PNC Park.

Under its current timetable, the SEA hopes to begin demolition of the hospital by May 1 and finish it by it by Aug. 31. That work would be awarded under a separate contract from the one authorized today.

The acquisitions and site preparation work are being financed through a $26.5 million advance from the state, in anticipation of gambling revenues from casinos. So far, the SEA has paid $15 million, including relocation costs, for the 11 buildings and two parking lots it has acquired for the arena.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

(Mark Belko can be reached at mbelko@post-gazette.com or 412-263-1262. )

[Evergrey]

this pretty much sums up how i feel about the imminent transit apocalypse

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/07026/756924-192.stm

Radical plan: Strong public transit is good economic development
Friday, January 26, 2007

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Their anger, disbelief and dread have been heard this week in Oakland and Downtown, the South Side, Mon-roeville and McKeesport. Their words will echo at hearings in McKeesport and Moon, in Harmar and West View and Castle Shannon.

They are the pleas of Port Authority riders -- workers, students, the elderly, the carless -- many of whom will be stuck without alternatives by deep service cuts coming later this year. Their words should be heard in the offices of every lawmaker in Harrisburg.

"This was poorly thought through" ..."People are struggling to put food on the table and reliable transportation is needed" ..."Public transit should be treated like a public utility" ... "It's my only means of transportation" ... "Pittsburgh will be known as the city that was" ... "Politicians are the enemy."

Even so, state officials will unveil pet plans, as they usually do, for economic development in Pennsylvania. There will be grants and loans to spur this industry or that to expand production, add jobs, bolster the economy.

But it will be all for naught if one of the great unsung economic generators -- public transit -- is left to flounder in Pennsylvania. What stronger boost can state government give the economy than helping to get people to work, get students to class, get customers to businesses -- in short, give citizens cost-effective transportation around their communities?

Despite inefficiencies in the Port Authority, which only the agency can address, the Legislature has not done its part to give the dozens of Pennsylvania transit systems the stable and reliable funding they need to move into the future. Gov. Ed Rendell had to shift highway funds, not once but twice, to head off previous service cuts because the General Assembly could not come up with a new and steady funding formula for public transit.

Now the Port Authority (and other systems) must confront deficits by severing routes, laying off drivers and stranding passengers who have come to rely on a network of hopes and promises to get to work. What they will tell the boss we don't know.

What they should tell their state representatives is already playing loud and clear across Allegheny County.

The Port Authority is using this crisis to re-examine and restructure itself -- to wring out waste, right-size service and return employee compensation to the real world. Along the way, people are getting hurt.

But if Harrisburg would do its duty and deliver a dependable transit funding formula, the suffering could be diminished and Pennsylvania would score the biggest economic development coup of the decade, bar none.

[PA Pride]

I went to the last two 80's nights before Upstage closed; I have gone to that club like 100 times or more over the years... The place was absolutely PACKED the last couple of nights!! It was huge; A celebration... Sooo much fun... The Upstage ruled.

[Evergrey]

the menu sounds rather "uninspiring"... but whatever...


http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/07026/757103-100.stm

Bettis plans restaurant near his old rushing grounds
Friday, January 26, 2007

By Mark Belko, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Jerome Bettis isn't scoring touchdowns for the Steelers any more, but he still will be a mighty presence at Heinz Field when the season opens next fall.

The retired running back will open the Jerome Bettis Grille 36 restaurant a stone's throw from Heinz Field in May, a move his old boss, Steelers President Art Rooney II, described as a "milestone" in the ongoing development between the stadium and PNC Park.

"It's going to be a crowning jewel in this area," Mr. Bettis said at a press conference today. "I'm proud to have my name on it."

The $3 million restaurant will be located on the ground floor of the Del Monte Building facing Heinz Field and will feature 8,500 square feet of space and more than 40 high definition TVs. However, Mr. Bettis and his partner in the venture, Howard Shiller, stressed the Bettis Grille will be much more than a sports bar.

"In looking at restaurant possibilities, I wanted a first-class restaurant," the former Steelers star said.

The restaurant will be mid-priced, offering steaks, burgers and other sandwiches, hoagies, chicken, ahi tuna, salads, and other dishes. It is designed to attract families, North Shore office workers, and, of course, Steelers fans before and after the game as well as other sports fans.

Jerome Bettis Grille is one of three restaurants opening on the North Shore. McFadden Restaurant and Saloon will open on St. Patrick's Day, and Calico Jacks Cantina is scheduled to open a month later.

Mr. Rooney said he also is hoping to complete a deal soon with the Cordish Co. for the development of North Shore Live, an entertainment venue that would feature a glass roof and nightclubs. Frank Kass, chairman of Continental Real Estate Cos., which is developing the land between the stadiums for the Pirates and Steelers, said he also hopes to reach an agreement to build another office building on the North Shore later this year.

http://www.post-gazette.com/images4/20070126ds_bettis_brk_580.jpg

[Evergrey]

There's an article on East Liberty development in this week's Business Times. ELDI has purchased 3 properties in the 6000 block of Penn Ave. One of these includes the former PNC Bank branch, which ELDI wants to convert into a movie theatre (though a mix of residential, office, retail is a possibility if that falls through). Some of you may remember discussing that possibility previously in this thread.

ELDI hopes the planned development of a 132-room hotel and the residential conversion of the 13-story Highland Building (84 condos) will further catalyze development in the area. The Highland and adjacent building were purchased by Knoxville-based Terminus Real Estate in 2005, though no action on the sites has been taken yet. Terminus declined to comment when contacted... which makes me wonder if this project will ever get started.

Also, Mosites, who is developing the Eastside shopping complex along Centre (Whole Foods, Borders, mooi organic baby clothing, etc) has purchased 3 acres on the other side of Highland... going up to the PAT bus turn-around. This includes the defunct indoor tennis facility.


...


there's also some good economic news... including a Texas energy company starting a regional HQ here that will create potentially 100 jobs... and PGH region had its best venture capital year since pre 9/11 in 2006

[Evergrey]

this article on Jerome's restaurant gives a more complete picture of planned developments in the stadia area...

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/07027/757294-53.stm

North Shore gets a lift from The Bus
Former Steeler Bettis' restaurant, opening in May, is part of a surge of development expected around the stadiums this year
Saturday, January 27, 2007

By Mark Belko, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

The Bus is stopping on the North Shore once again and his arrival could signal a big year for development between Heinz Field and PNC Park.

Jerome Bettis Grille 36, named after the retired Steelers running back, could be one of many advances in 2007, including a possible deal on another office building and the start of a long-awaited amphitheater project.

An upscale Hyatt Place hotel also could be part of the mix.

Mr. Bettis' restaurant, on the ground floor of the Del Monte Center near Heinz Field, is scheduled to open in May and could be a milestone in the North Shore's ongoing development, Steelers President Art Rooney II said.

"I think it will bring the kind of excitement we've been hoping for as part of the North Shore project. So I think it's a tremendous step forward and I think we'll just be able to build on this as we go forward," he said.

The Steelers are hoping to close on a deal soon with Cordish Co. of Baltimore for the development of North Shore Live, a proposed entertainment district near Heinz Field whose centerpiece would be an amphitheater with up to 5,000 seats and a glass top.

Other features could include restaurants, shops, nightclubs and an outdoor performance plaza.

"I'm not going to put an exact time frame on it but I think we're close enough that our goal, our hope, would be that it's something we can break ground on at the end of this year and possibly have at least parts of it open in '08," Mr. Rooney said.

Frank Kass, chairman of Continental Real Estate Cos., the Columbus firm hired by the Steelers and Pirates to develop the land between the stadiums, said the amphitheater would be boxed by nightclubs, providing for a year-round concert venue. An agreement could come soon, pending an application to the state for help with infrastructure improvements.

Mr. Kass said he also is closing in on a deal to build a "very nice, upscale, urban" Hyatt Place hotel between the stadiums. He hopes to make a formal announcement in March. He said he is negotiating with the city Stadium Authority for the land and parking needed for the hotel.

The hotel would be the third between the stadiums.

A 198-room Marriott SpringHill Suites hotel opened in 2005 near PNC Park and construction is expected to start next month on an 180-room Residence Inn at Mazeroski Way and General Robinson Street. Both hotels are separate from the Continental development.

Continental also hopes to be in position by late spring to announce construction of another office building to supplement Del Monte Center and the Equitable Resources headquarters.

Mr. Kass said he has had talks with Equitable about adding a building and consolidating operations on the North Shore if its purchase of Dominion Peoples wins regulatory approval. He said he is talking to several other potential tenants.

Mr. Bettis' restaurant will be the third to open on the North Shore this spring. McFadden's Restaurant and Saloon in the Equitable building will debut March 17. Calico Jacks Cantina is expected to open in the Del Monte building about a month later. Fox Sports Network Pittsburgh will move its studios to that building next month.

The $3 million Jerome Bettis Grille 36 will feature 8,500 square feet, more than 40 high-definition TVs and an outdoor patio area.

Mr. Bettis and his partner, Howard Shiller of Celebrity Ventures Inc. of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., stressed it will be a "sports-themed restaurant," not a sports bar.

"It's going to be a crowning jewel in this area," Mr. Bettis said. "I'm proud to have my name on it."

The restaurant will be mid-priced, offering such fare as steaks, burgers, hoagies, chicken, ahi tuna and salads. It hopes to attract families, North Shore office workers and, of course, Steelers fans.

Over the last five years, Continental has invested about $100 million in the North Shore development, Mr. Kass estimated. He said he expects that to reach $200 million to $250 million by full build-out.

Mr. Rooney said he is "satisfied" with the progress, particularly after so many years of no development with Three Rivers Stadium, which was demolished to make way for Heinz Field and PNC Park.

"I think we have turned the corner and I think having Jerome's restaurant here is just going to be a tremendous landmark that will bring more and more people to the North Shore," he said.

Mr. Rooney said he remains concerned about the impact of the new Majestic Star casino, which will be built near Heinz Field between the Carnegie Science Center and the West End Bridge.

"I'm hopeful we'll work those out," he added. "It does present traffic and parking issues that we're going to have to work through."

Businessman Don Barden, owner of Majestic Star, has pledged to work with the team to address concerns.



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

(Mark Belko can be reached at mbelko@post-gazette.com or 412-263-1262. )

[themaguffin]

...well we had Woodson's in the 90s... I guess there was a void in the Stiller restaurant department....

[Evergrey]

another one of those doom-and-gloom articles from downtown restaurant owners ... it does raise some good points... but most of it is just frustrating to read... especially since I think we all feel that downtown is on the cusp of something huge... the article basically describes the present dichotomy between the Cultural District and the FirstSide District... which are basically night and day after business hours... Cultural District (Penn-Liberty) is hopping with theatre-goers and gallery-crawlers... and the restaurants and bars in the area do very well... there's also a lot more housing in this side of downtown... the rest of downtown... much of it known as FirstSide... and Gateway Center (Fifth-Forbes-Market Sq-Blvd of Allies-Grant) truly is quite dead after business hours... and I can certainly understand while restaurants would struggle here... but I think residential projects in this area such as Piatt Place, 151 FirstSide and the Carlyle should provide a significant boost to this side of downtown... as well as continued expansion by Art Institute and Point Park University... and of course... there are the big plans for Market Sq... which definately needs a lot of help... here's the article... I'll add more commentary later...

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/07028/757495-53.stm

Can Downtown support more upscale eateries?
Sunday, January 28, 2007

By Cristina Rouvalis, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette


Chef Yves Carreau learned to cook in Lyon, France, a food lover's paradise. But he has found a culinary home on Pittsburgh's Penn Avenue.

On one side of the street is Sonoma Grille, his California-style restaurant filled with hip women sipping wine and nibbling on mixed grill. On the other side is Seviche, his soon-to-open Latin tapas restaurant exploding with sun-drenched colors.

"I love this street," Mr. Carreau says, pointing to new apartments and luxury lofts. "This is the side of town that is hopping."

If Downtown is poised for a comeback, Mr. Carreau figures he has found the right spot. It is easier to draw dinner crowds to 2-year-old Sonoma Grille in the Cultural District than it was to his former restaurant, Asiago in Oxford Centre. "I am bullish on Downtown," he says. "I think there are going to be a lot more restaurants."

But others aren't sure whether all the Downtown restaurants will survive, especially after the opening of two big national chain restaurants -- McCormick & Schmick seafood restaurant and Capital Grille steak house -- in Piatt Place at Fifth Avenue and Wood Street, outside the Cultural District.

"How many restaurants can you have down there?" asked Terri Sokoloff, president of Specialty Bar and Restaurant Brokers in Ross. "Some restaurants will be able to do it, but town is tough."

Running a restaurant in the Golden Triangle has always been a survival game after the evening exodus of commuters leaves streets eerily empty.

"Pittsburghers don't like to walk more than two blocks from the restaurant to the theater," says Frank Sacco, who owned the now-closed Piccolo Piccolo on Wood Street and Fort Pitt Boulevard, on the opposite side of town from the Cultural District.

"They will go to New York City and walk eight blocks to see a show and tell you how great it is. In Pittsburgh, they get upset when they have to walk more than two blocks."

He said his Italian restaurant boomed during the '80s and '90s, but then had trouble attracting a dinner crowd and closed in 2004. He even bought a $30,000 van to transport people from the restaurant to the symphony or theater, but it was still hard changing the mindset.

"Personally if someone told me today, 'I have a spot in Downtown Pittsburgh,' if it was in the Cultural District, I would consider it," said Mr. Sacco, a food and beverage manager for a large company outside Pittsburgh. "Otherwise I wouldn't touch it."

But urban boosters say a critical mass of restaurants will draw more people Downtown to dine. They also say a Downtown housing boom -- 289 units are under construction or being leased -- will give a huge boost to restaurants. Another 1,335 units are being planned by developers who own the land.

People who live Downtown tend to spend more than visitors, said Patty Burk, vice president of housing and economic development at Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership. "It's going to get better and better for restaurants."

"Once you get people moving back to a particular area Downtown, you will see additional businesses popping up. This is an investment that will clearly reap some returns on investment," said Kevin Ortiz, spokesman for the state Department of Community and Economic Development, regarding the Piatt Place project in the former Lazarus building.

But Ms. Sokoloff thinks the cheering may be a little premature.

"Everyone is making such a big deal about 300 condos," she said. "It's nothing. Is Downtown really changing? You can't walk through Market Square without being harassed by someone. Parking is a pain."

Ms. Sokoloff believes the Cultural District is an exception, a real bright spot. The best way to bring commuters Downtown to eat is to attract unusual independent restaurants, instead of chains, she said. "How many high-end steakhouses can we have? We are being flooded with steak houses."

Capital Grille joins Ruth's Chris Steak House and Morton's, two high-end places, as well as Hyde Park Prime Steakhouse on the North Shore.

Scott Offenbach, co-owner of Ruth's Chris, said he is not worried. "We welcome any new business that brings more people Downtown. The market is big enough to share," especially with new housing under way.

But even with an influx of new residents, there are obstacles to people coming Downtown to dine. Parking is expensive. Fewer office workers are around, which hurts lunch business. The vacancy rate for office space in the Golden Triangle grew to 20 percent in 2006, compared with 17.7 percent the previous year.

Peering out onto Grant Street from a white-tablecloth covered table in The Carlton, owner Kevin Joyce sees a disturbing snapshot -- thinner crowds than he saw five years ago. He wishes developers would focus on bringing in new office workers instead of new retailers.

"There are only so many people willing to come Downtown to begin with and you have more and more places. You tend to trade customers. You cannot keep adding amenities without adding jobs."

He said he welcomes competition -- but wishes public money wasn't being used for Piatt Place, a $65 million project that will include 65 condos, about 20,000 square feet of office space, parking and the two new restaurants. About $3.75 million in state aid is going to the project, but Mr. Ortiz said the state funds will be used for parking garage and residential units. "There is no mention of state aid being used for a restaurant."

In the musical chairs of Downtown restaurants coming and going, The Carlton, which offers complimentary parking and free limousine service to the theaters, has survived for 23 years. "The good operator puts his helmet on and slugs it out," Mr. Joyce said. "But it is a challenging environment."

Mr. Carreau has leased a parking lot next to Sonoma Grille and charges only $4 for self parking. He says he loses money on parking, but figures it is worth it. He thinks many more restaurants will open in the cultural district, "the only hub of activity in town late at night."

He also has marketed his restaurant to women because he thinks females drive the decision on where a couple goes out to eat. He says the many female patrons at his restaurant like the light international fare with a California attitude, such as grilled corn and crabmeat salad, a tapas plate and a hundred types of wine by the glass.

"Let Morton's and Ruth's Chris fight over businessmen," Mr. Yves said over the din of diners. "Any night here is ladies' night out."



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

(Cristina Rouvalis can be reached at crouvalis@post-gazette.com or 412-263-1572. )

[Evergrey]

On one side of the street is Sonoma Grille, his California-style restaurant filled with hip women sipping wine and nibbling on mixed grill.

Sonoma is PACKED with chic people every time I pass it. Looks like a fun place (though I'm a bit intimidated by it lol). Penn Ave. is a delightful street downtown... and Riverparc is going to send this area to the stratosphere. But being that it is such a huge project, I think Riverparc will have a positive impact on the entirity of downtown.



But others aren't sure whether all the Downtown restaurants will survive, especially after the opening of two big national chain restaurants -- McCormick & Schmick seafood restaurant and Capital Grille steak house -- in Piatt Place at Fifth Avenue and Wood Street, outside the Cultural District.

