[JackStraw]

Am I the only one that thinks this arena looks cool in the Fifth ave drawing? That is what I like about this arena. It sits in the city neighborhood. It is not just a dome with a sea of parking lots. Just wait until all that blightened area on fifth ends up having retail and other tenents moving in.

I don't really know how you are suppose to integrate an Arena with a existing church. I think the glass curtain wall along the church is neat.

Now, with the waste. I am extrememly into saving old buildings, and seeing them turned into LEED projects. However, there are some cases where demolition is more sucessful in the long run. The hospital was not a architectrual masterpeice. After the arena is constructed there will be a large amount of infill oppertunity along the eastern edge of Dowtown. If this is done right, infill can be very sucessful.

I also agree that putting up a lot of money for stadiums, arenas, and ball parks annoys me as a tax payer. However, I would rather see a team stay here. They do force a huge amount of money driven into downtown. Building the Pen's an arena is important even if you don't know who Sydney Crosby is. We could have had them went to Kansas City and this section of the city sit and rot in a desolate depressing mess, Or bit the bullet, build them a Arena, and allow this area to be full of infill projects in the next 2 decades, with thousands coming down for games and concerts spending money.

[JackStraw]

UrbaniDesDev, just wondering. How do you possibly like the iglo? It was considered cool in the 60s because it had a contractable roof that took 600 Gigawatts and all lights in the Northeast corridor to dim while opening it. However, I always thought it looked like some sort of flying saucer the crashed next to downtown wiping out hundreads of acres around it.

The project is also going along as planned. Construction documents will be issued here shortly. Site prep tends to take the longest on construction projects.

[UrbaniDesDev]

Rosy robotics future may boost region's population

By Brian Bowling
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Thursday, March 27, 2008

Buzz up!


Census estimates released today show the 1980s are still shaping Pittsburgh's future, but new industries and an increase in college-educated people eventually could reverse the area's population decline, experts said.
Chris Briem, a regional economist at the University of Pittsburgh's Center for Social and Urban Research, said the seven-county region lost between 50,000 and 60,000 people a year -- mostly working-age adults and their children -- in the mid-1980s. A quarter-century later, relatively few of them have returned, he said.

Consequently, Pittsburgh is the only metro area among the 50 largest that has more deaths than births.

"The elderly aren't having kids, but they are dying," Briem said.

Pittsburgh's metro area includes Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Butler, Fayette, Washington and Westmoreland counties.
Today's population estimates show that metropolitan Pittsburgh lost about 7,500 people between July 1, 2006, and July 1, 2007. The region had the ninth-lowest birth rate at 10.2 births per 1,000 people, and the 19th-highest death rate at 11.8 deaths per 1,000 people.

Briem said demographic forecasts for Pittsburgh predict the population decline is coming to an end.

"It's going to level off in the next couple of years," he said.

The area's population is moving closer to the national average when it comes to age groups, which means it eventually will start producing more births than deaths, he said. The forecasts project slow growth for the area after it makes that turn, Briem said.

Harold Miller, a consultant and adjunct professor at Carnegie Mellon University's Heinz School of Public Policy and Management, agreed that the estimates show Pittsburgh is still in the grips of the local collapse of the steel industry two decades ago, but they hide a more vital question of which people the area is losing now.

Other numbers show the current out-migration is mainly recent retirees moving to Florida and other sunny locations, Miller said. That represents a short-term hit to the economy, but the future will mainly be determined by other age groups.

"We have actually been doing quite well in terms of young people," Miller said.

Carnegie Mellon research has shown more of its graduates stay in the area than originally come from here, so it's increasing the number of younger, college-educated people in the region, which should help both in terms of attracting higher-paying jobs and making more babies, he said.

"Ultimately, that will help attract people," he said.

Miller agreed that the area would probably see a positive net migration in the next few years, but was less willing to guess when it might start having more births and deaths.

"I think it's going to take a long time until we're growing significantly," he said.

Robert Dye, a senior economist at PNC Financial Services Group Inc., said the population decline is hindering the area's future.

"It does represent a loss of vitality for the region," Dye said.

The two main reasons people move into an area are job opportunities and quality of life. Fewer people means fewer customers for areas businesses, which eventually leads to fewer jobs.

Fewer people also mean fewer dollars for government and amenities such as libraries, theaters and hospitals, he said.

On the positive side, Pittsburgh has growing robotics and biotech industries that are creating higher-paying jobs that will also create more secondary jobs in the region, he said.

"I think that's a bright spot for Pittsburgh's future," Dye said.

The census figures show that Pittsburgh remained the 22nd-largest metro area in the country: It fell from 20th over the past seven years. The 23rd-largest, Portland, has been growing by about 1.7 percent per year, while Pittsburgh has been shrinking by 0.4 percent per year. If both trends continue, Portland will pass Pittsburgh sometime in 2010.



Brian Bowling can be reached at bbowling@tribweb.com or 412-320-7910.


http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/s_559257.html

[edncc1701d]

Am I the only one that thinks this arena looks cool...

Some of the other angles provided do look much better. The paper couldn't have picked a worse picture to publish. But, I still don't think the arena looks all that great.

I also actually enjoy the look of the "Civic Arena" arena apart from its general setting. It is a unique looking building. I am not a fan of its setting within the urban context.

Having said that, I just wish this arena could have a little bit more architectural flair. More PNC Park or David Lawrence Convention Center and less Palumbo Center looking. But, I understand that this project is being done on a tight budget. I am glad to see the Penguins stay and to see a new arena being built. I am also glad that the arena will integrate itself well into the neighborhood. But while fitting it, the building could also have a little bit more of an original personality.

As far as the buildings being ripped down. I think for, what, 5.5 million, the synagogue could have been left in place. That much money for surface parking/staging area is a bit much. I think for less than what they paid for the building, they could have gotten a little more creative with the site plan and and added a floor or two to the parking structure. I could be wrong about this...

[UrbaniDesDev]

Remember, there will still be a sea of parking lots after this new arena is built. Yes, there are great plans for that area. I hope they make it to fruition. Those same plans could have happened with a restored and expanded existing Civic Arena. It was not just a retractable roof. It was the first retractable roof. Yes, it looked like a spaceship. I liked that. It was never integrated into the fabric 0f the city but that was not necessarily because of the buildings design. I guess my point is. When it was built there was a concerted effort to create something that hasn't existed before. It may seem commonplace now and just old but it was a significant mark in architectural history. This new arena will not be. It is generic. We can criticize the style or mentality that was when it was built but that was the mentality of the time. That does not diminish the buildings importance, both as an architectural piece but also as a historical marker for our city. They wanted to tear down Heinz Hall in the sixties also. It seems unthinkable now. It was the Penn Theater. They added a 4 story addition and expanded the back for a larger stage area and more dressing rooms. But, they did not just tear it down. There were about a dozen other theaters similar to it downtown at that time that were destroyed.

http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e235/UrbaniDesDev/civicarenamodelconstruction.jpg

http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e235/UrbaniDesDev/civicarenadomeopened2.jpg

http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e235/UrbaniDesDev/CivicArenadomeopened.jpg

http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e235/UrbaniDesDev/civicarenaconstructionarea.jpg

http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e235/UrbaniDesDev/civicarenablueprintsection.jpg

http://www.recentpast.org/types/arenas/mellon/index.html

"The Mellon Arena is famous for its revolutionary architectural design which features the largest retractable, stainless steel dome roof in the world--170,000 total square feet and 2,950 tons of Pittsburgh steel. The roof, which has no interior supports, is divided radially into eight leaves and is supported by a huge cantilever arm that arches 260 feet. The Mellon Arena, which was featured in the 1995 film "Sudden Death" starring Jean Claude Van Damme, boasts a dome that is designed to open or close in just two minutes." Information courtesy Mellonarena.com


True, the hospital was not a masterpiece but, if even just the skeleton was saved it could have been reconfigured for a number of different uses. Most of steel constructed buildings just have skins that are replaceable. As a hotel it would have been much larger and cost much less then that horrible Hampton Inn-like structure they are showing there. Yes, 60s architecture is currently out of fashion. That was the same mentality that existed in the 60s and 70s towards the old victorian buildings that were being wiped out. It wasn't until people stood up and said enough of this destruction of our past, this includes architecture of the 60's now. These buildings of the 60s were influenced by Le Corbusier, Mies Van der Rohe and the Bauhaus. I'm not defending the arena and especially not the process that happened when it was built, destroying an entire neighborhood. To blindly destroy them out of the blind fervor of a new arena is exactly the same process that was done when the Civic Arena was built.

I guess just the thought of them using the exact same design they used with the casino and not reconfiguring it to respond to the new plans. There was never a step taken where they stood back and said, OK, no casino, now how should this thing go. It just shows a single mindedness with little thought. The exact same building could have been slid 50 feet east and saved the historic church structures.

You can not claim to be green, or a green building when the process of building it was sooo wasteful. It could be justified if it were just a number of small buildings along Fifth, but these buildings were large and substantial. I find it troubling that so many people are claiming to be green but when it comes to a new development project there is still no consideration to the complete process. This throw away mentality is not green~!

Yes, it will be a great asset to that area of Fifth Avenue and it will be great to see it in full. It is a perfect location, that I cant deny.

[JackStraw]

Thank you both for your insight, and I agree with both of you.

I think I still get a little excited that this arena can, and hopefully bring in infill development to the uptown area.

One thing I was thinking of, is even historic sports stadiums are never saved. It is a shame Forbes field was torn down. I am happy Boston can keep Fenway. The problem is the tenents(sports teams) never want to save them, and force them to be destroyed and rebuilt. Especially with Arenas, and football stadiums that are built a lot for function with little aesthetics. I never heard of a proposal to tear down Heinz Hall. That is just retarded.

[Brentsters]

There is nothing in this plan that has warranted the removal of the Church's rectory and school. They were significant buildings. There really seems to have been a great deal of unnecessary waste in the process of this project. There will be 3 major arenas with in 1 mile of each other. The Pete, and The Palumbo practically across the street. One can see this city's priorities!



I see your point about the wastefullness, however I don't see the correlation between the number of arenas and the city's priorities. The fact is every decent-size college is gonna have their own events center. More importantly, the Pete only holds like 12,500 and the Palumbo is a glorified high school gym...neither of which is conducive to the primary functions of the new arena (Pro team and large-scale entertainment events). Add on top of that the task of scheduling a pro team alongside men's and women's NCAA basketball, not to mention any concerts, and it would never work.

The arena will probably be pretty "nice" when it's built, but I agree it's nothing spectacular especially considering HOV's other recent projects (Sprint Center). Imo, better than the arena itself will be the impact on the surrounding area. That area is a like a dead zone, so anything that will help development between downtown and Oakland I'm for.

And you're right, they probably said that about the igloo too, but already it seems like the planning is better. It directly fronts a major road instead of being situated in a sea of asphalt...it just seems better connected to its environment than the igloo ever was. Same with the hospital. It's a lot of wasted material but it's more of a "tower in a park" deal. Ultimately, I think the project will be great for the area. Hopefully by the time the mellon arena is torn down the local and national economy will be better so that more exciting projects can go on that site.

[Evergrey]

destroy Allegheny Center immediately

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08087/868343-155.stm

Grid gave life to neighborhoods

Thursday, March 27, 2008
By Brian O'Neill, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

We spend a lot of time in this city fixing grand mistakes of years past.

Public officials, private developers and community activists haveqw spent years coaxing East Liberty back after business withered there when the city created a traffic moat called Penn Circle, preventing cars from passing through the retail corridor that planners had envisioned as a pedestrian mall.

The old asphalt sea surrounding Three Rivers Stadium is now the site of office buildings, restaurants and a hotel, not least because the city brought back much of the original street grid obliterated in the 1960s.

On Tuesday night, a few dozen North Siders gathered high in an Allegheny Center office building that looks out over another frizzled dream of the 1960s, a mall that is no more.

For many in the crowd, reconnecting East and West Ohio Street has been a long-held dream. For more than 40 years, motorists have had to drive around Allegheny Center on the four-lane circle some derisively call "The Speedway.''

Drivers must detour through ridiculous stoplights preventing right turns despite no through traffic in the right hand lanes, making potentially three or four stops on a journey round a mall has been in a retail coma for more than 15 years.

Three branch banks, a shoe repair shop and a coffee kiosk are the only retail outlets left. The mall has found second life as an office park, but it's not full. Walking its second floor yesterday morning made a fellow feel like Will Smith in "I Am Legend'': People had vanished.

The east-west corridor through Allegheny Center, designed as an outdoor pedestrian mall, doesn't attract many either. Urban walkers instinctively trod places within sight of auto traffic, for safety's sake. More walkers are in the surrounding park, or along North Avenue, than on the isolated Allegheny Center pathways, particularly at night.

The route includes a sunken fountain area, known by some as "The Ashtray'' because it hasn't spouted water in years. Around 10:20 a.m. yesterday, the sun shone brightly upon empty benches and sidewalks. The pedestrian mall looked as it might have in the architect's rendering, had he forgotten to draw in walkers.

Most in the Tuesday night audience knew the center's story before Doug Suisman, a southern California architect, summarized it. The area had been the heart of old Allegheny City. The "diamond" where the anti-fountain now stands had been a park in John Redick's 1784 layout, a plan "stunning in its simplicity and clarity,'' says Mr. Suisman.

That park was in the center of a "square doughnut'' comprising 36 blocks of homes, churches and businesses, a downtown surrounded, in turn, by Allegheny Commons, a park surrounded, in turn, by walkable neighborhoods.

Blowing the center away in the 1960s for a mall that died in the 1990s is "one of the saddest chapters in the history of American cities,'' Mr. Suisman has written. Though beautiful 19th-century homes remain in surrounding neighborhoods -- Manchester, Allegheny West, Central North Side/Mexican War Streets and Deutschtown/East Allegheny -- they surround this disconnected concrete island.

I say none of this as a dispassionate observer. I live just west of the big park and our daughters attend grade school at the northwest corner of the traffic circle. I'm convinced surrounding neighborhoods won't near their full vibrancy until they're reconnected.

So, yes, reconnect East and West Ohio Street, and bring Federal Street down from the north to at least partially restore the historic intersection, as a T.

This meeting was sparked by the Children's Museum's desire for more parking and a green park on the site of the waterless, concrete depression near its entrance. Bringing back the northern part of the old street grid would be one way to pick up parking spaces.

Most at the meeting, including City Councilwoman Darlene Harris, seemed to like the idea. But not everyone agrees. A few like the pedestrian mall as it exists. A couple of people also pointed out that the white audience didn't fully represent the North Side, and any renewal plan needs to involve more neighbors.

Rights of way for reconnecting the streets have been preserved, according to city transportation planner Pat Hassett, but the city needs to track traffic before saying it's a good idea.

That shouldn't take long.

Brian O'Neill can be reached at boneill@post-gazette.com or 412-263-1947.

[hyperion1110]

Am I the only one that realizes that the Post-Gazette chose to show that angle of the new arena is because that is the biggest thing that had been changed? They were simply showing the wall along Centre Ave where more windows had been added, which was done at the behest of the city and various Hill groups.

I think it actually looks pretty good, as arenas go. I mean, there really isn't much you can do with them beyond integrating them well into the existing urban fabric. To me, HOK did the one thing that could set this arena out from the rest: they opened it up as much as possible to the spectacular voices of downtown and the Church of the Epiphany.

I'm not really sure what everyone is looking for from an enormous, man-made cavern.

[hyperion1110]

I'm with you, Evergrey. Destroy Allegheny Center immediately! Whoever is daring enough to do that will have access to the BEST land in the city.

As a North Sider, I'm biased. BUT, stand on the North Side and look towards downtown. The view from the north, I think, is much more impressive that the view from Mt. Washington, if nothing more than you get treated to the "long" side of the triangle.

For those of you who haven't seen what I'm talking about, just head on down to West Park at night. You'll be amazed!

[cdc]

destroy Allegheny Center immediately


Yeah, I agree something has to be done to Allegheny Center. It is
easy to see now that it was a mistake, but they must have initially
had good intentions when they put it in?


