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http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06195/705752-53.stm

N.Y. investor buys Clark Building
Friday, July 14, 2006

By Anya Sostek, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette



It's another New York story.

The Clark Building on Liberty Avenue sold last week to a New York investor, becoming the fifth major office building to be bought with Big Apple dollars in the last year and a half.

"Most of the interested purchasers were out-of-state purchasers," said Nicholas Hoban, of Collier, who owned the building with his wife, Jo Lynn. "You take somebody from New York and they say, 'You know, I can't get this kind of return on investment where I live.' "

The 23-story building, home to the Pennsylvania Culinary Institute and dozens of jewelers, sold for $22.5 million.

That price amounts to $77 per square foot, a figure that thrilled Mr. Hoban. "I was extremely happy," he said.

"That is the highest price per square foot of a Class B building in Downtown Pittsburgh that I'm aware of. What that's going to do is that's going to reset the bar."

The 22-story National City building on Stanwix Street sold in February for $67 per square foot.

The new owner of the Clark Building, whose name was not released, plans to turn it into a science and robotics research facility. Mr. Hoban does not expect that the building's current tenants will be disturbed, saying only 77 percent of the building is occupied.

He and his wife put the building up for sale in early 2005 at an offering price of $23.3 million.

The couple, who founded the Pennsylvania Culinary Institute in 1986, bought the Clark Building in 1998 for $9.1 million and have spent $7.5 million in capital investments, including a new HVAC system, new windows and an electrical upgrade. In addition, Mr. Hoban gutted and restored the building's top five floors.

"The building wasn't modernized, it wasn't upgraded, it was kind of let go," he said. "I did the cosmetic surgery but I also did the heart transplant."

Built in 1927 and named for James W. Clark, the founder of MGM, the building was at one point a business and social center for movie magnates.

It is also in the immediate vicinity of the Cultural Trust's proposed $460 million housing development, which was announced earlier this week.


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(Anya Sostek can be reached at asostek@post-gazette.com or 412-263-1308. )

http://i.pbase.com/g3/86/571686/2/54261072.100_3657.jpg

tall tan building at left of photo
http://i.pbase.com/g3/86/571686/2/59120004.100_5392.jpg

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http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06195/705790-53.stm

URA wants 5th-Forbes proposal by October
Friday, July 14, 2006

By Gary Rotstein, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette



The Urban Redevelopment Authority is giving the city's anointed Fifth-Forbes retail-housing developer until October to present a comprehensive plan for the project.

Millcraft Industries Inc. is expected by then to outline what public help it needs with the project, what it will spend, how much revenue it expects to produce for itself and for the city, and what it sees as the target market for its housing units. It may also reveal details publicly at that time of some of the retailers committing to new Downtown store locations.

Mayor Bob O'Connor chose Millcraft two months ago as the developer of 20 properties the URA has assembled to remake the center of Downtown, including the former G.C. Murphy store. Under a development arrangement approved by the URA board yesterday, it has exclusive rights through October to work with the agency's staff in planning the corridor's future, and it pays nothing to the URA for that right.

"There's a myriad of complex issues you have to wrestle with" to undertake the project, and numerous unanswered questions that Millcraft will have to address by October before it could receive formal board approval to proceed, said URA Executive Director Jerome Dettore.

When designated in May as the master developer, Canonsburg-based Millcraft announced a broad plan to use the URA properties for a $71 million project involving 200 apartments and condominiums and 45,000 square feet of stores.

In related action yesterday, the board agreed to share with Millcraft the cost of an appraiser to set a fair sales price for the various properties. The authority paid $13.8 million over the last seven years to acquire the properties, and would sell them to the private developer.

The URA also agreed to buy one more property that will be part of the project, a former Foto Hut at 242 Forbes Ave., from the Order of Italian Sons & Daughters of America for $400,000.

It will also contribute up to $30,000 toward the cost of a consultant to be hired by the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership to lead a study of Market Square's future appearance and uses.

In other action, URA board members voted to accept $2.2 million in federal funding to proceed with conversion of one of the two Hot Metal bridges over the Monongahela River into a bicycle and pedestrian crossing. That project could begin next month and be completed by the end of 2007.

The board also approved assistance, as follows, for neighborhood housing projects that are under way or on the drawing boards:

A $3.5 million plan by developer William J. Rogers for 56 new single-family homes in New Homestead's Gates Manor development received approval of a $900,000 URA loan and $290,000 grant.

In the wake of the razing of two housing complexes in East Liberty, the URA authorized exclusive negotiations with The Community Builders to undertake a retail-office project on the site of the former East Mall high-rise, and it altered financing arrangements to enable Liberty Park LP to proceed with construction of 124 mixed-income rental units at the former Liberty Park Apartments site.


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

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http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06195/705792-53.stm

Port Authority gives nod to twin tunnels under Allegheny River
Friday, July 14, 2006

By Mark Belko, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette



The Port Authority board of directors awarded a $156.5 million contract yesterday for construction of two Light Rail Transit tunnels under the Allegheny River.

Two members dissented, saying they were worried about undertaking such an expensive project in the face of looming financial problems.