"How many restaurants can you have down there?" asked Terri Sokoloff, president of Specialty Bar and Restaurant Brokers in Ross. "Some restaurants will be able to do it, but town is tough."


Well of course not all restaurants will survive. The restaurant scene is almost as ephemeral and volatile as the nightclub scene. Restaurants will come and go. Old favorites will leave for one reason or another. Crappy places will fail almost immediately. The downtown dining scene has definately become more upscale and diverse in recent years... and the trend will continue. I don't know much about Capital Grille... but I think McCormick's serves a different purpose than say... Sonoma or Trilogy... and will serve to be a key catalyst in getting people to come downtown. It doesn't have that upscale intimidation factor alot of downtown places have. People are familiar with McCormick's and know what to expect. This won't take away business from established downtown restaurants... but may help in exposing new people to what downtown has to offer.



Running a restaurant in the Golden Triangle has always been a survival game after the evening exodus of commuters leaves streets eerily empty.

"Pittsburghers don't like to walk more than two blocks from the restaurant to the theater," says Frank Sacco, who owned the now-closed Piccolo Piccolo on Wood Street and Fort Pitt Boulevard, on the opposite side of town from the Cultural District.

"They will go to New York City and walk eight blocks to see a show and tell you how great it is. In Pittsburgh, they get upset when they have to walk more than two blocks."


Yes... running a restaurant downtown has been a tricky proposition... one almost entirely dependent on suburban workers and theatre-goers... as downtown has basically been a vertical office park for decades... but downtown is becoming more of a real neighborhood with all the residential construction going on... as well as the planned residential on the North Shore and in the Strip District. The ongoing revitalization of the core will allow restaurants, retail and other services to flourish like they do in places like Squirrel Hill. And if you have a good enough product... people will find you. And oh yeah... that "3000 downtown residents" number that's always thrown around is a bit misleading as the official boundaries of Pittsburgh's downtown are a mere .68 sq. miles... if you take in some periphery areas... you have over 12k residents in the "core"... which is a geographic extent comparable to official downtown designations in many peer cities.

I do agree with Sacco's observations on (suburban) Pittsburghers, however. Amazing how they'll flip out over having to walk a little in this city. It's like they expect a personal driveway in front of every building here.


But Ms. Sokoloff thinks the cheering may be a little premature.

"Everyone is making such a big deal about 300 condos," she said. "It's nothing. Is Downtown really changing? You can't walk through Market Square without being harassed by someone. Parking is a pain."

Ms. Sokoloff believes the Cultural District is an exception, a real bright spot. The best way to bring commuters Downtown to eat is to attract unusual independent restaurants, instead of chains, she said. "How many high-end steakhouses can we have? We are being flooded with steak houses."


Nice to get another dose of delusional negativity from Ms. Suburbia of Ross Township. Yes... 300 condos is "nothing"... sure... and you can add a couple more thousand residential units in the near future... still nothing? This is the type of "Pittsburgh is a failure" talk I just can't stand.

But I agree... the current state of Market Sq. is unacceptable... it's embarrassing... but it's an area that will improve drastically in the near future thanks to Millcraft's housing/retail/office plan in the vicinity. And then she continues with the suburban mantra, "Parking is a pain in the city!" Ugh... yes... it's a downtown of a major city filled with skyscrapers... sorry if there aren't any Wal-Mart sized parking lots downtown... for some reason it's so much more acceptable for these people to trudge through a parking lot the size of downtown... than to park in a garage or along a street and walk a few blocks on the sidewalk. And parking rates are quite reasonable for anyone visiting downtown in the evening for dinner. Parking is quite plentiful and conveniently located throughout downtown after business hours. Or gee... there's also multiple mass transit options like buses and the T... but I'm sure I know what Ms. Sokoloff thinks about mass transit... who wants to take the 13G to Bossnova!?

She scores a minor point about the proliferation of steakhouses... which admittedly... do not excite me at all... but downtown is doing exactly what she says it should do... developing unique independent restaurants... such as Sonoma! Upscale chain restaurants downtown are a rarity. The future arrival of Capital Grille and McCormick are the exception... certainly not a trend. And there's nothing wrong with a mix of independent restaurants and high-quality chains.

But even with an influx of new residents, there are obstacles to people coming Downtown to dine. Parking is expensive. Fewer office workers are around, which hurts lunch business. The vacancy rate for office space in the Golden Triangle grew to 20 percent in 2006, compared with 17.7 percent the previous year.

Peering out onto Grant Street from a white-tablecloth covered table in The Carlton, owner Kevin Joyce sees a disturbing snapshot -- thinner crowds than he saw five years ago. He wishes developers would focus on bringing in new office workers instead of new retailers.

"There are only so many people willing to come Downtown to begin with and you have more and more places. You tend to trade customers. You cannot keep adding amenities without adding jobs."

He said he welcomes competition -- but wishes public money wasn't being used for Piatt Place, a $65 million project that will include 65 condos, about 20,000 square feet of office space, parking and the two new restaurants. About $3.75 million in state aid is going to the project, but Mr. Ortiz said the state funds will be used for parking garage and residential units. "There is no mention of state aid being used for a restaurant."


Oh come on! What year is Kevin Joyce living in... 1999 under the Murphey Administration? We tried the retail approach before... we tried to turn downtown into the Ross Park Mall and it failed. Downtown is going the residential route now... which sure... includes some retail components... AND includes some office components! These residential projects will put thousands of new permenant residents within a few minutes walking distance of your restaurant... so you can capitalize on them instead of hoping for a return of Gulf Oil.

Also nice to see the much ballyhooed vacancy rate increase creep into this article... I swear this is a Trib article in disguise. It's not a drastic change... and part of an ebb and flow of PGH's evolving regional economy. Mellon vacated the gorgeous Union Trust Building... which is the major contributor to the vacancy rate. But there are changes on the horizon... UPMC is
looking for a ton of space downtown... other companies are looking downtown for relocation and expansion... and some office properties are going residential. It's not the end of the world.


Apologies for the long post... but I just found it to be an infuriatingly crappy article featuring loads of ignorance... and a few good points amongst the crap.

[Evergrey]

here's a long list of all the restaurants struggling to survive within the confines of the Golden Triangle... yeah, I know there's a few Subways and Arbys in there... and a few restaurants from Station Square... but you get the point... from the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership...

1902 Tavern (412)471-1902 24 Market Square
3rd Avenue Cafe/J & G Ross Stop (412)434-4772 225 Ross Street
6th Avenue Cafe & Deli (412)281-4920 300 Sixth Avenue
Ahn`s Chinese Express (412)281-7954 309 Forbes Avenue
Allegheny Sandwich Shop (412)434-1399 414 Grant Street
Amazon Cafe (412)434-6830 555 Grant Street
Arby`s (412)391-0746 604 Wood Street
Art Institute Of Pittsburgh Taste of Art (412)263-6600 420 Boulevard of the Allies
Asiago Euro Cuisine (412)392-0225 301 Grant Street, Level Three
Asiago Express (412)471-5774 2 PPG Place
Asiago Express (412)227-5671 301 Grant Street, Plaza Level
Atria`s Restaurant & Tavern (412)322-1850 115 Federal Street
Au Bon Pain (412)456-2916 2 PPG Place
Au Bon Pain (412)471-6422 120 Fifth Avenue
Au Bon Pain (412)456-2906 600 Grant Street
Au Bon Pain (412)232-3379 301 Grant Street
Au Bon Pain (412)263-2772 535 Smithfield Street
August Henry's City Saloon (412)765-3270 946 Penn Avenue
Bar Louie (412)394-0500 240 W. Station Square Drive
Bigelow Grille (412)281-5013 One Bigelow Square
Boulevard Delicatessen (412)281-4300 322 Boulevard Of The Allies
Bravo Franco Ristorante (412)642-6677 613 Penn Avenue
Brown Bag Deli (412)261-5111 1001 Liberty Avenue
Bruegger's Bagels (412)434-0188 429 Fourth Avenue
Bruegger's Bagels (412)261-5312 411 Seventh Avenue
Bruegger's Bagels (412)281-2515 25 Market Square
Bruegger's Bagels (412)471-9249 531 Grant Street
Buca di Beppo (412)471-9463 210 W. Station Square Drive
Buon Giorno Cafe (412)471-9048 6 Smithfield Street
Buon Giorno Cafe (412)281-2980 20 Stanwix Street
Buon Giorno Cafe (412)471-9158 5 Market Square
Cafe 18 (800)432-CHEF 717 Liberty Avenue
Cafe Euro (412)434-0800 600 Grant Street
Cafe Fifth Avenue (412)261-2215 818 Fifth Avenue
Cafe Milano (412)281-3131 134 Sixth Street
Cafe Nove (412)232-2732 400 Fifth Avenue, 9th floor
Cafe Zao (412)325-7007 649 Penn Avenue
Caffe Amante Restaurant (412)391-1226 120 Fifth Avenue
Casablanca Bistro (412)281-3090 212 Sixth Street
Cherries Diner (412)281-8182 212 Forbes Avenue
Chinatown Inn (412)261-1292 520 Third Avenue
Christo`s (412)261-6442 130 Sixth Street
Ciao Baby (412)281-7400 435 Market Street
Common Plea Restaurant (412)697-3100 310 Ross Street
Costanzo's (412)232-0706 240 Fourth Avenue
Cuzamil (412)642-2000 500 Liberty Avenue
Eadie`s Kitchen and Market (412)391-3985 500 Grant Street
Einstein Bros. Bagels (412)434-0343 3 PPG Place
Eleven (412)201-5656 1150 Smallman Street
Elliot`s Off Broadway (412)642-5555 11 Stanwix Street
Elliot`s Off Broadway (412)231-0340 115 Federal Street
Ephesus (412)552-9020 322 Fourth Avenue
F. Tambellini Ristorante (412)391-1091 139 7th Street
Fads Sandwich Shop (412)281-0801 410 Forbes Avenue
Fat Tommy's Pizzeria (412)560-4419 115 Forbes Avenue
Fernando`s Cafe (412)281-4522 963 Liberty Avenue
Finnigan`s Wake (412)325-2601 20 E. General Robinson Street
Firewaters North Shore Saloon & BBQ (412)323-4688 120 Federal Street
Flamers (412)201-2221 120 Fifth Avenue
Franktuary (412)288-0322 325 Oliver Avenue
Fu Lai Chinese Restaurant (412)471-6338 525 Penn Avenue
G's Restaurant (412)562-0566 One Oxford Centre
Gandy Dancer Saloon (412)261-1717 100 W. Station Square Drive
Gateway Cafe (412)261-9672 2 Gateway Center
George Aiken (412)391-6358 218 Forbes Avenue
Gourmet Deli (412)232-2382 400 Fifth Avenue, 9th floor
Grand Concourse (412)261-1717 100 W. Station Square Drive
Grant Street Tavern (412)261-4805 310 Grant Street
Grecian Isles (412)391-8338 2 PPG Place
Grecian Isles (412)281-6230 600 Grant Street
Green Room (412)281-3130 242 W. Station Square Drive
Grille on 7th (412)391-1004 130 Seventh Street
Hard Rock Cafe (412)481-7625 230 W. Station Square Drive
Harvest Bar (412)281-3700 1000 Penn Avenue
Hi-Tops (412)231-3310 200 Federal Street
Hong Kong Express (412)281-7288 529 2nd Avenue
Hooters (412)261-9464 2 1/2 Station Square Drive
Houlihan's (412)232-0302 125 W. Station Square Drive
Hyde Park Prime Steakhouse (412)222-4014 247 North Shore Drive
India Palace (412)471-0660 One Fifth Avenue
Isabella Street Cafe (412)553-2222 201 Isabella Street
Italian Village Pizza (412)566-1398 600 Grant Street
Italian Village Pizza (412)471-7885 408 Smithfield Street
Jimmy John's Gourmet Sandwiches (412)697-0999 506 Liberty Avenue
Joe's Crab Shack (412)690-2404 5 Station Square Drive
Keystone Cafe and Deli (412)316-0092 339 Sixth Avenue
Kiku Japanese Restaurant (412)765-3200 225 W. Station Square Drive
La Gondola Pizzeria (412)261-5252 4 Market Square
Lemon Grass Cafe (412)765-2222 124 Sixth Street
Liang`s Hunan Chinese Restaurant (412)471-1688 957 Liberty Avenue
Liberty Avenue Saloon (412)338-1533 941 Liberty Avenue
Little China (412)281-7033 2 PPG Place
Madonna`s Authentic Mexican Restaurant (412)281-4686 336 Fourth Avenue
Mahoney`s Restaurant & Lounge (412)471-4243 949 Liberty Avenue
Mama Gina`s Restaurant (412)281-8558 409 Wood Street
Mamma Lucia`s (412)281-0416 433 Wood Street
Mamma Pina Pizzeria (412)562-1640 901B Penn Avenue
Mandarin Gourmet (412)261-6151 305 Wood Street
Margarita Mama`s (412)434-8100 30 E. Station Square Drive
Mark`s Grille & Catering (412)471-6401 923 Penn Avenue
Market Street Ale House (412)745-2337 21 Market Square
Max & Erma's (412)471-1140 630 Stanwix Street
McDonald's (412)261-2281 608 Wood Street
McDonald's (412)391-5470 500 Liberty Avenue
McDonald's (412)281-1777 505 Smithfield Street
Mick McGuire`s (412)642-7526 22 Graeme Street
Mike & Tony`s Gyro and Shish-kabob (412)391-4077 927 Liberty Avenue
Mitchell's Restaurant & Bar (412)471-3663 304 Ross Street
Monte Cello`s (412)261-2080 305 Seventh Avenue
Morton`s The Steakhouse (412)261-7141 625 Liberty Avenue
New Post Tavern (412)562-0239 110 Smithfield Street
Nicky`s Grant Street (412)391-3900 330 Grant Street, Suite 100
Olive OR Twist (412)255-0525 140 Sixth Street
Opus (412)992-2005 107 Sixth Street
Orchard Cafe (412)281-3700 1000 Penn Avenue
Original Oyster House (412)566-7925 20 Market Square
Outback Steakhouse (412)321-9003 109 Federal Street
Palazzo Ristorante (412)434-6244 144 Sixth Street
Palomino (412)642-7711 4 Gateway Center
Papa J's (412)391-7272 212 Boulevard Of The Allies
Peppi's Oldtyme Sandwich Shop (412)281-1510 12 Smithfield Street
Pittsburgh Rare (412)261-2000 300 W. Station Square Drive
Pizza Fiesta (412)281-4222 217 Smithfield Street
Pizza Parma (412)577-7300 823 Penn Avenue
Pizzeria Uno (412)560-6385 1001 Liberty Avenue
Primanti Bros. (412)566-8051 11 Cherry Way
Primanti Bros. (412)261-1599 2 Market Square
Promenade Cafe (412)391-4600 600 Commonwealth Place
Quizno's (412)471-7849 2 PPG Place
Quizno's (412)288-9959 411 Seventh Avenue, Suite 150
Quizno's (412)765-3320 210 Sixth Avenue
Quizno's (412)281-8886 431 Smithfield Street
Red Hot Pittsburgh (412)252-3444 Grant Street at One Mellon Center
Red Star Tavern (412)394-0500 240 W. Station Square Drive
Ref's Sports Bar and Game Room (412)594-7337 225 W. Station Square Drive
River City Inn (412)391-1707 5 PPG Place
Roly Poly Rolled Sandwiches (412)765-3550 120 Fifth Avenue
Rosebud A. Gourmand`s Deli (412)261-2851 625 Liberty Avenue
Royal Oak (412)471-9222 100 Wood Street
Ruth's Chris Steak House (412)391-4800 6 PPG Place
Salonika Gyros (412)261-4770 133 Sixth Street
Sammy's Famous Corned Beef (412)765-2244 217 Ninth Street
Sammy's Famous Corned Beef (412)201-0258 511 Penn Avenue
Sammy's Famous Corned Beef (412)261-7033 564 Forbes Avenue
Sammy's Famous Corned Beef (412)471-3122 420 Smithfield Street
Sanremo's Pizza (412)765-3003 111 Market Street
Sbarro (412)281-7755 120 Fifth Avenue
Sbarro (412)566-2881 441 Smithfield Street
Sesame Inn (412)281-8282 125 W. Station Square Drive
Si Senor (412)201-1811 600 Grant Street
Skywalk Snacks (412)232-2686 400 Fifth Avenue, 3rd floor
Smithfield Cafe (412)281-5505 639 Smithfield Street
Sonoma Grille (412)697-1336 947 Penn Avenue
Steak Escape (412)391-9757 120 Fifth Avenue
Steel City Diner (412)434-6440 961 Liberty Avenue
Steelhead Brasserie & Wine Bar (412)394-3474 112 Washington Place
Sub Med (412)338-9155 601 Grant Street
Sub Med (412)338-8777 428 Forbes Avenue
Subway (412)281-2279 540 Penn Avenue
Subway (412)434-7827 703 Liberty Avenue
Subway (412)471-7277 401 Wood Street
Subway (412)391-3177 417 Seventh Avenue
Subway (412)261-4840 414 Smithfield Street
Subway (412)261-2955 3 Market Square
Sukhothai (412)261-4166 410 First Ave.
Sushi and Roll (412)255-0520 301 Grant Street, Plaza Level
Sushi Kim (412)281-9956 1241 Penn Avenue
Terrace Room (412)281-7100 530 William Penn Place
The Apollo Cafe (412)471-3033 429 Forbes Avenue
The Carlton Restaurant (412)391-4099 500 Grant Street
The City Deli & Catering Co. (412)471-1222 436 Seventh Avenue, Lower Level
The Great Steak and Potato Company (412)456-0161 125 W. Station Square Drive
The Green Mango (412)261-4166 410 First Avenue
The Melting Pot (412)261-3477 125 W. Station Square Drive
The Mozart Room (412)392-4879 600 Penn Avenue
The Original Fish Market (412)227-3657 1000 Penn Avenue
The Warhol Cafe (412)237-8310 117 Sandusky Street
Three Rivers Pub (412)391-4600 600 Commonwealth Place
Tic Toc Restaurant (412)232-2307 400 Fifth Avenue, 1st Floor
tonic bar & grill (412)456-0460 971 Liberty Avenue
Tower Diner (412)471-0511 439 Seventh Avenue
Tower Grille (412)471-0553 425 Sixth Avenue
Trilogy (412)697-2800 620 Liberty Avenue
Villa Reale Restaurant (412)391-3963 628 Smithfield Street
Vincent's of Greentree Pizza Pub (412)325-4485 101 Federal Street
Vocelli Pizza (412)434-6922 524 Penn Avenue
Wendy's (412)281-3720 349 Fifth Avenue
Wendy's (412)281-0419 502 Liberty Avenue
Wiener World (412)566-7719 626 Smithfield Street
Wok & Grill (412)391-3334 120 Fifth Avenue
Zorba`s (412)471-9930 400 Smithfield Street




...


and here's a downtown parking map... looks like a real pain to find a spot close to your desired restaurant! looks like we'll have to go to the Applebee's in the North Hills instead!

http://www.downtownpittsburgh.com/cms/assets/Downtown_Parking_map.pdf

[B4burgh]

I've been on this thread awhile but this is my first post. I live in the FC and from what I hear in the Chapel, people just arent motivated to go downtown. I know this sounds lazy, but they beleive they can get the same things downtown offers in more desirable places. If they want good restaurants most people go to SQ, or Shadyside. Shoping, they go to the Ross Park Mall or that piece of crap the Pittsburgh Mills. Condos and theatre can only take the downtown so far it has to develope its own unique urban identity rather then one of it being a little run down and empty after dark. And as for our inability to walk distances just to get to the theatres, we get enough of it out here i.e. the Waterworks Mall.