Speaking of mistakes, check out:

Rendell seeks loan for highway, bridge work
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08087/868367-147.stm

I'm all for fixing our infrastructure, but it sounds like this is
additional debt on top of the Act 44 debt the state has already taken
on (i.e. the stuff relating to tolling I80). The debt service on this
is going to be pretty scary, especially if the feds don't come through
with the I80 stuff. At this point, I'd rather see a gas tax increase
than more debt.



Loved all the arena-related pictures, thanks for posting!

[themaguffin]

I have been saying for years to level that tragic waste of space and eyesore.

Can you imagine the incredible mixed use business/retail/residential district that could rise there - something useful, attractive and seen as the core of the N Side instead of its divider...?

[Johnland]

Oh yes....I endorse the destruction of Allegheny Center as well!!! Blow it up. Sell tickets. Make money in the process of clearing valuable land in a AAA location for much, much , much better use than that 60's entombed enclosed eyesore of a mall. It was supposed to be mall, right?

And on the renderings of the new arena, I now acutally like the 5th Ave side of it. I like the way it comes right up to the street in very urban way. I always hated that suburban moat of a parking lot that isolated the old arena from the city.

[UrbaniDesDev]

As much as I like to see reuse with everything, it would be hard to find a reuse for ALLEGHENY CENTER!
Yikes!
A good start would be to replace the street grid that ran through it. Particularly Ohio Street and Federal Street

View from one of the many empty offices at Allegheny Center
http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e235/UrbaniDesDev/AlleghenyCenterview.jpg

View from one of the apartments at Allegheny Center
http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e235/UrbaniDesDev/AlleghenyCenterview2.jpg

Someone must be sitting on this enormous property, because it's spectacular

[Brentsters]

that's f'n gorgeous. I guess that's why they say the good thing about living in the ugliest house on the block is that you never have to see it.

[Evergrey]

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/business/s_559413.html

$5M face-lift set for city landmark

By Ron DaParma
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Friday, March 28, 2008

The Pittsburgh Renaissance Hotel is due for the first significant renovation of the landmark Downtown property since it completed a $45 million transformation to open the hotel in 2001.
Sage Hospitality Resources LLC of Denver plans to begin a $5 million upgrade late this year that will refurbish the property's 300 guest rooms and public spaces, including a change in the styling and feel of its ornate lobby without disturbing its historic features, said CEO Walter Isenberg on Thursday.

"We have put money back into the hotel every year, but only on a smaller scale," Isenberg said.

The Renaissance thus becomes the latest existing area hotel that has completed or started upgrades in a local hotel market that is facing a raft of new competition.

Eight hotel projects are planned or under construction in the city and in neighborhoods ranging from Downtown to Oakland, Shadyside and East Liberty. Collectively, the projects add up to almost 1,150 new rooms, according to the year-end 2007 Pittsburgh Real Estate Overall Market Review produced by GVA Oxford, a local real estate management company.
The Renaissance, located in the former Fulton Building on the corner of Fort Duquesne Boulevard and Sixth Street, will upgrade with new carpeting, beds, lighting and sheers, and flat-panel televisions in the guest rooms. Upholstered furniture will be replaced, Isenberg said.

The project, scheduled to begin after Thanksgiving, will upgrade hallways and public spaces, with about half of the $5 million being spent in the lobby area, where contemporary furniture will replace the traditional pieces. The royal blue, gold and burgundy color scheme will be replaced by more earthtone colors.

Elsewhere in the city, one of the largest hotel renovation projects under way is the $25 million renovation/expansion of the 713-room Pittsburgh Hilton & Towers, Downtown's largest hotel.

Shubh Hotels, of Boca Raton, Fla., which bought the hotel from Hilton Hotel Corp. for $28 million in 2006, is building an indoor glass-enclosed swimming pool as part of 17,000-square-foot addition under construction on the front of the hotel facing Point State Park. The wing will provide meeting and banquet space on the lower two levels. The project includes complete renovation of all guest rooms and bathrooms, as well as the lobby.



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


Other hotel renovation projects

• Doubletree Hotel & Suites, Pittsburgh City Center, plans to spend up to $250,000 to refurbish its corridors this year and another $500,000 to $750,000 to remodel its banquet and ballroom facilities early next year. It became the Doubletree after completion of a $13 million renovation of the former Ramada Plaza Suites in 2005 that upgraded 308 rooms, including 112 one-bedroom suites; its lobby and entrance; fitness center, meeting rooms and added a new restaurant, the Bigelow Grille.
• Sheraton Station Square Hotel in 2007 completed a $1.3 million renovation of its original wing (287 rooms) that included new carpeting, desks and chairs and installation of 32-inch flat screen high-definition televisions. This spring a $219,000 upgrade is planned for the newer, 112-room west wing.

• Westin Convention Center Hotel recently announced the opening of a 138-seat breakfast restaurant -- Penn City Grille -- on the second floor. The hotel closed its former adjacent Orchard Cafe and converted the space into an additional ballroom that can seat 200. Four years ago, the hotel completed a major room renovation project and a series of upgrades for $11 million.

front and center
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2047/2210005382_ff3eec69c6_b.jpg


...


New York Times did a real estate piece on Allegheny River living in Pittsburgh and Warren, PA today
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/28/greathomesanddestinations/28mark.html

[PA Pride]

Blow up Allegheny Center!! Everyone is in agreement.

[PA Pride]

VisitPittsburgh said it booked 454 conventions and meetings for 2007, this year and upcoming years, representing anticipated total spending of more than $254 million. A total 266,247 room nights have been reserved for future years -- the largest number in the tourism organization's history.
Article: http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/business/s_559415.html

[JackStraw]

Article: http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/business/s_559415.html

Hopefully this news will make way for the new and long talked about convention center hotel.

[cdc]

Hopefully this news will make way for the new and long talked about convention center hotel.

funny you should mention that... today's PG says:

Convention center needs a large hotel to prosper

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08088/868669-85.stm

Pittsburgh takes itself out of the running for hosting the largest of gatherings, including a Democratic or Republican national convention, by not having a headquarters hotel, VisitPittsburgh officials said.
...

[hyperion1110]

I know this is complete out of left field...but my friend sent me this article from a few years back. Apparently, there is a small shrine to the Virgin Mary that would have to be destroyed for the Mon-Fayette Expressway. Now, I'm not saying I necessarily believe this (and I'm not saying I don't, either), but many believe that this place is blessed.

Check out the article:

http://www.mcall.com/news/specials/all-5shrineapr19,0,4240409.story

This is just one more reason to halt this ridiculous project!

[themaguffin]

Well we could continue to have the Mon Valley waste away with no access that could lead to business and we could continue to have the ridiculous Squirrel Hill bottleneck or we could improve it.

[themaguffin]

Equitable goes for shiny and new...

Friday, March 28, 2008
Equitable Resources eyes Piatt Place space in Downtown PittsburghGas company could take 235,000 square feet
Pittsburgh Business Times - by Ben Semmes

Joe Wojcik
Equitable could move into office space at Piatt Place.
View Larger Its upper floors vacant since 2004, the former Lazarus department store Downtown could be about to get a new lease on life.

Equitable Resources Inc. has signed a letter of intent to occupy 235,000 square feet in the building, now called Piatt Place, people familiar with the negotiations said.

The natural gas company would take all three of the building's upper floors as well as part of the first floor, according to the sources, who requested anonymity because a lease has not been finalized.

Equitable's lease would be the largest of the year so far, and would also include the adjacent Revco building, which Millcraft has an option to buy from Pittsburgh's Urban Redevelopment Authority. Equitable also is working with Millcraft to secure naming and signage rights, according to one source who has seen the letter of intent.

[Grego43]

Well we could continue to have the Mon Valley waste away with no access that could lead to business and we could continue to have the ridiculous Squirrel Hill bottleneck or we could improve it.

:tup:

[jeffwhit]

Are the streets that were blocked off by the Igloo going into the Hill District being restored? From what I understand the Civic Arena is largely blamed for the decline in The Hill.

I will be in PGH for about a week at the end of May, looking forward to it greatly.

[DBR96A]

I know this is complete out of left field...but my friend sent me this article from a few years back. Apparently, there is a small shrine to the Virgin Mary that would have to be destroyed for the Mon-Fayette Expressway. Now, I'm not saying I necessarily believe this (and I'm not saying I don't, either), but many believe that this place is blessed.

Check out the article:

http://www.mcall.com/news/specials/all-5shrineapr19,0,4240409.story

This is just one more reason to halt this ridiculous project!

Too bad the reasons to build it far outweigh the reasons to kill it.

[Evergrey]

Can we not have this lame Mon-Fayette discussion again? At least not until there's real news either way? It's always "everyone from Pittsburgh" arguing about how it's the biggest transportation money pit in the country with potentially ruinous consequences for the region vs. a few Sunbelters who think Pittsburgh's "only hope of salvation" is having an exit ramp in front of everyone's front door. The negative impacts and externalities... and the breathtaking opportunity costs foregone... of this loathesome boondoggle have been laid out in detail... buttressed with credible sources... many times in this thread. No amount of PennDot rationalization (yeah, they're real reliable), right-wing talking points or Mon Valley Chamber of Commerce boosterism can counter that.

There... I broke my own rule of not talking about this.

[PA Pride]

Thank you Evergrey.

[Evergrey]

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08088/868666-53.stm

Market Square cafe deck plan draws mixed reactions

Friday, March 28, 2008
By Mark Belko, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Ron Gargani has big plans to transform his small Market Square cafe into a one-of-a-kind pit stop for the hungry, one that serves up freshly roasted meats, homemade pastries and breads, pizzas and gelato, all from an open storefront during warmer months.

But his vision for the Buon Giorno Cafe isn't very appetizing to some of his Market Square neighbors, who are upset over plans for a second-floor deck that's part of the transformation.

Mr. Gargani, Buon Giorno's co-owner, said he needs the deck, which will run the width of his restaurant and extend over the sidewalk, to replace outdoor seating that will be lost in his plans for an open air eatery at street level.

He said the outdoor seating accounted for about 60 percent of his summertime business. He is hoping the deck not only will help to replace that but will attract people to a second-floor dining area he is planning as part of the restaurant's new look.

"I was thinking how do I get people to walk up the steps? I figured once I put the balcony up, it would be a draw to get people up there. The view of Market Square [from the second floor] is wonderful," he said.

But the deck has raised the ire of some nearby property owners who say they first learned about it when work started on the structure this week. They complained about the lack of notification from the city.

Bill Jacobowitz, who owns the building that houses the Starbucks next to Buon Giorno, said the corner of the deck and a support pole will come within about two feet of his property and could detract from its value. He said he didn't know anything about the deck until workmen arrived.

"It was a shock when I saw it. If it was approved , it was without my knowledge," he said.

Mr. Jacobowitz does not believe the deck will enhance Market Square.

"I don't think it's going to improve it, and it cuts in front of the corner of my building," he said.

Another not thrilled about the deck is Bob Ginsburg, the owner of Market Rug Co., a Fourth Avenue business whose back door empties into an Urban Redevelopment Authority-owned courtyard next to Buon Giorno. He said Mr. Gargani has "basically taken possession of a city sidewalk."

He's also worried about the overall effect it will have on the square, saying it could be a "precedent-setting detriment."

"This really reeks of a bad concept, putting a deck over the sidewalk," he said.

Mr. Ginsburg also fears that Mr. Gargani will try to build a set of stairs to the deck from the courtyard, which sits behind a locked gate to prevent loitering, trash dumping and other problems.

But Mr. Gargani said he has no plans to build a stairway from the courtyard. He pointed out that he has all required city approvals, including that of the Historic Review Commission, for the deck. He said he was not surprised by Mr. Ginsburg's opposition, saying the "guy is just out to get me. He just doesn't like me."

Mr. Gargani believes his project will enhance Market Square. He plans to rip out his first-floor bar in favor of a "more food-friendly, more family-friendly" environment. He described the restaurant as something akin to a "high-end Primanti's."

"I'm talking New York, Chicago quality everything, at a level Pittsburgh has not seen yet," he said.

[B]He intends to have his own butcher at the restaurant and will roast three meats -- ham, beef and turkey -- each day. He will serve breakfast, lunch and dinner and plans to stay open late enough for Cultural District crowds to grab a gelato after a show.

The deck will cost about $40,000 but the overall transformation will run about $200,000, he said.

The Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership has awarded Buon Giorno a $25,000 Paris to Pittsburgh matching grant to help buy awnings, signs and folding glass doors to allow for the open-air look Mr. Gargani wants.

No PDP money will be used for the deck, but Mike Edwards, president and chief executive officer, finds the concept intriguing.

"The concept of a deck and people being able to interface with Market Square from two levels, I think, is a neat idea," he said. "I think it will really activate that corner, absolutely."

He had good things to say about Buon Giorno's overall plans.

"There's an up-tenanting going on in Market Square. The wider the selection, the higher the quality of the food and beverage, only makes it a more dynamic destination. So we think it's great," he said.

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

[UrbaniDesDev]

:previous:
This doesn't sound good....
In such an important local, with so many that will be impacted directly,
and with so many plans on the board for the Square, I'm surprised something like this was able to progress without going through an enomous amount of scrutiny

[Evergrey]

:previous:
This doesn't sound good....
In such an important local, with so many that will be impacted directly,
and with so many plans on the board for the Square, I'm surprised something like this was able to progress without going through an enomous amount of scrutiny

what about it doesn't sound good? A support pole coming within a few feet of the ugliest Starbucks in Pittsburgh?

...

more on "restaurant development"... the vacant High-Tops location across from PNC Park... I hope they know what they're getting into... how many years of pathetic Pirates performance will it take to drive them out? btw, I think we're reaching the saturation point of "Irish-themed" bars

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/business/s_559607.html

Bar & grill to open in former Hi-Tops spot near PNC Park

By Kim Leonard
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Saturday, March 29, 2008

Tony Anton owns a Mullen's Bar & Grill close to Chicago's Wrigley Field, and he'll open another one April 7 in the former Hi-Tops sports bar across from PNC Park.
And while Hi-Tops' operators partly blamed the Pirates' series of losing seasons for the sports bar's October closing, that doesn't bother Anton and his staff.

"We come from Wrigley, and we haven't seen a World Series in 100 years," said Scott Stanley, a general manager with the chain. (The Cubs won the 1908 World Series and played in the 1945 series.)

Mullen's official opening on the North Shore will coincide with the Pirates' home opener, coincidentally against the Cubs. Stanley said Anton chose the North Shore for his first location outside the Chicago area because Mullen's, a "neighborhood bar and grill," should fit well in the neighborhood.

The local Mullen's will be the fourth in the chain, with an Irish theme and a varied menu of sandwiches, wings, burgers and appetizers. Bands and deejays will entertain, and the tavern will be open from 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. daily.
Hiring for a staff of 50 to 75 people is under way, said Steve Lindsey, general manager for the North Shore location.

Mullen's is named for Anton's lifelong friend, former Chicago police Officer Jim Mullen, a quadriplegic since he was shot in the line of duty in 1996. Mullen reports on disabilities issues for a CBS affiliate TV station in Chicago.

Stanley said Anton chose to enter the Pittsburgh market simply because he learned the former Hi-Tops property, furnished and with two floors of space, was available. Painting and cleanup is under way, and more changes will come later.

"What we are trying to do is just get open" for the baseball season, Stanley said. Mullen's, if successful in Pittsburgh, could open in more cities, he said.

Joe Lawrence, president of the North Side Leadership Conference, said there's been less turnover of late in the business area near PNC Park and Heinz Field. (New Moon Fusion near PNC Park just closed) "And with the addition of each development on the North Shore, that business district is stabilized more," he said.

Hi-Tops' owners sought bankruptcy protection last March, and when the bar closed in October after 5 1/2 years, a consultant blamed poor quality baseball, plus financial issues.

The Pirates have had 15 straight losing seasons, and PNC Park attendance was down last year to just under 1.75 million at 79 home games, from 1.86 million in 2006.


