PITTSBURGH | Rundown [Archive] - Page 18

Evergrey

04-11-2007, 06:11 AM

firstly... on a totally random note... much to my dismay... I just noticed the Sharon MSA no longer exists and has been absorbed into the Youngstown MSA... it was previously an independent MSA that was part of the Youngstown CSA... I wonder when this change happened...
http://www.census.gov/population/www/estimates/metro_general/2006/CBSA-EST2006-01.xls

...

anyways... here's some more on the arena site demolition... BMikeSci: I believe the Epiphany church will be preserved... though I'm not exactly sure what it will be used for in the new development... I wish they could preserve that whole block and find new uses for those beautiful buildings next to the church...

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/07101/776848-85.stm

Demolition begins at Penguins' arena site

Public and hockey officials applaud as heavy equipment rumbles in the Lower Hill District

Wednesday, April 11, 2007

By Rich Lord, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

A former residence hall for working women became the first casualty yesterday of the effort to build a new venue for well-paid hockey-playing men.

St. Regis Hall, a four-story, 18,000-square-foot brick structure that was part of the Epiphany Church complex on Colwell Street, Uptown, gave way to the wrecker's might, as Penguins executives and public officials watched approvingly.

It is the first of a dozen knock-downs planned on the way to the construction of a $290 million arena. That it happened on the eve of the team's first playoff game in six years just added to the gushing.

"It's an exciting time for the team, a young team that's going to bring a tremendous amount of excitement to this region and to this area," said Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahl. "And what better way to continue that than to build a new facility?"

St. Regis Hall is the first of 12 buildings set to meet their doom under a $926,419 contract with Empire Dismantlement Corp. of Grand Island, N.Y. The package also includes the old Epiphany School, the Epiphany Church rectory and nine buildings along Fifth Avenue.

All but the rectory will be down by Aug. 1, said Mary Conturo, executive director of the city-county Sports & Exhibition Authority, which is managing the process. The rectory will be demolished next year, after a new one is built.

The authority is putting together plans to demolish the former St. Francis Central Hospital, also part of the arena site, and will invite bids next month or in June in hopes of entering into a contract by July, she said.

"This is really a great moment for us," said Penguins Chief Executive Officer Ken Sawyer, whose team has spent seven years lobbying for the arena deal that was finally struck March 13.

Even before the gambling-backed financial deal was reached, Allegheny County Chief Executive Dan Onorato, Mr. Ravenstahl and Gov. Ed Rendell were assembling land and preparing demolition specifications. Nearly a month after the basic terms were struck, the Penguins and the Sports & Exhibition Authority continue to exchange drafts of a new arena lease, officials said.

"The mayor and I have made it clear, along with the SEA, that as we develop this site and move across the street [to redevelop the Mellon Arena site], we will be working closely with the community representatives to make sure that this becomes a win-win for the Penguins, for the community and the city," said Mr. Onorato.

He and Mr. Ravenstahl said they are trying to arrange a meeting, possibly tomorrow, with the Penguins and Hill District residents.

They plan to discuss a possible community benefits agreement that would ensure the neighborhood shares in the surge of construction that could also include a proposed $350 million development on and around Mellon Arena's site.

The role of the arena's neighbors became an issue Thursday, when Hill District business leaders and clergy met with Mr. Ravenstahl and Mr. Onorato. They provided a "terms sheet" indicating they want $10 million in development funding for the neighborhood, a share of arena and development revenue, and a guarantee that 30 percent of related jobs will go to minorities.

Mr. Onorato said the proposed terms should be viewed as "goals, as opposed to specific items."

Mr. Ravenstahl added that there would have to be give and take.

"I think when we talk about numbers like $10 million, it would be input and dollars that would go into redeveloping the area, not necessarily a lump sum payment," he said.

There has been "some tension in the past" among Hill residents toward the Penguins, he said. "So we want to start to smooth that over. ... Hopefully that meeting will be the first step in building that relationship."

Penguins President David Morehouse withheld comment until after the meeting. The team, which was not invited to last week's meeting, will bring along its neighborhood development consultant, Don Carter of Urban Design Associates.

In addition to the arena development, slot machine license winner Don Barden has pledged to be involved in the $350 million redevelopment of the Mellon Arena site, even as he hopes to build a North Shore casino. Spokesman Robert Oltmanns said he wasn't aware of anyone from Mr. Barden's team being invited to any upcoming meeting.

Efforts to ensure that the Hill benefits from the development are fragmented.

The group that met with officials Thursday, led by businesswoman Marimba Milliones and the Rev. Johnnie Monroe, pastor of Grace Memorial Presbyterian Church, emerged from the Hill District Gaming Task Force that explored the impact a slots casino might have.

That group is at odds with city Councilwoman Tonya Payne, who is working with county Councilman Bill Robinson to secure contracts for minority-owned and women-owned businesses.

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

(Rich Lord can be reached at rlord@post-gazette.com or 412-263-1542. )

http://www.post-gazette.com/images4/20070411Demolish.gif

...

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/s_502110.html

Arena to showcase city's skyline, hockey history

By Andrew Conte
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Wednesday, April 11, 2007

Penguins fans will know they're in Pittsburgh when they enter the team's new Uptown arena.
A multi-story glass atrium will look out on the city's skyline. And like other new stadiums throughout the National Hockey League, Pittsburgh's arena likely will have a theme unique to the city, officials said Tuesday.

"You'll have the backdrop of the wonderful view we have of the city, which is truly unique in North America for a hockey rink to see a cityscape like we can see here," Penguins CEO Kenneth Sawyer said.

Pittsburgh's arena will include a hall of fame and a "tribute" to the city's hockey tradition, Sawyer said.

"We have so much history to celebrate here," he said.

As players prepared for tonight's opening playoff game in Ottawa, Canada, team leaders and public officials met yesterday on the site to officially start the demolition process. A backhoe knocked away red bricks from a former boarding house behind Epiphany Church.

The city-county Sports & Exhibition Authority borrowed $26.5 million from the state to prepare the site between Centre and Fifth avenues for a September groundbreaking. The arena is scheduled to open in 2009.

That might seem an eternity to fans, but planners are working feverishly to get an architectural team in place and to start making key decisions about planning the building, said SEA Executive Director Mary Conturo.

The Pens are expected to work with Kansas City-based HOK Sport, which designed Heinz Field and PNC Park.

"There will be a lot of glass on the west side of the building," Conturo said. "Because of the height elevation, there will be lots of places to overlook the city."

Penguins officials -- who are seeking a meeting with Hill District leaders this week -- are looking at some of the league's newest arenas for guidance: Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minn., Nationwide Arena in Columbus and Jobing.com Arena in Phoenix.

The best new arenas, experts said, feature open concourses, amenities such as higher-end restaurants with rink views, open sightlines, high-definition scoreboards and interactive areas with slap-shot booths and photo booths with player cutouts.

"The fan experience is really important to most owners now," said Doug Brown, an architect with Ellerbe Becket in Kansas City who has designed arenas in Charlotte, Boston, Tampa and South Florida.

Seats in Pittsburgh's arena will be wider, with more leg room, Sawyer said. Even in the highest levels, fans will feel closer to the action, he said, because the seats will be set at a steeper pitch.

Fans at the Xcel Energy Center always walk down -- not up -- to seats, giving them a sense of getting closer to the ice, said General Manager Jack Larson. Entrances to the center are at the top of each section, and the concourses are open so fans feel they are part of the action even when stepping out for food.

The Penguins arena likely will feature the latest high-definition scoreboard with LED screens wrapping around the entire bowl. Every suite will be Internet-ready. The arena lighting will be focused on the ice, as in a theater, Sawyer said.

"There's so much change going on in the area of technology, and I'm really excited about what we can do in the building," he said. "There's a million ways to apply it."

One of the early decisions will choosing a theme for the arena, architects said.

The Xcel Energy Center, which opened in 2000 at a cost of $165 million, has a woodsy feel with natural colors, wood and stonelike materials. A lighthouse, appropriate to the Land of 10,000 Lakes, erupts when the Wild score. Hockey sweaters from the state's 140 high schools hang inside.

"It's comfortable," Larson said. "People like coming to it because it has an easy feeling."

Andrew Conte can be reached at aconte@tribweb.com or (412) 320-7835.

BMikeSci

04-11-2007, 07:33 AM

Thank you Evergrey. You answered a lot of my questions. It looks as though there will be a new design - not the one that is currently being passed around - although I bet the new one will be similar to the HOK design for I of C. They will be knocking down the St. Francis Hospital. That's kind of a shame. It looks like a very servicable building, but the whole project will probably be better without it. Anyway the parking for that building will have to go, so...

I hope that the new arena project includes the park over the highway from Center Avenue and Bigelow Blvd. as had been included in the I of C plan. There will be more carbon monoxide from cars, so some more oxygen from a park would be great. This is something from which the whole community would benefit.

BTW, I think the church is going to stay - as a church, and I have been told that a new rectory will be built where the school is now.

I was down to 3 PNC today. It looks as though they have made some progress on the foundation - although there isn't any steel going up yet. The retaining wall for the foundation at the west end looked really crooked - nowhere near a straight line.

The G.C. Murphy's store block is being fixed-up to look like a bank for a movie that's being shot there. There are some really great buildings on the north side of the street there. The south side has a bunch of crap buildings however. Looks like some good candidates for a recking ball:-) Anyway, what's with that hotdog restaurant? Yuck!

Some guy there said that there is a skating rink going into market square. I haven't read a thing about this. Has anyone heard about this or is my "source" full of BS? A skating rink would be great there and historically appropriate. I understand that there was a roller skating rink over market square way back when.

The point park university dance studio building seems to be coming along nicely but slowly.

And I think that 151 Firstside has fallen behind schedule. I had been told by one of the realters at Coldwell Banker that this project was due to open this spring. Two of the top floors have yet to be enclosed; so I'm wondering if this spring's opening is going to happen. My guess is this summer.

DBR96A

04-11-2007, 07:52 AM

I wish they could preserve that whole block and find new uses for those beautiful buildings next to the church...

Sucks that they'll be torn down, since I thought they were nice-looking buildings. At the same time, though, you can't preserve 'em all. Do that, and new development would be inhibited. Besides, it's not the '60s or '70s anymore, when many new buildings looked like crap. Starting in the '80s, but especially from the '90s onward, there's been much more emphasis put on the aesthetic appeal of new buildings and architectural designs. We'll be replacing one set of nice buildings with a new, big, nice building.

DBR96A

04-11-2007, 07:56 AM

As for Sharon merging with Youngstown, it was only a matter of time, especially since I gather that the Shenango Valley is still sorely lacking jobs, and many people are starting to cross the state line to work.

Strangely enough, I've heard that Youngstown is still somewhat lacking in terms of job growth, but areas like Warren and Niles are creating new jobs. Basically, Trumbull County is picking up where Mahoning County left off.

BMikeSci

04-11-2007, 08:39 AM

Eric Heyl writes a smart ass article on PGH's decline:

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/opinion/columnists/heyl/s_502084.html

But look at these stats for shadyside

Residential Homes sales for the First Quarter 2007
Shadyside - January - February - March-versus 2006
Year 2006 - 29 units sold $273,463 average price
Year 2007 - 39 units sold $345,085 average price

This looks like a 26% increase in prices from last year and a 34.5% increase in sales volume. PGH may be losing population, but some neighborhoods are booming.

For the Downtown:

Downtown Pittsburgh - First 1st quarter solds Jan-Feb-March 2007 vs 2006
2006 SHOWED 19 UNITS SOLD $90,000 AVERAGE
2007 SHOWED 9 UNITS SOLD $138,000 AVERAGE
cURRENTLY 18 UNITS UNDERCONTRACT WAITING FOR COMPLETION OF NEW CONSTRUCTION ON tOWNHOMES AND OR LOFTS.
increase in sales and prices - lOOK FOR A JUMP IN THE 2ND QUARTER
SALES Now the average price $138,000.

That's a 53% price increase and a 42% increase in volume if you count under contract.

These stats from Realty Times.

http://realtytimes.com/rtmcrcond/Pennsylvania~Pittsburgh~jackrettger

P.S. realtor.com only lists 7 properties in 15222 under $150,000.

Evergrey

04-11-2007, 02:06 PM

more on UPMC... I was thinking... now that UPMC will be both Downtown and in Oakland... maybe this could accelerate the drive for a LRT connection

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/07101/776738-28.stm

UPMC logo may top off U.S. Steel Tower

Wednesday, April 11, 2007

By Dan Fitzpatrick, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

http://www.post-gazette.com/images4/20070411pd_steel0411_450.jpg
Peter Diana, Post-Gazette
The UPMC logo may soon adorn the three sides of Pittsburgh's tallest skyscraper.

The region's largest employer will sit atop the city's tallest office tower.

So, the thinking goes, why not put the logo up in lights, too?

University of Pittsburgh Medical Center President Jeffrey Romoff confirmed yesterday that he wants the "UPMC" sign atop the 64-story U.S. Steel Tower as part of an agreement to move the headquarters of the Oakland hospital conglomerate Downtown. UPMC will fill five floors in the triangle-shaped landmark -- bringing science and medicine to a building associated with Pittsburgh's history as an industrial power.

The deal gives Mr. Romoff the best view in all of Pittsburgh. He and other senior executives will work from the 62nd floor -- the highest rentable space and former home of the panoramic Top of the Triangle restaurant, which closed in 2001. Board members will meet up there, too.