[UrbaniDesDev]

I have watched the progress of downtown for years. Every year it's the same thing. People cheering and people jeering. Through it all downtown has chugged along. I can only compare downtown to where it was 5 years ago... 10 years ago... 20 years ago. The progress is enormous.

There are always the folks from the suburbs that say nobody goes there, just because they don't. I have found that the people that say that nobody goes there are never actually there to see if anyone goes there or not. Anyone from "FC" that can say they can get the same thing from some mall really doesn't get it and probably won't.

I don't believe that 300 condos alone will turn downtown around. It is the type of people that 300 condo's will attract is what will turn downtown around. and there will be much more than 300 condos. The type of people that will be choosing to live downtown will be of different ilk of the general population here. They will be people looking for a lifestyle that only living in a truly urban setting will satisfy. They will generally be people that have traveled & have lived in other cities. They will be people that live a lifestyle that doesn't include spending a huge portion of their day commuting or sitting on the Parkway. Their new digs will be magnets for their friends to linger downtown rather than sitting on a ramp somewhere. They will meet there friends in these eateries daily, as casually as suburbanites sit in line at the drive thru on their way home. As tyhe Golden Triangle fills with the new sophisticated set that, before, were scattered across the city and the region will now truly have a center, a concentration.

I predicted Penn Avenue will be the new destination of the city 10 years ago. It is well on it's way. It's just getting started. restaurants will come and go. It's the name of the game. It is the stuffy older establishments that will suffer the most. Piccolo Piccolo and The Carlton were/are dinosaurs. Latin Tapas ...yum... Seviche I will be there

[hyperion1110]

In my experience with suburbanites, they are seldom motivated to do many things...not because of laziness, but because of false perceptions. For the past few years, I have lived in Brighton Heights, a neighborhood that is decidedly urban, but also mostly residential and quite affluent. When I moved here, it was a frequent comment of my suburban friends that I live in the "ghetto," a description I always found a bit unfair. From what I have been able to gather, this sentiment derives not from any problems with my neighborhood, but, rather, the suburbs. The heterogeneous nature of the city seems to frighten those from the Burbs, where the only black things they encounter on a daily basis are the Seas of Asphalt. It is an affront to their perceptions that not everyone is an avid shopper at Banana Republic. It is literally terrifying to many of them to see a person of color walking down the street. And heaven forbid they should have to take PUBILC transportation somewhere, rather than their brand new car daddy or mommy bought for them! Indeed, this fear has taken such a hold over many suburbanites that they are literally helpless if they find themselves within the city limits. I recently took some 20-something friends from Steel Plaza to Gateway Center on the subway, and they were TERRIFIED! Not only had they never ridden the subway before, but they had never ridden any form of mass transit in their entire lives. They literally clung to me as children would their parents!


Pardon my ranting, but this is all very frustrating. Though I am a product of the "under-performing" city school district, I do know a thing or two. Correct me if I am mistaken, but the word Metropolitan derives, roughly, from the Greek words metros, meaning "mother," and polis, meaning city(-state), or combined, Mother City. This etymological exposition should tell everyone something; to wit, the suburbs are NOTHING without the center city. The fates of the North Hills, the South Hills, Fox Chapel, Monroeville, and all the rest are inseparably linked to the fate of Pittsburgh. And downtown is the core of the city at large. Its health is paramount to the entire region. We should not disparage downtown for what it is or is not; we should work diligently for what it could be. Yes, a few hundred condos are not a lot, but it is a beginning. If people would start thinking and acting positively about downtown and the rest of the city, Pittsburgh would be able to easily surpass the days when it was the nation's center of industry and innovation. The problem with Pittsburgh, as has been noted many times, is "Pittsburghers." Not city-dwellers, but you, my dear friends in the Burbs.


It occurred to me that my tone might be a bit harsh, but, you know what? It has to be! People need a rude awakening to shake themselves out of their complacency. So I rightly say this: most suburbanites I have encountered live in a tiny, culturally-starved bubble of upper middle class melodrama that they claim to be superior to the urban lifestyle I enjoy. If this be the case, and the suburban lifestyle in the standard candle of the average, contented American, then I willfully consign myself to life in the "ghetto."


P.S. This is a thread dealing with development in the city, so I guess I am mosltly preaching to the choir. Cheers to all of you who take pride in your city and work to improve the lives of you neighbors.

[themaguffin]

Well nobody should make a drive to go to a chain restaurant downtown. I think that there is a valid concern above the normal restaurant risk. It's more lazy for Piatt to snag some lame chains then for folks in Fox Chapel to not bother going to them.

The fact is that people from the burbs do go to downtown restaurants at night. The immediate area doesn't have enough to people to support them on their own.

However, as mentioned there are only so many people to go around. While you have the normal cycle of restaurants, having it suffer from chains is worse.

[cdc]

I am a relatively new resident of PGH (moved to SQ Hill 3 years ago from another state). I work in Oakland (I walk to work). I also like to walk to the SQ Hill business district. But I rarely go Downtown.

Frankly, Downtown is inconvenient to get to, hard to navigate in, and has expensive parking. I don't work Downtown. Why would I even think of going Downtown? I've got SQ Hill, Shadyside, Oakland, and East Liberty much closer and more family friendly than Downtown (I've got 3 young kids).

I think the develoment in East Liberty (Mosites/Whole Foods, etc.) that has been posted here is a lot more compelling than anything that is currently going on Downtown. Now if they could just get that Target built. (I'm tired of commuting from SQ Hill to Homestead on weekends to buy big boxes of dipers and other such stuff!)

[Grego43]

A lot of you have made good points, but I don't think its anyone's intent to turn downtown into another Waterfront. Not all chains are bad... Capital Grille is not the same as Applebee's, just as Saks is no Wal-Mart...and having a Capital Grille or a Saks downtown will not be a minus. Just ask the folks in Miami, Chicago, Philly, NYC, Boston, et al. DT Pittsburgh needs a wide range of restaurants, hotels, shops, and yes, residents, to once again become a vibrant urban center.

[Grego43]

A lot of you have made good points, but I don't think its anyone's intent to turn downtown into another Waterfront. Not all chains are bad... Capital Grille is not the same as Applebee's, just as Saks is no Wal-Mart...and having a Capital Grille or a Saks downtown will not be a minus. Just ask the folks in Miami, Chicago, Philly, NYC, Boston, et al. DT Pittsburgh needs a wide range of restaurants, hotels, shops, and yes, residents, to once again become a vibrant urban center.

[Wheelingman04]

It is nice to see that there are some new Pittsburgh forumers here. Welcome, and feel free to post here anytime. We are a friendly bunch.:tup:

[B4burgh]

If we get a whole new sophisticated set downtown, won't that take away from what Pittsburgh is trying to acheive. Which is a multi-income community. Many of these new condos with the exception maybe being Riverparc are geared to the rich comming from areas like Fox Chapel or Sewickly. One of the stability signs of many communities are children and I don't see any thing for them being developed anytime soon downtown. Obviously many of the newer people downtown will eventually have children and they will want more room and might move right back out of the city to the suburbs or some of the city neighborhoods. I beleive in addition to downtown we should try to attract families to already existing neighborhoods, which is why I think developements like Eastside are perfect. I also think that we should expand on the cultural element that is going on downtown and agree with UrbaniDesDev that Penn Avenue will be the destination of future Pittsburgh.

[hyperion1110]

The cost of these new condos downtown bothers me as well. I should think that there is a huge market for people wishing to live downtown, it's just that most people (in any city) cannot afford $300,000 or more, especially when they could easily buy a larger house somewhere else in the city for half the price. Housing in downtown Pittsburgh should reflect the demographics...the cost of living is lower here than in equivalent cities, so wages tend to be lower as well. Developers should be catering to youth professionals making 40K a year...just my opinion, though...it's their money they're investing.

[Evergrey]

It would be nice if downtown condo development could reflect demographics of the region... but the reality is that they reflect economics. Property values downtown are much higher than Brighton Heights or East Liberty or anywhere else. It is not profitable for developers to build and market downtown residential properties for middle-income people. Now Millcraft and the Cultural Trust have stated that they are looking into possibilities for more "affordable" housing... but this will require public subsidies... which is a controversial strategy. There are other ways to make housing more affordable... such as eliminating "luxury amenities"... but downtown housing will remain out of reach for the vast majority of Metro Pittsburghers due to simple laws of economics and supply and demand.

[Grego43]

Thanks Wheelingman04...I've been lurking for a long time and have posted on occassion.

For what its worth, Evergrey, hyperion1110, and B4burgh...don't underestimate the purchasing power of the average Pittsburgher. I've seen similar downtown residential transformations take place while living in Chicago back in the 80s & 90s, and it continually happens in NYC, now in South Florida. After the higher priced units prove the market, the more moderate units follow closely behind.

[themaguffin]

For many reasons downtowns are expensive. The reality makes it unlikely that there will be many affordable units in an area that commands high $$$.

[hyperion1110]

Hmm...I hear what everyone is saying, and I agree that downtown is a high priced area to be living. But I don't think it has to be that way. I'm not saying that everyone should have huge condos on the cheap. But I think something could be worked out without having to have subsidies.


I seem to remember a few years back that you could get a studio apartment downtown for around $800 a month. Even if this figure reflects a past reality, it doesn't seem unreasonable to me that a developer couldn't create a development that has several apartments around 900 s.f., which is a reasonable size for someone just starting out, with rents in the neighborhood of $1300...that comes out to $1.44 per s.f. Is that an outrageous number (and I ask that sincerely, not to make a point)?


Maybe I'm just a dreamer :)

[UrbaniDesDev]

The more popular downtown gets the more likely prices will go up. I agree with Grego. They will build luxury condos as long as people buy them. When that market is glutted They will respond with more affordable units. I don't think downtown is at all geared for family life. It is for the younger, more mobile singles and the older empty nesters that nolonger want the constraints of a big house and a yard. Frankly downtown living is just not very conducive to family life. This is much the same across the country. if not the world. Mainly because the units are small. There are many child care facilities dt, which cater mostly to office workers that like to have their children nearby and commute with them. There are a couple of satelite schools right on Penn Avenue (which still surprises me) not to mention CAPA. But to get right down to it, it is just too expensive for most to raise families there. It would be very unconventional in a fairly conventional city.

I am totally against government funding for affordable housing downtown. Just so we can have less affordable housing downtown? This is a city full of vastly affordable housing, we don't need to subsidize more here. I believe in the free market system, and it will adjust itself, we don't need to impose false guidelines on an area that doesn't fall into a certain category. Would you support having government funded, low income housing in Seweckly or Fox Chapel? I think not, don't impose it here.

I don't believe downtown necessarily expects to attract folks from Sewickly or Fox Chapel. I read an article that 60% of the people that live downtown and surrounding areas are new to the area and are here for work. Some tend to be transient. This will prbably change as the downtown does become more of a community, tho it wont be like any others here. Thats what Im hoping for.

I don't believe restaurant owners are hoping for suburbanites to start flocking to downtown restaurants. From what I see, they seem to be hoping just to keep the workers from leaving after work. As most of us here have heard, Pittsburgh is one of the top "surge" cities in the country. Rated 4th I believe. Downtown pulls in a net influx of 138,000 working commuters each day. The trick for for restauranteurs and residential developers will be to keep them from going home everyday.

When I am downtown I am constantly amazed at how crowded the sidewalks are. You won't see this in Cleveland or Columbus or Charlotte. People there cross from their offices to the attached parking garages and head home. They each have their trendy sections but just don't seem to have the cohesive "downtown" feel that Pittsburgh has.

I am not thrilled with Piatt Place. I think they could have given the entire building to Nordstrom. That would be not be so out of line, considering how many subsidies Millcraft is getting. I am glad they found a use for this government subsidized white elephant tho. Maybe they should just give the fabulous old Mellon Bank Building that Tom Murphy gave to Lord & Taylor to Nordstrom's instead. Maybe they should let Saks trade their current building for the old Mellon Bank Building. I think it is larger, not sure tho. It does have much better visibilty, being right on Fifth, than their current building.

I don't think that millcraft letting Saks use the couple sliver buildings next to Piatt Place will be enough and is not very prominent frontage. I could also see Saks expanding into the beautiful Park Building next to them. It currently houses a McDonalds! Saks could as easily expand into this building and gain a very prominant corner space, as well as continuous frontage along the entire block of Smithfield between Fifth and Oliver. It would be directly catty-corner from "Macy's'. I am a little surprised the Park Building hasn't undergone a reno. considering all the activity (good and bad) that has been going on around it for years.

The beautiful Park Building
http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e235/UrbaniDesDev/ParkBuilding.jpg

[PA Pride]

I plan on living in condos in downtown Pgh for the rest of my life!! First I will move to a 1 bed 1.5 bath 600 sq ft unit in Chatham tower for around 70k in a year or two. (Amazing downtown views, super nice and cheap, and great location; And there's always a handful of nice units for sale at any given time). Then When I get married or whatever a few years later and my career is doing well, I will move to a nice 1,200 sq ft, or so sized condo for probably around 300-350k. Then maybe ten years after that when I have 2-4 kids (my target amount) I will get a 3-4 bedroom 1,800-2,300 sq ft condo for like 550-700k. I plan on sending my kids to pittsburgh public schools - Preferrably Taylor Allderdice... And when they all move out for good, me and my wife will downsize to like a 1,000-1,200 ft unit .

That is seriously my plan. And my goal is to work my way up the real estate development ladder, hopfully owning my own company someday, so living, working, building, eating, entertainment, recreation is all downtown. I love it, and it has everything that would make me a very happy person for the rest of my life.

[themaguffin]

seem to remember a few years back that you could get a studio apartment downtown for around $800 a month. Even if this figure reflects a past reality, it doesn't seem unreasonable to me that a developer couldn't create a development that has several apartments around 900 s.f., which is a reasonable size for someone just starting out, with rents in the neighborhood of $1300...that comes out to $1.44 per s.f. Is that an outrageous number (and I ask that sincerely, not to make a point)?


Are you talking about renting? Because that's a little different. either way, when I started out my first apartment was well less than 700 sf, and my second was right at 700. A 900 sf place is usually the larger size for a one bedroom at least.

Again, there's a reality in cost that makes downtown more expensive and it is misguided to treat downtown like just any neighborhood with the same varience in rent/condo costs as other areas.





I am totally against government funding for affordable housing downtown. Just so we can have less affordable housing downtown? This is a city full of vastly affordable housing, we don't need to subsidize more here. I believe in the free market system, and it will adjust itself, we don't need to impose false guidelines on an area that doesn't fall into a certain category. Would you support having government funded, low income housing in Seweckly or Fox Chapel? I think not, don't impose it here.

I don't believe downtown necessarily expects to attract folks from Sewickly or Fox Chapel. I read an article that 60% of the people that live downtown and surrounding areas are new to the area and are here for work. Some tend to be transient. This will prbably change as the downtown does become more of a community, tho it wont be like any others here. Thats what Im hoping for.

I don't believe restaurant owners are hoping for suburbanites to start flocking to downtown restaurants. From what I see, they seem to be hoping just to keep the workers from leaving after work. As most of us here have heard, Pittsburgh is one of the top "surge" cities in the country. Rated 4th I believe. Downtown pulls in a net influx of 138,000 working commuters each day. The trick for for restauranteurs and residential developers will be to keep them from going home everyday.