Kim Leonard can be reached at kleonard@tribweb.com or 412-380-5606.

[Grego43]

Can we not have this lame Mon-Fayette discussion again? At least not until there's real news either way? It's always "everyone from Pittsburgh" arguing about how it's the biggest transportation money pit in the country with potentially ruinous consequences for the region vs. a few Sunbelters who think Pittsburgh's "only hope of salvation" is having an exit ramp in front of everyone's front door. The negative impacts and externalities... and the breathtaking opportunity costs foregone... of this loathesome boondoggle have been laid out in detail... buttressed with credible sources... many times in this thread. No amount of PennDot rationalization (yeah, they're real reliable), right-wing talking points or Mon Valley Chamber of Commerce boosterism can counter that.

There... I broke my own rule of not talking about this.


I'm not sure why you classify this as lame discussion, Evergrey. Posts in this thread can go on ad nauseum about a Moe's coming to Market Square or a Hampton/Courtyard/HolidayInn being built in the Strip or North Shore...fine development, sure...but no one ever calls those discussions lame. The Mon-Fay represents something, like it or not, that will impact the entire region whether or not it is completed.

No one, including all those against the Mon-Fay, has come forward with a real plan to kick start the economies of the Mon Valley or the Hazelwood & Hays neighborhoods of Pgh. Without access to Interstate system and airport, all those Brownfields will remain fallow. How many Waterfronts & Southside Works do you think can be supported in the string of dying cities along the Mon? Please don't turn this discussion into another Pittsburghers v. Sunbelters (or non-Pittsburgher) battle. Clearly, all the posters on here have the region's best interest at heart. Don't distill this down to: Pittsburghers = good; Outsiders = bad.

[Grego43]

On another transport note: something that rarely gets discussed here is the effect on overall development from the huge pull-down of the PIT USAirways hub. Does anyone have any insight into how this may be affecting corporate growth or relocation plans? I and a few other forumers are active on airliners.net and get plenty of opinion there, but I'm curious as to any fresh thoughts over here.

[Brentsters]

more on "restaurant development"... the vacant High-Tops location across from PNC Park... I hope they know what they're getting into... how many years of pathetic Pirates performance will it take to drive them out? btw, I think we're reaching the saturation point of "Irish-themed" bars

Hi-Tops' owners sought bankruptcy protection last March, and when the bar closed in October after 5 1/2 years, a consultant blamed poor quality baseball, plus financial issues.

The Pirates have had 15 straight losing seasons, and PNC Park attendance was down last year to just under 1.75 million at 79 home games, from 1.86 million in 2006. [/B]




that's a bs excuse imo. If their business plan actually relied on the Pirates being good then they're just flat out STUPID. The organization is awful right now, but they still draw a decent crowd considering none of the kid fans have ever seen them win. If you can't stay afloat right across the street from the stadium, it sounds like mismanagement.

I do agree the "North Shore's" (I kinda think that name is dumb) Irish pub market has probably reached saturation point considering there's already Finnegan's and McFadden's. It sounds like Hi Tops couldn't compete with all the new bars opening.

[PA Pride]

that's a bs excuse imo. If their business plan actually relied on the Pirates being good then they're just flat out STUPID. The organization is awful right now, but they still draw a decent crowd considering none of the kid fans have ever seen them win. If you can't stay afloat right across the street from the stadium, it sounds like mismanagement.


I definitely agree with you. Mismanagement. Or just the life cycle of a restaurant/nightclub. Clubs only have a lifespan of a few months. Everybody knows that.

[PA Pride]

On another transport note: something that rarely gets discussed here is the effect on overall development from the huge pull-down of the PIT USAirways hub. Does anyone have any insight into how this may be affecting corporate growth or relocation plans? I and a few other forumers are active on airliners.net and get plenty of opinion there, but I'm curious as to any fresh thoughts over here.

My thoughts on the de-hubbing of PIT is this:

Short term is it making us look bad for having such little activity at such a big airport. And probably making us look quite unattractive to expanding businesses for having lack of flights and destinations.

Long term however, i would think that it's great that US Airways will be much less influencial because it will allow low cost airlines and more choices of airlines to pick up the slack for the consumers which will create a healthy air travel atmosphere. (we're already seeing this dynamic playing out)

Hopefully new developments of warehouses and businesses currently being built around the airport can help offset the huge losses of annual traffic that have occured since US Airways has downsized us so dramatically.

2 other possible benefits to PIT:
1. The Air Silk cargo route with China that is proposed. That would do us some financial good.
2. Overflow traffic from the east coast airports: Philly, New York, Washington DC area are all packed out; Maybe Pittsburgh's airport can pick up some business from those overcrowded places?

[UrbaniDesDev]

that's a bs excuse imo. If their business plan actually relied on the Pirates being good then they're just flat out STUPID. The organization is awful right now, but they still draw a decent crowd considering none of the kid fans have ever seen them win. If you can't stay afloat right across the street from the stadium, it sounds like mismanagement.

I do agree the "North Shore's" (I kinda think that name is dumb) Irish pub market has probably reached saturation point considering there's already Finnegan's and McFadden's. It sounds like Hi Tops couldn't compete with all the new bars opening.

I think it was a foolish venture. A 3 story bar with few neighbors will rely completely on the Pirates season. Perhaps when the rest of neighborhood gets built up, but for now, it wont be a draw. They took a big chance and I wish them well.

When the neighborhood IS built up, most of the interest will be concentrated along the waterfront, except of course before and after a game. I can't see it as logical venture. I can't see this area being completely lined, block after block, with bars and clubs. I think that is an unrealistic plan. Diversity will be the key, not just entertainment. It is, after all, right across from Downtown. Firewater's North Shore Saloon and Atria's also get jammed before and after a game but they also get people from Downtown and visitors to the Warhol. They aren't relying strictly on PNC Park.

This block should have been combined as a single building, like across the street above Firewater's . Converting it for unique office lofts instead of a divided block with verticle spaces. This would not only add people to the area during the day but at night also. I can't see this location taking off as long as the block is divided into separate little buildings, atleast not to it's fullest potential. It could be a succesful office building with commercial on ground level and respond better to a more flexible market.

Like another sports bar is unique in Pittsburgh.

http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e235/UrbaniDesDev/High-Tops.jpg_________http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e235/UrbaniDesDev/FirewatersNorthShoreSaloon.jpg

[Evergrey]

IF that neighborhood ever gets built up... it's still mostly parking lots with the Steelers squabbling over public subsidies for their ever-shifting "entertainment district" plans... hell, they invested more in Ben Roethlisberger's latest contract extension than their own stadium! I think the North Shore is a disaster... and really... with the intricate web of elevated superhighways criss-crossing every which way in that precious little sliver of land... perhaps there was never a chance


I don't think blaming the Pirates' eternity of inepititude is a BS excuse... a lot of these establishments sprang up after hundreds of millions of public dollars were plowed into PNC Park due to the promise of a vibrant, redeveloped urban district... the greedy crooks known as the Nuttings never had any intention of holding up their end of the bargain... they had their profit-generator with its own self-contained restaurants... why waste money on star talent in order to increase attendance and help neighboring businesses on the North Shore?

Since that depressing 100-loss season that christened PNC Park in 2001... Pirate attendance has been in a freefall... of course that's going to be hard on eating and drinking establishments in a still-apocalyptic wasteland of a joke of an urban district... we don't expect the Pirates to win the world series every year... or even be good every year... but they don't even make an attempt to field a competitive team... this year they will tie the all-time streak for consecutive losing seasons.... more and more people are fed up with that vile organization and are not going to the park anymore... and that hurts business... the public made a huge investment in that stadium... and that neighborhood... and the Nuttings have swindled us all

btw, New Moon Fusion (next to Finnigan's Wake) just closed


btw, i took a look at Buon Giorno's support poles today... and I do have to admit it looks a little awkward... I'll withhold my own judgment on it and see how things play out

[Evergrey]

violent crime sucks wherever it happens... but it especially riles me up when it happens in a place like Mexican War Streets... which is a truly special area of Pittsburgh... rich with spectacular mid-19th century housing stock and intimate streets... trying so hard to arise as a fully functional and vibrant neighborhood after the negleft of the mid-century... Manchester is a similar story (where there was a daylight murder outside the elementary school the other day)... though it's well behind Mexican War Streets' progress...

MWS should be further stabilized by the redevelopment of the Garden Theatre and adjacent properties... if the city ever figures out what to do with that... and the delayed Federal Hill rowhouse development along Federal

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/cityregion/s_559794.html

Citizens opt to fight for War Streets

By Chris Togneri
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Sunday, March 30, 2008


http://www.pittsburghlive.com/photos/2008-03-29/0330-war1-a.jpg
Bill Buettin lives on North Taylor Avenue in the Mexican War Streets neighborhood with his wife and 7-month-old son, Will. He said the recent shooting of a letter carrier has raised questions about whether his family will stay in the city.
Chris Togneri/Tribune-Review

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/photos/2008-03-29/0330-war2-a.jpg
George Wilson has owned Wilson's BBQ on North Taylor Avenue for 48 years. He and his daughter, Darnella (left), believe opening more recreation centers for children in the neighborhood would cut down on crime and violence.

For the first time since moving to the Mexican War Streets two years ago, Bill Buettin and his wife discussed the possibility of moving out of the North Side neighborhood.
That talk came Wednesday night, hours after two teens in dark, hooded sweatshirts shot a letter carrier in the hand during a botched robbery attempt -- in broad daylight, right outside the Buettin's front door.

Buettin's 7-month-old son, Will, was at home with a nanny at the time of the shooting. The thought that only 50 feet and a wall separated his child from the gunfire frightened and angered Buettin, a North Shore banker, who like others in the neighborhood said he moved to the War Streets because it seemed like an idyllic urban neighborhood undergoing a rebirth.

"We are the poster children for what (city leaders) want to happen in the War Streets," Buettin said the day after the shooting, holding Will on his lap. "We are young professionals who want to work in the city, live in the city, raise a family in the city. But it doesn't feel like it's going in the right direction. We're at a fork. People are starting to wonder if it's worth it. The bottom line is that I can't risk putting Will in jeopardy, even though we love the idea of living in this city."

Though crime is not uncommon in the North Side, the brazenness of recent attacks has set War Streets residents on edge. Shooting the mailman crossed a line, many residents said, and their anger is shared among newcomers and natives.
"Shooting the postman? I mean, come on," said Dave Shlapak, 49, who lives on Palo Alto Street, four houses down from the letter box where the mailman was shot. "It's scary -- how many households with children are there within 150 feet of that mailbox? I can think of a half-dozen off the top of my head."

The attacks, including a fatal shooting at Manteca Bar on Monterey Street two weeks ago and several recent armed robberies, have triggered a wave of phone calls and e-mails to city leaders.

Mayor Luke Ravenstahl is getting the message, he said, in part because the success of the ongoing War Streets revitalization is key to his larger vision for the city.

To reverse a steady decline in city population, Ravenstahl has made it a priority to draw young people into the city. The War Streets, he said, is an example of rebirth that he hopes to duplicate elsewhere.

"It's one of those neighborhoods that has transformed into a more stable neighborhood than it previously was," Ravenstahl said Friday morning at a gala in Station Square, hours before announcing that he would meet with War Streets residents later that day. "We've had people move into the War Streets from outside the city, young families that are spending a significant amount of money to live there.

"It's a neighborhood that has seen a rebirth, investment, rehabilitation, the restoring of old homes, and we want to model other communities after what we've been able to do on the War Streets. We need to get our hands around this so we can continue to tell people that this opportunity can exist and you can rebuild a community. But we have to do our part in keeping it safe."

About 50 people met with Ravenstahl, Police Chief Nate Harper, Public Safety Director Mike Huss and other city leaders at police headquarters in the North Side.

Some War Streets residents, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were asked to keep details of the meeting private, said Ravenstahl opened by saying he was there to listen, not defend the city or police. During the next two hours, residents aired concerns, with one man saying he tried to call 911 after the fatal shooting at the Manteca Bar, but for 15 minutes got a busy signal.

Ravenstahl left the meeting promising to install surveillance cameras and increase police patrols in the area. He told the Tribune-Review before the meeting that he would authorize a team of six investigators to arrest people in the area with outstanding warrants.

But such fixes are short-term, and many residents said lasting solutions can only be achieved by War Streets residents themselves.

"It needs to be inclusive," said William Fisher, 50, a retired a teamster who lives on Buena Vista Street, where an armed robbery occurred last week in front of a popular coffee house. "The violence is not going to stop until the black community, the gay community, women -- everyone -- comes together. When you start including everyone, that's when we can start dealing with the problems."

... (edited out a rather excessive part about banning "hoodies" in MWS lol)

Some residents have called for group walks to create a more visible neighborhood presence. Others want stricter police enforcement of all laws, even if that means a crackdown on the "Pittsburgh left" or open containers at neighborhood stoop sits.

George Wilson, 78, who has run Wilson's BBQ on North Taylor Avenue for 48 years, said city leaders must open more youth recreation centers for neighborhood children.

"It's out of control. It was never like this when I was growing up here," said Wilson's daughter, Darnella Wilson, 50. "It's like these kids just don't want anything out of life anymore. It's crazy."

Though many residents said they are unsure of how to proceed, they insisted that the War Streets will not be intimidated by thugs. Rather than locking their front doors, drawing the blinds and hiding, residents promised to become more involved in the community.

"The vibrancy of this neighborhood is what drew me and my wife here and why we chose the War Streets rather than Shadyside or the South Side," said Jeffrey Inscho, who lives on North Taylor and works at the Mattress Factory art museum on Sampsonia Way. "People choose to live here for its amenities, for its architecture, for its proximity to Downtown, because (West Park) is a block away. And generally, the type of person who lives here is the type of person who takes control of their own destiny."

Kimberly Flaherty, who coordinates the North Side Safe Streets neighborhood watch, agreed that War Streets residents will fight back rather than cower.

"The law-abiding citizens of a community far outweigh the criminals," she said. "So it's the law-abiding citizens that have to set the standard. Central to a block watch is knowing your neighbor and watching out for them. ... You cannot live in fear in your home. In the War Streets, you will see people being more visible."

But if the violence continues and the War Streets rebirth fails, the implications will be felt citywide, Buettin said.

"Ravenstahl's image for what he wants the city to be really does hinge on what happens here," he said. "If the War Streets goes down, so does the city. If the prototype fails here, if it can't work in the War Streets, then I can't imagine it working anywhere else, and the whole city is doomed."



Chris Togneri can be reached at ctogneri@tribweb.com or 412-380-5632.

[JackStraw]

^I hear you evergrey. I went on a rampage probably about 3 pages back when that dude got killed walking outside of that shadybar in the MWS. I love walking in the MWS, but would never live there. It is turning into a vibrant neighborhood, but this violence is just putting a hinder in it to ever end up like a section of Old City in Philly (that they so much remind me of).

But the article I posted was about a resident who is part of Asylum Pittsburgh who is turning that shady bar into a poetry reading cafe that will be a oasis for artist and hipsters alike. This neighborhood will soon (if not already is) be a artist haven.

[UrbaniDesDev]

You may take this as you like. I lived in this area for over 7 years. I loved the people that live there and their tenacious sensibilities. I moved for unrelated reasons, but I, and most people that live there, know the reason for the high crime. It is not a new problem. It is what has been holding this entire area, and many across the country, back for over 2 decades. It is the large swaths of section 8 housing. A large part of them owned by Mystick in this area. They keep the buildings up, as the government does have strict regulations, but the problem is apparent. Also a contributer is the large, very visible homeless shelters.

This maybe opening a large can of worms. It is often something people don't like to let on, but secretly whisper to each other. Particularly in a place like the War Streets, where white liberals flock...

There is a large difference between the condition of the homes where people own their properties and where people rent, more conspicuous are the section 8 houses. This can be argued back and forth, but I lived there and we always know where the problems are coming from. Hell, knew who it was. They are not coming in from other neighborhoods. They are your neighbors.