UPMC needs city permission to place its logo on all three sides of U.S. Steel Tower -- no, the name would not change. A request is expected to go before the Pittsburgh Planning Commission, and based on past controversy surrounding skyline signs from Highmark and Mellon Financial Corp., the application could generate some debate.

How does U.S. Steel -- which still has its headquarters there -- feel about the prospect of a UPMC sign atop a building that honors the Steel City's namesake industry?

U.S. Steel spokesman John Armstrong said, "That's an arrangement they made with the building. I am not going to comment on that. The building is still the U.S. Steel building."

He then added: "We are delighted to have them as a neighbor."

Both companies lease space in the building.

It is "fitting" that the region's largest employer (UPMC has 43,000 workers in southwestern Pennsylvania) would one day sit atop Pittsburgh's largest building, said Oxford Development Co. President David Matter, who attended yesterday's news conference.

"It's where they belong," he said. "UPMC has almost singlehandedly replaced heavy manufacturing as the backbone of the regional economy."

UPMC, a nonprofit that booked $5.7 billion in revenue last year, expects to start occupying its new Grant Street address in March 2008. It will move approximately 2,250 employees there over four years, consolidating people from the executive staff, finance and treasury, corporate communications, legal, planning, marketing, human resources, payroll, benefits and information technology.

Along with space on the 62nd floor, UPMC also will occupy the 58th, 57th, part of the 56th and the 22nd floors. It currently has employees on the 28th floor -- and they will remain in that space for another three years, according to building leasing agent Andy Wisniewski, who approached UPMC about moving 14 months ago.

Initially, UPMC will lease 185,000 square feet, although it expects to need as much as 500,000 square feet within five years -- bumping U.S. Steel Tower's occupancy rate from 82 to 96 percent.

The move also alleviates some space pressure in Oakland.

Once UPMC's headquarters moves Downtown, the nonprofit will shift clinical administrators into its current Oakland headquarters -- Forbes Tower along Meyran Avenue. The maneuvers will free up valuable space in its nearby hospitals to expand clinical programs.

Another argument made yesterday at a press conference was that UPMC's move Downtown will strengthen the connection between Pittsburgh's business center in the Golden Triangle and the city's academic and medical nexus in Oakland. UPMC believes that connection could be even stronger if it is allowed to merge with the financially-troubled Pittsburgh Mercy Health System, a Catholic medical center in the Lower Hill District.

UPMC and Mercy are awaiting federal and state approval of the $120 million merger -- a deal that would give UPMC access to more than half the hospital market in Allegheny County. The Federal Trade Commission recently asked both hospitals for more information, indicating a heightened level of scrutiny. Both the FTC and the state attorney general are looking into possible antitrust issues.

Mr. Romoff is "optimistic" the merger will happen and dismissed concerns that the union will result in higher prices and less competition. UPMC operates 19 other hospitals.

Such criticisms, he said, "couldn't be further from the truth." It's a "simple decision." That being "whether Mercy hospital will continue to exist." If Mercy closes due to financial problems, patients will migrate to UPMC anyway, argued Mr. Romoff, and the community will lose the chance to retain about 3,000 jobs and potential for new investment in the Lower Hill.

"We are confident the attorney general will see this issue . . . as we have," Mr. Romoff said.

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

(Dan Fitzpatrick can be reached at dfitzpatrick@post-gazette.com or 412-263-1752.)

...

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/business/s_502107.html

UPMC's relocation provides growing room

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/photos/2007-04-10/0411promoff-a.jpg
UPMC CEO Jeffrey Romoff announces that UPMC will be moving its corporate headquarters into the USX Tower/US Steel Building.
Steven Adams/Tribune-Review

By Ron DaParma
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Wednesday, April 11, 2007

Jeffrey A. Romoff, who turned the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center into the region's largest employer, soon will work in offices on top of the city.
Romoff and other executives will assume the former Top of the Triangle restaurant space atop the 64-story U.S. Steel Tower, Downtown, nearly three miles from the main hospital complex in Oakland.

"We're adding more than 5,000 employees a year," Romoff said an announcement Tuesday explaining the move. "We will seek to revitalize and add to the wonderful things that are going on Downtown."

UPMC plans to relocate 2,000 to 3,000 employes from its cramped Oakland facilities to consolidate corporate, administrative and other business operations in the next five years. UPMC employs 43,000 people in Western Pennsylvania.

It hopes to win city permission to place its logo near the top of the rust-colored, 2.3 million-square-foot structure on Grant Street, which would retain the U.S. Steel name. The steel corporation opened the building in 1971.

The health system has discussed reviving a long-closed helipad on the roof, according to Andy Wisniewski of CB Richard Ellis/Pittsburgh, leasing agent for the tower.

"This move will free up much-needed space for hospitals to expand clinical services" in Oakland, said Elizabeth Concordia, UPMC senior vice president. "Along with the new Children's Hospital construction in Lawrenceville, this will help us decongest some of the busiest clinical areas and enhance our ability to serve the health care needs of this community."

UPMC has grown ninefold since Romoff became CEO in 1993, according to the medical center's Internet site. It's now a $6 billion yearly operation with 19 hospitals, an insurance division and ventures in Europe and the Middle East.

It has been criticized for some moves, including a proposed merger with Mercy Hospital, but this decision appears to be good one, said Cliff Shannon, president of SMC Business Councils, which represents 5,000 small businesses statewide.

"If UPMC were gong to build another 300-bed hospital in Shadyside, my hair would catch on fire," Shannon said. "But on first blush, this appears to be good for Downtown, and I don't think it will have any impact whatsoever on health care competition."

Selection of the U.S. Steel Tower came after a nine-month search, which included other prominent Downtown office buildings, he said. Oxford Development Co. represented the company in the search.

Starting in March 2008, UPMC will take about 185,000 square feet of space in the U.S. Steel Tower, including the former restaurant space on the 62nd floor for executive staff. Other personnel will occupy a portion of the 56th floor, and all of the 22nd, 57th and 58th floors.

Ultimately, UPMC will lease as many as 14 floors, totaling close to 500,000 square feet. That will include floors 59 and 60 now occupied by the H.J. Heinz Co., which is relocating its world headquarters to PPG Place, Downtown.

UPMC estimates at least 2,250 employees will move into the building in phases. Departments will include the executive staff, finance and treasury, corporate communications, legal, planning and marketing, human resources, payroll and benefits, and information technology services.

Romoff and his staff will come from the 11-story Forbes Tower, at Forbes and Meyran avenues. Others will come mainly from hospital facilities.

"We are pleased to have as a neighbor the headquarters of one of our country's leading medical centers and one of the jewels in Pittsburgh's crown," said John Armstrong, spokesman for U.S. Steel.

That company has about 1,000 employees and occupies about 450,000 square feet in the office tower, including executive offices on the 61st floor, Wisniewski said.

UPMC's relocation will raise occupancy in the U.S. Steel Tower from 82 percent to 96 percent, he said.

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

biscuit

04-11-2007, 05:01 PM

Evergrey

04-11-2007, 05:05 PM

UPMC is already administratively separated from U Pitt so at what point does the IRS kindly ask them to stop pretending to be a non-profit? If they can afford multi-million dollar ad campaigns, expensive new digs downtown and a multi-million dollar high-wall sign then it seems to me that they can afford to pay at least some local taxes.

I totally agree... I have such mixed feelings about UPMC... the largest employer in the region... an engine of innovation and growth... a real feather in the cap for the region on an international scale...

but the whole non-profit status... gobbling up so much of the property value of our tiny city... is putting a real strain on the municipality...

of course... of Pennsylvania would generate the political will to address our antiquated system of municipal governance... this problem could be mitigated to an extent... but that will never happen, will it...

biscuit

04-11-2007, 05:17 PM

of course... of Pennsylvania would generate the political will to address our antiquated system of municipal governance... this problem could be mitigated to an extent... but that will never happen, will it...
Don't look for it.

I just had a thought. I have put a lot of work into my house and am very proud of what I've accomplished. Seeing how it's tall and sits up on a hill, I think it's only appropriate that I put a large illuminated sign of my name on the roof. It seems fair I am the largest source of employment and income generation my house. Do you think the Planning Commission will give me permission?

themaguffin

04-11-2007, 06:05 PM

The UPMC is a rare win win. Downtown gets a significant boost, but not at the expense of elsewhere in the city or region. This doesn't hurt Oakland (and in effect frees up space for more relevant work).

Looks like the building will be very well occupied, not that it seemed to bad for its size. Now if only downtown could get a few more breaks in this regard. It would be nice to actually have a vacancy rate at a still not good 15%.... and work towards 10% rather than 20....

but again, I hope that the sign gets rejected, but given the history, it doesn't sound like there is much of a standard and it will get approved, so the U.S. Building will have 3 huge signs stating something other than U.S. Steel.... while symbolically that's nice, it still doesn't make sense for me in terms of a sign on that design.

Evergrey

04-11-2007, 07:57 PM

1. I agree that this UPMC move to U.S. Steel tower seems to be a positive on every front... and UPMC overall is a very good thing for the region... but UPMC's torrid growth also has some negative externalities... especially for the city where 1/3rd of its property value is tax-exempt.

2. Ugh... we're a city of over 300k... could we possibly elect a council that isn't full of criminals and uneducated yinzers? maybe we could elect a SECOND college graduate some day to our 9-person council??? 41% of the 24-35 population has bachelor's and 17% of that segment has a post-graduate degree... yet we remain mired with the most backwards, idiotic, self-serving leadership... maybe we could elect a NON-NATIVE for once??? Someone without the "Pittsburgh Pedigree"?

I'm getting off on a tangent... Councilwoman Twanda Carlisle charged with siphoning $43k in city tax dollars for her own benefit...
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/07101/776933-100.stm

3. Regional economist Chris Briem has an interesting blog post today about how the disparity in income tax between the city (3%) and suburbs (1%) has historically been one of the prime "push factors" resulting in the massive drain of population from the city into the suburbs... the city really needs to resolve this issue if it's ever going to be competitive with the suburbs. There are structural advantages in place for the city, but the financial penalities more often than not overcome these.
http://nullspace2.blogspot.com/

4. Despite office vacancy levels hovering around 20% Downtown... the number of workers "Downtown" has increased by 20% in the past decade.
http://pittsburgh.bizjournals.com/pittsburgh/stories/2007/04/09/daily23.html?surround=lfn

Finance, service biggest Downtown employers

Pittsburgh Business Times - 2:27 PM EDT Wednesday, April 11, 2007

A study released Wednesday found that employment in Downtown Pittsburgh has grown more than 20 percent since 1996, and that the finance and service industries are the largest employers there.

The Downtown Worker Profile Study, released by the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership, found that the service industry (33 percent) and finance (31 percent) accounted for almost two-thirds of the work force in 2006.

The study also found that from 1996-2006, the number of Downtown businesses grew less than 1 percent annually, but the number of workers grew 2.1 percent a year.

"With UPMC's recent announcement that they are moving their headquarters Downtown, our study supports the fact that the number of employees working in Downtown has risen at an annual rate of almost 2.1 percent. These new downtown workers will play an important part in increasing the momentum in Downtown Pittsburgh," Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership President and CEO Mike Edwards said.

Other findings of the survey included that 137,000 people work at 5,000 business establishments located across the five census tracks (Uptown, Golden Triangle, Strip District, South Shore, North Shore) that collectively define Downtown Pittsburgh, with the Golden Triangle alone accounting for nearly 80 percent of the businesses and employees.

The Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership is an advocacy group that represents 350 property owners and businesses.

...

Here's a link to the study: http://www.downtownpittsburgh.com/cms/assets/pdp_daw_final_4_11%20presentation.ppt

5. and oh... by the way...
http://www.post-gazette.com/images4/20070411ds_pensrally_brk_580.jpg

BMikeSci

04-11-2007, 09:22 PM

Eric Heyl wants to know who will be moving in to all the new construction.

Here are possibly 400 new jobs in PGH:

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/07047/762542-96.stm

BMikeSci

04-12-2007, 03:43 AM

Downtown Work Force Continues To Grow

http://www.thepittsburghchannel.com/news/11622249/detail.html

BMikeSci

04-12-2007, 03:50 AM

Preservationists want the new arena moved -- just a bit

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/tribpm/s_502200.html

Evergrey

04-12-2007, 06:05 AM

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/07102/777307-53.stm

Arena neighbors may get face lifts

URA set to OK funding for facade improvements to Fifth Avenue buildings

Thursday, April 12, 2007

By Mark Belko, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Having a new $290 million arena for a neighbor could mean public money for face lifts for several Uptown buildings.

The city's Urban Redevelopment Authority board is expected to vote today on a proposal to designate buildings along a section of Fifth Avenue, opposite the site of the new arena, as eligible for funding for facade improvements under the URA's popular Streetface program.

If the proposal is approved, property owners in that area who want to restore their buildings' facades could have up to 40 percent of the cost, or a maximum of $30,000 each, covered by the URA. In all, about 14 buildings on the south side of Fifth would be eligible for the improvements.

Their owners would not have to pay the money back if they go seven years without letting the property fall into disrepair or making unauthorized changes.

The designation was requested by the city-Allegheny County Sports & Exhibition Authority to mitigate the impact of demolitions to clear the site for the new arena and to preserve the history of the area.

It was recommended by the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission's Bureau for Historic Preservation.

That recommendation was made after the bureau determined that the section of Fifth Avenue was not eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places.

"This was once a thriving commercial area in the Uptown area of Pittsburgh and was significantly larger. It is now a remnant that has been reduced in size through demolitions and diminished in integrity through infills and alterations," the bureau said.