When I am downtown I am constantly amazed at how crowded the sidewalks are. You won't see this in Cleveland or Columbus or Charlotte. People there cross from their offices to the attached parking garages and head home. They each have their trendy sections but just don't seem to have the cohesive "downtown" feel that Pittsburgh has.

I am not thrilled with Piatt Place. I think they could have given the entire building to Nordstrom. That would be not be so out of line, considering how many subsidies Millcraft is getting. I am glad they found a use for this government subsidized white elephant tho. Maybe they should just give the fabulous old Mellon Bank Building that Tom Murphy gave to Lord & Taylor to Nordstrom's instead. Maybe they should let Saks trade their current building for the old Mellon Bank Building. I think it is larger, not sure tho. It does have much better visibilty, being right on Fifth, than their current building.



This pretty much sums up my thoughts.

[Grego43]

I'll probably get flamed for this but...

I think a HUGE problem for Pittsburgh is its lack of modern, swift, high-capacity transit infrastructure. I mean public transit as well as expressways.

First off, let me say I give kudos to PAT for trying...current funding crisis aside. PAT manages to carry a lot of folks daily on buses...but the T, for all its track mileage, should be carrying a lot more riders. Starting with the DT subway, PAT has tried to gain ridership by going after the sexy projects and continues that with the Northshore Connector. $400+ million for a 1.15 mile tunnel to the Northside...please...that money could have gone long way to building a line to Oakland and beyond where the ridership would be much, much greater. I know, I know, the Northshore Connector is supposed to be the first link to an airport line...ha ha ha! That may materialize in 15, 20, or more years (or never) given PAT's history and current affairs. Look at similar-sized metro areas and their average daily ridership in 000s for the second qtr of '06. These systems go where people live and want to go.

Portland, OR (a fantastic system, btw.) 104.3
St. Louis (before they opened their newest line in 4th qtr. 58.7
Denver (before they opened their newest) 30.8
Minneapolis 28.8
Pittsburgh 26.0

Check out: http://www.apta.com/research/stats/ridership/#A7


Secondly, the expressway system is pathetic for any city, let alone one with the population of metro Pittsburgh. I grew up in the Mon Valley and still visit Pittsburgh many times a year. People in the South Hills and Mon Valley have to endure stop and go traffic on surface streets to get into the city...talk about a deterrent to going downtown for a show and dinner, or to shop! It boggles the mind the level of opposition to the Mon Valley expressway which would help open up thousands of acres of flat, previously industrial land, to development. Why would any business build a facility in these brownfields without high-speed, 21st century road access? I won't go into the substandard, narrow parkways that act as surrogate expressways for a region of more than 2million people.

[PhillyRising]

I have stayed with a group from my bowling league in a hotel 6 times in the Golden Triangle...there was always lack of choices to dine within a short walking distance from the William Penn (we were at the Hilton once) each time we came out to Pittsburgh for the local gay bowling tournament. The closest we ever were to downtown to eat dinner was finding a place in the Strip District or Station Square. There needs to be a nice mix of restaurants and that includes the better chains like Capital Grille. What makes going out downtown appealing is that you park the car and then walk to the different establishments like one place for dinner then off to a club a block or so away. You can't do that in Monroeville!

As for the expensive parking...it's still cheaper to park there than it is in Philly.

I think building up the residential population is the way to go for Pittsburgh. Having people on the streets all hours of the day who live there will draw people from the outside to check out the scene. Empty, desolated streets at night isn't a selling point to anyone to come to downtown.

[themaguffin]

$400+ million for a 1.15 mile tunnel to the Northside...please...that money could have gone long way to building a line to Oakland and beyond where the ridership would be much, much greater

I agree that Oakland and East should have been a priority, but the Federal money can't be moved to that and this project is NOT a waste. This is a critical first step in north/west rail.

Secondly, the expressway system is pathetic for any city, let alone one with the population of metro Pittsburgh.

Yep, it's not an exaggeration to say it is the worst. Instead of those assinine DUI zones/Don't tailgae signs, how about real safety, like real ramps and additional lanes? Pathetic.

People in the South Hills and Mon Valley have to endure stop and go traffic on surface streets to get into the city...talk about a deterrent to going downtown for a show and dinner, or to shop! It boggles the mind the level of opposition to the Mon Valley expressway which would help open up thousands of acres of flat, previously industrial land, to development. Why would any business build a facility in these brownfields without high-speed, 21st century road access? I won't go into the substandard, narrow parkways that act as surrogate expressways for a region of more than 2million people.

You won't get any sympathy on the board as all highways are evil.

I have argued this point before that the Mon highway is necessary, but most disagree.

[themaguffin]

There's an article on East Liberty development in this week's Business Times.


East Liberty group buys three buildings, aims to build movie theater
Pittsburgh Business Times - January 26, 2007by Ben Semmes

Joe Wojcik
East Liberty Development Inc. has purchased three properties on the 6000 block of Penn Avenue, shown here. Plans include a cinema to replace a PNC Bank branch and transformation of the Highland Building into condominiums.
View Larger East Liberty Development Inc. has purchased three properties in the 6000 block of Penn Avenue in the heart of East Liberty, with a view toward renovations for a movie theater and upper-level housing in the rapidly changing neighborhood.

Rob Stephany, director of commercial real estate for East Liberty Development Inc., a nonprofit community development corporation, said the organization paid $555,000 for 18,900 square feet of usable space at 6014, 6016 and 6018 Penn Ave., or about $30 per square foot.

The largest piece of property, which sold for $500,000, is the 8,400-square-foot former branch of PNC Bank at the corner of Penn Avenue and Highland Mall Avenue.

"The community vision for that corner would be a movie theater," Stephany said. "We have to find a theater operator. We would love it to be a theater, but it could be office over retail or housing over retail."

He said the bank parcel purchase was especially critical since it didn't mesh with the community's vision for that block.

"The PNC Bank was probably the one (parcel) that didn't fit in," he said.

Stephany said he hopes development in the area will be catalyzed by the planned opening of a 132-room hotel next to the 13-story Highland Building, long vacant, on the same corner.

"We think we are on the threshold of having good things happen in the core of the district," Stephany said.

Knoxville, Tenn.-based Terminus Real Estate purchased the Highland Building and the Stadterman building next door from the Urban Redevelopment Authority in 2005. Terminus' plans called for the development of the Highland Building's 100,000 square feet of space into 84 condominiums and the Stadterman building into a hotel with ground-level retail.

Leigh A. Burch III, president of Terminus, declined to comment on the status of that project.

ELDI's purchase gives the group control of almost all of the commercial development in that block.

Stephany said the only commercial property on the block that the organization does not own is the office building at 100 Sheridan Square, although it has a 38 percent stake in the structure.

As part of the redevelopment of the bank building and its neighboring properties, Stephany said the facades will be restored with supervision by the Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Foundation.

Stephany said ELDI thought it was important to buy the properties now to give the community more say in the result.

Nearby, Downtown-based The Mosites Co. is in the process of acquiring more than three acres of property from Highland Avenue to a Port Authority bus turn-around as Mosites continues to expand on its East Side retail development, anchored by Whole Foods Market.

Mark Minnerly, Mosites' real estate development director, said the company most recently spent $1.83 million to buy a parking lot and an adjacent indoor tennis facility. The company already owns a former Kingsley Association building not far from the bus turn-around.

Jim Aiello Jr., president of Lawrence-ville-based Aiello Development Co. LLC, bought the 28,000-square-foot, three-story Stevenson building, near the corner of Penn Avenue and Highland Mall Avenue, for $1.4 million early last year. He said the building, where he rents space for $26 per square foot, is fully leased to commercial tenants on the upper levels, and a bank has signed a letter of intent to rent the 7,000-square-foot, ground-level space.

"Everything that has been done (in East Liberty) so far complements the Shadyside district," Aiello said. "I don't think that area could stand any more residential with the Highland Building (renovation), if that happens. Unfortunately, I don't have any commercial space left. I have probably turned away a dozen (commercial) users that wanted office (space)."



http://cll.bizjournals.com/story_image/69619-400-0.jpg?rev=2


Given the neighborhood cinemas that have died in recent years due to the newer megaplexes, I'm not sure if this would be a great idea

[DBR96A]

I agree that Oakland and East should have been a priority, but the Federal money can't be moved to that and this project is NOT a waste. This is a critical first step in north/west rail.



Yep, it's not an exaggeration to say it is the worst. Instead of those assinine DUI zones/Don't tailgae signs, how about real safety, like real ramps and additional lanes? Pathetic.



You won't get any sympathy on the board as all highways are evil.

I have argued this point before that the Mon highway is necessary, but most disagree.

I agree with both of you. I want to see both the Mon-Fayette Expressway and South Beltway built. The optimal city has adequate infrastructure for both public and private transportation, not one at the expense of the other. Unfortunately, Pittsburgh's infrastructure is inadequate for public transportation, and severely inadequate for private transportation.

Right now I'd say it's more important to get the Mon-Fayette Expressway built for the following reasons:

- It'd open up all the Mon Valley's brownfields to future development
- It'd turn, say, a 45-minute drive from McKeesport into Pittsburgh into a 20-minute drive
- It'd alleviate traffic on the obsolete Parkway East, enabling a full overhaul between Churchill and Oakland, complete with extra lanes, extra tunnel portals to fit said extra lanes in, and real on-ramps with no STOP signs

The only legitimate highway right now that heads into Pittsburgh is the Parkway North. The Parkways East and West are a joke.

[Grego43]

I agree that Oakland and East should have been a priority, but the Federal money can't be moved to that and this project is NOT a waste. This is a critical first step in north/west rail.


Yep, it's not an exaggeration to say it is the worst. Instead of those assinine DUI zones/Don't tailgae signs, how about real safety, like real ramps and additional lanes? Pathetic.



You won't get any sympathy on the board as all highways are evil.

I have argued this point before that the Mon highway is necessary, but most disagree.

I'm all for North/West extensions...but PAT needs to get the damned projects on the boards if they intend to build them. They can't expect to build a transit system piecemeal over 30 years and expect it to be successful. Denver is spending more than $4 billion on their FasTracks program which will anticipate growth in the region and address it beforehand. I have seen no PLANS plans from PAT on North or West expansion...only wish lists and pie-in-the-sky dreams.

I know, and Pittsburgh's lunch continues to get eaten by business communities in Cincinnati, Columbus, and Cleveland because of the pathetic infrastructure.

[B4burgh]

I agree with themaguffin about the megaplexes, but even many of them aren't doing so great. Many people want to just stay home and watch movies on dvd. The area would benefit more with commercial space. But the most crucial thing is the Highland building conversion. It represents a whole glut of unused residential space, and the hotel will bring more people in the area. A lot still has to be done in East Liberty, but look what has happened in the last five.

[Evergrey]

I'm all for North/West extensions...but PAT needs to get the damned projects on the boards if they intend to build them. They can't expect to build a transit system piecemeal over 30 years and expect it to be successful. Denver is spending more than $4 billion on their FasTracks program which will anticipate growth in the region and address it beforehand. I have seen no PLANS plans from PAT on North or West expansion...only wish lists and pie-in-the-sky dreams.

But where is the money going to come from? PAT is proposing to slash over half its bus routes in June due to massive budget shortfalls... much of this is due to legacy spending and the organization's own incompetance... but there is a lack of political will at a state level to secure a permenant and ample source of funding for the state's mass transit agencies. The vast majority of state legislators represent districts where mass transit usage ranges from insignificant to none. There needs to be a massive idealogical shift in state government for mass transit to remain at current levels... let alone our dreams for a comprehensive light rail system in Pittsburgh.

[themaguffin]

That's the thing - the level of funding almost entirely depends on a significant level federal support. Sadly it's gone from bad as the several years of Republican controlled congress has chipped away at this.

Local leaders are at fault for not have defined stages - before the T opend in the mid 80s, the next extensions/directions should have been at a certain phase even if not construction, some level in the process. twenty years later and we have nothing to show for it.

[mercurypa]

This is one of the best Pittsburgh discussions that I have seen on this forum! I would agree that we have our share of infrastructure problems, but this is because they decided not to destroy neighborhoods in favor of large highways in our last "urban un-renewal". They did enough damage with East Liberty and the Hill District by disconnecting them from the surrounding areas.

While I agree that the highway system here is very primitive, I just don't see how it could be widened until you reach 279/79. Plans are to add one extra lane from that intersection to the 60. There are no huge cliffs or neighborhoods to demolish to do this.

I made the long schlep from Highland Park to Robinson form almost two years, until I recently started working downtown and taking the bus. I don't find it all that bad compared to Los Angeles where I am from, and I enjoy reading and sometimes talking to (gasp) the person next to me. Yes the buses are crowded, but they are in NYC also, and just try to drive there! I would say most of the people who crowd it are students who ride for free, but it makes the city feel more lively and less elderly that way!

One suggestion I would have for PAT is to collect fares first, so they can utilize the back door on the bus in crowded situations!

The choice for me was just to become a part of the city I live in and dump the car. I'm glad I did.

[DBR96A]

This is one of the best Pittsburgh discussions that I have seen on this forum! I would agree that we have our share of infrastructure problems, but this is because they decided not to destroy neighborhoods in favor of large highways in our last "urban un-renewal". They did enough damage with East Liberty and the Hill District by disconnecting them from the surrounding areas.

While I agree that the highway system here is very primitive, I just don't see how it could be widened until you reach 279/79. Plans are to add one extra lane from that intersection to the 60. There are no huge cliffs or neighborhoods to demolish to do this.

I made the long schlep from Highland Park to Robinson form almost two years, until I recently started working downtown and taking the bus. I don't find it all that bad compared to Los Angeles where I am from, and I enjoy reading and sometimes talking to (gasp) the person next to me. Yes the buses are crowded, but they are in NYC also, and just try to drive there! I would say most of the people who crowd it are students who ride for free, but it makes the city feel more lively and less elderly that way!

One suggestion I would have for PAT is to collect fares first, so they can utilize the back door on the bus in crowded situations!

The choice for me was just to become a part of the city I live in and dump the car. I'm glad I did.

I see plenty of room to expand on the Parkway West. The only potential "pinch" would be near the Green Tree/Mt. Lebanon exit, but even that's not insurmountable. Also, since the highway travels over the Chartiers Valley, the impact to widening the bridge would be minimal. As for the tunnels, is it written in law that highway tunnels may only have two portals? My proposal would widen the Parkway West to four lanes in each direction (plus a fifth climbing lane on both sides of Green Tree Hill, and two new tunnel portals for the new lanes that would complement the existing portals. The Fort Pitt Bridge is four lanes wide as it is, so facilitating a lane expansion shouldn't be so hard. I know that Carson Street has an exit off the bridge southbound, but instead of it being two "EXIT ONLY" lanes, it should be one lane that branches off and doesn't take any lanes off the bridge with it. Also, heading inbound before entering the tunnel, you could mark the left portal as the two lanes you should be in for access to downtown and the North Shore, and the right portal as the two lanes you should be in to continue on I-376 (as of January 2009) toward Monroeville.

The Parkway East would be a bigger challenge considering there are residential neighborhoods that are pretty close to the highway east of the Wilkinsburg exit. Aside from that, though, there's plenty of room to widen between the Grant Street and Edgewood/Swissvale exits. There'd be no disruption of neighborhoods immediately east of downtown, and no need to cut into the cliff either since there's plenty of room to expand on the other side of the highway. The Panther Hollow area needn't be affected either since there's nothing in the hollow to the north of the current highway alignment. You'd have to cut into the hillsides on both sides of the hollow, but it's worth it if it means leaving the neighborhood to the south of the highway alone. The Squirrel Hill/Homestead exit is a giant clusterfuck, and needs to be completely redesigned. The challenge would be doing it without impacting Beechwood Boulevard. I think it can be done, though. Highway expansion here should be on the north side of its current alignment since there's nothing there except for a PennDOT maintenance area (which should be relocated pretty easily). The inbound exit design should stay the same; there's no problem with it. However, as the inbound exit ramp makes the left turn over the highway, it should just lead straight to a five-point traffic signal where Beechwood Boulevard and Murray Avenue (?) intersect. No more having to merge with outbound exit traffic in order to access Beechwood Boulevard. As for the outbound ramps, if nothing else is realistic, then get rid of that ridiculous on-ramp at the very least. I'd rather the exit be marked "NO REENTRY EASTBOUND FROM THIS EXIT" than have that stupid, ridiculous, dangerous on-ramp where you have to STOP at the end, and then floor the accelerator in order to avoid being rear-ended as you merge into the fucking "EXIT ONLY" lane that ends in 500 feet! Bore two extra portals for extra lanes in the Squirrel Hill Tunnel. The Edgewood/Swissvale exit should be redesigned as a "single-point diamond" with longer on- and off-ramps. The overpass just east of that exit should be replaced with adequate space under it for eight lanes. East of there, construct sound barriers on each side of the highway so the noise doesn't impact the nearby neighborhoods, and build a fifth climbing lane outbound starting after the new overpass, and ending as an "EXIT ONLY" lane at Greensburg Pike. The Forest Hills/Wilkinsburg exit can be given some minor changes. Between there and the Churchill exit is where it gets tricky. There are residential developments on both sides of the highway. It may be necessary to relocate a few people near the Greensburg Pike exit, and near the Churchill exit as well. I'd eliminate the part of McCrady Road closest to the Churchill exit so the lanes can be expanded on the north side of the highway's current alignment, and so a right-lane exit could be built inbound. Doing that would allow the outbound lanes to be moved to where the left-lane inbound exit currently is, and away from the neighborhood to the south of the current highway alignment. I'd also build a fifth climbing lane outbound between the William Penn Highway and Churchill exits. The William Penn Highway exit should also be expanded to a full interchange, with inbound access to William Penn Highway eastbound, and westbound William Penn Highway access to the highway outbound. Penn Hills would remain a partial interchange. East of William Penn Highway, the road is much easier to work with. It's already three lanes in each direction, and with adequate space between the inner lanes and the median barrier. All that'd need to be done between William Penn Highway and the Pennsylvania Turnpike is the addition of an extra lane in each direction. There should be enough space on one (or both) side(s) of the highway at that point to allow for an expansion of lanes (and possible realignment) without impacting any neighborhoods or subdivisions.