OK this will be difficult, but I will say it. Parents that allow themselves to continuously, and with out end, live on the dole, set a standard for their children to follow. There are, of course exceptions. I lived there and the neighborhood always knew where the trouble was coming from.

This is not a black and white thing. It is taking responsibilty for you and your families. If you talk to the church ladies in the area, they will tell you the same thing. I have lived in the hearts of DC, NYC & Atlanta. It is a syndrome that has developed in this country that is holding most urban neighborhoods hostage across the country. If your family is on welfare, generation after generation, then this system is broken and needs repaired. It has become an endless cycle. It has become accepted as a way of life. It is a black hole that the recipients of welfare have become the victims as it is so difficult to move off of it. It is also such a delicate subject that politicians won't talk about it and it remains ignored.

The problem is not necessarily that there are section 8 houses, but the large concentration of section 8 housing. If you live on welfare, your neighbor lives on welfare, the entire development is living on welfare, what are the incentives to change? What are the role models for the children.

It is a problem for our urban neighborhoods, and more and more, the inner burbs. More importantly, the future of the children that grow in an environment where little hope exists. What incentive does a landlord have to rent to hardworking people that can afford $800/mo when the government is giving them $1200/mo for the same flat?

It will take a strong leader to solve this sensitive problem. We haven't had any of them lately

[Evergrey]

I've heard people blame Section 8 for presenting hurdles in Lawrenceville's revitalization as well.

UrbaniDesDev: what solutions would you propose to minimize the negative externalities caused by clustering of Section 8 housing?

[UrbaniDesDev]

I understand that there was talk of vouchers that would be presented to landlords as opposed to large tracts dedicated exclusively to section 8. I understand that there are problems with that. Some landlords, in some areas won't accept them so are they still to be in a ghetto? Some suggest that any project that gets government money for construction or offered tax incentives to allot a certain amount of their project to section 8. I think this can work, but I think it would benefit mostly single people or people w disabilities who are forced to live on section 8. I can't see someone renting to a single mother of 5.

I think the biggest problem is, there doesn't seem to be anyone willing to step up and say there is a problem that we need to fix. Maybe because there is no easy answer. The way I see it is, instead of them solving the problem they simply build more prisons, then few are outraged.

[JackStraw]

Under my understanding, I thought that they were trying to move section 8 and place it around the metro in towns such as New Ken. If so, this would be good for that you could re-place large swaths of section 8 concentrated in the city, and break them up into much smaller divisions in towns that desperetely need a population boost. It would be easier to manage if they are in small numbers then large swaths of section 8 in the city.

[UrbaniDesDev]

I'm fairly certain that there are sections of section 8, whether new tracts or renovated houses, in every city. I believe it will exasperate the problem for poor smaller cities, like New Ken already struggling. Moving them around does not solve the problem. It seems we are warehousing people and hope the problem will go away

[Grego43]

This may sound simplistic, but getting police out of their cruisers and actually walking their beat made a huge difference in my Chicago neighborhood's crime rate. Residents get to know them and vice-versa, a mutual respect builds up. Moving section 8 residents around only works if the intent is decentralization that will create mixed-income community. Transplanting the entire group only moves the issues to another neighborhood.

[themaguffin]

Can we not have this lame Mon-Fayette discussion again? At least not until there's real news either way? It's always "everyone from Pittsburgh" arguing about how it's the biggest transportation money pit in the country with potentially ruinous consequences for the region vs. a few Sunbelters who think Pittsburgh's "only hope of salvation" is having an exit ramp in front of everyone's front door. The negative impacts and externalities... and the breathtaking opportunity costs foregone... of this loathesome boondoggle have been laid out in detail... buttressed with credible sources... many times in this thread. No amount of PennDot rationalization (yeah, they're real reliable), right-wing talking points or Mon Valley Chamber of Commerce boosterism can counter that.


No please stop this bullshit. Don't say:

A) "can we not have this lame Mon-Fayette discussion again" and then discuss it.

B) Please don't equate location with perspective and philosophy

C) Please don't generalize highway hatred into the bullshit points you made

and nobody here that I can recall made such statements of hyperbole that anything, let alone this project is Pittsburgh's only hope for salvation...


No amount of PennDot rationalization (yeah, they're real reliable), right-wing talking points or Mon Valley Chamber of Commerce boosterism can counter that


Oh Jesus.

Come on.

[UrbaniDesDev]

This may sound simplistic, but getting police out of their cruisers and actually walking their beat made a huge difference in my Chicago neighborhood's crime rate. Residents get to know them and vice-versa, a mutual respect builds up. Moving section 8 residents around only works if the intent is decentralization that will create mixed-income community. Transplanting the entire group only moves the issues to another neighborhood.

This is correct. The police argument is that they are not mobile enough if something happens. There is a police station right on Brighton Road @ Jacksonia. I have never seen them out of their cars. That is 3 blocks from the notorious bar. If there was a policeman shot on the street, you can bet they'd have the area covered.

[PA Pride]

This is correct. The police argument is that they are not mobile enough if something happens. There is a police station right on Brighton Road @ Jacksonia. I have never seen them out of their cars. That is 3 blocks from the notorious bar. If there was a policeman shot on the street, you can bet they'd have the area covered.

Well, sounds like you know what you have to do...

[UrbaniDesDev]

Well, sounds like you know what you have to do...

I'm not sure what that is supposed to mean

[PA Pride]

It was a joke in poor taste about shooting a policeman to increase the amount of patroling.

[AaronPGH]

I love you Austin. lol!

[Evergrey]

you keep fightin', Riverlife Strike Force!

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08092/869481-52.stm

City, casino owner take Riverlife Task Force to task over court appeal

Tuesday, April 01, 2008
By Mark Belko, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

The city and North Shore casino owner Don Barden have teamed up to try to thwart a court appeal filed by the Riverlife Task Force over the size of a garage being built behind the gambling palace.

In a brief filed Friday, they jointly asked the state Supreme Court to throw out the Riverlife appeal, claiming that the litigation is without merit and that the agency lacks standing to pursue a claim.

The move to dismiss the appeal is the latest salvo in the battle over the size of the 10-level, 3,800-space garage, which Riverlife and other opponents fear has the potential to overwhelm the casino itself and mar views of the skyline from Mount Washington, the South Side and other locations.

Riverlife filed an appeal with the state Supreme Court Feb. 12, challenging the Pittsburgh planning commission's approval of the Majestic Star casino and garage design, listing a host of procedural and design-related issues.

The city and PITG Gaming LLC, Mr. Barden's company, fired back on Friday, arguing that neither Riverlife nor two North Side residents, Randy Zotter and Robert Blackwell, can prove they were harmed in any way by the commission's decision.

"The chief complaint of all petitioners is that the garage portion of the structure is too tall in relation to the casino portion of the structure. However, that alleged harm is remote and speculative. Petitioners simply cannot show that the height of the garage impedes in any fashion on the rights of petitioners," their brief states.

Noting that the casino is a permitted use on the North Shore, the city and PITG Gaming argued that Riverlife should have fought the 2005 amendments that granted that right if it was concerned about the location.

"Interested citizens do not have the right to block property owners from exercising their rights to develop a permitted use," the city and PITG Gaming said.

They added, "It is simply too late for petitioners to protest that casinos are permitted by right on the North Shore."

The two also argued that the project development plan approval before the planning commission relating to the casino and garage design was a matter between the commission and PITG Gaming. The only party able to appeal such a "review" would be the casino itself, they asserted.

But Clifford Levine, Riverlife's attorney, countered that the same 2005 amendments the city and PITG Gaming cited in support of their argument called for a public process in the location and design of the casino. That included notice requirements and public hearings.

"You have all of this public process, a public hearing and a public vote -- it is hard to fathom the intent was that all of this was done for window dressing," said Mr. Levine, a former planning commission member.

The city and PITG Gaming also disputed Riverlife's contention that the garage was an "accessory structure" that would be limited to 20 feet in height under city zoning laws without a variance from the Zoning Board of Adjustment. The garage is 119 feet high, nearly twice as high as the casino, which is being built between the Carnegie Science Center and West End Bridge.

In their brief, the city and PITG Gaming argued that the garage was an "accessory use," not an "accessory structure" as Riverlife had characterized it.

"In fact, the casino garage is not a separate structure, but is an accessory use integral to the entire casino building," the brief states.

"What I would say to that is that on their own application they characterize it as an accessory structure," Mr. Levine responded, adding that the planning commission also described it as a "structure."

The city and PITG Gaming also contended that any challenges to the garage height should have been made last August, when the planning commission approved the casino's utility, structural steel and foundation work. They maintained that was when the height was set, a point disputed by Mr. Levine.

In an effort to expedite casino-related appeals, the state Legislature provided for direct review by the state Supreme Court. The legal battle has not stopped work on Mr. Barden's casino, which is set to open on May 1, 2009.

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

[Evergrey]

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08092/869439-53.stm

Nitty-gritty shopping: You can still buy practical items Downtown -- you just have to look

Tuesday, April 01, 2008
By Cristina Rouvalis, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/images/200803/panchak_downtown_shopping_1_500.jpg
Pam Panchak/Post-Gazette
Barbara Lowenstein of Mt. Lebanon shows Bob Cass, of Cass Plumbing and Heating, 217 Fourth Ave., parts from a late 1920s shower that she's looking to replace.Sure, you can pick up White Diamonds perfume at Downtown Macy's, Jimmy Choo stilettos at Saks and a snappy, cropped jacket at Ann Taylor in One Oxford Centre.

But what about the days when you need something practical Downtown?

Toilet troubles?

Cass Plumbing Supply on Fourth Avenue greets you at the door with a display of $7.79 plungers.

Need a car mat?

Head to nearby Market Rug Co., which sells discontinued floor samples for $1, perfect for plopping under muddy feet.

How about groceries?

Grab some broccoli and pork chops at the new Rosebud Fine Food Market on Seventh Avenue.

Conventional wisdom holds that there's not much for consumers in the Golden Triangle outside the familiar suspects, but if you are willing to walk -- and crane your neck -- you can find more than you think.

What you can buy and can't buy Downtown has become an issue amid a mini boom of housing and the arrival of Rosebud, the first food market in 14 years. Some 246 condominiums are being built Downtown, with another 1,300 units under way there.

The Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership estimates there are 3,500 residents Downtown and expects 5,500 by 2010. The group's boundaries for Downtown includes not just the Golden Triangle, but also Station Square, the North Shore and the edge of the Strip District.

Despite the population loss in Pittsburgh, the number of office workers has grown Downtown to 136,928 in 2006 -- a 23 percent jump in the past decade. Mike Edwards, partnership president, said some businesses have shuttered their regional offices and moved workers Downtown.

Of course, no one would describe Pittsburgh as having the bustling retail of Manhattan's Fifth Avenue or Chicago's Miracle Mile. And it's no longer the place where families dress up, as they did in past decades, for the special occasion of shopping Downtown at the big department stores.

John Poznick, a 40-year-old father of three who lives in Gateway Towers, said Downtown shopping is OK, but he looks forward to it improving once luxury condos are built. He said he and his wife shop at Burlington Coat Factory and CVS. But they go through a tunnel to grocery shop at Giant Eagle at Parkway Center Mall.

"We still get in the car. If we had large-scale shopping, we would do all of it Downtown."

Mr. Edwards said Downtown has many quality stores such as Joseph Orlando, Larrimor's and Chick Downtown. They're just scattered about instead of lining one street. "You don't feel like you are in a shopping area," he said.

In fact, you might walk by some little shops without even knowing they exist.

Inside a small burgundy and white room in the Investment Building at 239 Fourth Ave., Pauline Nehme, a reweaver and reknitter, practices an all-but-lost art. Peering out of illuminated glasses, she reknits moth-ravaged sweaters, starting at $15, and reweaves holey garments starting at $38. In fact, she is so in demand that she gets moth-gobbled garments mailed to her from as far away as Florida and Texas. "It's word of mouth," she said.

The narrow interior of Cass Plumbing, a Downtown fixture on Fourth Avenue since 1909, has toilet flappers, hammers and other handy items crawling up the walls. The store keeps the plumbing and heating going in many offices Downtown, but it also sells individuals toilet seats from $15 to $200, and duplicate keys for $1.59 and up.

"We are not really a hardware store, but we carry a smattering of hardware," said Bob Cass, a third-generation owner of the store.

Market Carpet, which supplies mostly carpets and rugs for small commercial businesses, sells some area rugs to residents and office workers, and hopes the business will grow as more people move Downtown. Buying an Oriental rug and carrying it two blocks to your condo sounds like urban convenience shopping.

People living in luxury condos need mayonnaise and mustard, too. So do office workers rushing home to cook dinner.

Smithfield News, which sells news junkies the daily Washington Post and the New York Daily News, wants to serve the growing number of residents by expanding into a Downtown grocery mart.

Hungry students at the Art Institute of Pittsburgh and Point Park University already snap up the Banquet Beef Pie for $1.09 or $1.19 yogurt, while office workers sip Kiva Han coffee or puff Macanudo cigars. The inventory will grow.

"You name it, we will have it," says owner Brian Weiss, who plans to finish the renovation in about a month.

If you are an urban pioneer with a baby in your loft, you can cut the odor with a Diaper Genie, which costs $19.99 at Burlington Coat Factory last week. Or you can check out the baby gear at Macy's.

Stressed out by urban living? You can get chair massage at Backrubs and Bodyworks in the Park Building at $1 a minute. Fifteen minutes is $15.

Downtown is definitely a good place to get a cup of coffee. Market Square has many cafes, as well as Nicholas Coffee and Tea Co., which sells Scottish shortbread, fresh roasted peanuts and enough loose tea and coffee lined up in metal canisters to make you drool with the caffeinated -- and some decaf -- possibilities. You can buy everything from Hawaiian Kauai coffee ($10.99 a pound) to Lady Hannah tea, (a blueberry, strawberry and rose hips infusion for $23.99 a pound) to Kambaa (a strong African tea for $13.49 a pound)

For basic clothing such as $25 Army fatigues, there is Broadway Army Navy on Liberty Avenue. But such work basics are only a fraction of the sales. Urban clothing, including a bold $24.99 Free or Die sweatshirt, now dominate the store's sales. "You gotta change with the times," said David Abrams, owner of the store.

Walk along the Downtown streets, and you will see many contrasts.

Apparel Warehouse on Smithfield Street advertises three men's suits for $499, while the custom suits at Montaj Hong Kong Custom Tailors cost anywhere from $475 to $1,200 or $1,400 and are measured and designed on premises and sent out to Hong Kong. "We do a lot of Steelers," said owner Monesh Romani, pointing to a brown suit for Max Starks.

Jewelry runs the range from bright clip earrings, 2 for $5, at Eastern Wigs on Fifth Avenue to the lovely black onyx and sterling silver lariat ($188) designed by Amy Epstein at her jewelry and accessory store on Graeme Street off Market Square. And the Clark Building's collection of jewelry stores on Liberty Avenue still is a destination point for many.

If you want eyeglasses, you can get two pairs and an eye exam for $69.99 at America's Best Contacts and Eyeglasses. Or you can splurge on designer glasses -- including $400 "geek chic" I.C. Berlin tortoise shell frames with sheet metal sides -- at Heidioptics on Fourth Avenue.

For handbags, you can buy a street vendor knockoff purse. Or pretend to be Sarah Jessica Parker -- if you have a spare $2,675 for a bag shaped like an Eiffel Tower and blinged out with 6,300 Swarovski Crystals. The Timmy Woods handbag is found in the upcoming "Sex and the City" movie and available at Serendipity, an Oxford Centre accessories store.

Downtown shopping is also a study of vice and virtue.

You can still find pockets of porn (we won't say where and how much) -- or $11.95 rosary beads at Kirner's Catholic Store. The store on Fourth Avenue also sells many $7.75 St. Joseph statues, which helps believers sell their home by burying it in the yard of the home you want to sell.

So just in case you don't like Downtown living and shopping, you can always pick up a St. Joseph statue, bury it -- if you can find any dirt , that is -- and move back to a subdivision next to a strip mall.

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

[hyperion1110]

you keep fightin', Riverlife Strike Force!