As part of the mitigation, the bureau is recommending that black and white photos be taken of the exteriors and "significant interior spaces" of the nine buildings on Fifth that are being demolished, and that historical narratives and physical descriptions be completed as well.

The authority is providing similar documentation for three buildings within the Epiphany Church complex that will be cleared for the new arena. The church itself will remain.

One local group, Preservation Pittsburgh, does not believe the proposed steps go far enough.

Although Rob Pfaffmann, a Preservation Pittsburgh board member, called the Fifth Avenue Streetface designation a "good first step," he said he also would like to see the area named a local historic district, in part to prevent land speculation tied to the new arena.

He said he feared that speculators may buy up properties, demolish buildings and turn the land into parking lots to capitalize on Penguins games and other arena events. A historic district designation would give the community some management and review over potential reuse and renovation of properties, he said.

Mr. Pfaffman also favors directing a portion of the gambling funds being used to finance the arena toward improvements in the Hill District. A group of Hill business leaders and clergy also is seeking an agreement to ensure that the neighborhood shares in the benefits of the new arena and associated development.

Penguins President David Morehouse said the team wants to "work collaboratively" with those affected by arena construction.

"Generally speaking, we're going to listen to what everyone's concerns are and take all of those concerns into consideration as we move forward," he said.

Mr. Pfaffman also would like a chance to pitch his proposal to reuse Mellon Arena rather than tear it down, as is the current plan.

"All we're asking for is a fair shake," he said.

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

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

BMikeSci

04-12-2007, 09:34 AM

I really love the photo in this article:

Downtown work force jumps 23% in 10 years

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/07102/777235-28.stm

BMikeSci

04-12-2007, 09:42 AM

Mixed-Use Property in Pittsburgh Area Sells for $71M

http://www.cpnonline.com/cpn/property_type/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003569502

Is this the same investcorp? If so, it looks as though some immigrants/foriegn investors are interested in PGH - the smart/rich ones.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Investcorp

MasonsInquiries

04-12-2007, 04:48 PM

glad to see so many great developments going on in pittsburgh

themaguffin

04-12-2007, 06:15 PM

FYI for those intown and are interested:

North Shore Connector Open House

The general public, elected officials, community groups and businesses are invited to attend a public open house on Thursday, April 12, 2007, from 4:30-6 p.m. in the Port Authority Board Room. The Port Authority Board Room is located on the 5th floor of the Heinz 57 Center, 345 Sixth Avenue, in Downtown Pittsburgh.

Representatives from the contractor and the project team, as well Port Authority staff, will be available to answer questions, provide construction information, offer updates on street closures and detours, and address concerns.

No coverage in the PG that I am aware of, so who knows if it will be covered.

Being in Atlanta, I won't be there.... but if anyone can make it and feel us in, that would be great.

On a side not related to my neck of the woods, the Atlanta Journal Constitution had a display ad on the front page of the job classifieds for Westinghouse Nuclear Engineer positions... sound like they are ramping up.

cdc

04-12-2007, 06:24 PM

A couple of random comments from Oakland:

1. CMU continues to work on expanding westward towards the art museum.
This week's citypaper reports that CMU has bought the building with
the Holiday Bar in it (the bar closes april 29th). This land is being
targeted towards building a second Collaborative Innovation Center
building. Here is a picture (bar in the middle):

http://tinyurl.com/32ufao

The building to the right of the bar has already been torn down.
The building to the left was just boarded up (and the next building
to the left has also been torn down). Next up: the decaying blue
building ( http://tinyurl.com/2y4gxt ) next to the bridge. It
would be nice if they got rid of the ugly bank building as well
( http://tinyurl.com/2fm3bv ).

2. Stone cleaning/repair work on the Pitt Cathedral of Learning
appears to be underway. Based on what has been fixed so far, the
building is going to look very nice once the work is done. Now if
they could just figure out a way to fix up the HVAC system so they
could remove all the ugly window unit air conditioners from the
building's windows...

3. Schenley Plaza is supposed to have its official spring "opening"
this weekend. They reassembled the carousel last week, and are in
the process of putting up the big tent now. Unfortunately, it
seems that some of the food kiosks have failed, as there is a big
"food kiosk for lease" sign there. Also, there is no sign of any
construction on the Atria's restaurant they were supposed to be built
there ( http://www.popcitymedia.com/developmentnews/33atrias.aspx ).
I wonder if that plan has fallen thru?

4.

I lived in Fort Lee, NJ for six years and loved it, but it is much much more expensive to live there than here. Plus, I can be more centrally located here - no bridge to cross every day.

I was surprised to find that living in PGH is much more expensive for
me than living in NJ. Thanks to the county's broken and unfair
assessment system, my property taxes in PGH are more than double(!)
what I paid in NJ (for the same sized house). Plus, as a resident of
the city I'm paying the 3% income tax in addition to my property tax.
The sales tax here is also likely to rise to 8% if our gov. has his
way. But I agree that being centrally located is nice. That way I
can walk to work, avoiding an ugly commute on the area's inadequate
transportation system (no bridges, tunnels, or parkways for me).

BMikeSci

04-12-2007, 10:36 PM

PGH more expensive? Something is wrong there. Check with your accountant or something. You may be paying more than you should.

Fort Lee NJ has a property tax rate of 2.1% - PGH is 2.47%. Yes, the tax rate is higher, but the median home price in Fort Lee is over 500K. My condo would be more than double. Maintenance would also be much higher in NJ. The toll to cross the GW bridge into manhattan is $6.00 a day. Food costs more.

Cost of Living
Fort Lee, NJ 07024 National Average
Cost of Living Index 182.2 99.52
Average Yearly Utility Cost 4905 3196.27
Average Household Total Consumer Expenditures $66044 per year $41075.28 per year
Average Household Education Expenditures $834 per year $450.93 per year
Average Household Entertainment Expenditures $3550 per year $2207.08 per year
Average Household Transportation Expenditures $2459 per year $1563.85 per year
Average Household Retail Expenditures $31044 per year $18600.46 per year
Average Household Non-RetailExpenditures $35000 per year $22474.81 per year

Cost of Living
Pittsburgh, PA 15219 National Average
Cost of Living Index 78.7 99.52
Average Yearly Utility Cost 2395 3196.27
Average Household Total Consumer Expenditures $28181 per year $41075.28 per year
Average Household Education Expenditures $305 per year $450.93 per year
Average Household Entertainment Expenditures $1336 per year $2207.08 per year
Average Household Transportation Expenditures $962 per year $1563.85 per year
Average Household Retail Expenditures $13091 per year $18600.46 per year
Average Household Non-RetailExpenditures $15090 per year $22474.81 per year

These yahoo nieghborhood profiles show the cost of living index in Fort Lee as about 100% more than the national average and PGH about 10% less. You really should be spending a lot less here unless you purchased a much larger or tonier property. The only other thing I can think of is that you were really very under assessed in NJ. Did you live in your house there for many years?

UrbaniDesDev

04-13-2007, 02:21 AM

Thats some interesting info on the buildings on Forbes in Oakland. I always thought it was just a matter of time, prime real estate for such run down properties and business. Any word of the progress on the planned hotel on the gas station site across the street? I hope CMU does something with the parking lots across Forbes from their main Campus and the site of the Gates Building going up. also related is the plans for Panther Hollow and the lake that sites in valley. Such a neglected section of Schenley park at such an important and booming area.

BMikeSci

04-13-2007, 05:34 AM

Downtown Pittsburgh might work out for Gold's Gym

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/business/s_502455.html

BMikeSci

04-13-2007, 05:40 AM

10th Street Bypass could reopen in May as tunnel project advances

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/07103/777734-53.stm

BMikeSci

04-13-2007, 05:46 AM

Salvation Army ponders sale on Downtown Pittsburgh building

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/s_502459.html

BMikeSci

04-13-2007, 05:47 AM

Debt declines in Allegheny County, according to report

http://pittsburgh.bizjournals.com/pittsburgh/stories/2007/04/09/daily28.html

BMikeSci

04-13-2007, 06:29 AM

BANKofMANHATTAN

04-13-2007, 02:15 PM

Well the $3,000,000 renovation of the Chatham Center plaza started today. That's yet one more downtown project. I wonder if the Chatham Center will be eligable for a facade grant if the current proposal passes?

God, I hope so, that thing is ugly.

I wish they'd do something with the Manor Building, near the courthouse downtown - they just painted the thing black, but it's still hideous.

Evergrey

04-13-2007, 02:45 PM

thanks for the update on Oakland/CMU happenings, cdc...

as for Schenley Plaza kiosks... the Asia Tea house opened a couple weeks ago... the Bagle Factory kiosk opened recently... no activity in the hot dog one... which I suspect failed... and I haven't noticed any activity in the 4th kiosk which I believe sold pizza and desserts

North Shore Connector news:

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/07103/777734-53.stm

10th Street Bypass could reopen in May as tunnel project advances

Friday, April 13, 2007

By Mark Roth, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

If the weather cooperates, the 10th Street Bypass, Downtown could reopen in both directions as soon as the first full week of May, Port Authority officials said yesterday.

Because contractors didn't have to do as much preparatory work for the light rail transit tunnels that will run from Downtown to the North Shore, the bypass could reopen as early as May 4, they said.

The road had been closed so crews could remove steel pilings holding up retaining walls along the bypass.

The Port Authority thought the pilings would obstruct the pathway of the twin 2,400-foot tunnels to be bored underneath the Allegheny River, but discovered most of the pilings did not go as deep underground as they had thought.

That shaved about a month off the work schedule and will save the transit agency between $500,000 and $1 million, officials said during a sparsely attended open house on the project yesterday.

Meanwhile, crews continue to dig a shaft beneath General Robinson Street on the North Side, which will serve as the "launch pit" for a 22-foot-diameter tunnel boring machine that will be shipped here from Germany this summer. General Robinson was reopened before the Pirates opening day game this week by putting a temporary cap over the shaft.

In late June or early July, Stanwix Street, Downtown will be closed between Fort Duquesne Boulevard and Penn Avenue so crews can relocate several utility lines. Some lanes of Fort Duquesne will also be shut down from time to time for similar work after the 10th Street Bypass reopens.

The tunnel boring is scheduled to begin in October, but the $435 million project is not due to be finished until mid-2011.

The 1.2-mile light rail extension, most of which is being financed by federal funds, is designed to connect Downtown from a new Gateway Station to the North Shore, with stops near PNC Park and a terminus at Allegheny Avenue and Reedsdale Street, near Heinz Field.

The North Shore extension eventually could serve as the first leg of a light rail arm running to Pittsburgh International Airport, Port Authority officials have said, but there are no active studies of that under way.

The tunnel boring machine and its supporting equipment, which will be leased by Port Authority contractors for about $10 million, is being built especially for the Pittsburgh project by Herrenknecht AG in southern Germany.

It will become one of about 750 tunnel boring machines being used around the world today.

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

(Mark Roth can be reached at mroth@post-gazette.com or at 412-263-1130. )

themaguffin

04-13-2007, 04:04 PM

Developers eye vacant South Side lot for building of 12 condominiums
Pittsburgh Business Times - April 13, 2007by Ben Semmes

The partners of a Green Tree-based commercial real estate firm have plans for a 12-unit condominium project on a vacant lot only a few blocks from SouthSide Works.

Frank Gustine and Ed Pope, partners in FWG Real Estate Inc., have assembled a group of investors and are pursuing the project at South 24th and Sarah streets, Pope said this week. Pope said FWG Real Estate Inc. is not involved.

Working under the name 95 S. 24th Street LP, the pair are scheduled to appear before Pittsburgh's Zoning Board of Adjustment on April 19 to request a variance to build a five-story residential project on the site, which they purchased for an undisclosed sum at the end of last year.

Pope said construction on the project could begin later this year. He declined to name the project's other investors or say how much they plan to invest in it.

The property, which is zoned for single-family homes, must receive a variance to allow construction of a multi-unit residential project, said Dolores Hanna, special project operations manager at Pittsburgh's Department of City Planning.

Pope said the main difficulty the project will face is receiving approval for a smaller setback from the street than most multi-family dwellings require.

Rick Belloli, executive director of the nonprofit South Side Local Development Co., said that while he has not seen plans for the project, his organization would be amenable to smaller setbacks since that would match the existing homes and businesses in the area. Modern zoning, Belloli said, generally encourages larger setbacks allowing more space for parking.

Pope said the city's Zoning Board of Adjustment approved the property for the same use in 2002, when former owner Jim Rohm considered a condo project on the site.

Oakland-based TREK Development Group President Bill Gatti, who has been working for several years to convert the South Side's Foto Hut building into apartments, cautioned that it can be difficult for smaller residential projects to succeed financially.

"Small residential projects are especially challenging to keep your costs under control," Gatti said. "You have more cost to spread over fewer units."

themaguffin

04-13-2007, 04:04 PM

Planned office park grows in Robinson
Pittsburgh Business Times - April 13, 2007by Ben Semmes

The developer of a proposed Parkway West office park in the works for more than a decade is acquiring additional land to potentially expand the project.

Richard Dunn, president of Canonsburg-based Dunn Development & Management, said increasing land values, as well as the opportunity to expand his project, convinced him to nearly double his current holdings, which total roughly 28 acres in Robinson.

Dunn said he has a letter of intent to increase his holdings to more than 50 acres, with plans eventually to exceed 100 acres of property in an area just off the Ridge Road/Campbells Run Road exit from the Parkway West. The property would have more than 2,000 feet of frontage along Interstate 79.