[Evergrey]

I disagree about the need for expansion of the Parkways. Despite the incessant complaints about traffic by suburban Pittsburghers (and what don't suburban Pittsburghers complain about?), Metro Pittsburgh has one of the shortest average commute times of any major metro. I am aware that the bridges and tunnels can result in unique traffic inconveniences, but most examples of excessive lane expansion throughout the country have proven that this strategy does not relieve traffic congestion in the long term. Now you can make an argument about Metro Pittsburgh's lack of a beltway... which has often been cited as a major factor in our economic malaise in the truck-distribution economy of recent decades.

Looking at things from a macro scale... with Earth reaching global oil production peak... the automobile transportation monoculture will become increasingly economically unsound. Its imperative that the Pittsburgh Region formulate a progressive strategy for sustainable development as opposed to the government-subsidized sprawl orgy that this country has embarked on for the past 60 years. Our limited resources need to be put to use designing and implementing transportation and development systems that will have a future. I know this probably all sounds like kooky mumbo-jumbo... with no real relevance to the soccer mom in the Jeep Grand Cherokee commuting from Hempfield Township... or the politicians whose constituencies consist of these people... but this region has lacked vision and leadership when it comes to transportation and sustainable development. Regions like Portland, OR have sprinted past us in this department. We're still excited when we get mediocre development like The Waterfront and Robinson Towne Centre... we call that progress. The era of destroying existing communities with highways to open up land for new development is over. And this is why I find it so infuriating that PAT has to resort to drastically reducing its service. At this critical moment in history, the Pittsburgh Region is taking a giant step backwards while most of the rest of the country is taking steps forward concerning their mass transit infrastructure.

[Evergrey]

an update on the Hope VI developments in the Lower Hill

http://www.popcitymedia.com/developmentnews/46bedfrdhill.aspx

January 31, 2007
Phase one of Bedford Hill homes nears completion, additional rental units on the way
Construction is nearing completion on the first eight of twenty-nine houses in the Hill District. Part of Bedford Hill, the 1,400 square-foot homes are bounded by Roberts, Webster, Devillers, Davenport and Erin Streets. The $7 million HOPE VI project will offer single-family homes for $135-$150,000.

“Interest has been fairly strong--we are very happy about it,” says Dave Howe, with the Pittsburgh Housing Development Corporation, developer for the homes. “We have a nice list of people who are eligible and we should see these sell in a short period of time.”

The homes offer two different floor plans and options for adding a third floor master suite, and feature three bedrooms, 1 ½ bathrooms and basements. Homes also feature yards, secured parking and views of downtown. Southside-based Hanson Design Group, Ltd. is project architect; contractor is Steve Catranel Construction.

Bedford Hill also features 147 rental units, which were completed last summer and are now at 100% occupancy. The project’s second and third phases will bring an additional 204 new rental units to the area in 2007. The URA contributed $750,000 toward the $17.6 million cost of the project’s first phase. McCormack Baron Salazar is developing the rental units.


Writer: Jennifer Baron
Sources: Jessica Smith Perry; Dave Howe

Image courtesy of the Pittsburgh Housing Development Corporation

http://www.popcitymedia.com/galleries/Default/Dev%20News/Issue%2046/bedford_300.jpg

[Evergrey]

speaking of affordable housing downtown....

http://www.popcitymedia.com/developmentnews/46gcmurph.aspx

January 31, 2007

Work to begin downtown on mixed-use GC Murphy project
Plans to renovate downtown’s G.C. Murphy building are starting with an environmental engineering assessment of the property. Canonsburg-based Millcraft Industries is working with Strada to finalize designs for the project’s 45,000 square feet of rental apartments and 60,000 square feet of retail. Construction will begin during the fourth quarter of 2007; the project is expected to take 12-15 months.

The $31 million development will feature 42 new apartments ranging in size from 700 to 1,300 square feet. “They’ll be selling the location,” says Ed Shriver with Strada. “They’ll be funky loft apartments bigger than your average loft, with very large windows.” The building’s first and second floors will house retail tenants, such as restaurants, a grocery store and a bookstore. “Having good floor plans for national tenants is critical to our plan,” says Brian Walker with Millcraft.

The Murphy building's basement will be converted into a parking facility.The project will involve rebuilding roofs, creating a garden courtyard and unifying a complex of five buildings via a series of corridors and stairs. “It’ll be an urban oasis—you'll be able to look up at PPG and PNC,” says Shriver.
“Rents will be below most everything else new downtown.”

Writer: Jennifer Baron
Source: Ed Shriver; Brian Walker

Image courtesy of Strada

http://www.popcitymedia.com/galleries/Default/Dev%20News/Issue%2046/fifth_avenue_300.jpg

[themaguffin]

It's not just about commute times.


Pittsburgh's highways are unsafe. There are at least 3 interchanges on the Parkway West that are horrible, Greentree, Carnegie and Robinson.

There is virtually no on ramp and people exit as people are trying to get on - this is dangerous and unacceptable. This also slows traffic and with only ONE onther lane to avoid this madness, the one lane becomes the only alternative to the endless "ramp" right lane. This is INSANE.

All of these interchanges should be destroyed, and redone with additional lanes. I think that I79 to Carnegie could work with 1 additional lane (6 total) and then ascending Greentree hill would expand to 8 lanes. As the Parkway descends towards the tunnels, two lanes flyover the Parkway and become an Interstate alternative to the tunnels (via the West End bridge).

This is the absolutely necessary upgrading (to safer current Interstate standards) of existing highways. Again, it is unacceptable for a region this large and with this much traffic to squeeze into a secondary road in the guise of an Interstate.

We can talk about great light rail and I would love access far beyond Allegheny County with rail, but take a look at Portland's busy Interstates... they are wider than Pittsburgh's and have actual ramps.

But then again so do most small metros.

This is a separate issue from the Mon Fayette Highway of which - again is needed to create access to the Mon Valley.

[Evergrey]

I have to admit... I've always found Ambridge to be one of the more generic early 20th century factory towns in the region (Economy Village being an exception)... which is why I'm so suprised at their bold attempts at revitalization... though I'm still confused as to how an Australian winery owner got involved in this... but good for Ambridge... our urban river corridors that radiate from the city are a critical asset for the region

http://www.popcitymedia.com/developmentnews/46ambrdg.aspx

January 31, 2007

Ambridge spearheading main street projects, brownfield redevelopment
A number of critical economic development initiatives are helping to revitalize the Beaver County town of Ambridge. The town's Merchant St. corridor—a National Historic District--begins a $1.2 million main street initiative in April. The project includes installing new facades, wayfinding systems, streetlamps and sidewalks. Pittsburgh-based Klavon Design is project architect and landscape designer. "We’re trying to make Ambridge a destination so you can spend the entire day here,” says borough manager Kristen Denne. “We also have Old Economy Village--on the national registry.”

A major brownfield redevelopment, a project of the New Economy Business Park, also starts in April. Following a demolition and remediation of the derelict H.H. Robertson plant on 14th St., developers plan to bring new retail, housing, a brewery, and a food processing company to the ten-acre site. Spearheaded by Australian developer/businessman, Rob Moltoni, who runs Windshaker Ridge winery and a scrap metal business, the $15 million project has received $3.5 million in state funds. New construction is expected to begin next fall. “He’s hoping to make this his destination flagship--it’s a great opportunity for the community,” says Denne.

Additional plans include a new open-air market, antique mall and gallery featuring Aboriginal art on 11th St. One revitalization success story is the Silk House Café, located at 317 14th St. A popular Ambridge destination, the two-floor coffeehouse features free Wi-Fi and conference and computer rooms, and was started by Cindy Ridge, chairman of the town's Historic District Economic Development Board. “It’s an example of what’s going to happen once our development takes off,” says Michael Bort, general manager of New Economy Business Park.

Writer: Jennifer Baron
Sources: Kristen Denne; Michael Bort; Cindy Ridge

[Evergrey]

another piece of the puzzle for the beleaguered Fifth/Market Sq. area... these buildings are right across the street from the construction site of 3 PNC Plaza... they are currently covered with a mural of famous Pittsburghers at street level... Landmarks will be employing a "green" adaptive reuse strategy... just months after a national conference on this very subject took place in our city... skyscrapers and condo towers are exciting... but small-scale historic structures like these do a lot to enhance the intimacy, character and architectural diversity of downtown


http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/cityregion/s_491047.html

'Market at Fifth' center of multimillion-dollar makeover

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/photos/2007-01-30/0131landmark-a.jpg
Ellis Schmidlapp, left, and James Cooper are going to renovate these three run-down buildings at the corner of Fifth Avenue and Market Street.
Steven Adams/TRIBUNE-REVIEW

By Ron DaParma
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Wednesday, January 31, 2007


A trio of deteriorated but historically significant buildings once in the crosshairs of a city wrecking ball now are part of plans to revitalize Downtown.
The Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Foundation plans to join the vacant buildings on the edge of Market Square as "Market at Fifth," a $2.5 million to $3 million complex that will include a ground-level restaurant or retail store, seven upper-floor apartments and a rooftop garden.

"This is purely a do-good project," said Arthur P. Ziegler Jr., foundation president.

Pittsburgh History & Landmarks is assuming a role as a city developer nearly three decades after transforming a group of historic Pittsburgh & Lake Erie Railroad Station buildings in the South Side into the Station Square complex that attracts about 3 million people annually.





"We're engaged here in an act of significant preservation because of the nature and location of these buildings," Ziegler said.

For years, the South Side-based foundation fought to save what it considered significant buildings in the city's Fifth-Forbes retail corridor, particularly after former Mayor Tom Murphy proposed revitalization plans that included substantial demolition.

Among those targeted were:

• 439 Market St., the fire-damaged, four-story former home of the Alexander's Graham Bell bar

• 441 Market St., four stories, which still bears its "Novelties" store sign

• 130 Fifth Ave., the two-story former Regal Shoe Co. with a noteworthy architectural bloodline

"All three are significant buildings," Ziegler said, and all are within the Market Square historic district.

The 439 Market and 441 Market structures are examples of Victorian commercial buildings, constructed in Italianate style in the late 1880s, said Ziegler and Al Tannler, the foundation's historian.

The Regal Shoes building, which opened in 1908, was designed by Alden & Harlow, then one of city's prominent architectural firms, responsible for the Carnegie Institute and Library additions in Oakland and Carnegie branch libraries in various communities.

The building's chief designer was one of the firm's principals, Frank E. Alden, who in the late 1800s worked with architect H.H. Richardson, supervising construction of such noteworthy Downtown buildings as the Allegheny County Courthouse and Jail, Tannler said.

After more than a decade of failed city redevelopment efforts, the foundation -- in the final year of the three-term Murphy administration -- secured an agreement from then-Deputy Mayor Tom Cox to accept its offer to pay $33,000 to physically stabilize the 1870s-vintage 439 Market building so it wouldn't crumble to the ground.

The foundation stepped in after the cash-strapped city said it couldn't afford to fix it, and wanted to tear it down for safety reasons.

"Still, nothing happened," said Ziegler -- until Mayor Bob O'Connor took office in 2006 and decided to allow multiple private developers to redevelop city-owned properties.

When O'Connor died last year, Mayor Luke Ravenstahl continued that strategy. Focused more heavily on residential development than on retail, the city's Downtown development effort is led by Washington County's Millcraft Industries Inc., PNC Financial Services Group and its representative, Oxford Development Co.

"Things are really moving forward now," said Jerome Dettore, executive director of the city's Urban Redevelopment Authority.

Dettore said the Murphy administration delayed doing something with the buildings because it believed the city needed to retain a number of buildings it could to turn over to one master developer.

"They didn't want to do it piecemeal," he said.

"I'm thrilled with the (foundation's) plan," said Mino Fazio, co-owner and executive chef of Ciao Baby in Market Square.

Fazio's Italian restaurant at 435 Market is adjacent to the 439 Market building. From his building's roof, one can look inside the neighboring structure, whose roof collapsed several years ago.

"For years the city did nothing, but it's going to be great to see things finally getting fixed up Downtown," he said.

In December, Pittsburgh History & Landmarks won the redevelopment authority's approval to buy the three buildings for $257,000. It hopes to start work once it obtains other city approvals, possibly within two months, Ziegler said. The city Historic Review Commission will review the project Feb. 7.

Market at Fifth will be an example of how to renovate historic buildings according to environmentally-friendly "green building" standards, said Ellis Schmidlapp, architect for the project.

The work will include recyclable building materials and energy-efficient mechanical systems. The rooftop garden, accessible from two units, will absorb moisture and reduce water run-off.

"This will be important in showing in the Fifth-Forbes corridor how a restoration/adaptive use project can be part of a revitalization," said Schmidlapp, principal in South Side-based Landmark Design Associates.

"It will preserve three historic buildings, and put them back into productive use."



Ron DaParma can be reached at rdaparma@tribweb.com or 412-320-7907.

[Evergrey]

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/07031/758077-53.stm

Lawyers attracted to Piatt Place
Two Downtown law firms are looking for new office space
Wednesday, January 31, 2007

By Mark Belko, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette



For years, the corner of Wood Street and Fifth Avenue has been a big part of the Downtown retail corridor. But it soon could become lawyers' row.

Two law firms -- Cohen & Grigsby and Jones Day -- are considering moves to Piatt Place, the former Lazarus-Macy's department store being converted into office, retail and residential space.

One or both could be relocating near the Reed Smith law firm in the heart of the Downtown commercial district, bringing renewed life to a corridor that has fallen on hard times during the past decade.

Reed Smith will be taking nearly half of the 11 floors of office space to be available in Three PNC Plaza, the 23-story skyscraper under construction on Fifth Avenue, Downtown. It's expected to open next year.

At Piatt Place, located about half a block from the PNC site, there are plans for 180,000 square feet of office space as part of a $65 million redevelopment. The building also will feature 50,000 square feet of retail space and 65 condominiums.

Allan Tedesco, Cohen & Grigsby chief operating officer, said yesterday Piatt Place is one of a "large group of buildings" Downtown the law firm is considering for a possible relocation. It is seeking 70,000 to 80,000 square feet.

"We're looking at just about every major office building in the Golden Triangle," he said.

The firm, with 230 full-time equivalent employees, hopes to decide by the end of March whether to relocate or to stay in the old Westinghouse Building at 11 Stanwix St., where it occupies three floors. Its lease will expire Aug. 31, 2008.

Mr. Tedesco said Cohen & Grigsby wants to remain Downtown. He said the firm had looked at the North Shore, where another office building is being planned, but decided against it.

"We rely very heavily on mass transit for our employees. The Golden Triangle location is optimal," he said.

Millcraft Industries, the developer of Piatt Place, is represented by Cohen & Grigsby. Asked if that could give Millcraft an advantage, Mr. Tedesco replied, "It doesn't hurt."

The Jones Day law firm, with offices in One Mellon Center, also is looking for space Downtown.

Roy Powell, a partner in the firm, said Piatt Place is among the spots Jones Day is considering, along with a number of other "high-quality office possibilities." It has not ruled out staying at One Mellon Center, where its lease expires at the end of October 2008.

The firm is looking for about 70,000 square feet of space initially, with options for expansion. It employs about 110 people. Mr. Powell said the firm hopes to make a decision in two weeks to a month. It plans to stay in the Golden Triangle.

"We believe strongly in the Downtown Pittsburgh area," Mr. Powell said.

Lucas Piatt, vice president of real estate for Millcraft, said the interest bodes well for Piatt Place.

"We're pretty optimistic that we will get the building filled up quickly and give a shot in the arm to the Fifth and Forbes area," he said. "We're just moving forward and waiting for decisions at this point."

Millcraft recently landed the McCormick & Schmick Seafood restaurant for the ground floor. It will be adjacent to another restaurant, the Capital Grille, to open this summer. A European style market also could be in the mix, although it may end up being moved to the old G.C. Murphy's building also being redeveloped by Millcraft.



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

(Mark Belko can be reached at mbelko@post-gazette.com or 412-263-1262. )

[Evergrey]

This Pop City article includes a rundown of the brownfield redevelopment projects in the region during the past 15 years... and provides information on the LTV Hazelwood site.

http://www.popcitymedia.com/features/46brownfields.aspx

Tending the Brownfields
By: Margaret Farrell

http://www.popcitymedia.com/galleries/Default/Features/Issue%2046/Brownfields/waterfront_450.jpg
The remaining smokestacks preserved at the Waterfront

January 31, 2007
What’s a good indicator of an up and coming city?

The status of its brownfields, those abandoned or idled industrial and commercial facilities that are often contaminated. Brownfields are strongly linked to economic development in post industrial cities such as Pittsburgh. HUD calls them “the vehicle to unearth the development potential of our urban communities."