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08092/869481-52.stm

City, casino owner take Riverlife Task Force to task over court appeal

Tuesday, April 01, 2008
By Mark Belko, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

The city and North Shore casino owner Don Barden have teamed up to try to thwart a court appeal filed by the Riverlife Task Force over the size of a garage being built behind the gambling palace.

In a brief filed Friday, they jointly asked the state Supreme Court to throw out the Riverlife appeal, claiming that the litigation is without merit and that the agency lacks standing to pursue a claim.

The move to dismiss the appeal is the latest salvo in the battle over the size of the 10-level, 3,800-space garage, which Riverlife and other opponents fear has the potential to overwhelm the casino itself and mar views of the skyline from Mount Washington, the South Side and other locations.

Riverlife filed an appeal with the state Supreme Court Feb. 12, challenging the Pittsburgh planning commission's approval of the Majestic Star casino and garage design, listing a host of procedural and design-related issues.

The city and PITG Gaming LLC, Mr. Barden's company, fired back on Friday, arguing that neither Riverlife nor two North Side residents, Randy Zotter and Robert Blackwell, can prove they were harmed in any way by the commission's decision.

"The chief complaint of all petitioners is that the garage portion of the structure is too tall in relation to the casino portion of the structure. However, that alleged harm is remote and speculative. Petitioners simply cannot show that the height of the garage impedes in any fashion on the rights of petitioners," their brief states.

Noting that the casino is a permitted use on the North Shore, the city and PITG Gaming argued that Riverlife should have fought the 2005 amendments that granted that right if it was concerned about the location.

"Interested citizens do not have the right to block property owners from exercising their rights to develop a permitted use," the city and PITG Gaming said.

They added, "It is simply too late for petitioners to protest that casinos are permitted by right on the North Shore."

The two also argued that the project development plan approval before the planning commission relating to the casino and garage design was a matter between the commission and PITG Gaming. The only party able to appeal such a "review" would be the casino itself, they asserted.

But Clifford Levine, Riverlife's attorney, countered that the same 2005 amendments the city and PITG Gaming cited in support of their argument called for a public process in the location and design of the casino. That included notice requirements and public hearings.

"You have all of this public process, a public hearing and a public vote -- it is hard to fathom the intent was that all of this was done for window dressing," said Mr. Levine, a former planning commission member.

The city and PITG Gaming also disputed Riverlife's contention that the garage was an "accessory structure" that would be limited to 20 feet in height under city zoning laws without a variance from the Zoning Board of Adjustment. The garage is 119 feet high, nearly twice as high as the casino, which is being built between the Carnegie Science Center and West End Bridge.

In their brief, the city and PITG Gaming argued that the garage was an "accessory use," not an "accessory structure" as Riverlife had characterized it.

"In fact, the casino garage is not a separate structure, but is an accessory use integral to the entire casino building," the brief states.

"What I would say to that is that on their own application they characterize it as an accessory structure," Mr. Levine responded, adding that the planning commission also described it as a "structure."

The city and PITG Gaming also contended that any challenges to the garage height should have been made last August, when the planning commission approved the casino's utility, structural steel and foundation work. They maintained that was when the height was set, a point disputed by Mr. Levine.

In an effort to expedite casino-related appeals, the state Legislature provided for direct review by the state Supreme Court. The legal battle has not stopped work on Mr. Barden's casino, which is set to open on May 1, 2009.

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

The city and Barden are full of shit! They say that Riverlife should have spoken up years ago about the garage. Besides the fact that I think they always had reservations about this casino project, when this proposal was approved by the city and state, and upheld by the state Supreme Court, the freakin garage wasn't TWICE as tall as the casino!! This is all so ridiculous. There is plenty of parking within walking distance of the casino. Barden needs to be reasonable and reduce the height of the garage. Hell, he should be happy to...because that means he is going to have to spend less money to build it!

Am I the only one still wondering why this broke-ass guy was awarded the license to build one of the largest slots casinos in the country???

[chiaroscuro]

Am I the only one still wondering why this broke-ass guy was awarded the license to build one of the largest slots casinos in the country???

I'm not saying that Barden didn't have the best proposal, but...

"But his legislative allies -- namely, Rep. Jake Wheatley and presumptive House Speaker H. William DeWeese -- may have been enough to offset the concerns of the two sports franchises. Both were guests of Mr. Barden at Super Bowl XL, which was played in Detroit in February. And Mr. Barden, who is black, is also the only minority applicant in the state, which was considered an advantage because the state wanted to include minority-owned businesses in its new casino enterprise."

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06354/747582-336.stm

[PA Pride]

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08092/869439-53.stm

Nitty-gritty shopping: You can still buy practical items Downtown -- you just have to look

Tuesday, April 01, 2008
By Cristina Rouvalis, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/images/200803/panchak_downtown_shopping_1_500.jpg
Pam Panchak/Post-Gazette
Barbara Lowenstein of Mt. Lebanon shows Bob Cass, of Cass Plumbing and Heating, 217 Fourth Ave., parts from a late 1920s shower that she's looking to replace.Sure, you can pick up White Diamonds perfume at Downtown Macy's, Jimmy Choo stilettos at Saks and a snappy, cropped jacket at Ann Taylor in One Oxford Centre.

But what about the days when you need something practical Downtown?

Toilet troubles?

Cass Plumbing Supply on Fourth Avenue greets you at the door with a display of $7.79 plungers.

Need a car mat?

Head to nearby Market Rug Co., which sells discontinued floor samples for $1, perfect for plopping under muddy feet.

How about groceries?

Grab some broccoli and pork chops at the new Rosebud Fine Food Market on Seventh Avenue.

Conventional wisdom holds that there's not much for consumers in the Golden Triangle outside the familiar suspects, but if you are willing to walk -- and crane your neck -- you can find more than you think.

What you can buy and can't buy Downtown has become an issue amid a mini boom of housing and the arrival of Rosebud, the first food market in 14 years. Some 246 condominiums are being built Downtown, with another 1,300 units under way there.

The Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership estimates there are 3,500 residents Downtown and expects 5,500 by 2010. The group's boundaries for Downtown includes not just the Golden Triangle, but also Station Square, the North Shore and the edge of the Strip District.

Despite the population loss in Pittsburgh, the number of office workers has grown Downtown to 136,928 in 2006 -- a 23 percent jump in the past decade. Mike Edwards, partnership president, said some businesses have shuttered their regional offices and moved workers Downtown.

Of course, no one would describe Pittsburgh as having the bustling retail of Manhattan's Fifth Avenue or Chicago's Miracle Mile. And it's no longer the place where families dress up, as they did in past decades, for the special occasion of shopping Downtown at the big department stores.

John Poznick, a 40-year-old father of three who lives in Gateway Towers, said Downtown shopping is OK, but he looks forward to it improving once luxury condos are built. He said he and his wife shop at Burlington Coat Factory and CVS. But they go through a tunnel to grocery shop at Giant Eagle at Parkway Center Mall.

"We still get in the car. If we had large-scale shopping, we would do all of it Downtown."

Mr. Edwards said Downtown has many quality stores such as Joseph Orlando, Larrimor's and Chick Downtown. They're just scattered about instead of lining one street. "You don't feel like you are in a shopping area," he said.

In fact, you might walk by some little shops without even knowing they exist.

Inside a small burgundy and white room in the Investment Building at 239 Fourth Ave., Pauline Nehme, a reweaver and reknitter, practices an all-but-lost art. Peering out of illuminated glasses, she reknits moth-ravaged sweaters, starting at $15, and reweaves holey garments starting at $38. In fact, she is so in demand that she gets moth-gobbled garments mailed to her from as far away as Florida and Texas. "It's word of mouth," she said.

The narrow interior of Cass Plumbing, a Downtown fixture on Fourth Avenue since 1909, has toilet flappers, hammers and other handy items crawling up the walls. The store keeps the plumbing and heating going in many offices Downtown, but it also sells individuals toilet seats from $15 to $200, and duplicate keys for $1.59 and up.

"We are not really a hardware store, but we carry a smattering of hardware," said Bob Cass, a third-generation owner of the store.

Market Carpet, which supplies mostly carpets and rugs for small commercial businesses, sells some area rugs to residents and office workers, and hopes the business will grow as more people move Downtown. Buying an Oriental rug and carrying it two blocks to your condo sounds like urban convenience shopping.

People living in luxury condos need mayonnaise and mustard, too. So do office workers rushing home to cook dinner.

Smithfield News, which sells news junkies the daily Washington Post and the New York Daily News, wants to serve the growing number of residents by expanding into a Downtown grocery mart.

Hungry students at the Art Institute of Pittsburgh and Point Park University already snap up the Banquet Beef Pie for $1.09 or $1.19 yogurt, while office workers sip Kiva Han coffee or puff Macanudo cigars. The inventory will grow.

"You name it, we will have it," says owner Brian Weiss, who plans to finish the renovation in about a month.

If you are an urban pioneer with a baby in your loft, you can cut the odor with a Diaper Genie, which costs $19.99 at Burlington Coat Factory last week. Or you can check out the baby gear at Macy's.

Stressed out by urban living? You can get chair massage at Backrubs and Bodyworks in the Park Building at $1 a minute. Fifteen minutes is $15.

Downtown is definitely a good place to get a cup of coffee. Market Square has many cafes, as well as Nicholas Coffee and Tea Co., which sells Scottish shortbread, fresh roasted peanuts and enough loose tea and coffee lined up in metal canisters to make you drool with the caffeinated -- and some decaf -- possibilities. You can buy everything from Hawaiian Kauai coffee ($10.99 a pound) to Lady Hannah tea, (a blueberry, strawberry and rose hips infusion for $23.99 a pound) to Kambaa (a strong African tea for $13.49 a pound)

For basic clothing such as $25 Army fatigues, there is Broadway Army Navy on Liberty Avenue. But such work basics are only a fraction of the sales. Urban clothing, including a bold $24.99 Free or Die sweatshirt, now dominate the store's sales. "You gotta change with the times," said David Abrams, owner of the store.

Walk along the Downtown streets, and you will see many contrasts.

Apparel Warehouse on Smithfield Street advertises three men's suits for $499, while the custom suits at Montaj Hong Kong Custom Tailors cost anywhere from $475 to $1,200 or $1,400 and are measured and designed on premises and sent out to Hong Kong. "We do a lot of Steelers," said owner Monesh Romani, pointing to a brown suit for Max Starks.

Jewelry runs the range from bright clip earrings, 2 for $5, at Eastern Wigs on Fifth Avenue to the lovely black onyx and sterling silver lariat ($188) designed by Amy Epstein at her jewelry and accessory store on Graeme Street off Market Square. And the Clark Building's collection of jewelry stores on Liberty Avenue still is a destination point for many.

If you want eyeglasses, you can get two pairs and an eye exam for $69.99 at America's Best Contacts and Eyeglasses. Or you can splurge on designer glasses -- including $400 "geek chic" I.C. Berlin tortoise shell frames with sheet metal sides -- at Heidioptics on Fourth Avenue.

For handbags, you can buy a street vendor knockoff purse. Or pretend to be Sarah Jessica Parker -- if you have a spare $2,675 for a bag shaped like an Eiffel Tower and blinged out with 6,300 Swarovski Crystals. The Timmy Woods handbag is found in the upcoming "Sex and the City" movie and available at Serendipity, an Oxford Centre accessories store.

Downtown shopping is also a study of vice and virtue.

You can still find pockets of porn (we won't say where and how much) -- or $11.95 rosary beads at Kirner's Catholic Store. The store on Fourth Avenue also sells many $7.75 St. Joseph statues, which helps believers sell their home by burying it in the yard of the home you want to sell.

So just in case you don't like Downtown living and shopping, you can always pick up a St. Joseph statue, bury it -- if you can find any dirt , that is -- and move back to a subdivision next to a strip mall.

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

Wow, great article! Very informative. That's the great, positive kind of article I love to read.
And the author even ended with a funny one liner. Excellent.


Now if I could just find a store downtown to shop for wigs, we'd be all set....

[cdc]

a couple of random articles of note:

- Breaking Up a Home
http://www.pittsburghcitypaper.ws/gyrobase/Content?oid=oid%3A44016


"There's a row house in Hazelwood whose days -- like those of
dozens of other homes nearby -- are numbered. Two of its three
front windows are dark and missing glass. Bricks have fallen from
the top of its right side. The left side has no exterior wall at
all. ..."


Reboot Hazelwood Now!


- Pittsburgh parking perks (for government workers!)
http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/cityregion/s_559928.html


"More than 500 City of Pittsburgh and Allegheny County employees
get a perk other Downtown commuters can only dream about. ..."



Scott Kunka, city finance director, says (with an arrogant sense of
entitlement): "The pay of city employees is traditionally behind the
private sector, so we feel this is something we can offer to some of
our employees." The article goes on to point out that the average
city worker makes a little more than $3K/year than the overall average
PGH salary ...


- Residential permit deficit to be targeted
http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/cityregion/s_560023.html


"City Councilman Patrick Dowd wants to ease parking problems on
Pittsburgh's car-choked residential streets and stop a drain on
finances by raising fees on illegal parking and visitors' parking
permits. ..."


I love this program. It prevents my neighborhood from becoming an
auxiliary parking lot for CMU (people often drive in, park in a
neighborhood, and then use their bus pass to get the rest of the way
to campus).


- Steps leading to Panther Hollow fixed
http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/cityregion/s_559991.html


"A flight of steps leading from Anderson Playground to Panther
Hollow in Schenley Park is ready for walking.

"The steps were made of sandstone, and over the years had become
deteriorated and dislodged. It wasn't safe to use them," said Phil
Gruszka, director of parks management and maintenance at the
Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy."


Great to see some park infrastructure getting repaired, though it
would be better if the city had a capital improvement plan for the
parks instead of doing stuff like this with one-off donations.

[Evergrey]

attn: Grego, maguffin, DBR, et al

http://www.popcitymedia.com/developmentnews/ramps0402.aspx

$12M Duquesne flyover ramp under construction, $14M McKeesport ramp planned

Construction on a $12 million Duquesne Flyover Ramp, a critical new access point for the Mon Valley, began on March 28.

The new ramp, which will cross active railroad tracks and connect Rte. 837 to Center Ave. and a to new extension of S. Linden St., will provide much-needed access to RIDC’s Riverplace City Center of Duquesne.

Access to the site has been restricted for two decades due to its location between the river and a busy rail line. The ramp will also provide access for safety and emergency vehicles. The project, which is expected to be completed in one year, has received Federal Highway Administration funding. Contractor is Mosites Construction Company.

Allegheny County will begin work on a second flyover ramp in early 2009 in McKeesport, near the site of EchoStar’s call center. The $14 million McKeesport ramp will also be supported by Federal Highway Administration funds.

“Companies love the river access, but it’s hard to attract companies when they can be on the site for thirty minuets when a train comes through,” says Congressman Mike Doyle, who secured federal funding for both ramps. “This will make the sites more attractive for development. Once we get the ramps built, you’ll see tax revenues and jobs for Duquesne and McKeesport.”

American Textile Company recently expanded its operations at the Duquesne RIDC, which also houses the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank.

“This was identified by the Chamber of Commerce and Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission as the number one priority in the Mon Valley. These are economic development projects,” adds Congressman Doyle, who says the Duquesne RIDC is also home to several small businesses.

Writer: Jennifer Baron
Source: Congressman Mike Doyle

[Johnland]

The city and Barden are full of shit! They say that Riverlife should have spoken up years ago about the garage. Besides the fact that I think they always had reservations about this casino project, when this proposal was approved by the city and state, and upheld by the state Supreme Court, the freakin garage wasn't TWICE as tall as the casino!! This is all so ridiculous. There is plenty of parking within walking distance of the casino. Barden needs to be reasonable and reduce the height of the garage. Hell, he should be happy to...because that means he is going to have to spend less money to build it!

Am I the only one still wondering why this broke-ass guy was awarded the license to build one of the largest slots casinos in the country???