Dunn declined to reveal who owns the additional land.

Dunn said his current plans call for an office park with five, five-story office buildings each of 10,000 square feet and a 10-story hotel. The added acreage will allow for additional expansion if needed, he said.

While the office vacancy rate along the Parkway West has long been one of the highest in the region, there have been recent signs that the market and the infrastructure that serves it are improving.

McMurray-based Crossgates Inc. currently has 25 acres owned by Bayer Corp. under agreement for a possible mixed-use development, said company President Gregg Schwotzer.

Schwotzer said the relative proximity of the Parkway West to the airport and Downtown, as well as continued improvements to area highways, are critical factors in the market's growth.

"I think that as much as anything, it is the fact that it is relatively close to the airport," he said. "We continue to believe that the airport is going to be a driver for the Pittsburgh economy."

cdc

04-13-2007, 06:57 PM

Fort Lee NJ has a property tax rate of 2.1% - PGH is 2.47%. Yes, the tax rate is higher, but the median home price in Fort Lee is over 500K. My condo would be more than double. Maintenance would also be much higher in NJ. The toll to cross the GW bridge into manhattan is $6.00 a day. Food costs more.

You cannot directly compare the median home price of Fort Lee to PGH.
The PGH number is based on a much larger area that includes all the
depressed areas of Pittsburgh that you would never actually want to
live or raise a family in. Those bad areas lower the overall PGH
number.

According to my tax bill, the tax rate in the city of Pittsburgh is
2.941% composed of 4.69 mils (county), 10.8 mils (city), and 13.92
mils (PGH schools). Home prices in the nicer areas of PGH are
significantly higher than the PGH median. I don't have averages
handy, but in the area of the 14th ward (Sq Hill) where I live houses
sell in the $450K to $750K range.

In this situation, here is an example of what can happen. Say you own
a $500K house in Fort Lee, NJ that is assessed at $400K. You would be
paying taxes of $400K*2.1%, or $8400/year. Now you sell your NJ home
for $500K and move into a $500K home in the 14th ward that is assessed
at $350K. Your tax would be $350K*2.941%, or $10293.50/year.

But (and this is a big "but"), shortly after you move to PGH the
Pittsburgh Public School District appeals your $350K assessment based
on your $500K purchase price. Because of the way PA law is written,
school districts almost always win these cases because the only thing
the appeal board considers is the purchase price. Thus, the county
assessment appeal board raises your assessment to $500K, and now your
taxes are $500K*2.941%, or $14705/year --- almost double of what you
were paying in Ft Lee!

This is how you end up with virtually identical houses in the same
neighborhood having widely varying assessments. Basically, new
residents of Allegheny County are the big losers in these cases.

You can mitigate it somewhat by choosing to live in a lesser area of
the city, but those areas often feed into "bad" public schools. In
that case, you'll end up paying for private school if you can afford
it. That will run you around $15K per year, per child. Alternately,
you can live in the suburbs with good school districts (e.g. Fox
Chapel), but then you'll likely end up commuting to the city.

As for the other cost of living factors (food, utilities, retail), I
don't see a big difference between PGH and anywhere else. A Target in
Morris County NJ is going to have about the same prices on a box of
diapers as a Target in PGH. A 1/2 gallon of ice cream from Giant Eagle
in PGH isn't going to be much different from Acme in NJ. The one
place where it might hit is utilities, if you own an old poorly
insulated house in the city. Then heating costs will be higher in
PGH.

Transportation costs depend on your commute. Commuting to NYC is
always going to cost. I didn't work in NYC, so I didn't have to worry
about that. In PGH I can walk to work, so I avoid gas and parking
costs (reserved parking in Oakland can cost like $1K/year).

BMikeSci

04-13-2007, 09:22 PM

I guess I didn't pay too much attention to the property taxes in Fort Lee. I was in a coop, and the taxes were rolled into the maintenance. I moved here from Austin, TX where the taxes were 2.98% and the home was new so properly assessed. Therefore, the taxes didn't seem too high to me. Of course Texas has no income tax, but I am retired and don't have to pay too much tax now anyway.

Squirrel Hill is a great nieghborhood. I hope you enjoy living there more than where you lived before. It would be nice if you found some compensation. Is your house nicer in SH?

timmydogg91

04-13-2007, 09:41 PM

The Manor Building should just be leveled, and open up that site for a new decent highrise that would turn the skyline, maybe a 60, 70 story besides the new PNC tower?

BMikeSci

04-14-2007, 01:19 AM

I was down to PPG plaza today where the ice skating rink is in the winter time. That plaza always looks terrible. There were plastic barriers and sandbags everywhere. The plaza looks dirty and uninviting. What a sin that such a fantastic work of architecture is treated so badly by building management. Look at Rockefeller Center. Granted the owners of RC most likely have a lot more money, but still, look at what they've done with their property. PPG are pigs by comparison. I'm tempted to go down and put a few pink flamingos around their plaza. It couldn't look worse.

Evergrey

04-14-2007, 01:38 AM

it's official... democracy is suspended in Pittsburgh...

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/07103/777813-100.stm

Peduto will not run as independent for mayor

Friday, April 13, 2007

By Rich Lord, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Pittsburgh Councilman William Peduto announced today that he will not run for mayor as an independent, an option he had kept open upon his withdrawal from the Democratic primary last month.

The move means Mayor Luke Ravenstahl will almost certainly not face a politically experienced challenger in his bid to win election to serve out the term of the late Mayor Bob O'Connor.

"I am a Democrat," Mr. Peduto said in a press release. "Even though a registration change would have been temporary, I believe that running as an independent would be a divisive move. A majority of local Democrats want to reform Pittsburgh, and an independent candidacy would drive a wedge between the reform movement and the Democratic Party."

He said he will spearhead an organization called Reform Pittsburgh NOW, focusing on finding "innovative solutions" to problems in public safety, transit, neighborhood revitalization and open government.

He said he will return unspent campaign contributions to the contributors.

Wheelingman04

04-14-2007, 04:36 AM

That is just great. Now the city has to put up with a mayor that has no clue how to run the city govt.:(

BMikeSci

04-14-2007, 05:41 AM

I didn't pay enough attention to this story when it broke. I've noticed many more students walking around downtown lately, and this story suggests many more are coming. With luck, the services will soon follow.

BTW, has anyone seen anything concrete on the smithfield street project?

Point Park University to expand housing Downtown

120 students to move into leased Wood Street apartments

Thursday, September 08, 2005

By Bill Schackner, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Point Park University will see its first residence hall expansion in almost 40 years next fall when it moves 120 students into leased apartments in a pair of buildings just off the Downtown campus.

Point Park President Katherine Henderson said yesterday that a deal has been inked with a private developer to lease suite-style apartments on the upper six floors of 111 Wood St., across the Boulevard of the Allies from campus, as well as in a second building about a block away called the Conestoga Building at 7 Wood St.

It is the latest announced influx of college students Downtown. The Art Institute of Pittsburgh already plans by June 2007 to move 650 students residing on the North Side into a nine-story building at 620 Second Ave. near the parking authority garage and the light rail stop, said the school's president, George Pry.

Point Park says the added space should ease a housing crunch created by enrollment growth since the late 1990s. And it's consistent with the school's desire to draw in more of its students who reside in neighborhoods ringing Downtown.

Henderson said the influx of upperclassmen into the buildings -- combined with other residential construction planned or under way Downtown -- should enliven streets and bolster businesses, many of which close as daytime pedestrian traffic ebbs. Pry said it's like bringing "that little bit of Oakland" bustle to the Boulevard of the Allies corridor.

"College students usually have some discretionary income. They frequent restaurants. Their parents stay in hotels," Henderson said. "Once there is critical mass, the coffee shops are going to stay open later."

And it could further efforts to lure a grocery store to the area. Patty Burk, program director for the Downtown Living Initiative, which has been spearheading efforts to bring a grocery store into the Golden Triangle, said there are operators "seriously considering a Downtown location," but she would not name them or say how many there are.

As interest in Downtown living has intensified, Burk said she has had more inquiries from grocery store vendors in the last four months than she had in the previous three years. "I think we'll see a store open next year or at least publicly committed," she said.

Silver King Housing is developing the buildings for Point Park use, campus officials said. The five-year lease is renewable up to 30 years, giving Point Park options as it weighs whether to modernize or replace its existing 600 beds in Lawrence and Thayer halls.

Point Park, which hopes to inaugurate doctoral programs starting next year, currently houses overflow students at Chatham College and is pressed for new academic space for its enrollment of 3,400, up from 2,200 in the late-1990s. It has finished a $1.5 million lobby and facade restoration of Lawrence that includes a new bookstore. It is converting three nearby buildings into dance studios, and Henderson has raised the possibility of one day establishing a sports facility, though no concrete plan has been advanced.

Burk said there are currently 5,143 residential units Downtown, with another 275 substantially finished and leasing. Another 475 units are under construction. Of the total, 2,100 units are for students, representing 4,200 beds. Another 235 units, equaling 840 beds, are expected to be completed and available in the next 18 months.

Pry said the apartment building being developed for the Art Institute will include retail space and, in effect, will unify the campus by eliminating the need for many students to commute to classes from the North Side, though some are likely to remain there, given his school's growth.

(Staff writer Mark Belko contributed. Bill Schackner can be reached at bschackner@post-gazette.com or 412-263-1977.)

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BMikeSci

04-14-2007, 05:46 AM

Here's PPU's construction update page. They have a webcam.

http://www.pointpark.edu/default.aspx?id=1920

BMikeSci

04-14-2007, 06:04 AM

Here's a followup on PPU

http://www.pointpark.edu/default.aspx?id=1843

Evergrey

04-15-2007, 05:31 AM

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/07105/778164-85.stm

Old story on population about to change

Sunday, April 15, 2007

By Gary Rotstein, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

The new census figures sounded as bleak as could be:

Pittsburgh was the only large metropolitan area in the nation to lose population over a four-year period. The city, county and region all showed "tremendous loss of jobs and population to other areas of the country," a Pittsburgh newspaper lamented.

It's a story that sounds familiar, but this bleak news came in 1964. Public officials and others have been wringing their hands for decades about Pittsburgh's population drain, which is why there was nothing shocking in recent weeks when census data estimated the region had lost more people since 2000 than anywhere but hurricane-ravaged New Orleans.

The more surprising thing is that analysts believe this negative trend has just about run its course and this relentless, pessimistic elephant of a downward population spiral is about to stop in the next decade -- and may have already halted, according to one projection.

Most accounts see a turnaround sometime in 2010-20, spotlighted in a census gain one year that would rouse shouts of, "Hallelujah, it's over! The three rivers turn to wine today! We're growing again!!"

The overall shift, however, may be a tad more subtle.

"Our plan recognizes very slow population growth," said James Hassinger, executive director of the Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission, which projects a population gain of 5 percent across its nine-county region by 2030. "It's a positive thing that we are showing an increase, but it's a modest increase."

And that's assuming the projections developed by demographers, economists, private consultants and university researchers are accurate. Such forecasts have not always been reliable in the past, but analysts today agree on key points:

The worst of the population drop came during the 1980s when the steel industry collapsed. Since then, the local economy has rebuilt itself in a more diversified way to survive downturns and prevent similarly high out-migration.

The area's unusual age ratio, which has created more dying senior citizens and fewer child-bearing couples than the norm, is gradually moving closer to the rest of the country even if it may never match it.

While international immigration to the region is lower than that of other urban areas and will remain so, it is expected to increase with new arrivals drawn to the region because of the vitality of the education and high-tech sectors.

The number of jobs in the region is near the peak level of 2001, and with more jobs come more people, and with more people come more jobs.

No other place of its size has dealt with a similar equation -- one in which so many workers and Sun Belt retirees departed without being replaced by newborns or international immigrants.

"The drags [on population] have been big, and they're anomalous, and they're not really taking place like this anywhere else," said Christopher Briem, a University of Pittsburgh regional economist who studies population trends locally. But he's among the leading proponents of the theory that Allegheny County and the region -- though not the city of Pittsburgh -- are on the cusp of a population turnaround.

Southwestern Pennsylvania's population peaked in sheer numbers in 1960, and as a proportion of the U.S. population 40 years before that. More young workers have been leaving than arriving since the 1920s. The one-time eighth-largest metropolitan area is now 22nd.

Mr. Briem bases his optimism on a computer forecasting model called REMI. from Regional Economic Models Inc. It uses past and present information related to jobs, births, deaths, migration and other data, and also accounts for how trends taking place locally and nationally will play out and interact.

There's no one positive factor that explains how population trends here are prepared to reverse, Mr. Briem said, but more "a decline in all of the factors that have driven down population in the past."

For instance, it took an unusually long time for the number of local women in the work force to reach a plateau; now that it's been reached, there's more room for in-migrants to fill any new openings. The number of retirement-age people in the region, in decline for years, starts increasing again after 2010, creating potential employment for outsiders and a need for more jobs catering to both them and to newcomers as consumers.

Work he did for Allegheny County planning officials in 2005 suggested the county's population, which once stood above 1.6 million, would sink to 1,239,868 by 2010, flatten out with a net gain of nearly 500 by 2015 and add about 25,000 more by 2020. The Census Bureau estimates the county population has already dipped to 1,223,411, but Mr. Briem suggested its estimates are prone to undercounting in urban areas.

The Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission, a transportation planning agency, is updating a REMI model projection made in 2003 that predicted its nine counties would grow by more than 126,000 residents between 2000 and 2030, with the net gains starting between 2010 and 2015. The new numbers due out this spring will show another 16,000 more people in the same area by 2035.