Murray Rust, of the Pittsburgh-based design/build firm, Montgomery & Rust, speaks at national conferences about the brownfields work his firm has done –including Washington’s Landing and Somerset at Frick. “The audience is always amazed at how far Pittsburgh has progressed in this area."


http://www.popcitymedia.com/galleries/Default/Features/Issue%2046/Brownfields/washingtons_landing_300.jpg
Houses at Washington's Landing

Pittsburgh is unique, he says, since it has a very active Urban Redevelopment Authority—since 1947-- that has partnered with private developers to make redevelopment possible on brownfields, where the costs of site remediation would not be economically feasible for the private sector to go it alone. “The value of this public investment has been returned many times over not only in the tax revenue generated by these projects but by the vitality that they have added to the community,” says Rust.

“Other cities have lagged far behind Pittsburgh in recognizing that the public sector has a major role in seeding these projects and hence they have not progressed to the degree that we have here in Pittsburgh."


The Perfect Brownfield

“I think we’re going to do the perfect brownfield here in Pittsburgh,” says Dr. Deborah Lange, executive director of the Western Pennsylvania Brownfields Center. Lange chuckles softly, no doubt recognizing that to those involved in the hard work that is brownfields redevelopment, perfection is a lofty goal. Her unwavering confidence, based on history and the regions's collective expertise, is apparent, though, and may soon find its fulfillment in the178-acre LTV Hazelwood site on Second Avenue next to the Pittsburgh Technology Center.


http://www.popcitymedia.com/galleries/Default/Features/Issue%2046/Brownfields/graphic_300.jpg
Google map showing some of the major brownfield developments in Pittsburgh

That’s where an ambitious mixed use project is planned: Not just residential, but homes for varying incomes; not just green space but direct river access; and not just offices, commercial, and institutional uses but an overall design that, unlike the Waterfront, will be knitted right into the beloved but struggling neighborhood to buoy its recovery.


Maureen Ford, vice president of Colliers Penn Properties and an 18-year veteran of the Regional Industrial Development Corporation, and Jerome Dettore, Urban Redevelopment Authority’s (URA) executive director, agree that the Hazelwood site has the potential to be, if not perfect, a model redevelopment. It could be a natural extension for the overcrowded, land-hungry universities in nearby Oakland, says Ford.

The strategy is distinguished by extensive sustainable design guidelines and a stronger economic position than most. In an unusal alliance, the site is owned by a limited partnership called ALMONO that includes the Heinz Endowments; the Benedum Foundation, the Richard King Mellon Foundation, and McCune Foundations; along with the Regional Industrial Development Corporation (RIDC). "The intent," says Maxwell King, executive director of the Heinz Endowments, "is to set a national standard for brownfield development."

The land parcel offers tremendous opportunities as a truly mixed use site, where we can expand commercial uses to include high quality office space and enhanced river commerce, says King. “But we foundations are particularly interested in taking full advantage of the riverfront land in this project by creating more parkland and recreational trails.”

http://www.popcitymedia.com/galleries/Default/Features/Issue%2046/Brownfields/tech_center_300.jpg
Pittsburgh Technology Center

Project coordinator Bill Widdoes of RIDC agrees. "In terms of the ability of this site to affect the future of Pittsburgh and riverfront development, it's important we do it right--exploring the uses possible in an urban context." The site development has started, he says, and they're currently working on fill to shape the topography.

A Historical Perspective


While Hazelwood is the area's largest brownfield project on the drawing board, Jerome Dettore, URA’s executive director, notes that Lawrenceville is a standout as a brownfields redevelopment hub, with a dozen sites ranging from three to 15 acres. Most are owned by the development minded URA, RIDC, and Buncher–a key benefit since absentee owners can thwart the best plans.


Each Pittsburgh brownfield has progressively improved in layout and development, says Ford.

Pittsburgh’s first major foray into brownfields redevelopment, led by the URA in 1993, was the Pittsburgh Technology Center, one of the first steel mill transformations in the nation. Four years later, Herr’s Island was redeveloped into Washington’s Landing, a mixed-use development of office, light industrial and residences which commanded a waiting list. Considered a great success, townhouse properties today are selling far above their original prices.

http://www.popcitymedia.com/galleries/Default/Features/Issue%2046/Brownfields/pnc_center_300.jpg
PNC FirstSide

The Waterfront redevelopment upped the ante in 1999 by adding amenities for its residents: grocery and other retailers, restaurants, and entertainment such as Loew’s Cineplex, the theater chain’s crown jewel, all of which continue to draw patrons from near and far to an area they previously didn’t visit.

That same year downtown’s first residential rental restoration in 15 years was completed in the Johnston Building, a former print shop at 900 Penn Avenue, followed by PNC’s nationally-acclaimed and LEED-rated Firstside Center built on an abandoned rail yard just over a year later.

In 2002, East Liberty developers moved forward with Whole Foods by using PADEP’s Special Industrial Area designation, which makes it possible for redevelopment to occur in phases as environmental remediation is completed, even as it continues in other parts of the development. That same year brought Summerset at Frick, a residential development built on a slag pile that extends the highly desirable neighborhood of Squirrel Hill.

Finally, the Southside Works opened in 2003 on another steel mill site. A mixed use complex with retailers the likes of which Pittsburgh had never seen before, this development continues to expand with residential projects.


Back to the Future

http://www.popcitymedia.com/galleries/Default/Features/Issue%2046/Brownfields/southside_works_300.jpg
SouthSide Works

“Pittsburgh has solidly established itself as a leader in brownfields redevelopment,” says Jill Gaito, PADEP’s acting deputy secretary. “You can cruise the rivers pointing to one redevelopment success after another.” Ford adds that people want to get back to the rivers they’ve been cut off from for so long. Apparently so: despite a drop in population since 1975, boat registrations have risen by 42 percent.

Soon another riverside project will be complete. Later this year, notes John Matviya, PADEP’s regional environmental cleanup program manager, Pittsburghers can visit an outpost of the world famous Hofbrauhaus, coming to Southside Works, where after a meal they can stroll out the door, down riverside stairs, and onto a boat for a river excursion.

Some would call that the perfect brownfield development.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Margaret Farrell is a Pittsburgh-based freelance writer with a background in brownfields consulting. Pop City staff contributed to this article.

[PA Pride]

^Pop city is an amazing website... I read it daily. Good article.

[EventHorizon]

I really like the houses at Washington's landing. They're very odd looking but in a good way.

[Evergrey]

I really like the houses at Washington's landing. They're very odd looking but in a good way.

indeed... (photo by ColDayMan available at http://www.urbanohio.com )

http://urbanohio.com/OtherStates/Pennsylvania/Pittsburgh/Skyline/Skyline60.JPG

[EventHorizon]

^very nice!

[DBR96A]

If I remember correctly, Ben Roethlisberger lives on that island.

[UrbaniDesDev]

I think the priority right now should be given to the Southern Belt way. The Airport area needs this and would be a great benefit to entire region. I think the Mon Expressway should be built, but just the section heading to Monroeville. Not the route along the river to the city. I think this would be disasterous. Can you imagine the traffic merging with I376 near oakland? There is no way this can work. There is no plan to expand I376 and it is already jammed. They want to merge two interstate on to one overcrowded dated highway. What is PennDot/Pa Turnpike Commision thinking? Are they thinking? Their plans would separate all these river towns from the river.

I believe their energies should be on placing grand "urban boulevards" in it's place. On both sides of the river. Using 2 of the possible routes planned, one on the North Shore and one on the South side. Boulevards are less expensive to build than expressways and much less intrusive. They won't like this plan because they can't charge tolls there. UGH!

Carson Street should be widened from the Burmingham Bridge out. This is already in the works through the South Side works. Between the South Side and Homestead it could be a 4 lane boulevard with a park like setting and areas for parking for access to the river trails. Sort of like Rock Creek parkway in DC. It should then connect to 8th Avenue in Homestead but the majority of the traffic should be routed to Waterfront Drive at the Waterfront. Waterfront Drive is a wide under used boulevard and Im sure it was constructed with much tax money. It should not be used solely for shoppers at the Waterfront. It should become a part of the regional plan. It would get some of the through traffic off of 8th avenue and allow it to become a more pedestrian friendly atmosphere in Homestead. A grand Boulevard could stretch all the way from Coraopolis in the west the entire way to Clairton. It would go along Carson and follow the route of Kenneywood Boulevard, an interchange at the Mon Expwy, and continu along Duquesne Boulevard, basically the Green belt. The same theory could be done on the north side of the Mon. From McKeesport, connecting to the new Mon Expressway where it crosses the river. Westbound traffic would continue along Braddock Avenue and east bound traffic on Woodlawn or another road running parallel. There are many details I could get into but to simplify it for now, it would connect to Second Avenue. I have given much thought on this and much research. I believe this is completely feasible.

[hyperion1110]

I don't know much about traffic patterns, but it's kinda pointless to attempt to widen the 376...in fact, I don't think it is even warranted. The traffic rams that occur around rush hours in the city are caused not by inadequate road size, but by inadequate. People just don't seem to understand the words MAINTAIN SPEED THROUGH TUNNEL. Everyone slows going into the Squirrel Hill Tunnel for no reason whatsoever...that is the cause of 90% of the traffic on that road, and no manner of widening will solve that problem. Indeed, even if widening would help in some areas, it would still be physically bottlenecked by the tunnel. One thing I do like is the grand Blvd idea...it just needs to be done better than the ones we have, like 5th and Forbes in Oakland. Just my opinion, though.


On to something completely unrelated, the Riverlife Taskforce has been working on the monolithic Three Rivers Park for some time now. According to their website, they were working on converting the Mon Wharf into a trail and floating park, the work for which was supposed to take place in 2006. We all know nothing was really done, cause it's 2007 and I'm not seeing any green anywhere near the Mon Wharf :) Does anyone have an info on the progress of the Park, other than that Point State Park is being renovated? Specifically, what is going on with the Mon Wharf? The pictures they had were really neat looking. I checked the Lanscape architect's website, but there wasn't anything about the project other than that they developed the master plan.

[themaguffin]

I376 most definitely needs to be widened.

If the county had a third of its population, in most cases one additional lane would have been added long ago. This has nothing to do with the tunnel (that's another issue). There are several congested miles of the parkway from the tunnel to the turnpike and this 1950's road must be brought into the 1970's.

[B4burgh]

Look at even the main page of the Riverlife site. It seems many of their plans are what they would like to get done, but with Pittsburgh you never know. I think though in addition to many of the parks Pittsburgh is working on they need to give attention to other potential and already existing parks like Panthers hollow and Highland Park. As for the transportation problems, I think everyone just has to live with it for a while longer. I know im just repeating what many of you have said, but Pittsburgh just does not have the money to completely overhall an outdated system. Sure Portland and Denver have nice systems but thats because they are they are newer cities. They don't generally have to deal with major bridges and tunnels. I agree that the money used for the grand north shore connector should have been spent better but what is going to change the PATs minds they are concerned with appeasing the stadium (soon casino) owners on the north shore and with controlling crowds.

On another completly unrelated note does any one remember the Pittsburgh Maglev Project? It was going to move people from I think Monroevill to Downtown and on to the airport. the last I heard it was bogged down in enviromental issues.

[DallasTexan]

wow, this place is totally dead compared to buffalo.

[Evergrey]

now don't get too excited yet... the Trib has a history of prematurely breaking a big story that turned out to be false (see last week's "announcement" that the Steelers hired Russ Grimm as head coach)

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/sports/penguins/s_491255.html

Pens may have deal Uptown, official says

By Rob Rossi
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Thursday, February 1, 2007


HARRISBURG - The Penguins apparently have cut a deal with public officials to finance an Uptown arena that would keep the team in Pittsburgh, a state senator said Wednesday.
"I'm hearing that a deal could be made any day, which makes me suspect it's all about crossing the t's and dotting the i's," said Sen. Wayne Fontana, a Brookline Democrat who serves on the city-county Sports & Exhibition Authority, which would own the arena. "I don't know that there are any major hurdles left. It's all just little things."

Fontana said he expects officials to announce a deal today or Friday.

The Penguins had no comment. Allegheny County Chief Executive Dan Onorato would not comment, his spokesman Kevin Evanto said.





"People involved directly in the negotiations are not discussing anything publicly," said Dick Skrinjar, spokesman for Mayor Luke Ravenstahl.

Fontana said Gov. Ed Rendell and Penguins co-owner Ron Burkle, a California billionaire, have held "a lot of phone conversations." The two worked together on the Democratic National Committee, and that connection helped ease tension from a Jan. 18 meeting over how to divide arena revenue, Fontana said.

The Penguins balked at sharing money from parking and the developmental rights for the Mellon Arena site with Majestic Star Casino owner Don Barden, who won the state license to build a Pittsburgh slots casino and will contribute money toward an arena. Fontana said the two sides have found "a middle ground" over the parking revenues and development rights.

Late last year, Rendell said he would work to keep the Penguins in Pittsburgh after state gambling regulators dismissed a casino proposal that would have built an arena entirely with slots money, state Gaming Control Board Chairman Tad Decker disclosed yesterday.

Decker told the Tribune-Review he talked with the governor after the board voted Dec. 20 to award Detroit-based Majestic Star the Pittsburgh slots license. The gambling board rejected a proposal by the Penguins' partner, St. Louis-based Isle of Capri Casinos, which had promised to pay $290 million for an arena if it became the licensee.

"Rendell guaranteed us they will not leave," Decker said. "He said, 'It might take a little more money. We're going to do whatever is necessary -- reasonably necessary -- to keep them in Pennsylvania.' "

Rendell's spokeswoman Kate Philips discounted Decker's remarks.

"The governor doesn't guarantee anything," she said. "It's just not his style."

Under an alternate financing plan headed by Rendell, Majestic Star has agreed to pay $7.5 million a year for 30 years toward an Uptown arena. The state would pay $7 million a year from a development fund backed by gambling money.

The Penguins would have paid $8.5 million up front and $2.9 million a year, while forgoing $1.16 million a year in naming rights. But Rendell has said the team's contribution was "significantly" reduced.

The arena would be built on property owned by the sports authority near Mellon Arena. The team's lease there ends in June.

Time has nearly run out on the Penguins' imposed 30-day deadline to complete an arena deal. They were expected to tell Kansas City officials by Feb. 4 whether they would relocate to play in the new Sprint Center starting next season.

The Penguins have not sought the National Hockey League's approval to relocate. The league repeatedly has stated its desire for the team to stay in Pittsburgh.

With the team at home through Saturday and Canadian news media in Pittsburgh for tonight's game against Montreal, officials might want to take advantage of the publicity and end the uncertainty, Fontana said.

"There is an opportunity to wrap this up nicely," Fontana said. "I could certainly see everybody wanting to get this settled while the parties are around."

Rendell was scheduled to be in Harrisburg today, Philips said.



Rob Rossi can be reached at rrossi@tribweb.com or (412) 380-5635.

[DBR96A]

Two things to consider, though: Mike Prisuta did NOT write this article, and the chances of two major stories in a major newspaper being dead wrong in back-to-back weeks is virtually zero. These two things alone give me hope.

The next four days are going to be interesting to say the least. I hope to God that an arena deal gets hammered out so the Penguins stay in Pittsburgh. The clock is ticking...

[themaguffin]

It has been stated for days now that any day now this would be announced, so this article isn't surprising. My thoughts from the beginning was that a deal would definitely be done and for several reasons.

However, as to a publication being wrong more than once. You bet they can be and are - especially the Scaife owned paper quoted above.

[Evergrey]

like i said...

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/07032/758616-100.stm

Rendell: Arena offer revised, but deal not close yet
Thursday, February 01, 2007

By Mark Belko, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Gov. Ed Rendell said today that state and local officials have revised their offer to the Penguins on a new arena but are not close to a deal to keep the team in Pittsburgh.

Mr. Rendell disputed a published report saying that a new arena deal could be announced today or tomorrow.

"The statements that this is close to a done deal -- that is not correct," he said. "We have given the Penguins a revised offer but in no way shape or form have they indicated it's over."

The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review quoted state Sen. Wayne Fontana, a board member of the city-Allegheny County Sports & Exhibition Authority, which is involved in the negotiations, as saying an announcement could be made today or tomorrow.

The Penguins have declined comment on the talks.

At a press conference this morning, Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahl said he believes the parties "are close" but would not put a time frame on completion of an agreement.

"This is something that, when we get the opportunity to speak once again, could happen at any time," he said. "Or it could also take a few more weeks. I don't want to put some kind of artificial time table or time frame on the deal, or the agreement. We're still, internally through the SEA, preparing documentation, and lease agreements, and everything associated with the deal, and will continue to do so. And when we get the chance to get back together, we'll be able to talk more specifically about the details of the deal."

Mr. Ravenstahl said state and local officials were "eagerly anticipating" another meeting with the team and said one could occur before the end of the week, although nothing has been scheduled so far.



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

More details in tomorrow's Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

[Grego43]

Anyone who thinks that I376/I279 don't need widened & upgraded needs to get out and drive more...and see how its done in EVERY other city. The parkways are narrower than many of the on ramps here in South Florida. Those are dangerous, out-dated roadways, and not up to modern Interstate standards.

B4burgh said "Sure Portland and Denver have nice systems but thats because they are they are newer cities. They don't generally have to deal with major bridges and tunnels." I beg to differ...Portland especially has greater distances bridge with both Highway and Light Rail. The Columbia and Willamette rivers are much wider than the 3 rivers. Not to mention Portland's topography is at least as hilly as Pittsburgh's

I also cannot imagine how anyone believes that a so-called "urban boulevard" would serve in place of limited-access expressways in luring industry to brownfield sites in the Mon Valley. In what utopia would an 18 wheeler pick up freight at a Mckeesport fabricator and deliver it to PIT for a flight cover the entire route on a boulevard???? How much of the day would a trip like that take, with stop and go traffic all the way, belching diesel fumes at each stop? BTW, studies have shown the Urban Boulevard concept would cost more than building the limited-acess highways as planned.