No, you're not the only one who thinks this whole garage fiasco reeks of political backroom deals brokered for reasons completely disconnected to the improvement of Pittsburgh. The only improvement will be to a select few who now have a cheap license to make money. So the garage is a 10 story eyesore means nothing to those benefitting. It is ass-backwards thinking. The city just demolished the high=rise projects in East Liberty after decades of failure to improve the lives of the residents in the towers, plus drag down the entire East Liberty neighborhood with them. So right on the heels of waking up to that fact, the city then allows basically the equivelant of a failed housing prject - the gargantuan, TEN story parking gagrage placed smack in the center of every view point in the city. Very backroom, very shady, very heavy-handed, just so Stalinistic that characterizes Harrisburg's mindset. Run the liquor racket, build cheap parking facilities, .....

[Brentsters]

Well, we'll have to agree to disagree on blaming a sports team for your bar's failure. And again, I agree Pirates' management is sucking the life out of the organization. However, for some reason people still go to games. If you compare last year's avg attendance with their last winning season (in which they made the NLCS), it's about 1,000 off. Yeah it's still lower than the MLB avg but it just shows that they never packed the house even when having a winning record and playing in a much bigger stadium. Hell, the last 2 World Series-winning seasons we had about 4,000 fewer fans per game than '07.

Do I think the Pirates striking fire and getting the fans excited would help area establishments? Yes, of course it would. But there is still a fan base that goes, so I don't think the blame should fall on the Pirates for this.

On top of that, there are bars there doing well. Maybe some attract Alcoa and other office workers. Calico's and McFadden's run shuttles to Oakland to attract the student base. Also, perhaps the improving downtown restaurant/bar scene is eating up the pre- and post-game market share. It seems HiTops just didn't differentiate itself.

Lastly, I just wanna mention that I also think the feet-dragging with developing the North Shore sucks and is wasting major potential. The Del Monte and Equitable buildings help, but until there is a critical mass of workers, games are gonna be the bread and butter.

[themapman]

- Pittsburgh parking perks (for government workers!)
http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/cityregion/s_559928.html

Scott Kunka, city finance director, says (with an arrogant sense of
entitlement): "The pay of city employees is traditionally behind the
private sector, so we feel this is something we can offer to some of
our employees." The article goes on to point out that the average
city worker makes a little more than $3K/year than the overall average
PGH salary ...

<heavysarcasm>I don't even understand why we pay public workers at all! Imagine how much lower our taxes would be then!</heavysarcasm>

City employees make less than private counterparts doing similar jobs. Comparing an average city salary to the average salary for the entire city is really stupid.

[cdc]

<heavysarcasm>I don't even understand why we pay public workers at all! Imagine how much lower our taxes would be then!</heavysarcasm>

City employees make less than private counterparts doing similar jobs. Comparing an average city salary to the average salary for the entire city is really stupid.

Actually, it is difficult to even determine a "similar" job in the
private sector, as the total compensation structure is typically quite
different --- defined benfit pension vs defined contribution, health
care benefits (both during and after employment), banking of
"sick"/vacation days, and job stability (taxpayers bail out
governments, not so in the private sector).

A private company could not survive with the debt load the City of
Pittsburgh currently has, let alone be able to give parking perks to
their top managers.

[UrbaniDesDev]

Whatever happened to
"Pittsburgh Palisades Park"?

http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e235/UrbaniDesDev/PittsburghPalisadesPark.jpg

Political Horsepower
A would-be slots operator says state fixers rode roughshod over him

BY RICH LORD


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ALSO IN MAIN FEATURE
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The Race Race
Vote of Confidence?
More (174)...Everything seemed to be coming up cherries for Charles J. Betters in June 2003. The self-made development magnate from Beaver County had the land, the plan and the team that seemed a good bet to capture one of a handful of lucrative licenses to operate slot machines in Pennsylvania.

The land was a 634-acre parcel high above East Carson Street in the wooded northern half of Pittsburgh's Hays neighborhood. The plan was to strip-mine underlying coal, flatten much of the landscape and build a thoroughbred horse-racing track, slots casino, hotel, shopping center and 1,000 homes. The $500 million Pittsburgh Palisades Park proposal had the support of Mayor Tom Murphy, whose development gurus estimated it would generate $19 million a year in local taxes.

Betters' team included people with close ties to the mayor, Allegheny County leadership, the governor and top General Assembly Republicans and Democrats. They seemed well positioned to come out of the gate, round the political track and end up in the winner's circle of slots magnates.

Seventeen months later, however, Betters has nothing to show for his efforts. The Gaming Act, signed into law July 5, includes provisions slipped in by an unknown hand that effectively cut him out of the slot-machine business. Meanwhile two of Betters' former collaborators, William Lieberman and Charles Zappala, have become competitors for a piece of the slots action -- even as they've supported the legislators Betters says scratched him from the race.

Betters isn't taking it lying down. He's suing the state, Gov. Ed Rendell, House Speaker John Perzel and Senate President Pro Tempore Robert Jubelirer. He has fired legal warning shots at Lieberman and Zappala. And he's not ruling out suing other legislators or private individuals. "We've got a lot of litigation not only filed, we're filing additional litigation, too," Betters says.

Betters' legal salvos might not overturn the state's slots law. But they could provide a rare look into Pennsylvania's culture of backroom deal-making, and make the process of divvying up the slots winnings a dicey one indeed.



At the woodsy far end of Agnew Street, where Baldwin Borough meets Hays, critters skitter through the underbrush and fallen leaves. An eight-point buck peers out of the autumn-brown weeds and trees. Environmentalists protesting Betters' proposals have noted that this expanse serves as a refuge and a pathway for both animals and hikers. The trash -- old booze bottles, the battered remains of a mattress -- speaks of the kind of recreational opportunities even glitzy, new developments can't provide.

Unfortunately, teen-age tippling, summer love and nature hikes don't generate revenue. Slot machines do. The state estimates that each slot machine will net an average of $230 a day. A facility with the maximum 5,000 machines, operating every day, would rake in nearly $420 million a year. Of that, 34 percent would go to the state and 4 percent to the municipality, leaving 62 percent for the owner to cover overhead and make a hefty profit.

For more than a decade, owners of struggling racetracks, developers, out-of-town gambling interests and public officials hungry for revenue have pushed for gambling expansion. In 2002, they found their champion in Rendell, whose campaign touted slot machines at racetracks as a relatively painless way to fund schools and lower property taxes. Many local and national gambling interests gave Rendell five-figure campaign contributions.

By the time Rendell took office on Jan. 21, 2003, business interests were already angling for pieces of the action. Just nine days after the inauguration, and months before a slots law was even drafted, Betters filed with the state Horse Racing Commission for a thoroughbred-racing license. Seven other contestants quickly lined up, including four that wanted to build tracks in southwestern Pennsylvania.

If oddsmakers had handicapped the race, Betters would have likely been among the early favorites. In 34 years in business, he'd turned his family's small plumbing company into a national development firm, one that renovated public housing projects nationwide and built suburban commercial and residential developments in Cranberry and elsewhere. In 1993 he purchased hundreds of acres in Aliquippa that he hoped would host a riverboat casino.

Riverboat gambling never materialized, and much of that land is still undeveloped. That didn't deter Betters from trying again when Rendell came to power.

This time, Betters came at it with some added horsepower. According to a June 27, 2003, filing with the Horse Racing Commission, Betters' politically potent partners included David W. Sweet, a lawyer who ran Gov. Ed Rendell's 2002 campaign. Another was William R. Newlin, now a top executive at Dick's Sporting Goods and a confidant to Mayor Tom Murphy. (A third, Allegheny County Councilor Dave Fawcett, later pulled out to avoid any appearance of a conflict of interest should gambling-related issues come before council.) And next to Betters, the two biggest shareholders were Lieberman and Zappala, according to the filing. Lieberman, a Pittsburgh insurance broker, is a self-described "long-time contributor" to the campaigns of House Speaker John Perzel, probably Harrisburg's most powerful Republican. Zappala, a financier, is the uncle of District Attorney Stephen A. Zappala Jr. He's also a contributor to County Executive Dan Onorato and state Sen. Vince Fumo, a powerful Philadelphia Democrat.

Despite all that clout, Betters still had a race on his hands. At the time, the state had just two available racing licenses. One was for thoroughbred racing, in which jockeys ride in saddles. That license is under the control of the three-member Horse Racing Commission. The other would permit harness racing, in which drivers sit in buggies, called sulkies. That license is under the purview of the separate Harness Racing Commission.

In the weeks that followed, Betters sought to hedge his bets. On July 17, 2003, he challenged an inactive thoroughbred license previously granted to Presque Isle Downs Inc., a potential rival headed by gambling kingpin Edson "Ted" Arneault that wants to build a track and casino near Erie. A week later, an apparently confident Betters paid $1 million for 28 acres near his original, 634-acre parcel.

The day after Betters challenged Arneault, the House voted to legalize not just slot machines at racetracks, but non-track "slots parlors." Almost simultaneously, Lieberman and Zappala dropped out of Betters' team.

Betters will say nothing about Lieberman and Zappala or their decision to part ways. Lieberman will say only that he and Zappala "had originally talked about going into business with [Betters], and we had talks, but it didn't work out, so we decided to go our own ways." He acknowledges that in filings with the Horse Racing Commission, Betters listed him as a shareholder, but says that "was probably premature, because we had never come to an agreement." They never exchanged any money, he says.

Lieberman's and Zappala's political stock has since soared. In January, Allegheny County Executive Dan Onorato appointed Zappala to the Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission and the Regional Asset District board. SPC sets transportation policy for the region, while the RAD board distributes funding from the 1-percent sales tax on goods bought in Allegheny County.

In February, meanwhile, Perzel named Lieberman to the Intergovernmental Cooperation Authority, which oversees Pittsburgh's financial recovery effort. Lieberman later became chairman of the ICA, and has been a key figure in pounding out a mix of spending cuts and tax hikes designed to keep the city out of bankruptcy. (See "Gaming the Numbers," pg. ???)

As discussions on the eventual shape of gambling legislation continued in Harrisburg, Lieberman and Zappala continued to cultivate key relationships. On March 29, a week after a new gambling bill first passed the House, Lieberman made a $10,000 contribution to Perzel's campaign. The same day, according to a state database of political giving, Zappala contributed $10,000 to Fumo's coffers. "I didn't know [Zappala] made a contribution," Lieberman says. "If it was the same day, I didn't know that. If so, it was a coincidence." Lieberman says his contribution wasn't related to his pursuit of a slots license. "I've been a long-time friend of Speaker Perzel; I've been a long-time contributor to Speaker Perzel," he says.

Zappala did not return calls for comment.

Lieberman says that he and Zappala are still hoping to invest in a slots parlor. "Yes, I'm still continuing to pursue it," Lieberman says, "but no, I don't have a deal."

Neither does Betters, thanks to some very clever wordsmithing by a Harrisburg author whose identity he can only guess at.



On March 22, 2004, the House passed a new gambling bill and sent it to the Senate. As senators pored over it and started suggesting amendments, the din of lobbying rose to a crescendo. The Associated Press has reported that in April, May and June, at least 34 businesses and individuals interested in gambling spent $575,000 seeking to influence the state's 50 senators.

Betters registered himself as a lobbyist, and enlisted seven other lobbyists, including gubernatorial confidant Sweet and Katherine Pippy, wife of Sen. John Pippy of Moon. His team, though, was badly outnumbered. MEC Racing, which owns The Meadows, in Washington County, registered 10 lobbyists. Arneault's company, MTR Gaming, and his potential partners, the Pittsburgh Penguins, registered 17 lobbyists. Forest City Development and Harrah's Entertainment, which are working together on a possible Station Square slots-parlor bid, fielded a combined 30 lobbyists.

"You couldn't walk into the hallway without 25 lobbyists approaching you on this issue," says Sen. Jim Ferlo, a Highland Park Democrat.

"They all had people up there trying to get people included -- or excluded" from the competition for slots licenses, says Sen. Jay Costa (D-Forest Hills).

In the final days of June, all attention focused on two senators: Fumo, who emerged as the Democratic leader on the issue, and Robert Tomlinson, who led a small cadre of pro-slots Senate Republicans. "They held the pen," says Drew Crompton, spokesman for Senate President Pro Tempore Jubelirer.

Apparently, one of them scratched Betters out.

The bill that passed the Senate on July 1 allows for seven racetracks with slots, four stand-alone slots parlors (including one in Pittsburgh), and two small slots lounges at resorts. Under General Assembly rules, the House wasn't allowed to amend the bill. With Perzel's blessing, it passed on July 3 and Rendell signed the Gaming Act into law on July 5. The final measure created a far bigger gambling expansion than Rendell promised in 2002. But Betters alleges the Gaming Act locks the starting gate on Pittsburgh Palisades Park not once, but three ways.

First, those who win future thoroughbred licenses, as Betters hopes to do, are locked out of the running for slots: The Act contains no provision for putting slots at an as-yet-unlicensed thoroughbred track. Already-existing harness and thoroughbred tracks, meanwhile, are virtually guaranteed slot machines. So is whoever gets the state's remaining harness-racing license, which is likely to go to competing teams intent on building tracks in Beaver or Lawrence counties.

Second, the new law pulls Betters' site out from under him. It bars tracks with slots from being within 20 miles of each other -- and the proposed Pittsburgh Palisades Park site is 17 miles from The Meadows, which is almost guaranteed to get machines of its own.

Third, the law strikes from the slots race anybody who has challenged a decision by the Horse Racing Commission, Harness Racing Commission or newly created Gaming Control Board, which will pick the operators of slots parlors. Fumo spokesman Gary Tuma says that provision is meant to keep parties from using a lawsuit or challenge to pressure those boards. But for now, Betters' appeal of Arneault's Presque Isle Downs license is apparently the only such challenge on the books.

"That's convenient as hell, isn't it?" Betters says.

"When you've got three [provisions] that are directly fired at us, I don't think it's any coincidence," says attorney Tom King, who is representing Betters. "There's no secret that this was directed at us."

Betters sued in federal court on Aug. 20, seeking to overturn provisions that his lawyers wrote "are directed specifically at harming the Plaintiffs; and ... improperly preclude Plaintiffs from obtaining a gaming license." Legislation written to benefit or harm a specific individual violates the U.S. Constitution, King says.

It's easy to see why rivals would have wanted Betters out of the running. Pittsburgh is guaranteed one slots venue, and Betters' parcel is the largest undeveloped space in the city. His property may be the only one big enough for a racetrack, which is "a strong application compared to a [non-track] slots parlor," Betters says, citing the size of the construction project and the potential to bring in tourism. "I believe certain legislators, and I'm not gonna name names now, worked diligently against the project," Betters says. "They worked for the benefit of other parties."

"Did [the Gaming Act] eliminate [Betters]? Yes, it certainly did," says Rep. Harry Readshaw of Carrick, whose district includes Hays and who supports Pittsburgh Palisades Park. "Did it stink? Yes. ... Was it done intentionally? I would hope not."

Betters' suit could conceivably force changes in the slots laws, or gum up the process of picking slots operators, which is expected to run through 2006. "I don't believe [the Gaming Act] is going to be altered by this lawsuit," says Readshaw. But Betters, he adds, "may well have a case."



Asked which legislators may have worked against Pittsburgh Palisades Park, King names one name. "Sen. Fumo is one of the sponsors of that bill, as were other Democrats and Republicans," he says.

Technically, Fumo was not a bill sponsor, but he was a key player, at one point single-handedly holding back gambling expansion for months while he argued for the inclusion of Indian-run casinos. He later dropped that demand. Fumo is known as a master of the levers of power: He has directed so much public and private money to organizations controlled by his staff and supporters that federal investigators are looking into it, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer.

"We don't believe it's true that there are provisions in the bill that prevent [Betters] from obtaining a slots license," says Tuma, Fumo's spokesman. Betters could, he notes, drop his challenge to Arneault's license, buy a piece of land farther from The Meadows, and pursue both a thoroughbred-racing license and a separate slots-parlor license. "The fact that you have a piece of land on which you want to build a racetrack does not guarantee you a slots license," Tuma adds. And Fumo can't be blamed for any specific provision in the bill, he says: "It was a negotiated deal. You get input from a lot of different people and you craft a compromise bill."