Meanwhile, an independent consulting firm, Woods & Poole Economics Inc. of Washington, D.C., developed numbers a year ago suggesting 2006 would mark the first year of turnaround for both the county and region. It estimated the seven-county metro area would gain more than 10,000 residents between 2005 and 2006, while the census bureau estimates there was actually a loss of more than 10,000 in that time frame.

Woods & Poole projects a regional gain of 100,000 within 15 years. While a couple of years ago, it forecast only continuing population decline for Allegheny County, its predictions now reflect moderate growth similar to Mr. Briem's suggestions, but starting even earlier.

As a reminder of the dangers of such forecasting, it's worth noting that in the late 1960s, the Appalachian Regional Commission produced multiple reports of good times ahead for Pittsburgh. It saw a potential metropolitan population above 3 million by 1975, and for Allegheny County alone of 2.5 million by 1996. The latter projection was nearly twice as high as what census counts found to be reality.

Analysts believe the forecasting is more sophisticated now, but the guesswork still involved is reflected in how the various projections differ not only from one another, but also from the present census estimates. The Census Bureau does door-to-door head counts every 10 years, with the next in 2010. In the interim, it extrapolates from prior trends and new data from Internal Revenue Service addresses, birth and death records, and other sources.

Martin Holdrich, senior economist for Woods & Poole, had no single explanation for why population trends may be getting better for Southwestern Pennsylvania than seemed the case a couple of years ago. He cautioned not to make too much of differences between estimates or predictions that vary by a few thousand, when dealing with a county population base above 1 million or a regional population of more than 2 million.

"It's a small positive and previously we had a small negative, but they're both in the ranges of steady or no growth, or no loss," he said. "They're wiggling around a zero rate of growth a little bit.

"The range basically means you've seen the worst of your decline. We don't know the future with certainty, and no one does ... but you would expect it to bottom out or turn around, and that's what we're anticipating. Maybe instead of 2006 it occurs in 2007, or maybe it already occurred and census estimates aren't picking it up yet."

Analysts are quick to point out that whatever population growth may occur will pale in comparison to the nation as a whole, or other regions of similar size. It's just that to some, anything positive will carry significance after such a long decline.

"We're not making grandiose predictions that this region is going to change tremendously overnight ... but we'd love to have that plus side" of population growth, said Bob Hurley, Allegheny County's deputy director of development.

"We don't think it's necessarily great to have enormous growth, because there are things both good and bad about that. You start to see issues with the length of your commute, the inability of starting families to afford a home and other kinds of factors you don't want."

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

(Gary Rotstein can be reached at grotstein@post-gazette.com or 412-263-1255. )

http://www.post-gazette.com/images4/20070415population_growth.gif

[I]looks like Butler Co. will be our saviour....

to my eye... it seems that these population projections... while showing an increase... also seem to rely on current sprawl development patterns as opposed to a more concentrated urban growth

hyperion1110

04-15-2007, 07:47 AM

:previous: That's an interesting article. But I also question a lot of the assumptions they've made. For starters, I don't understand how they predict that Pittsburgh will continue to loose population but the county will gain. Guaranteed, most of the job growth is going to occur inside the city, as it is the home of the major unviersities, corporations, and all of the other factors that really "diversified" the region's economy. But even without that...the city is younger than the rest of the county around it. Which means the city is more likely to gain through natural birth. Add to that the trend in the country of people moving back into the cities from the suburbs, and I see Pittsburgh growing at a higher rate than Allegheny County. The only place I could see beating it is the great metropolis of Cranberry, and that is simply due to the fact that people are stupid.

And on a more positive note...GO PENS!!

BMikeSci

04-15-2007, 09:20 AM

Trends are funny things. Odd factors can make large swings occur in shorter periods of time. The downtown rennaissance for example could cause large numbers of people to move back into Pittsburgh. Right now, lots of people work here but live in the burbs. Fuel costs, traffic, tolls, and more services in the downtown could cause a faster return to the city. If the real estate market starts to swing up dramatically, people might return quickly to make a profit.

There is a lot of crappy housing around the city that may be torn down. Look at the hundreds of new town homes being built in the Hill district. A new $100k-$300K townhome will generate a lot more tax revenue than an 8k crappy house. Many areas need a good bulldozing, and I think that's happening.

The city really needs to be creative with taxes and development programs, and I see some of that happening. Success, of course, builds on success.

So, I think the Briem report is insightful, but it doesn't take into account how markets can move quickly given the right confluence of circumstances. PGH has been down for a long time. Prices in most parts of PGH have not moved much in 30 years. There are people with money who want to live here. Just look at Squirrel Hill's $700k houses. Markets over time have a tendency to move towards equalibrium. That's basic economics 101. PGH been stuck for years. That's part of why I think there is so much potential here for a very quick moving turnaround.

The city also need to change its image. I really liked citibank's "Live Richly" campaign in Manhattan. Advertising encouraged people to spend more and live better in NYC. I think it had a good effect on how much people spent on their lifestyles. PGH is kind of a stodgey town. People are pretty tight fisted here. That should be discouraged somehow. In order for an economy to bloom, it needs to be fertilized. 1/3 of the households of downtown workers is above $75K according to an article posted last week. With that level of earning, the downtown should be able to support high-end vendors. Don't the people who work DT want something better? When they go out for lunch, are they really satisfied with a hotdog?

Anyway, some really good PR could help a lot. When I see large billboards with messages about getting off drugs, I don't think I'm in the best area. Keeping people off drugs is important, but maybe a better economy would do more to give those people hope than a billboard that hurts the local economy.

BMikeSci

04-15-2007, 10:18 PM

population about to change

http://pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/rss/s_502892.html

BMikeSci

04-15-2007, 11:35 PM

Oops! Here's another stat:

The study found that one-third of Downtown workers have household income above $75,000. Executives, with the highest incomes, spend three times as much Downtown than other workers, primarily in retail, food and drinks and entertainment, Villella said.

cdc

04-16-2007, 03:45 AM

I guess I didn't pay too much attention to the property taxes in Fort Lee. ...

Squirrel Hill is a great nieghborhood. I hope you enjoy living there more than where you lived before. It would be nice if you found some compensation. Is your house nicer in SH?

It is nicer in some ways. One big issue with living in Sq. Hill is
that the housing stock is quite old (my house is over 100 years old).
My house is built like a rock --- really solid construction. But like
any older house it has maintenance issues I did not fully appreciate
when I bought it. A lot of the houses out here still have
tube-and-knob electrical wiring, minimal insulation + leaky
doors/windows, old inefficient furnace systems (with inadequate HVAC
ductwork for A/C), lead paint, decaying sewer lines between the house
and the street, outdated kitchens/baths, etc.

But you are right --- the location and neighborhood are very nice. It
is too bad about the tax assessments though... Here is an interesting
real-life example I noticed from saturday's PG real estate sale
listings:

http://tinyurl.com/2smyg7

Currently assessed at $225K, just sold for $648K. If the school
district successfully appeals based on the sale price, the property
tax will rise from around $6617.25/year to $19057.68/year. Ouch!

BMikeSci

04-16-2007, 05:50 AM

If you are really too upset about real estate taxes, take a look at this:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California_Proposition_13_(1978)

cdc

04-16-2007, 03:35 PM

If you are really too upset about real estate taxes, take a look at this:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California_Proposition_13_(1978)

In some ways what has been done in Allegheny County is worse than
Prop13. With Prop13, new residents of California know going into a
home purchase what their assessment is going to be and can factor that
into their purchasing decision.

But in Allegheny County, the quirks of the assessment system are not
well advertised or explained (certainly PGH real estate agents don't
want to talk about it in detail). If you are new to the area, you are
not likely to be aware of the risk until after you've bought a home
and suddenly find that your city or school district has increased your
property tax bill to $20,000/year (while your neighbors keep their
much lower assessments).

There has been alot of talk on this board about promoting growth in
the region and increasing the population "in-flow" --- but look at how
our government treats people who move here and buy houses! It is no
wonder that the County is being sued over this.

Despite Hyperion1110's claims, people don't choose to move to
Cranberry because they are stupid. I think taxes might have something
to do with it...

biscuit

04-16-2007, 04:14 PM

In some ways what has been done in Allegheny County is worse than
Prop13. With Prop13, new residents of California know going into a
home purchase what their assessment is going to be and can factor that
into their purchasing decision.

But in Allegheny County, the quirks of the assessment system are not
well advertised or explained (certainly PGH real estate agents don't
want to talk about it in detail). If you are new to the area, you are
not likely to be aware of the risk until after you've bought a home
and suddenly find that your city or school district has increased your
property tax bill to $20,000/year (while your neighbors keep their
much lower assessments).

There has been alot of talk on this board about promoting growth in
the region and increasing the population "in-flow" --- but look at how
our government treats people who move here and buy houses! It is no
wonder that the County is being sued over this.

Despite Hyperion1110's claims, people don't choose to move to
Cranberry because they are stupid. I think taxes might have something
to do with it...

Taxes have almost everything to do with why people move to Cranberry. It's no accident that the fastest growing areas of the metro are townships that are immediately adjacent to Allegheny County and have good highway access. Butler County has a very low millage and Washington County (home of fast growing Peters Twp. and South Strabane Twp) bases their taxes off of appraisals done in 1980. I bought my home for way over the appraised market-value and am fearful of what my tax bill is going to do after latest round of re-appraisals occurs. My only solace is that eventually the growth will eventually strain places like Butler and Washington to the point that they will have to reappraise to pay for the new demand on services.

Frankly, I think PA should do what other states have done and mandate reappraisals in every county of the Commonwealth, therefore reducing a lot of these inequalities. However, I'm sure that's something rural and suburban lawmakers would never go for it.

hyperion1110

04-16-2007, 05:17 PM

biscuit

04-16-2007, 06:09 PM

People don't move to Cranberry because of the wonderful amenities and the low tax rates. They move there because land is plentiful, the same reason Westinghouse is moving there. There is land everywhere and its cheap, so the suburban sprawl can continue unrestricted by reason or aesthetic.

Personally, I think there is another reason contributing to the exodus to Cranberry. When one sheep jumps off the cliff...Believe it or not, the land is still somewhat plentiful Allegheny County as well. Areas such as Scott, Findlay, Moon, North Franklin, Pine, etc... have the same suburban development types as Cranberry what they don't have is Butler County's low taxes. Take away the entire suburban vs. rural argument. If you're wanting to buy a home and could care less about transit, urban services, and so on, you will be making your decision of where to buy based on your wallet. Why would the average person make the decision to pay double the taxes just for the privilege of living in Allegheny County? Especially when the Parkway North eliminated the commuting advantages that came from doing so.

Many who live in the city do so because they love it, don't want the commute or can't afford to leave. I personally love it and have chosen to make my home here, regardless of the tax burden. Apparently, lots of others in the region have other priorities.

The city of Pittsburgh has actually seen an increase in that golden people in their 20's demographic. However, taxes ,and the related issue of schools, are the primary inhibiter's to keeping these people when they settle down to buy homes and start families.

hyperion1110

04-16-2007, 10:10 PM

:previous: Those are actually some compelling arguments. The only part I would disagree with is there being a great deal of usable land in Allegheny County. While it is true there are HUGE tracts of land in Allegheny, the county is considerably more varied topographically even than many of its neighboring counties, including Butler. And it all comes down to why Pittsburgh has so many hills. Contrary to popular belief, Pgh does not sit in the mountains at all, or ever really on the foothills (those are further east, around Westmoreland and Indiana Cos). The city, and Allegheny County, actually sit on a large plateau. All of the hills and valleys come from river erosion. As Pittsburgh and Allegheny County are the nexus of the drainage system, they are necessarily more topographical diverse. Now, what does all that translate to economically? Well, certainly it is easier to build on flat land than it is in hills and valleys with sharp grades. Surely, there is considerable land in Allegheny County. But, at the same time, it is much more expensive to build on than the flatter land found in the far north of the county and Butler. That, I think, more than anything else, is the reason why development continues at the rate it does in the Cranberry area. For even though taxes are greater in Allegheny County, the local population base is still 6 times larger. As a result, the number of potential customers, and potential profits, outweighs the tax advantage heavily. What tips the balance in Cranberry's favor is the cost of land preparation and construction. At least, that would seem to me to be the most valid reason.

But, biscuit, I'm glad you've chosen to live in the city. I wish more people thought like you, and actually put their money where their mouths are.

Pittsburgh will spring back to prominence in a big way in the next 25 years, I predict. We have been called the Renaissance City, and aptly so. But I don't think we're quite there yet. We're somewhere in between death and rebirth. I'd call us Resurgam City. It's Latin, and it means, "I shall rise again."

BMikeSci

04-17-2007, 12:50 AM

My reason for posting the prop 13 article is to show that it is possible to change tax laws. Now Pennsylvania doesn't allow voter innitatives, but there are legislative initatives. Perhaps a voter movement could force a legislative initative to limit property taxes?

It seems to me that this would be a super propellant for any ambitious politician.

M

BMikeSci

04-17-2007, 01:04 AM

BMikeSci

04-17-2007, 01:34 AM

UPMC Logo

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/opinion/letters/s_502752.html

BMikeSci

04-17-2007, 01:42 AM

How much do these casinos make a month? Horseshoe took in $41.2 million in March. With this kind of revenue, why hasn't Don Barden started his site prep? Certainly, he doesn't need the license to start his site prep. It seems that if he opens a few months earlier, he'll have over 100 Million more in revenue. Why doesn't he take a chance and start development now? Maybe he's just a bad businessman?

themaguffin

04-17-2007, 03:58 AM

The main reason why Cranberry is booming is location - that is as close as can be to Allegheny county without Alleghney taxes. Couple that with a tunnel free ride into work and there you go (or there they go).