[RadHaz75]

Anyone who thinks that I376/I279 don't need widened & upgraded needs to get out and drive more...and see how its done in EVERY other city. The parkways are narrower than many of the on ramps here in South Florida. Those are dangerous, out-dated roadways, and not up to modern Interstate standards.

This is true, however i don't think any of the parkways are nearly as bad as the Schuylkill (I-76) in Philly. Many of the alleged "on ramps" are simply small pieces of road connecting to it, no speed lanes to merge in, you simply hit the end of the ramp and you're on the road (perfect example if anyone is familiar with it, the on ramp at mile 345 from the spring garden bridge onto 76 west, the on ramp comes down to the highway level from above and just ends, no extra on ramp lane), another huge problem is more than half of the highway from the pa turnpike (valley forge exit) to the walt Whitman bridge into jerz has no shoulder room for emergency pull overs.

So while I agree with you that they are outdated, they could still be worse, most of the problems are that the parkway east and west have tunnels, and so as soon as people see it, they go "oh god, tunnel" and slam on the brakes. route 28 has ridiculously dumb lights and the parkway north is the only unobstructed way into town.

[hyperion1110]

Comparing the situation with roads in Pittsburgh with any other city, even of relatively the same size, is still comparing apples to oranges. Topographically, there is no city in this country that approximates Pittsburgh's terrain variations, including Portland, which is not remotely as complex a terrain. Pittsburgh needs to find a solution that works for Pittsburgh.


There are 731 bridges in the city, much more when you include the rest of Allegheny County...that should tell you something about the complexity of the issue. Widening the parkways is simply not an option in most cases. The Squirrel Hill tunnel CANNOT be widened, so unless you somehow manage to build a roadway around it, there is going to be no alleviating the traffic problems coming into the city from the east with the "more and bigger highways" philosophy. Same goes for the parkways west and the Fort Pitt Tunnel, though to a lesser extent. And even if it were possible to fix these problems, the city is NOT going to let more neighborhoods be destroyed for these projects.


As for the random comment about there being more going on in Buffalo, don't kid yourself, pal. It is not coincidence that the name of the city is shared with that of an endangered species. :)

[themaguffin]

Many of the alleged "on ramps" are simply small pieces of road connecting to it, no speed lanes to merge in, you simply hit the end of the ramp and you're on the road

And you are saying that is different? That is almost exactly the problem... that and the assinine on ramps mere feet before an exit.

most of the problems are that the parkway east and west have tunnels, and so as soon as people see it, they go "oh god, tunnel" and slam on the brakes

That's another issue and doesn't change the fact that two lanes with dangerous ramps (if you want to even call them ramps) etc is not even close to being adequate.

[EventHorizon]

As for the random comment about there being more going on in Buffalo, don't kid yourself, pal. It is not coincidence that the name of the city is shared with that of an endangered species

I'm not 100% sure -- but I believe he was being sarcastic. :)

[themaguffin]

Widening the parkways is simply not an option in most cases. The Squirrel Hill tunnel CANNOT be widened, so unless you somehow manage to build a roadway around it, there is going to be no alleviating the traffic problems coming into the city from the east with the "more and bigger highways" philosophy. Same goes for the parkways west and the Fort Pitt Tunnel, though to a lesser extent. And even if it were possible to fix these problems, the city is NOT going to let more neighborhoods be destroyed for these projects.


The tunnels don't have to widened for portions of the parkway to be widened* And neigborhoods don't have to be destroyed. If you look closely and there are only certainy tricky areas, and they too can be dealt with.

*and the "oh well what do you when you get to the tunnel excuse" (for those who want to use against this) is weak and not very creative. I already stated above how it would work with the Ft Pitt tunnel. For the east, widening would happen east of the tunnel. Westbound lanes would restrict and turn into exit lanes as appropriate. The bottleneck can't be avoided, but it doesn't mean that the entire parkway must be a bottleneck and subject to substandard 1950's design.

[DBR96A]

Here's a solution for the tunnels: DRILL TWO MORE PORTALS. That way there'd be two portals in each direction carrying two lanes apiece. Voila! Problem solved.

(The Fort Pitt Bridge has four lanes in each direction, so the size of the bridge is not an issue.)

[DallasTexan]

I'm not 100% sure -- but I believe he was being sarcastic. :)

ding ding ding.

[Grego43]

You might want to check out this link from Michael Baker Corp. They've already performed the study on widening the Parkway West and adding two additional tunnels:

http://www.mbakercorp.com/knowledge/view.cfm?DOC_ID=561


"Comparing the situation with roads in Pittsburgh with any other city, even of relatively the same size, is still comparing apples to oranges. Topographically, there is no city in this country that approximates Pittsburgh's terrain variations, including Portland, which is not remotely as complex a terrain. Pittsburgh needs to find a solution that works for Pittsburgh."

Apples to oranges??? Hogwash! Many Pittsburghers are satisfied to throw up their arms and say "can't be done 'cause of the 1) terrain, 2)lack of money, 3)crooked politicians" or simply "we don't need it". Check out Cincinnati if you'd like to see a similar sized city with similar topography...they've overcome many of the same obstacles and have built quite the expressway system to move people and commerce about the metro area. I am not an advocate of leveling city neighborhoods willy-nilly to build highways...but Jeebus, Pittsburgh's expressways are DANGEROUS, and a deterrent to commerce and growth. They need to be upgraded!

[Evergrey]

there's a pretty interesting blog post by Chris Briem (Pitt urban guru) at null space that kinda relates to this on-going discussion of regional transportation... just thought some of you might be interested in these numbers

http://nullspace2.blogspot.com/


some tidbits...

Is public transit usage in Allegheny County high or low?


Of the top 100 U.S. counties, transit usage in Allegheny County ranks 20th at 10.5%. Of those counties above us, 4 are NYC boroughs (Manhattan is at 59%), 5 are suburban NYC counties, 3 are in the DC metro and 2 are in the Boston Metro. The remaining counties include the consolidated city-county of Philadelphia, Chicago's county, the consolidated city-county of San Francisco, Alameda, CA (the other side of the bay) and Portland's county (a smaller area known for its progressive urban initiatives).

NY, New York County 59.6%
NY, Kings County 57.4%
NY, Bronx County 53.7%
NY, Queens County 47.4%
NJ, Hudson County 33.6%
DC, District of Columbia 33.2%
CA, San Francisco County 31.1%
MA, Suffolk County 30.9%
PA, Philadelphia County 25.4%
NY, Westchester County 20.4%
NJ, Essex County 18.6%
IL, Cook County 17.3%
NY, Nassau County 15.7%
MD, Montgomery County 12.6%
MA, Norfolk County 12.3%
MD, Prince George's County 11.9%
OR, Multnomah County 11.1%
NJ, Bergen County 11.0%
CA, Alameda County 10.6%
PA, Allegheny County 10.5%



How do we compare with some of our peer counties?

Cuyahoga (Cleveland) 6.2
Hamilton (Cincinnati) 5.0
Milwaukee 6.9
Franklin (Columbus) 3.1
Erie (Buffalo) 4.1

and Briem makes a good point here:

"I suspect that if one controlled for the fact that poverty rates and recent immigration rates into Allegheny County are relatively low, thus pushing down some of the normal sources of demand for public transit, we compare even higher in terms of providing a competitive public transit option."


...


he then makes some arguments relating to the proposed PAT meltdown

But it's impressive... and perhaps suprising to see Allegheny ranked amongst such company in terms of mass transit usage.

[Wheelingman04]

I just hope the Penquins stay. I will worry about the roads another time.

[RadHaz75]

Here's a solution for the tunnels: DRILL TWO MORE PORTALS. That way there'd be two portals in each direction carrying two lanes apiece. Voila! Problem solved.

(The Fort Pitt Bridge has four lanes in each direction, so the size of the bridge is not an issue.)

i recall seeing a rendering of this on kdka a few years back when they were considering this, your link Grego, seems pretty recent tho and the solution seems pretty ingenious, looks like the outer lanes are like express, or continuing on the parkways only while the internal lanes end at local roads. has there been any more talk of progress on this?

[hyperion1110]

Haha...well, I'm not going to argue about roads being bigger. I prefer walker-friendly environments anyway, so I suppose I may be biased.

[UrbaniDesDev]

Replacing limited access highways with urban boulevards is not a new concept, it is becoming common place across the country. It has been proven that freeways siphon business out of the city, not bring business in. The fact is, that development only lands near an on ramp of the highway. The large expanse between on ramps tend to be desolate undeveloped areas. The West Side Highway in NYC is being replaced by a wider urban boulevard. There is now a huge park, bike trails and traffic that flows smoothly with well coordinated syncronized lights. San Francisco, Chattanooga, Buffalo and many more all have plans to replace highways that run through heavily populated areas. They constrict the natural urban development.

Grego43, I see few 18 wheelers pulling out of any of the brown sites redeveloped along the rivers in Pittsburgh. The South Side Works, Washington's Landing and the Technology Centers are all examples of what can be done by improving the climate to include a diverse type of development that take advantage of their proximity to the rivers. It is unlikely that heavy industry will be replacing the bulk of the brown fields along our rivers now. The emphasis will be on making these areas more desirable places to live work and play. Though all can not be made into technology centers or trendy neighborhoods, if there was an 18 wheeler picking up freight at a McKeesport fabricator to take to the airport it would only need to go less than a mile or 2 to connect to the Mon Expressway that would take it south, off city roads, to the Southern Beltway, avoiding the city completely. There would be a spur connecting to the Mon Expressway near the south end of the Glenwood Bridge that would connect these boulevards to the freeway without choking the entire Mon Valley.

Our rivers have been constricted with heavy industry and rails for a century now. Replacing that with a freeway will not be progress. The strongest asset these Mon Valley communities have is the river front. We must enhance them not isolate them.

[B4burgh]

Thats what i was saying Pittsburgh is a completely different city with completely different needs. Portland was a city built around efficiant land use while Pittsburgh's urban sprall has gone to epic proportions. I know you really cant compare but I was trying to make a point. But I do think there is an idea we can take from Portland, and urban growth boundary. All large residential and industrial projects would be inside this boundary and it would be large enough to guarentee enough land for the next twenty years. This is the ultimate in smart developement.

Urbani is right constricting our rivers is really wrong. But we are still an inland port though and although we really want to develope the rivers we can't choke off all commerce. We want thing flowing into the city of Pittsburgh not to ports further upstream. Future riverfront projects should consider this and not try to further quicken the pace that large industrial firms are leaving the city. Although they are not a major part of our economy any more we still have many people who depend on these jobs and without river commerce they quickly leave the area.

[themaguffin]

The Mon Valley and similar areas predate contemporary sprawl. They are not burbs. They were towns centered in their own industries or part of the bigger mills etc.

That industry is dead, but the towns remains. These communities are awkward to get to for business and awkward for residents to get to employment areas (downtown, oakland etc), so let's drop the suburban sprawl thing as it does not apply to many communities in Pittsburgh.

[Evergrey]

maybe a few more Parkway lanes could solve this problem...

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/s_491437.html

Bus cuts may leave Downtown commuters in a jam

By Jim Ritchie
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Friday, February 2, 2007


The Port Authority's plan to slash routes would cause gridlock and set off a mad scramble for scarce Downtown parking spots, city leaders warned Thursday.
That's because Downtown parking garages are nearly filled on weekdays and can't accommodate the thousands of additional vehicles the cuts would bring to the Golden Triangle.

"It is inconvenient, but when you start getting more people coming Downtown in cars, you will have serious congestion," said Lucinda Beattie, vice president of transportation for the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership. "This is a serious issue for us. It's something we've never confronted before."

Port Authority of Allegheny County's proposal to cut service by 25 percent in June, eliminate more than 400 jobs and increase the base fare in January would cause an estimated 7,000 riders to use cars, Beattie and other officials said. Studies show most of them would drive alone.

"When that happens, all the garages are going to be loaded up," said Rene Manclair, of Observatory Hill, who visited Downtown yesterday to see a show. "But all the garages are all full now."

Downtown parking garages can't handle the increase, Mayor Luke Ravenstahl said. Eight of 10 Downtown garages are filled to 95 percent capacity on weekdays, he said in a letter to the authority outlining his concerns. Building more parking Downtown would cost the Pittsburgh Parking Authority about $17,000 a space, Ravenstahl said in his letter, or $119 million to accommodate 7,000 extra vehicles.

Port Authority has 240,000 daily riders, which generally is assumed to equate to about 120,000 people who travel inbound in the morning and outbound in the evening. The authority, which faces a projected $80 million deficit in its upcoming fiscal year, anticipates losing 10 percent to 12 percent of its riders after cutting service and increasing fares.

An estimated 140,000 people work Downtown, and about half -- 70,000 -- rely on mass transit, Beattie said.

Authority spokesman Bob Grove said the added vehicles are unavoidable.

"We are going to have more, there's no question," he said. "That's one of the issues you have to deal with."

Alco Parking Corp. President Merrill Stabile said it's likely many drivers will have to park outside Downtown and either walk to their jobs or ride a shuttle.

"They're going to zero in on the fringe parking facilities, which have the least price differential between taking the bus and parking," Stabile said. "They'll more likely park in the Strip District or in the stadium lots where there still are several thousand spaces.

"I agree that there's not a lot of excess capacity in the Downtown garages," he said.

Some commuters fear the extra demand will allow parking operators to raise prices, which they did in 2004 after the financially strapped city increased its parking tax from 31 percent to 50 percent.

"It's going to jump up," said Pam Anderson, a bus commuter from Wilkinsburg. "Just imagine if you have to come Downtown and don't have any other way to get here."

"You know that's going to happen because they know the people need the parking," said rider Charlotte Davis, of the West End.



Jim Ritchie can be reached at jritchie@tribweb.com or (412) 320-7933.

By the numbers

Downtown workers: 140,000

Downtown workers who use transit: 70,000

Downtown parking spaces: 30,056

Projected loss of riders: 10 percent, or 7,000

Sources: Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership, Port Authority of Allegheny County

[Evergrey]

http://www.post-gazette.com/images4/20070202sm_ptpark_topoffPJ_580.jpg

Ironworker Bob Potts, of Imperial, holds a pair of ballet shoes attached to the steel beam that was used to "top off" Point Park University's dance complex, which is being erected on Third Avenue, Downtown. Three pairs of shoes, representing the ballet, jazz and tap dance genres, were raised with the beam. The building has three floors and a basement, but it will be as tall as a six-story building because of the ceiling height necessary to accommodate the dancers' lifts and leaps, said Bill Cameron, the University’s Associate Vice President for Operations. The university has a nationally recognized dance program.

[PA Pride]

Grego: You seem pretty confident in your opinion that "Many Pittsburghers just throw up there arms and give up to problems..." That is really quite a ridiculous statement man, cmon: Pittsburgh simply has more extreme terrain to work with than Portland or Cincinnati for example; Those are hilly cities but they also have more flatland such as Cranberry Twp/Butler County style of rolling hill farmland;

My dad who has been in transportation and construction either building roads, hauling materials to construction areas, or driving on the roads his whole life has always told me that our extreme topography is most definitely the reason we don't have wider and more standard sized roads and ramps etc... That's simply fact.

I've lived in Beaver County and the western part of Allegheny County my whole life and I'm in real estate now, I can assure you that any decent size housing plan or suburban developments or office parks that are built is not the same as just clearing some farmland flat, paving it and building things on it; In many part of the Pgh metro, developers have to spend MILLIONS to basically chop off the top of these hills, grade the land flat; then carve steep entrance/exit roads to these new developments... It is very expensive and time consuming and also public utilities do not extend to alot of these places which is a ton more money to tap into and extend these services to developments....

There are alot of factors at play. Suprisingly, not all Pittsburghers are just to lazy to fix this retarded old beat up city as you portray it.

[Grego43]

I am very pleased that I have been able to spark a discussion on what I believe to be a hurdle facing the Pittsburgh metro, but I want to be clear that I am in no way bashing the city I love and will always consider home.

PA Pride, I never said Pittsburghers are lazy, nor did I state that the city is retarded, old, beat up. What I tried to say is that I believe many people are complacent and believe they can do nothing to make changes in and around the city...so they don't.

A few points I want to rebut, but sorry I don't have time to go back and quote each poster:

-Yes, trucks from Mckeesport would be able to use the Mon Fayette Expressway/Southern beltway to get to the airport...IF THEY EVER GET BUILT! As it is now it appears that they won't...
-Southside Works, Tech Center, Washington's Landing are GREAT use of brownfield sites, but the Mon Valley, from Monessen to Mckeesport does not have the same population base as the city, nor do they have the access to same. Why is it so hard to understand that when these brownfields were cranking out production, the primary means of transport was the rivers and rails. 21st century manufacturing needs highways and airports.
-themaguffin said it perfectly: "The Mon Valley and similar areas predate contemporary sprawl. They are not burbs. They were towns centered in their own industries or part of the bigger mills etc.

That industry is dead, but the towns remains. These communities are awkward to get to for business and awkward for residents to get to employment areas (downtown, oakland etc), so let's drop the suburban sprawl thing as it does not apply to many communities in Pittsburgh."