Through a spokesperson, state Sen. Tomlinson says he hasn't seen the lawsuit and can't comment on Betters' accusations. Neither Tomlinson nor Fumo is currently named in Betters' litigation.

On the same day Betters launched his widely reported federal suit Downtown, his lawyers quietly opened a second front. In the Beaver County Court of Common Pleas, they filed writs of summons naming Lieberman and Zappala. Such writs don't list the litigant's grievances, but are "one of the ways that a lawsuit is commenced," says King. He notes that the filing of a writ could allow him to start demanding documents, answers to questions and deposition testimony even before the filing of a complaint. Neither King nor Betters will say why they've filed writs naming Lieberman and Zappala, nor whether they blame the two for the triple-whammy put on their racetrack proposal.

"I don't know anything about it," says Lieberman, adding that he didn't even know a writ was filed against him until he was advised of it by City Paper. In any case, he says, he had nothing to do with the provisions allegedly cutting Betters out of the slots business. "I have a deal with the legislature and the governor," Lieberman says. "They don't sell insurance, and I don't make legislation."

Betters, meanwhile, is building an access road into his Hays wilderness. He's pursuing environmental permits that would allow him to strip-mine the site. "We still intend to do the site," he says. If he can't build a track with slot machines, he'll build stores and homes, he says. With or without the track, he says, "I think the project, period, is a benefit to the city."

That said, he'd prefer to do it with a racetrack. And unless the slots law changes and lets him back in the running, he'll demand sworn testimony from key lawmakers to determine exactly who wrote him out of the slots game. "That," he promises, "will come out."






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



Gaming the Numbers

The city's top overseer says there's nothing wrong with calling the budgetary shots and owning a piece of the slots.

On Oct. 18, another of Mayor Tom Murphy's budgets got the shaft. The Intergovernmental Cooperation Authority, appointed by the state to oversee the city's fiscal recovery, said it wanted Murphy to make more spending cuts and add one new chunk of revenue: the $17.6 million a year it is eventually expected to get from a slots parlor. The city was guaranteed a slots parlor, and Murphy conditionally supports gambling in the city.

The vote to send the budget back was unanimous, including an "aye" from ICA Chairman William Lieberman.

Eighteen days later, the ICA unanimously approved a revised budget -- one which included $57 million in revenue from slot-machine taxes through 2009. The new budget sealed the deal, virtually ensuring that the city will be financially dependent on gambling by the end of the decade.

The ICA's actions raised an interesting question: Might one of the men who forced gambling money into the city budget both eventually oversee the tax revenue and own a piece of the slots action?

Even as Lieberman has worked long hours trying to hammer out a solution to Pittsburgh's perennial budget crisis, he's openly sought to invest in a slot-machine venue. He and Charles Zappala are looking for a slots investment opportunity, "likely in the Pittsburgh region, but possibly somewhere else," Lieberman says. They've talked with potential slots-parlor owners, including local parking-lot owner Merrill Stabile, who wants to build a slots parlor near the two North Shore stadiums, but haven't yet reached any deals.

City Council President Gene Ricciardi has alleged that Lieberman's ICA role and gambling aspirations could constitute a conflict of interest. Such a dual role could put Lieberman in a position to demand special city services, like extra police presence, for a slots parlor he'd partly own, Ricciardi says. Lieberman has responded that if he became a partner in a slots parlor, he would ask the state Ethics Commission to decide whether he needed to step down from the ICA.

In August, House Majority Leader Sam Smith asked the Ethics Commission to rule pre-emptively on Lieberman's potential dual role. On Sept. 21, the commission punted, saying that it couldn't decide, because it has no power to interpret the new Gaming Act.

The Gaming Act says that a "public official" can't hold anything more than an inconsequential stake in a gambling enterprise. State appointees are included in that ban, unless they're just members of "advisory boards" that can't spend significant tax dollars and lack real powers. The Intergovernmental Cooperation Authority spends hundreds of thousands of dollars on consultants, and has the power to veto city budgets and intercept tax dollars. "If you are on the [ICA] board, you wouldn't be eligible for [a slots license]," says Sen. Pippy, a Republican.

The governor's general counsel, Leslie Miller, has rendered a verbal opinion on the issue, says Rendell spokesman Chuck Ardo. "The general counsel's opinion states clearly that Mr. Lieberman should consult with the ICA's solicitor to assess his own ethical responsibilities under Pennsylvania law," says Ardo. "The general counsel also suggests that he might seek private counsel as well."

Upon being read that quote, Lieberman interprets it as an OK to serve both as the city's chief overseer and, potentially, one of its slots owners. He says he's checked with the ICA's solicitor -- whom he helped choose -- and a private lawyer. "ICA counsel and private counsel," he says, "have said the same thing the governor's office has: that they have no problem with it."

-- Rich Lord

http://www.pittsburghcitypaper.ws/gyrobase/Content?oid=oid%3A27603

Local racetrack proposals challenged
By Andrew Conte
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Wednesday, November 16, 2005

Buzz up!


Members of the state Horse Racing Commission raised questions Tuesday about the location, quality and viability of a track being proposed for South Versailles.
"I have major concerns with your facts, your figures," commission Chairman F. Eugene Dixon Jr. told an attorney representing the developers of the proposed Oak Park racetrack.

The commission hosted two public forums yesterday to hear plans and public comments about two proposed horse tracks in Allegheny County. People who live near each of the sites spoke against them.

The Biros family would spend about $25 million to build a one-mile track at Oak Park with a grandstand and restaurants. Beaver County developer C.J. Betters wants to build the Pittsburgh Palisades Park track in the Hays section of Pittsburgh's South Side.


story continues below



At a cost of about $600 million, Palisades Park could include a hotel, homes and an entertainment complex with views of Downtown and Oakland. Betters has partnered with Churchill Downs.
Commission members raised few questions about Palisades Park, with Dixon wanting to know about access to the site. If location concerns could be resolved, he said, "that would be a great benefit, as I see it, to have a site of this nature."

Both local proposals are competing for one final thoroughbred racing license, along with 100% Purses of Palmer, Northampton County, north of Philadelphia.

The racing license up for grabs does not include a slot machine license, although Betters has said he might apply for the city's stand-alone slots casino.

The three-man commission plans to hold another round of hearings in Harrisburg early next year but does not have a schedule for awarding the track license.

A dozen people -- including City Councilman William Peduto -- spoke against Palisades Park, with many saying it would destroy the city's largest remaining natural area and congest narrow, winding roads. About 40 people attended the two-hour hearing at the Sheraton Station Square.

Even if he does not receive the track license or the separate slots license, Betters said he intends to develop the site with homes and retail space. He has received a regulatory permit to level the site, he said, and has applied for another to strip-mine coal there.

About 70 people attended the separate Oak Park hearing in McKeesport. Residents of South Versailles and nearby North Huntingdon said the track would congest narrow roads and reduce property values.

"This site is so patently inappropriate for a variety of reasons that to approve this racetrack would be to destroy South Versailles Township," said Joel Aaronson, an attorney hired by residents opposed to it.

Dixon responded to Aaronson, saying, "Thank you for your comments. We understand." He said commissioners had visited the site before the meeting.

"I would have to have every assurance you're going to build a quality track and quality surface," Commissioner Lawrence J. Kent told the Biros' lawyer. "I don't think your plan addresses that issue, and I'd like to see more about it."

Christine Biros -- who is leading the family's effort, along with her siblings -- said they will give the commissioners whatever information they want.



Andrew Conte can be reached at andrewconte@tribweb.com or 412-320-7835.



http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/s_394958.html

[cdc]

what would you do with a downtown state office building?


State taking offers for its Downtown office building
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08094/870130-85.stm


It occupies a prime piece of Downtown real estate and a prominent spot in the Golden Triangle. From the top floors, it offers commanding views of the Point and the three rivers.

And it's officially for sale.
...

[tooluther]

what would you do with a downtown state office building?

Tear it down to make way for “Gateway X” at some point in the future...have you ever been inside? Its terrible!

[Evergrey]

yeah... tear that sucker down... one of the worst examples of mid-20th century architecture and urban planning... ughhhhh

the crappy building front in center... in front of PPG

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2348/1508974401_9b14374198_b.jpg

[Brentsters]

Whatever happened to
"Pittsburgh Palisades Park"?




I don't have time to read the whole article now, but is that where the developer wanted to strip mine that entire forested hillside. If so, I'm glad nothing came of that.

[hyperion1110]

Um, actually, there is nothing wrong with the exterior of the old state office building. The Hilton is an eyesore, as is the condo tower along the Allegheny. But the staste building actually fits, given the architecture of the surrounding buildings.

Just because it was designed and built in the mid 20th century doesn't make it ugly.

[AaronPGH]

An iconic residential/mixed-use tower would look pretty fucking nice in it's place if I do say so myself. Directly across from Point State Park? Yes please.

[hyperion1110]

:previous: I'm not sure about that. Having a large tower standing right on the edge of downtown would look out of place to me.

Anyhow, here is the long-awaited report from Nordenberg on the city-county merger. Enjoy!

http://www.pitt.edu/news/citycountyreport.pdf

[JackStraw]

^^I agree. The best aesthetic look of our skyline is how all the small buildings are in the front and the tallest in the back when looking at it from towards the point. I mixed use residentail tower of 200 feet would be sweet. But put something higher then 300 then it would ruin that aethetic look.

[diesel21]

Yeah I would say just tear it down. The state office building reminds me of a sideways radiator grill. The space could be much better used.

[Grego43]

I can't find the information, but I remember zoning changes (perhaps in the late 80s) that relegated taller buildings to the interior and east side of the triangle and away from the river banks in a effort to preserve the distinctive gradation from shorter to taller structures as one moves away from the rivers. Btw, for those old enough to remember, the state office building was one butt-ugly, dated structure before its facade renovation.

[PA Pride]

^^I agree. The best aesthetic look of our skyline is how all the small buildings are in the front and the tallest in the back when looking at it from towards the point. I mixed use residentail tower of 200 feet would be sweet. But put something higher then 300 then it would ruin that aethetic look.

I agree completely!



And also: I can't believe they got Ravenstahl onboard for a city-county merger! I wonder if that is gonna translate to a stronger effort being made for a merger?
Since I think the results data for other areas that have done this are mixed (aka Louisville), I'm not sure If it is really worth it or not? Logically, it seems to make sense, but as your everyday citizen, I don't understand the big picture well enough to have a good opinion.
What do you guys think?

[AaronPGH]

I didn't necessarily mean something huge...just something distinct. It doesn't have to be tall to be iconic. That front portion of the golden triangle looks extremely dated. We need something really fresh up there. My biggest gripe about that part of downtown is that most of the buildings there are devoid of street-level amenities. There are big set-backs, very few dining options, etc. I think using that space correctly with improved pedestrian crossings on Commonwealth Place (brick them in, etc), a natural flow right into Point State Park could be achieved.

[PA Pride]

My biggest gripe about that part of downtown is that most of the buildings there are devoid of street-level amenities. There are big set-backs, very few dining options, etc.

That's what Evergrey was talking about earlier when he said the Gateway area is a horrible example of urban planning; And he's right. The gateway development from the 50s/60s is an auto-oriented, non-pedestrian minded development.

[themapman]

Actually, it is difficult to even determine a "similar" job in the
private sector, as the total compensation structure is typically quite
different --- defined benfit pension vs defined contribution, health
care benefits (both during and after employment), banking of
"sick"/vacation days, and job stability (taxpayers bail out
governments, not so in the private sector).

Not that difficult at all. A manager is a manager; a IT guy is a IT guy, a planner is a planner, an accountant, etc. Benefits packages are as different in the public sector as they are between one private company and another.

A private company could not survive with the debt load the City of
Pittsburgh currently has, let alone be able to give parking perks to
their top managers.

Seriously? Almost all companies carry significant debt for a variety of reasons - tax breaks, interest rates, partnerships, research and development - JP Morgan Chase just took out a $30 BILLION loan to buy Bear Stearns.....and they all can give their employees much nicer parking spaces than anything PGH City Hall can offer, I bet.

[Brentsters]

And also: I can't believe they got Ravenstahl onboard for a city-county merger! I wonder if that is gonna translate to a stronger effort being made for a merger?
Since I think the results data for other areas that have done this are mixed (aka Louisville), I'm not sure If it is really worth it or not? Logically, it seems to make sense, but as your everyday citizen, I don't understand the big picture well enough to have a good opinion.
What do you guys think?


Everyday Luke inches toward becoming the biggest mistake this city has made in quite a while. If it were to go to referendum, is there even popular opinion for this? The suburbs don't want the city's debt load. The city residents don't want to be outnumbered 3:1 and ignored. Maybe if the school districts and taxes are included in the merger I'd be more supportive (doubtful that would happen).

This is huge, complex undertaking so I'm sure there's a lot I don't know about it (I haven't had time to read the whole report yet either)...maybe I'm just being pessimistic about it but I can't see the merger being implemented in a way that would greatly benefit the city.

anyways, I'd be interested in hearing some more-educated opinions on this.

[cdc]

Not that difficult at all. A manager is a manager; a IT guy is a IT guy, a planner is a planner, an accountant, etc. Benefits packages are as different in the public sector as they are between one private company and another.

Seriously? Almost all companies carry significant debt for a variety of reasons - tax breaks, interest rates, partnerships, research and development - JP Morgan Chase just took out a $30 BILLION loan to buy Bear Stearns.....and they all can give their employees much nicer parking spaces than anything PGH City Hall can offer, I bet.


Disagree. Working for the government is quite different from working
for a private company (or academia, for that matter). Different
environment, different pressures, different rules, different benefits,
etc.

While I agree that all companies carry debt in that sense, I was
implicitly criticizing the management of PGH's debt load as
well as the debt itself. I should have been more clear on that. It
is important to Pittsburgh development because the more the government
is hobbled by its debt load the less resources it will have available
to encourage smart growth, improve infrastructure, and do long range
planning.

[UrbaniDesDev]

s

[UrbaniDesDev]

The State Office Building, located in the Golden Triangle in downtown Pittsburgh, was Pittsburgh's first multi-story skyscraper in color. Groundbreaking ceremonies were held on January 12, 1955, for this $8.5 million, 16-story structure designed by the architectural firm of Altenhof and Bown. The two lower floors of the building contained white marble, while the main shaft of the structure was sheathed in blue aluminum panels, each was framed by natural aluminum. The use of colored metal panels was an innovation for Pittsburgh based Alcoa (Aluminum Company of America). Other features of this building included, bluish-green windows of glass that retard 40 percent of heat generated by sunlight, partitions that can be moved for efficient office arrangements, a battery of electronically operated freight and passenger elevators, and a completely soundproof interior.

http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e235/UrbaniDesDev/Gatewaycenter1960s.jpg

http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e235/UrbaniDesDev/StateOfficeBuilding1955.jpg

This building was mid-century-modern until they reclad it back in the 80s.
(I know we went through this before.)
The skyline has been groomed over the years, stepping away from the riverfront. An astonishing accomplishment, that I have not really seen anywhere else. It almost looks too planned.
Even Fifth Avenue Place was to be 10 stories taller. I think it should have been allowed to be taller.

If all buildings were from the same period the skyline would look pretty homogenised. The beauty of Pittsburgh's skyline is the fact that it represents over a century of architecture. To just say tear it down is a pretty shallow thing to say. This was the lunk-head mentality that thought it was a good idea to gut the North Side and build Allegheny Center Mall because, at that time, all those rotting historic buildings were "eyesores." It might be a good idea to have a little more vision beyond the next 5 years. As Allegheny Center Mall proves, today's utopian city can be tomorrow's nightmare.


Gateway Center probably has more historic value than anything in Pittsburgh outside of the the Courthouse. It was the first & the largest urban redevelopment project of its time. When it was built, there was nothing near this area of the point but warehouses and rail yards. It was not just to replace old with new, but to completely recreate the city's function.