If taxes are not an issue, there's Robinson and other newer burbs in Allegheny county.

cdc

04-17-2007, 06:15 PM

I also wonder about the constitutionality of the current tax program. Longterm residents should not have larger tax breaks. The senior rebate is also only for 10 years or more residents. It seems to me that this violates the equal protection clause of the constitution. Have the current tax laws ever been challenged on that basis?

Yes. There are two pending assessment-related court cases to watch:

First, the constitutionality of the state-wide "base year" assessment
law (as written) is currently being challenged in the Allegheny County
Court of Common Pleas. The claim is that it violates both the uniform
taxation clause of the PA constitution and the equal protection clause
of the US constitution. There was a trial on this back in December,
and the judge could rule on it at any time now. But don't expect a
quick resolution here, as any ruling by the judge is likely to be
appealed to a higher court.

Second, the County is trying to prevent current sales price from being
used in appeals on the base year assessment value of a property. The
County has been sued over it. So far, the County has lost this case
twice (in court of common pleas, and in the commonwealth court), and
in the past month the county executive has said that he will appeal
again, this time to the PA Supreme Court.

Generally speaking, Allegheny County has a rich history of lawsuits
relating to the property tax system. Judge Wettick handles most of
them. So, if you go to the PG web page, click on "search" and then
enter "wettick and taxes" you'll get alot of the sad history of how
messed up property taxes are in Allegheny County.

BMikeSci

04-17-2007, 11:32 PM

Everybody's goiing downtown

http://www.popcitymedia.com/timnews/5707pdpstudy.aspx

hyperion1110

04-18-2007, 03:23 AM

If memory serves, there was a post a few months back about a new office building going up in Oakland. I don't think anyone said much after that, but I may be wrong. At any rate, it's called Sterling Plaza, and it was designed by Resaissance 3 Architects from Pittsburgh.

If I had any clue how to upload a photo (don't even know if you can), I would :) Since I can't, check out the architect's website.

http://www.r3a.com/projects/show/id/4/cat/1

UrbaniDesDev

04-18-2007, 04:20 AM

Here is Sterling Plaza
This section of Oakland is making a quiet rennaisaance
"This 120,000 SF Class A office building is being developed as Phase II of the Sterling Plaza complex. It features below-grade structured parking, 20,000 SF floor plates, and state-of-the-art mechanical, electrical, data and vertical transportation systems. Located in the heart of Oakland within walking distance of Pitt and Carnegie Mellon, as well as the UPMC Medical Complex, it offers a central and convenient location for technology and professional companies."

http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e235/UrbaniDesDev/NorthCraigStreet.jpg
http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e235/UrbaniDesDev/SterlingPlaza.jpg

BMikeSci

04-18-2007, 04:29 AM

This should be interesting:

http://www.popcitymedia.com/features/landry0418.aspx

Does anyone want to meet afterwards?

BMikeSci

04-18-2007, 07:42 AM

Area's real estate market steady

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/s_503224.html

themaguffin

04-18-2007, 03:22 PM

Grubbs and Ellis' market report is out. It mentions the UPMC deal, but that deal is not calculated in this report.

http://www.grubb-ellis.com/pdf/metro_off_mkttrnd/pittsburgh.pdf

BMikeSci

04-19-2007, 02:26 AM

Great report! The future looks bright.

BMikeSci

04-19-2007, 02:29 AM

Will this be another business moving to PGH? PPG has acquired inventory and customer lists but not physical plant. They have to make these products somewhere.

http://news.moneycentral.msn.com/provider/providerarticle.aspx?Feed=ACBJ&Date=20070418&ID=6763944

Evergrey

04-22-2007, 03:16 AM

a PG writer suggests the top floor of U.S. Steel be transformed into a public viewing area
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/07111/779469-243.stm

Kevin McMahon talks about the Cultural Trust and Riverparc
http://www.popcitymedia.com/features/kmcmahon041807.aspx

more on Phipps Conservatory's revolutionary "green" parking lot made from geoblocks
http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/search/s_503854.html

Another Crazy Mocha to open Downtown... this time in Steel Plaza
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/07108/778831-34.stm

Children to advise on the transformation of Downtown
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/07109/779118-55.stm

Mellon to get first shot at naming rights for new arena
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/07109/779242-53.stm

the city needs to destroy the Hill District's last synagogue for the new arena
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/07110/779560-53.stm

new Hill District library to be "green"
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/07110/779565-53.stm

the summer concert season gets even leaner for Pittsburgh... the Sandcastle amphitheatre... which relocated from Station Square... will not open this year due to construction delays
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/07109/779245-55.stm

another babystep towards regionalism... Rankin, Edgewood and Swissvale team up for joint master plan addressing economic development, housing and transportation...
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/07110/779542-56.stm

Councilman Jeff Koch is tweaking the South Side liquor license limit once again... have I mentioned I absolutely loathe the idea of this? It's such a Pittsburgh thing to do (politically speaking)... to see the most successful neighborhood revitalization in the city.. the city's "IT" neighborhood... as a bad thing... I have worries about what this might mean for future economic development of the neighborhood... it sends a bad signal to those looking to invest here
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/07110/779569-53.stm

related to the South Side liquor license ban... the Pittsburgh Business Times had an article that made me freak... the recently rehabbed "FotoHut" building on Carson... a gorgeous and prominent 3-story structure... will be housing a yoga studio and dry cleaner... the developer (TREK) had a letter of intent for a restaurant... but the South Side CDC caved in to the complaints of the elderly and withdrew financial support... the URA is dumping a lot of money into this so that a restaurant will not locate in the building in favor of dry cleaners and yoga studios who generate a lot less income... IMO yoga studios and dry cleaners do not need prime spaces like this... a restaurant draws people in to the district to spend their money... it's a destination... this is a slippery slope... where does it end? is the URA gonna have to pay off everybody who wants to open a restaurant, bar, entertainment venue in the South Side? Why should the URA be "subsidizing development" in a district that needs no help?

btw... the Foto Hut building is in the middle of this picture.. in 2005 before rehabbing
http://www.pbase.com/deadwing/image/57348994.jpg

at least PG restaurant critic Munch agrees with me in this review of new Carson St. entrant "The Library":

"The Library's appearance on East Carson Street is creative and welcome, and is a perfect argument against the absurd zoning ordinance prohibiting new establishments with liquor licences within 50 yards of one another. In City Council's zeal to block new frat bars, they're going to shut out some quality newcomers too. Big mistake."
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/07109/779054-242.stm

Evergrey

04-22-2007, 04:02 AM

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/cityregion/s_503460.html

New life proposed for former South Hills High School

By Jeremy Boren
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Thursday, April 19, 2007

The former South Hills High School soon could be given new life after sitting dormant for 20 years in the heart of a Mt. Washington residential neighborhood.
"It's been a white elephant for a long time," said Mt. Washington resident Virginia Gates, a 1959 graduate of the school, which was built in 1916 and closed in 1986. "You can see from the sheer size of it what an impact its (revival) is going to have on the whole community."

North Shore-based developer a.m. Rodriguez Associates Inc. has prepared a $20 million redevelopment plan to build 84 one- and two-bedroom apartments and 25 two-bedroom, market-rate rental lofts in the building.

The apartments would be marketed to senior citizens. The first floor could have more than 10,000 square feet of commercial space and a health center.

Room for off-street parking should be plentiful once the developer removes three sections of the mammoth building to bring its size to 155,000 square feet.

"In terms of why it's important to bring this building back, it's a huge building that at one time was a landmark and center of activity for that community," said Tom Link, manager of the Urban Redevelopment Authority's business development center. The URA has targeted the school for redevelopment.

Gates, chairwoman of the South Hills High School committee, believes the renovation project will boost property values around the site and drive out drug dealers and vandals.

Link and Gates said many developers have tried over the past 20 years to devise ways to renovate the building, but none has come as far as Rodriguez Associates.

Victor Rodriguez said his company has applied for $12 million in tax credits from the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency. If those credits come through in September, an estimated 15 months of construction could begin as soon as June 2008.

"There's a great market for this up there, especially for seniors," he said.

Ethan Raup, executive director of the Mt. Washington Community Development Corp., credited Gates and the URA for helping to persuade the building's owner -- Pittsburgh Public Schools -- to make the property more enticing to developers by removing asbestos, adding a new roof and doing other renovations.

"To me, it's going from having an enormous dead space in the middle of a residential community to injecting it with new life," Raup said.

Jeremy Boren can be reached at jboren@tribweb.com or (412) 765-2312.

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/photos/2007-04-18/0419phigh-a.jpg
Virginia Gates, chairwoman of the South Hills High School committee, and Ethan Raup, executive director of the Mt. Washington Community Development Corp., say the transformation of the long-dormant building will give a boost to the neighborhood.
Keith Hodan/Tribune-Review

Evergrey

04-22-2007, 04:13 AM

I took these photos of the 151 FirstSide condo tower under construction downtown yesterday

http://www.pbase.com/deadwing/image/77472698.jpg

http://www.pbase.com/deadwing/image/77472699.jpg

construction nearing completion on the Hampton Inn on Smallman in the Strip District
http://www.pbase.com/deadwing/image/77472522.jpg

work continuing on the new Greyhound Station at the terminus of Grant St
http://www.pbase.com/deadwing/image/77472523.jpg

these three structures are being rehabbed by the Pittsburgh History and Landmarks Foundation... they will serve as apartments, retail and restaurants
http://www.pbase.com/deadwing/image/77472538.jpg

...still no signs of construction at the sites of Lofts on Baum and the two Mt. Washington condo projects.. Bella Vista and Vici... I'm beginning to worry about these projects... Lofts on Baum developer mentioned sluggish sales and the Mt. Washington projects were held up for years due to the nimby brigade up there... perhaps there's more troubles there

BMikeSci

04-22-2007, 10:56 AM

Wow 151 firstside has progressed a lot in the past two weeks.

BTW, Has anyone seen plans for the new bus station? Are there any renderings online?

Lots of great postings Evergrey! Thank you.

Evergrey

04-22-2007, 03:27 PM

Walnut Capital has some more renderings of Bakery Square here: http://www.walnutcapital.com/commercial_bakerySquare.php#renderings

Retail: 132,200 sq. ft.
Office: 153,400 sq. ft.
Hotel: 120 rooms
Residential: 38 units
Parking: 992 garage, 66 surface

http://www.walnutcapital.com/sp_bakery/render01.jpg

http://www.walnutcapital.com/images/render03.jpg

http://www.walnutcapital.com/images/render04.jpg

http://www.walnutcapital.com/images/render07.jpg

...

a tiny rendering of the Washington Park condos in Mt. Lebanon from Howard Hanna's site
http://www.howardhanna.com/Developmentphoto/W_park_00.jpg

941 Penn Ave. condos... 17 units to be completed in January
http://www.howardhanna.com/Developmentphoto/penn_av_00.jpg

http://www.941pennavenue.com/

Evergrey

04-23-2007, 02:18 AM

an Asian/Latin fusion restaurant called Tamari is opening in a few months on Butler St. in Lawrenceville... on the western edge of the neighborhood near the dilapidated Doughboy Square area... it's set back from the road so I assume it will have a generous alfresco dining area... the neighboring properties are being rehabbed... appears to be a mix of retail space and lofts...

this type of development is a big step forward for the neighborhood...

the revitalization is also creeping closer to Doughboy Square... which is a disaster right now... that gateway to Lawrenceville has incredible potential...

themaguffin

04-23-2007, 02:30 PM

Asian Latin? Interesting.

The Southside thing is annoying. Certainly there are enough bars there, but if a restaurant wants to open up, they should have the opportunity.

Evergrey

04-24-2007, 11:59 AM

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/07114/780439-53.stm

Developer wants 'high-end' condos on Mt. Washington

Tuesday, April 24, 2007

By Mark Belko, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

There seems to be no end to the appetite for picturesque views from Mount Washington. And now another developer is counting on that.

Beaver County developer Charles Betters is seeking approval from the city planning commission to demolish three houses on Grandview Avenue -- two at Shaler Street and one at Augusta Street -- to clear the way for condominiums.

He plans to construct a 12- to 14-unit condo building at the west end of Grandview at Shaler. All of the units will have views of the Golden Triangle. There also will be underground or grade-level parking for residents.

No prices were available for the units, but Steven Affeltranger of TKA Architects described them as "high end."

He said Mr. Betters and his company, Grandview Commons LP, hope to begin the demolition as soon as the planning commission gives approval. Members were briefed on the plans last week.

"He's very anxious to at least get to this first step to prove to the community that his intention is good," Mr. Affeltranger said.

Frank Valenta, a Mount Washington Community Development Corp. board vice president and a resident who has battled condo projects at 341 Grandview and 501 Grandview, was more receptive to the latest proposal.

He told the planning commission that while "everyone isn't on the same page" in terms of the proposed height of the building, they agreed that the vacant houses should be demolished.

"We've had problems in those houses with drugs and prostitution," he said. "The neighbors are all in favor of tearing the houses down."

The proposal calls for the new building to be about 65 feet high. The developer has received a variance from the city Zoning Board of Adjustment to go above the 40-foot height limit in that section of Grandview.

"We want to keep it as low of a profile as we possibly can," Mr. Affeltranger said.