-PA PRIDE, If its "simply fact" that the extreme topography is the reason for substandard roadways, how did I-79 and the Parkway North get built to modern, generally accepted standards? Here is a perfect example of someone rolling over and accepting a falsehood for fact. Have you been to Cincinnati, Portland, Seattle? Even the Marin county approach (freeway 101) of the Golden Gate Bridge passes through twin bore tunnels of 4 lanes in each direction...built in 1937 and 1954.

I'm not trying to compete in a pissing match, just trying to get my point across that Pittsburgh has a lot to do to be able to compete in today's business arena. A provincial approach will not work.

[ColDayMan]

Cincinnati's growth areas have normally been in the flatter sections of the north and northeast metro, as western Metro Cincinnati is as rugged as Pittsburgh and generally lacks development (freeway access, etc). And the areas of Seattle and Portland also have development in key valleys while leaving the more hilly areas to nature.

But as the poster above addressed, topography shouldn't be an excuse, as the Bay Area has more rugged area than Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Oregon combined (Hell, just look at the city of San Francisco) with monolithic eight lane freeways passing canyons, 3,000ft "hills", and tunnels. Then again, the Bay Area can afford it while Pittsburgh is losing metropolitan population to begin with.

[Evergrey]

there's finally an update on East Liberty's Highland Building in the Biz Times

Tennessee-based Terminus has teamed up with local developer Zambrano due to escalating construction costs (Terminus purchased Highland in Sept 2005)

The 13-story 100,000 sq. ft. Highland, vacant for 20 years, will be developed into 84 condos with an average price of $167,000. The adjacent Stadterman Building will be demolished and a 100-room hotel will be built on the site. A 250-space parking garage will be built below the hotel. Terminus declined to give a timeline for construction. This is only a couple blocks away from the 30-unit Lofts on Baum that just began construction.

[Evergrey]

took a picture of the under-construction Metropolitan Shadyside on Neville the other day... a 42-unit luxury condo


I apologize for the pinkness of my photo... my camera seems to do that when it's raining or snowing... there's some recently updated construction pics on their website
http://www.metshadyside.com/construction.php

http://www.pbase.com/deadwing/image/73951742.jpg

[BMikeSci]

Does anyone know what is being built accross from the History museum in the strip district?

[Evergrey]

it's a 143-room Hampton Inn
http://www.popcitymedia.com/developmentnews/striphotel.aspx

[Evergrey]

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/s_491793.html

Carrie Furnace forges new future at mill site

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/photos/2007-02-04/0205carrie-a.jpg
Patrick Earley looks over the Carrie Furnace site, which straddles parts of Pittsburgh, Swissvale, Rankin, Munhall and Whitaker. Earley is the project manager for redevelopment of the site, which is likely to focus on housing, a museum, and light-industrial and office space.
Joe Appel/Tribune-Review

By Justin Vellucci
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Monday, February 5, 2007


The blast furnaces at the Carrie Furnace site will be part of a museum that will be built on the property. The blast furnaces and a massive blowing engine house were recently named historic landmarks.
Graffiti can be seen through a broken office window at the site.

The 500 feet of aging metal linking Whitaker to Rankin could tell the history of the Industrial Revolution.

Built in 1901 to connect Carrie Furnace to Homestead Works, a hot metal bridge delivered molten iron that four generations of steelworkers shaped into the skeletons of skyscrapers, landmarks and battle tanks. When the mills closed 20 years ago, the bridge over the Monongahela River became a familiar post-industrial icon: a dormant thoroughfare between abandoned neighborhoods.





It soon could become a messenger of rebirth.

As Allegheny County cleans up Carrie Furnace for redevelopment, officials are looking to haul something new across the hot metal bridge -- lessons from The Waterfront, the sprawling mix of big-box retail, offices and townhouses born from the ruins of U.S. Steel's Homestead Works.

"Hindsight's always 20/20, and that's a wonderful success story over there, when you compare what was there to what's there now," said J. Patrick Earley, Allegheny County's Carrie Furnace project manager.

Don't expect Carrie Furnace to be The Waterfront, Part II. Officials don't want to flood the market with carbon copies of past successes.

Despite differences between the two sites, officials say The Waterfront offers at least two guiding principles. It shows that builders benefit from working on blighted industrial riverfronts instead of just expanding deeper into untouched suburbs, and it proves struggling communities can grow through investments linked to new development.

There are plenty of "apples and oranges" disclaimers. The Waterfront revolves around storefronts and restaurants. Carrie Furnace likely will focus on light-industrial and office space, housing, and a museum featuring the skyline-swallowing blast furnaces and massive blowing engine house recently named national historic landmarks.

"We have no interest at all to put any big-box retail at the (Carrie Furnace) site. It's not needed," said Dennis M. Davin, the county's director of economic development. "We don't want to develop sites just to develop sites or just (to) move offices around."

A developer demolished much of Homestead Works, a steelmaking maze that once covered more than 400 acres, before building The Waterfront. At Carrie Furnace, the public sector will lead the way. Allegheny County paid Park Corp. $5.75 million in 2005 for the 137-acre site -- which straddles parts of Pittsburgh, Swissvale, Rankin, Munhall and Whitaker -- and plans to clean up the property before handing it over to a developer.

Then, there are potential similarities. The Waterfront, though isolated from its hometowns by train tracks, has bolstered tax rolls and helped upgrade Mon Valley infrastructure.

County officials want more at Carrie Furnace. So, they've invested nearly $10.7 million since 2004 in housing, road work and community projects where Carrie Furnace's future matters most: Swissvale, Rankin and nearby Braddock.

Those investments can go a long way toward building community participation in a project, those involved in The Waterfront said.

"Without everybody on the same page, it'll never happen," said Barry Ford, who heads the Pittsburgh development office for Continental Real Estate Companies, the firm behind The Waterfront. "We were successful because we put a plan in place with the help and direct involvement of the communities."

"We (alone) could never have done what the private developer did here with The Waterfront," said West Homestead Mayor John Dindak, whose town netted about $140,000 in 2006 through a tax increment financing agreement that increases The Waterfront's tax payments gradually over time. "(Carrie Furnace) has to be a boom for Rankin and Braddock."

Park Corp., which once owned both the Homestead Works and Carrie Furnace sites, did not return calls seeking comment.

Today, Carrie Furnace is more of a cemetery than the industrial powerhouse whose furnaces once churned out up to 2,500 tons of hot metal a day. Abandoned buildings are littered with graffiti or spray-painted with prophecies: "Stop fate" or "Rust away."

Roads once weaved around railroad cars, and stockhouses twist, seemingly without reason, through overgrown fields. The lot feels like a strangely ideal place for trails county officials hope to build as part of a network linking McKeesport to Washington, D.C.

The site faces other obstacles, not all of them economic.

A $2.7 billion leg of the controversial Mon-Fayette Expressway could run through the site, possibly along a nearby hillside. Its path through the Mon Valley, in the works for years, has generated vocal opposition.

In mid-February, officials are set unveil updated plans on the highway's footprint through Carrie Furnace, Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission spokesman Joe Agnello said. Final design could be complete by the end of 2009.

Access to Carrie Furnace remains an issue.

Historic preservation, a key to the Carrie Furnace plan, also doesn't come cheap. Some speculate it could cost $70 million to $100 million to convert the site's industrial structures into a steel heritage museum. One local historian said people might be more eager now than they were a decade ago to support those investments.

"(In the late 1990s) there was still this sense of, 'Tear all this stuff down. We don't even want to see it. Just get rid of it,' " said Ron Baraff, director of museum collections and archives for Rivers of Steel National Heritage Area.

"You need these placeholders, in a sense, to maintain the integrity of the site, to maintain the link to where the site has been, where the region has been," he said. "We need to save the story. ... If we allow it all to disappear, we're losing a piece of ourselves."



Justin Vellucci can be reached at jvellucci@tribweb.com.

[Evergrey]

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/07036/759536-53.stm

Saving Grace: City trying to rescue Mt. Washington street from crime, blight
Monday, February 05, 2007

By Diana Nelson Jones, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette



As a long-term improvement project, Grace Street has not exactly lived up to its name.

Two housing developers say drug dealing and blight are compromising their investment on the Mount Washington street, and they asked city officials for help during a recent walking tour.

Other neighborhood advocates press the point further, saying that as Grace Street goes, so goes the neighborhood.

"You have to get control of your back streets" for overall stability, said Darla D'Anna, a board member of the Mount Washington Community Development Corp.

Almost 10 years ago, the organization targeted Grace Street for improvement. A more recent incentive is its proximity to the Grandview Scenic Byways Park, which is being developed as a greenway that encircles Mount Washington and Duquesne Heights; Grace Street dead ends at one of the park's portals.

Several years ago, when an owner of numerous lots on Grace Street decided to sell, Ms. D'Anna pitched the sale to Sandy L'Heureux, a developer.

"Everyone thought I was crazy" to buy in, Ms. L'Heureux said.

Her contractors completed work on eight new townhouses almost two years ago and they all sold for less than $200,000 each. She said the occupants make up "the strongest demographic that's been seen on the street in years" including doctors, a lawyer and a financier.

The eight units are connected, with garages in front. Within a month, work should be completed on phase two, two new townhouses on the other side of the street.

"People are buying here because they want to live in the city," Ms. L'Heureux said. She added that it's unlikely a property on the street would sell for more than $200,000 as the street is now.

She is working with a former Penguins player, Francois Leroux, who has made contracting his second career. They plan to develop two lots she owns for phase three, and five other properties designated for phase three have been secured for the CDC in the city's land trust. A $100,000 grant from former state Rep. Michael Diven is helping to clear titles and pay for street repairs and fix other infrastructure problems.

Inside one of the almost-ready townhouses, Mr. Leroux addressed the entourage that included Assistant Police Chief William Bochter, Councilman Dan Deasy and Kim Graziani, the city's director of neighborhood initiatives.

"There's a lot of traffic down this street and I know why," he said, mentioning seeing lots of "Mercedes, BMWs and Hummers coming and going."

Grace Street also serves other ignoble purposes.

In August 2005, Ms. L'Heureux and Ms. D'Anna went to housing court in contention with a man they said was dumping debris at the end of the road; the man was fined in court, the city cleaned the debris, and the site still has been dumped on.

Similarly, building inspectors have cited the same property owners numerous times. Building inspector Jean D'Alessandro walked with the group carrying a sheaf of papers from a file on one of the properties. She rifled through them to show how they have amassed. Pointing at one house, she said, "We just cited him again this month."

Several properties along the stretch closest to the dead end have been junked-up. Lining the street are old cars, one with a tarp over it. Ms. L'Heureux pointed at several properties that are tax delinquent and at one that has a big hole in the roof. It is not inhabited, but people are believed to be using it illicitly.

Chief Bochter said the social problems on Grace Street will be addressed with additional patrols, the removal of abandoned vehicles and investigations.

Citywide, there's a lot worse blight than the blight on Grace Street, but Mary Causey, a CDC board member, said, "We don't want it to get to the point" of hard-core blight. "That's why we're out here now."


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

(Diana Nelson Jones can be reached at djones@post-gazette.com or 412-263-1626. )

[themaguffin]

Another article on the city Keystone development zone.... not sure if there is anything new, but's a little more detailed than previous ones.


City hopes innovation zone will spur development
KIZ designed to spur tech business growth
Pittsburgh Business Times - February 2, 2007by Jennifer Curry


A Keystone Innovation Zone coming to town is bringing the hope of a redeveloped Uptown and a solution to the region's lab space crunch.

Last week, the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development approved the creation of the Pittsburgh Central Keystone Innovation Zone, which would encompass parts of Downtown, the South Side, North Side, Uptown and the Hill District. It is the second Keystone Innovation Zone in Pittsburgh.

"There's a lot more I think we can do in the Pittsburgh area than with a single KIZ," said Alan Seadler, the Edward V. Fritzky chair in biotechnology leadership at Duquesne University who helped write the proposal to create the KIZ.

"Personally, coming from the small biotech industry, I know the challenges our companies go through to try to get things growing. Anything we can do to really help them along that process has got to be good for the region," he said.

A KIZ is designed to spur growth in areas near universities by encouraging the creation and relocation of technology companies less than eight years old through funding and tax incentives. The new KIZ will be geared toward life sciences, communications, information technology and advanced materials companies.

As part of the zone creation, the Hill House Economic Development Corp. received a $237,000 grant. The first step will be to create a board of directors, set up the group's nonprofit status, and hire a coordinator.

Over the next year, the group hopes to create about 25 jobs, attract an additional $100,000 in research money and identify and track up to six startup businesses that could move into the zone. Two potential startups, both Duquesne University spinouts, have already been identified -- biotech firm Applied Isotope Technologies Inc. and software solution provider TrackStar.

Local university partners and developers are hopeful the zone will spur redevelopment.

"We were looking for something that would stimulate the economic development of Uptown and the Lower Hill," said Duquesne University president Charles Dougherty. "There's a vital economy in Oakland and revived life Downtown, but really, in between, not a great deal is happening."

Evan Frazier, president and CEO of the Hill House, said he believes the tax benefits could help to attract startups to the zone.

"I think it adds tremendous momentum for all the communities, in particular certainly the Hill District," he said.

And, Mark Schneider, a managing partner at Fourth River Development LLC, said the KIZ will likely encourage development closer to the city's core.

"Anything helps," he said. "People are beginning to see why the city is such a great place to work and live. I think that designation will help spur (development)."

Yet, Carlow University president Mary Hines said the zone will likely first help to create startups before it attracts new businesses. That's what happened around the Penn State University campus in Wilkes-Barre when it received its KIZ

designation, said Hines, who headed that school at the time.

"I certainly believe that the KIZ can attract new business, but the first stage was the startups," she said. "It can provide opportunities for our students who live in this area to have good employment opportunities and service projects that they can work on behalf of business."

The Greater Oakland Keystone Innovation Zone has seen similar results. Since being formed in 2004, 10 companies in that zone have received $742,000 in tax credits, three new faculty members have been hired, and 13 grants have been awarded to companies to do beta testing of their initial products, according to Tim White, coordinator for the Oakland KIZ.

The new KIZ could also help solve a problem that Oakland has been struggling with -- how to find more lab space. Plans are already in the works to build an incubator in Uptown that would provide lab and administrative space for about 10 to 15 biotech, information technology and materials companies, according to Seadler.

"Space is at a premium in Oakland," White said. "It's our hope in working with different KIZ partners to expand the space available for tech startups there."

Additional long-range plans for the new KIZ include offering business assistance to companies, creating an intranet where companies and partners can connect and setting up a program to offer loans through PNC Financial Services Group Inc. to startup companies, according to Seadler.

[themaguffin]

Zambrano Corp. unit joins Terminus as Highland Building developer
Pittsburgh Business Times - February 2, 2007by Ben Semmes


More than a year after Knoxville, Tenn.-based Terminus Real Estate announced its plans for the long-vacant Highland Building in East Liberty, the project could be jump-started with an injection of capital from a local developer.

An entity of Zambrano Corp. -- an O'Hara-based construction and development firm -- has joined Terminus as majority partner in the Highland Building restoration and the demolition of the Stadterman Building and construction of a 100-plus room hotel on the site.

The two firms will serve as co-developers of both projects.

Leigh A. Burch III, president of Terminus, said the initial cost estimate of $32 million -- $14 million to renovate the Highland Building and $18 million on the hotel venture -- had increased because of the complexity of the project and the surging cost of construction materials. He declined to give a current cost estimate.

Gene Zambrano, president of Zambrano Corp., now managing partner of the project, confirmed his firm's involvement but declined further comment.

Burch said he has secured a hotel operator, but declined to release its name. In September 2005, Terminus had reported it was close to an announcement that Holiday Inn would commit to the project.

Burch said Zambrano bought out his original partner, an Alabama group he declined to identify.

Bringing a local developer on board made sense, Burch said.

The plans, which business and civic leaders expect will spur further urban renewal in the heart of East Liberty, have shown little progress since the Urban Redevelopment Authority sold the two buildings to Terminus in September 2005.

Although construction hasn't started, Burch said his firm has completed work on architectural, engineering and environmental impact elements of the project.

"Engineering on the parking is virtually performed," he said.

He declined to give a timeline for completion of the project.

The 13-story Highland Building, at 121 South Highland Ave., has sat vacant for more than 20 years as a series of developers have tried, and failed, to resurrect the historic structure.

Creating adequate parking for the building has been a stumbling block for developers, so Terminus, which specializes in historic condo rehab projects, has proposed a 100-plus room hotel for the Stadterman Building site with a shared 250-space parking garage below it. The Stadterman building redevelopment is expected to include street-level retail.

Next door, Terminus has proposed converting the Highland Building's 100,000 square feet of space into 84 condominiums, to be sold at an average price of $167,000.

Burch said that number could change, although any fluctuation in the cost of the condos would be negligible.

On Wednesday, the new partners met with members of the Urban Redevelopment Authority in a closed-door meeting.

"The URA has been a partner in the deal," Burch said.

A representative with the URA was not immediately available for comment.

Terminus had sought a $60,000 street-face facade loan from the organization as well as a $1 million loan from the URA's Pittsburgh Development Fund.

"I am very excited about the project and very optimistic," Burch said. "My partner and I are very excited."

Bob Sapsara, vice president with McMurray-based Crossgates Inc., which is working on the 30-unit Lofts on Baum condo project nearby, said East Liberty is ripe for development.

"Shadyside is expanding, and the only place they can carry into is East Liberty; and that's where the development is taking place," he said.

[achilies]

I just hope the Penquins stay. I will worry about the roads another time.


The Penquins, are you serious? Hockey is the lamest sport there is.

[AaronPGH]

The Penquins, are you serious? Hockey is the lamest sport there is.

Tell that to a Pittsburgher.