Yes, it was auto oriented. It was the fifties. It was an attempt to keep people from leaving. It was responding to the influences of the times. It is better than building these projects just outside of the city instead of in the city which was and became the trend. I seriously don't think Downtown would have survived with out it. We wx nostalgic of these old buildings now. Back then they hated them the same way we talk of mid-century modern today. This trend is already changing as people in LA are snatching up mid-century houses. We do not just tear out that entire period of our history. We have learned from it and moved on. I would hate to see some cookie-cutter development take it's place. I think, as a whole, this project is magnificent. No, it's not what I would want to see done now.

I find it disturbing how frivolously, "tear it down" is thrown around. It's ridiculous. These pics represent the reality of what Downtown was. Injecting a massive park in the center of it was an outrageous idea and we should respect the attempt. We cannot always go with the latest trend on everything. Must everything in our society be throw away?

Pittsburgh was at the vanguard in this period. To dismiss it lightly is ignorant. This project attracted attention from around the world. It was criticised and praised. I think it's hard for us to realise now, how dismal life was in this city at that time, after WWII. Some talk about the good old days of Pittsburgh. Yes we had a great economy then, but the city was a pit. The streets were disgusting. The scale of this project is unimaginable now. Imagine seeing these sleek towers rising virtually from the ashes. Look how many buildings were built in 10 years! It must have been exciting. It's easy to criticize now. This was the beginning of suburban flight. This project influenced projects all over the world. The development still functions well, which is a huge thing to say after 50-60 years. Especially considering they had no template to go from or refer to. Obviously there are things I would change but the importance of the project is enormous. Unlike most urban planning projects of this period, it remains quite relevant. We are lucky they didn't wait a couple of decades. In the 70s they would have built a gigantic mall. Frank Lloyd Wrigt suggested building a massive spiraling parking garage at the point.

It represents the theory of the city in a park that LeCorbusier was promoting. It was the utopia of the mid-century

-From Historic Pittsburgh Image Collection Site;

During the mid-1940s the Point was in an extreme state of deterioration. The area included freight yards, a terminal, largely unused railroad tracks, riverbanks littered with debris, and the grand Exhibition Hall that had held its last show in 1918.

In 1949, it was announced that the State of Pennsylvania would create a 36-acre park at the juncture of the three rivers, and Equitable Life Assurance Society, after 2 1/2 years of negotiations, agreed to an initial investment of $50 million to develop 23 remaining acres. Forty buildings were demolished within a six-block area bounded by Liberty Avenue, Fancourt and Stanwix Streets and Duquesne Way to make way for the Gateway Center Project that included three 20-story office buildings. This marked the beginning of Pittsburgh's Renaissance I. The Gateway Center Project was a chance for architects to develop a large urban area from the ground up and it became the first real use of the noted Swiss architect Charles Edouard Jeanneret's 1922 design. The Gateway Center buildings were completed around 1952.

http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e235/UrbaniDesDev/ThePoint1935.jpg

http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e235/UrbaniDesDev/ThePoint1940.jpg

http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e235/UrbaniDesDev/RiverWallWharf1954.jpg

http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e235/UrbaniDesDev/StanwixPenn1940s.jpg

http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e235/UrbaniDesDev/PointStateParkRiverfront1950.jpg

http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e235/UrbaniDesDev/pointdemo.jpg

http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e235/UrbaniDesDev/point1949.jpg

This is looking up Penn Avenue. You can see the Hornes sign just past the Mayfair Hotel. This is where they put Xmas Tree
http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e235/UrbaniDesDev/PennAvenue1950.jpg

http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e235/UrbaniDesDev/Point1940.jpg

http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e235/UrbaniDesDev/point1940b.jpg



To make way for redevelopment of the acreage which would become Gateway Center and Point State Park, the area near the old Wabash Railroad terminal was gradually demolished after the terminal was destroyed by fire in 1946. By 1949, work had begun on Gateway Center.


Is this a beutiful building or what?
http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e235/UrbaniDesDev/WabashTerminal.jpg

http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e235/UrbaniDesDev/LibertyFerryandDiamond1946.jpg

http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e235/UrbaniDesDev/WabashTerminal2.jpg

Wabash Site
http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e235/UrbaniDesDev/WabashTerminalLocation1947.jpg



The taller older structure in the center, below, is where Piatt Place (Lazarus) is. Some might remember it with it's 60's cladding and a huge Pirate mural. Note The Kossman Building to the right, I never realised it was just reclad. It looks a hell of a lot better then.
http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e235/UrbaniDesDev/GatewayCenter1956-1.jpg



A view of downtown Pittsburgh including the Diamond Market House (left background), McCann's (center right) and the Wabash Terminal (foreground). The Diamond Market House opened in 1915 and was for years home to many small shops selling fish, meat, produce, and other food products. Upstairs was a popular roller skating rink. The Market House was demolished in 1961 leaving space to build the new Market Square. McCann's was renovated in 1968 by Paul Kossman, representing the Town Development Corp., and is now known as the Kossman Building. The Wabash Terminal, the largest example of Beaux-Arts architecture in Pittsburgh, was once one of the grandest railroad terminals in the United States before it was destroyed by fire in 1946.

http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e235/UrbaniDesDev/MarketSquare1951.jpg
I can't believe they covered the McCanns building (on the left) to make it that horrible Kossman Building. The building on the right background is the famous old Jenkins Arcade where Fifth Avenue Place is now.
http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e235/UrbaniDesDev/MarketSquare1964.jpg

The 22-story, 813-room Pittsburgh Hilton Hotel (center), located in the Golden Triangle in downtown Pittsburgh, under construction. The $15 million hotel was designed by architect William B. Tabler, and at the time of its opening housed one of the world's largest ballrooms, holding 2000 people at banquets and 2660 at meetings. Pittsburgh Hilton Hotel and Towers opened in 1959.
http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e235/UrbaniDesDev/HiltonHotel1959b.jpg

http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e235/UrbaniDesDev/HiltonHotel1959.jpg

http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e235/UrbaniDesDev/HiltonHotelDining1960.jpg


I still love this park and this fountain! It's one of my favorite spots in town
http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e235/UrbaniDesDev/GatewayCenter1953.jpg


I'm sorry, but this building is a classic and should be preserved as much as the most ornate victorian
http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e235/UrbaniDesDev/GatewayTowers1964.jpg


Forbes Avenue from Market Square (just a nice shot)
http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e235/UrbaniDesDev/ForbesAvenue1928.jpg


Stanwix & Penn Avenues looking toward point
http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e235/UrbaniDesDev/StanwixPenn1940s-1.jpg



The close proximity to the Allegheny River made this area on Pittsburgh's North Side neighborhood an ideal place for two large scrap metal firms prior to the construction of Three Rivers Stadium. In the late 1960s two scrap yards, the Buncher Company and the W.F. Wimmer Company, were cleared to make way for Three Rivers Stadium. Three Rivers Stadium was located on an 84-acre tract on the banks of the Allegheny River that sat almost precisely on the site of Exposition Park, which housed the Pirates for 19 years from 1891-1909. It also was the site of a Delaware Indian burial ground. Three Rivers Stadium opened on July 16, 1970, and cost $55 million. In the center background is the unfinished Fort Duquesne Bridge ("The Bridge To Nowhere") and the Gateway Towers Building under construction across the river in Gateway Center.
http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e235/UrbaniDesDev/3RiversStadium1963.jpg

[jeffwhit]

^^^Those are amazing, thanks.

[Tombstoner]

:previous: what he said!

[JackStraw]

http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e235/UrbaniDesDev/WabashTerminal.jpg

That is a beauty UrbandesDev. I first saw a picture of the Walbash terminal eating a sub at Uncle Sam's. They have historic pictures of Pittsburgh in there, and I was at the table next to that picture thinking to myself, "What the fuck was this building torn down for. I mean WTF?"


I agree with you that most historic structures get torn down by the generation after them who can't see the beauty and history worth saving. I hate mid 20th century designs myself, but in the 22nd century they will probably be much more respected.

I personally think GWC does not even closely live up to its Potential. I think most of it being that it was auto design driven. There are plenty of ways to save it and dedevelop that area. In other cities this would be a full scale retail, pedestrian, bumping area. I can just picture the weekend of this place being compact with shoppers and tourist. Now it is as if you are going to see tumble weed blowing by you if your down there.

[Grego43]

Thanks for posting, UrbaniDesDev. Now that I see the State Office Building, perhaps I was a bit harsh calling it butt-ugly...tough it was certainly tired looking before its renovation. Too bad it wasn't tweeked just a bit in it's original design...it could have been an International Style masterpiece. That would have been an amazing spot for a Mies van der Rohe.

[themaguffin]

I can't find the information, but I remember zoning changes (perhaps in the late 80s) that relegated taller buildings to the interior and east side of the triangle and away from the river banks in a effort to preserve the distinctive gradation from shorter to taller structures as one moves away from the rivers. Btw, for those old enough to remember, the state office building was one butt-ugly, dated structure before its facade renovation.


Yes I had read that too and think that's why Fifth Ave Place isn't the right proportion. I agree with such a regulation though.

If the State building were to be replaced, an nice apartment/condo tower with street level would work well there. Given the issues of height, I think that a taller building could go there. Certainly something in the 20's range.

[tooluther]

This article looked better in print yesterday (Trib PM) as it was accompanied by lots of cool pictures of the square...

Market Fresh: Downtown's Diamond No Longer Rough (http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/tribpm/s_560450.html)

[PA Pride]

Great historical tour Urbandes. I have never even heard of the Wabash Terminal. Looks nice. That ranks right at the top of the list with the Syria Mosque of most beautiful buildings in Pgh that aren't there anymore.

Also, I agree the McCanns building is much better than the reclad version. I've always thought, the state building can stay where it's at, But the Post-Gazette bldg could be torn down and build a signature tower of about 300-500 ft. Don't you guys think?

Also, I love that park in Gateway Center too. It's very pretty in spring and summer.

[Evergrey]

The Post-Gazette building is a beautiful romanesque structure that also suffered from a disastrous reclad...

[themapman]

Disagree. Working for the government is quite different from working
for a private company (or academia, for that matter). Different
environment, different pressures, different rules, different benefits,
etc.

Of course it is - but you can have equally wide variations between private sector firms. The job experience at Google is a lot different than it is at IBM, and yet more different at American Airlines or PepsiCo....

And why not compare the pay of Pittsburgh municipal workers to other, similarly-sized cities? Maybe that would shed better light on things. Anyways, this whole mess is about parking! I know many people who work in Downtown PGH have to pay for their own parking. That's the same thing in Dallas, but the city subsidizes public workers' parking here as well.

[Johnland]

Thank you so much for those absolutley terrific old photo's of the Point. It just entrances me to look at them and realize that an entire urban neighborhood existed there, with bars, saloons, hotels, bakeries, beauty parlors, hat shop, markets, tailors, department store, grand rail stations, and on and on. Seems as if it should've just been cleaned up and restored, rather than torn completely down. I for one see Point Park as a vast, barren expanse as much as a park.

[Evergrey]

agreed completely, Johnland

[Johnland]

I think the picture below posted by UrbanDesDev most clearly shows what is lost with sweeping 'renewal'. The block of loft buildings in the center are the exact same type of buildings now gaining value as residential dwellings. Had the blocks occupying the Point not been razed, the urban fabric would contain a much larger building stock offering rehab potential.

[UrbaniDesDev]

I think the picture below posted by UrbanDesDev most clearly shows what is lost with sweeping 'renewal'. The block of loft buildings in the center are the exact same type of buildings now gaining value as residential dwellings. Had the blocks occupying the Point not been razed, the urban fabric would contain a much larger building stock offering rehab potential.

Its true. It's not at all what I would have done. It's exactly the type of buildings that stretch along Penn and Liberty well into the Strip. Before those buildings were small 2 story homes. some of them can be seen squeezed between the warehouses. But it was a different time. It would be like someone saying all the mid-century moderns must go...
oh

Isn't it odd that cities in Europe have centuries of different building types together and we just keep tearing down and rebuilding.. improving?

Point State Park is a very isolated area but we're not going to give up the green now. I'm hoping that all the money being spent on the renovations will make it more accessible. I think connecting it to the river bike trails will help.

[Smoker]

This link goes to a P-G article from January which can give you a brief education regarding mergers.
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08020/850790-53.stm

Merger answers difficult to find
Researchers report mixed results in other city-county consolidations

Two centuries after the first of 33 city-county mergers in the United States, researchers still can't answer one key question: Do they work?

[Johnland]

Its true. It's not at all what I would have done. It's exactly the type of buildings that stretch along Penn and Liberty well into the Strip. Before those buildings were small 2 story homes. some of them can be seen squeezed between the warehouses. But it was a different time. It would be like someone saying all the mid-century moderns must go...
oh

Isn't it odd that cities in Europe have centuries of different building types together and we just keep tearing down and rebuilding.. improving?

Point State Park is a very isolated area but we're not going to give up the green now. I'm hoping that all the money being spent on the renovations will make it more accessible. I think connecting it to the river bike trails will help.

Yes, exactly! The Strip too was densley packed with homes between the large factories. Allis gone now. A veritable prairie of gravel now covers a large swath of what once was.

And as you point out, there is a difference in the mindset of our country versus Europe. There, they seem to think in longer terms of time. Here, out of fashion is grounds for elimination. In the photos provided by UrbanDesDev, there is one of the stretch of Penn Ave as it ran down to the Mon in what is now the Point Park. All the buildings are in the process of being torn down. But it is evident they were sturdy, well built, beautifully designed early century structures. Naturally we can't have delapidated buildings standing for decades before re-use becomes possible. But old photos reveal we have torn down probably more than what stands today. The terrible irony is that the remaining buildings from prior periods are now becoming seen as desirable, and their value is increasing. But we only have little vestiges of the old here and there, scattered about.

[Grego43]

Many of you make great points about the travesty of losing many great structures in the clearing of Point-area blocks and I agree. So-called Urban Renewal was occuring all over the country, not just in Pittsburgh.

It is important to remember that the loss of some great buildings cleared the way for Gateway Center, the catalyst for all the good and some of the bad you see downtown. The building boom at the point helped to stave off a corporate flight to the suburbs or other cities. Pittsburgh still has one of the most vibrant CBDs for a city its size or larger.

As for Point Park, UrbaniDesDev is correct, and hopefully the renovation will help make it one of the great urban parks that so few cities can claim. It should be on par with Central Park, Grant/Millennium Park, Boston Common/Public Garden as an important part of the city's urban fabric. That park should be cherished, take it from someone who lives in a state where golf courses are considered green space and public parks are pathetic.

[UrbaniDesDev]

Unfortunately, the all important highway is what has divided the park from the city. The fact the buildings of Gateway Center are "buildings in a Park" increase the inaccessibility of the park to the city. The almighty car of the fifties has been a problem for urbanists for 50 years. In this case it is not insurmountable. Gateway Center has a number of very pleasant areas.

I love this section, it is actually better now.
http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e235/UrbaniDesDev/GatewayCenterPlaza.jpg

This area of Gateway Center needs some help, but I personally can appreciate it. More outdoor cafes and interactive spaces would help.
http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e235/UrbaniDesDev/GatewayCenterPlaza2.jpg


This pic taken before the highway was rammed through really illustrates how it has divided Point State Park from the city. I would love to see it removed but that is very unlikely.
This is where the stepped stone seating are that face the river. One of the reasons for the redevelopment of the Point was constant flooding. The steps were a good innovative solution.
http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e235/UrbaniDesDev/RiverWallWharf1954.jpg
http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e235/UrbaniDesDev/PointStateParksteps.jpg
http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e235/UrbaniDesDev/FortPittBridge1958.jpg

[Evergrey]

Gateway Center is an inhuman abomination... it doesn't even feel like part of Downtown... it's the mid-century auto-dystopia ideal... Downtown ends at Stanwix... it's amazing that we lopped off half of our tiny (in area) downtown for the sterile Point "green space & superhighway" and then permanently prohibited eastward growth with the Crosstown Blvd Canyon