Mr. Betters plans to level and seed all three lots after the demolitions as a prelude to eventual development. Mr. Affeltranger said he eventually hopes to put a smaller condo building on the other lot at Augusta but his more immediate priority is the complex at Shaler.

The Betters project could be part of a mini condo boom on Mount Washington.

Developer Craig Cozza hopes to begin construction on two long-delayed projects this summer or fall. He has battled residents over his plans for a 14-unit building at 341 Grandview and a larger condo high-rise in the 1400 block of Grandview near Augusta, where there has been little in the way of work for at least four years. Both have been delayed by legal wrangling.

Even though a lot of high-end units could be coming on the market at the same time, Mr. Cozza believes all of the projects can thrive.

"I think there's such a pent-up demand for condos on Mount Washington. It's the second most beautiful view in the country," he said.

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

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

themaguffin

04-24-2007, 02:32 PM

We're due for a Mt Wash proposal for neighborhood residents to squash

Evergrey

04-24-2007, 03:22 PM

that western end of Grandview is EXTREMELY under-utilized... just a few modest homes on huge barren lots... that is the perfect spot for high-density residential development... the city should see this is a golden opportunity to increase its taxable property value... NIMBYS be damned!

Evergrey

04-25-2007, 05:28 AM

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/business/s_504411.html

Squirrel Hill's Summerset at Frick Park opens condos

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/photos/2007-04-24/0425bsummerset-a.jpg
Developer Ralph Falbo stands in front of the new Crescent Court Condominiums at Summerset at Frick Park on Tuesday.
Joe Appel/Tribune-Review

By Sam Spatter
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Wednesday, April 25, 2007

Summerset at Frick Park, the city's largest housing development in decades, reaches another milestone today with the opening of a condominium complex that has sold 19 of the 36 units, developers said.
The opening of the $14.5 million Crescent Court Condominiums comes at a time when several home builders await additional land becoming available for construction of more single-family houses, including both townhouses and duplexes.

"We may not be able to begin construction of new houses until June or July with hopes of having them available for occupancy by the end of the year," said Don Montgomery, a partner in Montgomery & Rust, a major builder at Sommerset.

The Rubinoff Co., developer of the upscale 244-acre Summerset project in the city's Squirrel Hill area, is currently preparing an additional 65 lots for home builders, he said. The new site will include primarily single-family detached houses, townhomes and some duplexes, and possibly smaller condominiums.

About 125 houses have been built, and most have been sold, Montgomery said.

The master plan for Summerset calls for about 713 housing units to be built over a 10-year period, and includes a small commercial area along Browns Hill Road, said Jerry Dettore, executive director of the Urban Redevelopment Authority of Pittsburgh.

"We expect the commercial area will have convenience stores, to service occupants of Summerset," he said. Also expected to be included in the commercial portion is a 125- to 150-room hotel.

Work is progressing on developing roads and infrastructure in the new section, said Craig Dunham, a principal at the Rubinoff Co., developer of Summerset and partner with Montgomery & Rust in building houses.

Crescent Court Condominiums consists of three three-story buildings, built in a "U" shape, connected only by an underground garage, and were built by Ralph A. Falbo Inc. and Pennrose Properties.

Falbo said condominium prices range from $250,000 to $500,000, and that the buyers have primarily been single professional women. Once 75 percent of the units have been sold, a condominium association will be formed, Falbo said.

"Condominium owners will have access to Summerset's swimming pool, community room, workout area and picnic area," he said. "And pets are permitted."

Sam Spatter can be reached at sspatter@tribweb.com or 412-320-7843.

Evergrey

04-25-2007, 05:36 AM

well... this is a skyscraper forum...

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/07115/780618-51.stm

Places: High sign for UPMC?
Wednesday, April 25, 2007

By Patricia Lowry, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Paging through the dictionary the other day, I was startled to find this definition: hubris (hyoo-bris) -- overbearing pride or presumption, arrogance: The University of Pittsburgh Medical Center shows a lot of hubris in wanting to attach its name to the top of the U.S. Steel Tower.

http://www.post-gazette.com/images4/20070425ap_ussteel_450.jpg

Well, you know that's not true. Who pages through a dictionary anymore? And that sentence in italics? Probably nothing more than a hallucination on my part.

But can you blame me? UPMC has been on my mind a lot in the past few days, ever since it announced earlier this month that it wanted to put its initials near the top of the tower, on each of its three sides.

I suppose it's a natural business instinct to want to take full advantage of a city law that allows corporate names writ large on Downtown buildings, with planning commission approval.

When we opened that can of worms in the early 1990s by allowing the Mellon name atop the former Dravo building (now One Mellon Center), it was only a matter of time before that mother of all -- no, no, no, let's not blame the women here -- before that big daddy of all worms would eventually crawl to the surface. Somebody would want to put a name on the top of the town's tallest building.

But it's not the U.S. Steel Corp. that wants to put its name at the top of its headquarters building; it's the health-care giant that is, with 43,000 worker bees, the region's largest employer. It will lease 185,000 square feet on five floors to house its executive staff and business operations -- finance, legal, human resources, payroll and such -- and it expects to grow into as much as 500,000 square feet within five years. That still gives UPMC only, what, maybe 10 to 15 rented floors out of 64 total? That's where the hubris comes in.

Few buildings are ever improved by corporate branding, but some buildings are harmed more than others -- especially iconic buildings like the U.S. Steel Tower, which occupies a special place on the landscape and in the architecture canon. King of the mountain that is Downtown's building topography, the tower also is significant for its exoskeleton design. When it opened in 1970, the building gained international fame for its exposed steel frame and its first-ever use of hollow, liquid-fireproofed columns -- 18 of them stretch from top to bottom, supporting the building and holding water and antifreeze. They're designed, in the event of a fire, to cool the building and prevent the frame from buckling.

Here's another thing: UPMC's move to the tower threatens to dash any hope of regaining public use of the 62nd floor, former home of the late, lamented Top of the Triangle restaurant. Now its incomparable vistas will be the exclusive purview of UPMC's top executives and board members. In his column Sunday, Post-Gazette travel editor David Bear advocated that UPMC bring back a small slice of public access by opening an observation deck and a cafe on the 62nd floor, with the cheerily affirmative name Pie in the Sky. Imagine the public relations benefits for a health-care provider that shares its lofty digs by serving clients tasty, healthful, organic treats.

Which brings up another thing about that high sign: It doesn't exactly buy a boatload of good will. Pittsburghers don't get all warm and fuzzy about the Mellon sign the way they wax nostalgic about how the Gulf Tower's glowing pyramidal roof once signaled weather changes by flashing Gulf's corporate colors, orange and blue. That was clever, and it was a public service. But corporate names, logos and initials too often add only self-promotion without redeeming aesthetic and social value.

Pittsburgh does have corporate signs that make us smile, like the pouring Heinz ketchup bottle and the Wholey's fish with the blinking eye. So, UPMC, instead of your initials, how about a giant illuminated hypodermic needle, maybe one that looks like it's injecting water into those hollow columns?

I'm kidding, I'm kidding.

What I'd really like is to find this definition at dictionary.com: humility (hyoo-mil-i-tee): the quality or condition of being humble; modest opinion or estimate of one's own importance, rank, etc.: UPMC showed great humility and consideration for its native city when it declined to put its name at the top of the town's tallest tower.

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

(Architecture critic Patricia Lowry can be reached at plowry@post-gazette.com or 412-263-1590. )

Evergrey

04-25-2007, 05:47 AM

ah... here's what I was talking about concerning the new Asian/Latin restaurant in Lawrenceville

http://www.popcitymedia.com/developmentnews/tamari0425.aspx

April 25, 2007

Tamari restaurant to join bustling Butler Avenue business district

Tamari, a restaurant with a passion for Asian and Latin cuisine, is in the works at 3519 Butler St. The 3,000 square-foot eatery is the vision of Allen Chen, who grew up in the restaurant business alongside his father Mike, who owns China Palace and Sushi Two.

With a capacity of 85, Tamari will feature a courtyard, open grill and second-floor deck and lounge. “That courtyard drew me to the space. The building is unique. It’s a nice advantage to have outdoor seating options which are so limited in Pittsburgh,” says Chen, who rents the building from Lawrenceville developer Lee Gross. “That end is taking off. You’re seeing more boutiques opening up. Five years ago, who would have thought they’d be building $300,000 condos in Lawrenceville?” Chen is following the construction of Children’s Hospital with anticipation. “That’s the catalyst for everything. It's going to pick up so much steam with the hospital. Then you have some of old Pittsburgh with younger professionals and the art galleries. It’s a nice mix.”

Downtown-based architect Felix Fukui, who is relocating his firm to Butler St., is working on Tamari’s design. “We’re going to set the more free flowing Latin influence against Asia’s more regimented culture, to play off of both,” says Chen, who developed a love for Latin cuisine while living in Mexico. Tamari will be Pittsburgh’s restaurant to serve the grilled skewered dish called robota yaki. “We’re going to do more innovative sushi rolls. A lot of this will be new to Pittsburgh. I plan on letting people experiment. I’m shooting for a fusion. We’re blending Asian and Latin techniques. A component to any culture is its food.”

Writer: Jennifer Baron
Source: Allen Chen, Tamari

Photograph copyright © Jonathan Greene

http://www.popcitymedia.com/galleries/Default/Dev%20News/Issue%2058/tamari_300.jpg

Evergrey

04-25-2007, 08:51 PM

http://pittsburgh.bizjournals.com/pittsburgh/stories/2007/04/23/daily28.html?surround=lfn

Former schoolhouse being converted into condos

Pittsburgh Business Times - 12:28 PM EDT Wednesday, April 25, 2007by Ben Semmes

A former schoolhouse is being converted into a South Side condo project.

David Forbes, of New York City, has converted the St. Casimir apartment building, at the corner of South 22nd and Jane streets into 17 condominiums, said Lynne Bingham, who is marketing the property for O'Hara-based Howard Hanna Real Estate Services Inc.

The condos, all of which are one bedroom units, will sell for $189,000, $219,000 and $259,000, including taxes, insurance and closing costs, Bingham said.

The four $189,000 units do not include parking, Bingham said.

Bingham said that six months ago Forbes spent about $1.5 million to purchase the property, which has served as an apartment complex for more than a decade and was built at the beginning of the 20th century as a schoolhouse for the St. Casimir Roman Catholic Church.

bsemmes@bizjournals.com | (412) 208-3829

Evergrey

04-26-2007, 04:12 PM

i suppose this is "skyline" related news...

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/07116/781223-100.stm

Heinz ketchup bottle sign moving from North Side

Thursday, April 26, 2007

By Teresa F. Lindeman, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

The lighted Heinz Ketchup sign on the North Side is looking for a new home.

The Pittsburgh ketchup company said work begins today to take down the sign, which shows a bottle slowly emptying and then refilling.

Heinz unveiled the sign in 1995 as part of its 125th anniversary. In 2002, Heinz spun off several businesses to San Francisco-based Del Monte Foods Co., including the soup and baby food operations on the North Side. The deal included an arrangement to leave the sign in place for four years.

"Heinz is currently reviewing alternative locations for this iconic sign," said Michael Mullen, director of global corporate affairs for the H.J. Heinz Co. "Our intent is to keep the sign a part of the Pittsburgh skyline."

According to the company, the sign is made of steel and aluminum and stands 42.5 feet high and 32 feet wide. It refills the Heinz keystone logo every 30 seconds. The sign is to be refurbished during its time off.

http://www.post-gazette.com/images4/20070426lfHeinzSign_450.jpg

themaguffin

04-26-2007, 05:01 PM

No surprise...

Mt. Lebanon council OKs TIF funding for condo project
Thursday, April 26, 2007

By Laura Pace, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Mt. Lebanon commissioners voted 4-1 Monday to approve a $6.1 million tax increment financing package for developer Michael G. Zamagias Interest Ltd. to build a condominium complex on Washington Road at Bower Hill Road.

Commissioner Keith Mulvihill voted against the TIF, which would divert tax revenues of $10 million from school and municipal tax coffers over 20 years to pay for $4.6 million in public improvements, including a turning lane on Bower Hill Road, public parking and a parklet.

"My biggest concern is the level of contribution from the developer has changed significantly since this project was proposed," Mr. Mulvihill said. He said early figures indicated the developer would put 20 percent equity into the project but, recently, that figure had dropped to less than 10 percent, with the remainder financed through loans.

"I'm not a big fan of tax increment financing," he said. "The way this one is proposed, I just didn't think it got over the hurdle."

Commissioners Barbara Logan, John Daley, David Humphreys and Dale Colby voted for the TIF.

Mr. Humphreys, the commission president, said the proposed development fit in with consultant Chan Krieger's Washington Road plan done in 1995 and the town's comprehensive plan completed in 2000, both of which called for high density residential development on that corner.

"We had numerous residents who worked on the comprehensive plan and this fulfills it," Mr. Humphreys said. "It will greatly benefit Mt. Lebanon."

He disagreed that the amount of equity was an issue in the project, because the developer is responsible for the whole cost of the project, whether it is an initial investment or a loan.

The school board has approved the TIF and the county is not participating.

A previous developer had received a TIF for a proposal for condos on the site, but that project fell through because of lack of sales.

Washington Park, a two-phase development, is projected to cost $42.8 million and would be assessed at $37.3 million upon completion. The two-building complex would include 72 units and nearly 14,000 square feet of first-floor retail space.

Over the life of the TIF, the school district and municipality would retain $9.6 million in taxes. The current assessed value of the 1.71-acre site is $845,000.

Prices of units will range from $290,000 to $1.1 million.

The developer still needs several approvals from the commission for the land development plan and other routine approvals, including a conditional use request for retail on the first floor.

Construction of phase one could start in November. The second phase would be built as demand dictates.

xyagentguy

04-26-2007, 05:02 PM

Pittsburgh was rated # 1 as most livable city in the country for the first time again since 1985! (however, we are the only city to NEVER have left the top 20 ranking)

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/cityregion/s_504689.html

EventHorizon

04-26-2007, 07:16 PM

UrbaniDesDev

04-27-2007, 04:49 AM

I'm hoping that's not their idea!

BMikeSci

04-27-2007, 04:59 AM

Evergrey

04-27-2007, 05:17 AM

PGH # 1 as most livable city

I'm trying to find historical price data for residential housing. I can find it back 10 years, but I want to look back 30 years or more. I want to see what happened to PGH real estate after the last # 1 designation. Any ideas?

the last #1 designation was in 1985... which happened to be the time of the great exodus from Pittsburgh in the wake of the steel collapse... a bit ironic...

so I assume PGH real estate wasn't exactly booming after our first No. 1 ranking...

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/07117/781453-53.stm

City apartments coming down, others going up

Homewood high rise demolished, Hill Distrit will get 116 units

Friday, April 27, 2007

By Rich Lord

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

The Pittsburgh Housing Authority board voted yesterday to tear down 132 apartments, build 116 others and increase the budget for yet another construction project.

Authority Executive Director A. Fulton Meachem Jr. said that residents of new units will have to join a program geared toward getting them into jobs.

Going down is the 37-year-old Kelly Street High-Rise in Homewood, which eventually will be replaced with a new building. Demolition by Massachusetts-based S & R Corp. will likely start in mid-June. Residents have already moved out.

Going up are 116 apartments on Bedford Avenue in the Hill District. They represent most of the second phase of what will eventually be around 400 homes there.

The 116 units will cost $23.9 million, almost all of which will be covered by tax credits and authority funds.

The authority's contribution to the planned rebuilding of Garfield Heights will grow from $10 million to $10.6 million. Families are being relocated out of the 326-unit community in preparation for demolition and construction of 265 new homes by Keith B. Key Enterprises.

The additional money is to pay for doubling the size of a planned community center, to 4,000 square feet.

"We have great plans to change the face of public housing," said Mr. Meachem, "from both the building side and from the resident side."

The authority plans to change its leases so residents of new units must enroll in its expanding Family Self-Sufficiency program. That effort provides families with counselors, who then connect them to child care, transportation, and job training or employment programs.

Mr. Meachem said he eventually wants to compel all public housing families to join the program.

"If you're an able-bodied person, you have to go to work, or position yourself to go to work," he said.

Rich Lord can be reached at rlord@post-gazette.com or 412-263-1542.

Evergrey

04-27-2007, 05:28 AM

brownfield sprawl... how novel

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/business/s_504827.html

Brownfield complex proposed

By Sam Spatter
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Friday, April 27, 2007

A local developer wants to turn a former chemical plant site in South Fayette into a $160 million mixed-use commercial and residential complex.
Brett Malky, president of EQA Landmark Communities in the Strip District, said the complex will be developed on a site at Route 50 and Interstate 79 in southern Allegheny County near Bridgeville.

The Newbury complex will include 900,000 square feet of commercial and retail space -- to be known as the Market -- and about 220 houses and 125 market-rate rental apartments, Malky said. The commercial space will be a mix of retailers, restaurants and a hotel with limited office space.

The Redevelopment Authority of Allegheny County at its Wednesday meeting authorized its staff to apply for a $10 million grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development for infrastructure improvements at the site. Malky said approval could take several weeks.

Newbury would be the third major commercial/residential development to be built on a brownfield site in Allegheny County. Others are SouthSide Works and The Waterfront in Homestead. The site was formerly occupied by Reichold Chemical Co. and is owned by Beazer East Inc. of Pittsburgh, which is a partner in the development, Malky said.

Malky said he is interviewing home builders and expects to select two or three -- one an unidentified national builder -- to construct the housing. He expects home prices will range from the mid-$200,000s to $600,000.

He said EQZ Landmark is working with Burt Hill, a local architectural firm, to developing the retail portion to qualify for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certification.

"The response to the development, from both local and national retailers, has been extremely encouraging," he said.

Malky has obtained letters of intent from a hotel operator and other potential tenants including an anchor tenant, which he declined to identify. He hopes to sign them during the annual International Council of Shopping Centers Spring Convention, May 20-23 in Las Vegas.

"We hope to phase the development with grading of the site, starting this fall, with one-half of the work for the residential and about one-third for the commercial," Malky said.

Sam Spatter can be reached at sspatter@tribweb.com or 412-320-7843.

Evergrey

04-27-2007, 05:46 AM

more on skyline corporate signage...

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/07117/781444-53.stm

Wanted: A home for the Heinz sign

Friday, April 27, 2007

By Teresa F. Lindeman, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

If it's not one sign, it's another.

The Heinz ketchup bottle on the North Side, which has been steadily pouring red stuff for the past dozen years or so, is being turned off and taken down while the Pittsburgh ketchup company seeks a new home for its distinctive bit of graphic design.

Heinz sold off its operations on that side of the Allegheny River in 2002. The fine print of the $2.5 billion deal with Del Monte Foods Co. called for leaving the sign up four years. Having pushed the deadline by a few months, the company yesterday sent crews to start taking down the electronic sign.

Sometime this summer, the company hopes to announce it has chosen another skyline home for the sign, but the exercise is a reminder that such things are constantly changing to reflect reality. As businesses rise and fall, move in and move out, so too do the signs.

Two years ago, the FreeMarkets sign morphed into Ariba atop One Oliver Plaza. The old Clark Bar sign lost its position of prominence across from PNC Park before that. Now, UPMC seems inclined to put its name atop Downtown's tallest structure, the U.S. Steel Tower.

The Heinz sign isn't exactly historic. It was first lit up in 1995 by then-Chief Executive Officer Anthony O'Reilly as part of a celebration of 125 years in business. A newspaper report at the time said 1,500 Pittsburgh-area employees were invited to celebrate with an evening on the Majestic and Gateway Party Liner. Those were the days.

Pittsburghers embraced the electronic bottle. "I think it's a nifty sign and I wish it would stay there," Arthur P. Ziegler Jr., president of Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Foundation, said yesterday. Not just a plain corporate name, the sign actually used an image that people associate with the company, he said. The Wholey's Fish sign in the Strip does that, too.

Heinz released statistics yesterday that prove finding a new home for the familiar piece will take a little maneuvering. The steel and aluminum sign is 42.5 feet high and 32 feet wide. It'll take some electricity to keep the bottle refilling the Heinz logo every 30 seconds.

In the meantime, the sign is to be refurbished. Standing out in Pittsburgh weather with more than a few birds stopping by takes its toll.

Heinz spokesman Robin Teets couldn't offer any hints as to where the sign might end up, although he said the goal is that it be visible. "The intent is to keep it part of Pittsburgh and the Pittsburgh skyline," he said.

Doing that successfully could be a challenge, in Mr. Ziegler's opinion. "I would not want to see it anywhere but on the Heinz complex," he said. "Anywhere else would be very artificial."

In a online Post-Gazette forum, readers had plenty of suggestions for where to put it, from Heinz Field to Mount Washington to the pavement outside the new arena to be built for the Penguins hockey team. Some thought the Senator John Heinz Pittsburgh Regional History Center in the Strip would be the logical choice.

"I think we might be a pretty good location," agreed Andrew E. Masich, president and CEO of the history center. The seven-story building can be seen from nearby highways and by visiting conventioneers, he noted. In fact, the center has already had a few discussions with the company on the topic.

Until a decision is made, Pittsburghers are likely to enjoy mulling over the possibilities, just as they have chewed over the UPMC sign proposal. Signs tend to keep a high profile, after all.

Still, as iconic as they tend to become, signs also fade from the community memory as one generation replaces the last.

Mr. Ziegler noted there was a hue and cry over plans to move the sign from the old Clark Bar candy factory on the North Side a few years ago. "Once it was gone, I didn't hear anybody being wistful about it anymore."

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

(Teresa F. Lindeman can be reached at tlindeman@post-gazette.com or at 412-263-2018. )

Evergrey

04-27-2007, 05:47 AM

yay... just declare it dead now so Hazelwood can get on with revitalization!

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/07117/781451-147.stm

Turnpike panel says high costs imperil Mon-Fayette, Southern Beltway projects

Toll roads may reach a dead end

Friday, April 27, 2007

By Joe Grata, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Soaring cost estimates and a lack of funding are jeopardizing completion of the Mon-Fayette Expressway and Southern Beltway -- 110 miles of toll roads representing one of the nation's largest highway projects.

Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission representatives disclosed just how serious the issue has become yesterday at a Washington County hotel where an "executive committee" of elected, agency and planning officials held one of its infrequent meetings.

When all of their estimates were totaled, the figure came to $5 billion to finish engineering, buy rights of way, and build the remaining 31 miles of the expressway and 26 miles of the beltway.

That latest estimate is about $1.4 billion more than last year's, in part because of a change in federal requirements for calculating cost estimates so that they more closely reflect actual costs. Officials say they have about $526 million remaining for the two projects.

"This is the first time we've had to say there's no funding to proceed further with segments of the project," said David Zazworsky, an engineer who has served from the start as the turnpike commission's overseer. "It's disappointing after we've worked so hard."

The news was not necessarily unexpected. Turnpike commission Chief Executive Officer Joe Brimmeier warned in December that money has become "a problem" and called upon the Legislature to decide whether to finish what it started two decades ago.

But the latest specifics were unnerving to some of the 100 attendees, including state Sen. Richard Kasunic, D-Dunbar, who said he wanted "no stoppage whatsoever" on a 17-mile section in Fayette County and said he would oppose all state transportation funding measures until he receives a commitment for its completion.

Construction is under way on 10 miles near Uniontown, but it was revealed yesterday that plans for the final seven miles around Brownsville are being "shelved" indefinitely for the lack of $450 million.

Other dead-ends and complications emerged. Among them:

The $2.7 billion cost estimate that Mr. Brimmeier cited four months ago to finish a 24-mile, Y-shaped northern segment from Route 51 to Monroeville and Pittsburgh has now been upped to $3.6 billion. The new estimate complies with the new federal rules requiring estimates pegged to time of construction.

Even under the best-case scenario, construction will not start before 2010 and then it would be staged over six years. Design work is now about 30 percent finished. About $91 million has been spent and about $200 million is left in the budget, enough to finish design but not enough to acquire all 1,300 properties needed for the rights of way.

Although environmental clearances have been received for the 13-mile section of the Southern Beltway from Interstate 79 north of Canonsburg to Route 22 and the Findlay Connector, the Federal Highway Administration cannot issue a "record of decision" for the turnpike to go any further because of the funding problems.

New federal rules that went into effect in February require highway builders to demonstrate they have "reasonably available" funds before they can continue.

The Turnpike Commission is sidestepping the Highway Administration on another 13-mile section of the Southern Beltway between the Mon- Fayette Expressway south of Finleyville to I-79 to avoid needing another "record of decision." Instead, it's working with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers as its lead federal agency to secure such things as wetlands permits.

Besides having to overcome those obstacles, the combined cost estimates for the last two Southern Beltway segments has jumped from $800 million to more than $1.4 billion under the new federal reporting rules.

And although work isn't coming to a total stop, the four segments will soon be dropped off of the region's long-range transportation funding program "until funds become available," Mr. Zazworsky said.

A 35-mile section of the Mon-Fayette Expressway and the first six miles of the Southern Beltway are open, the latter being the "Findlay Connector" to Pittsburgh International Airport.

Turnpike officials revealed yesterday that $1.34 billion has been spent on the two toll road projects thus far and about $526 million remains available.

For the first time, officials broached the possibility of taking the money and "putting it all into one basket to finish one project," as Turnpike Engineer Frank Kempf put it, or continue to pursue all facets of the Mon-Fayette Expressway and Southern Beltway in spite of the mushrooming financial obstacles.

They also spurned Gov. Ed Rendell's proposal to lease the turnpike and use the proceeds to raise $900 million a year for the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation.

"I think we can assume that if a concessionaire comes in, the possibility of (the firm) finishing the projects is very, very slim," Mr. Kempf said.

Mr. Zazworsky suggested a five-point plan to raise money for roads and bridges, including increasing motor vehicle fees, putting tolls on I-80, and raising the $1.25 cap on an oil company franchise tax that has gone unchanged for 25 years. A portion of the money could be used for toll roads expansion, he said, but the bulk would go to PennDOT for its own road and bridge needs.

He also said raising tolls at the rate of the Consumer Price Index would not place an unreasonable burden on turnpike customers.

"If adjusted for inflation last year, passenger cars would have to pay an extra 60 cents to go from Ohio to New Jersey," Mr. Zazworsky said, noting private firms that recently negotiated long-term takeovers of the Chicago Skyway and the Indiana Turnpike are raising tolls.

No turnpike toll revenues have been used thus far to plan and build either the Mon-Fayette Expressway or Southern Beltway. However, the turnpike has been receiving 14 percent of a 55-mile increase in the state's oil company franchise tax since 1991 and a flat $28 million a year from vehicle registration fee increases since 1997.

The Turnpike has used this money to float long-term bonds to generate $1.9 billion.

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

(Joe Grata can be reached at jgrata@post-gazette.com or 412-263-1985. )