The contract with North Shore Constructors, a joint venture of Trumbull Corp. of West Mifflin and Obayashi Corp. of San Francisco, is the first of 16 to be awarded as part of the $435 million North Shore Connector to extend the light-rail system to the North Side.

Yesterday's 5-2 vote was one of the last remaining approvals needed to get the controversial project, a decade in the making, off the ground, or in this case, into it. Voting against the contract were directors James Dodaro and Joan Ellenbogen.

Construction is expected to start in early fall after a 60-day congressional review period, considered a formality, ends Sept. 6.

One of the first tasks will be to build a 46-foot-deep "launch pit" on the North Shore near the stadiums that will prepare the way for the drilling of the twin tunnels, one inbound and one outbound. That work probably will start next summer. A similar "receiving pit" will be built on Stanwix Street, Downtown, near Penn Avenue.

The Port Authority decided to move forward with the project despite a rapid escalation in its cost. The project has increased $42 million in a little more than a year, and the authority rejected a first round of bids that arrived 25 percent over budget.

The extra spending must be approved by the Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission, which will meet July 31 to consider an amendment to the region's transportation funding program.

Despite the high costs, the project, given the amount of federal and state money behind it, "shouldn't be abandoned," board member Jeffrey Letwin said.

The federal government will pay $348 million toward the project and the state, $72.5 million. The county share would be $14.5 million.

If the Port Authority rejected the contract, it could be another decade before it gets the chance again to extend the light-rail system to the North Shore, Mr. Letwin said.

"I'm not prepared to walk away from the significant investment the federal government and the state put into this," he said, adding the extension not only will be a catalyst for development but could lay the groundwork for future extensions to Oakland and the airport.

Questioning whether light-rail should be extended to Oakland or the airport first is largely irrelevant, he said, noting that the decision to go to the North Side was made by previous directors.

"We don't have a choice of projects today," Port Authority Chief Executive Officer Stephen Bland said. "It's a choice to move forward or not to move forward."

Mr. Dodaro said he could not "in good conscience" vote to get the costly project going at a time when the Port Authority is facing a $31.5 million operating deficit next year, $88.1 million in 2008, and $133.3 million by 2011.

"The thing that really creates the concern for me is that we are an agency that's on the verge of bankruptcy," he said.

He said he voted "no" out of a "fiduciary responsibility" to bus and light-rail riders.

"We cannot expand this system at the expense of those core customers," he said. "Anything that we do now, given this unstable financial situation, that would adversely impact that core situation I believe would be irresponsible."

While costs have escalated on the project, Mr. Dodaro said the Federal Transit Administration has indicated it "won't put one more dime" into it. He noted that County Council also expressed concern about the growing price tag.

Council members this week passed a motion telling the Port Authority that they wouldn't commit more than $12.7 million in county money to the project, nearly $2 million less than the amount now needed.

"We're not going to go beyond that amount," council President Rich Fitzgerald, D-Squirrel Hill, said.

Allegheny County Chief Executive Dan Onorato described council's action as "prudent," and said he would work with the body "at $12.7 million to keep this thing under budget."

He said there may be a need for private investment in the project, particularly if costs continue to soar.

"We have a lot of private developments on the North Shore that benefit, from housing to Pittsburgh Live, which is that entertainment center [the Steelers are] proposing to build. The Carnegie Science Center, the community college will be served with it," he said.

Council members also would like to see connections to the David L. Lawrence Convention Center, Downtown, and Community College of Allegheny County's North Side campus. Both proposals were part of the original plans but have since been removed because of high costs.

Mr. Bland said the North Shore Connector would have a relatively minor impact on the authority's operating costs. The light-rail system accounts for about 16 percent of overall spending, he said.

The Trumbull-Obayashi $156.5 million bid includes not only the boring of twin tunnels under the river and lining them with concrete, but excavating 1,200 feet to transition the tracks to ground level west of PNC Park, excavating Stanwix Street between Fort Duquesne Boulevard and Liberty Avenue to extend the subway north of the Gateway Center station, and building new station shells Downtown and in a publicly owned parking garage on the North Shore near the stadiums.

While Mr. Onorato wants to hold down the cost, he said he believes the project should go forward.

"It's use it or lose it," he said of the federal funding, "so we're going to move ahead, it appears, with the Port Authority's vote today. We've got to make sure, though, this becomes part of the overall linkage [to Oakland and the convention center]."


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(Staff writer Jerome L. Sherman contributed. Mark Belko can be reached at mbelko@post-gazette.com or 412-263-1262. )

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http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06195/705791-336.stm

Funds committed for new arena in move to help keep Penguins here
City, county announce deal with casino bidders, state
Friday, July 14, 2006

By Mark Belko, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette



City and county officials yesterday announced they have firmed up financing for a new arena, a move they said should help keep the Penguins in Pittsburgh.

Allegheny County Chief Executive Dan Onorato said officials yesterday obtained written pledges from two bidders for a casino license to help fund the arena construction. Officials said they also have gotten a state commitment to advance funding for site preparation.

The latest developments, Mr. Onorato said at a news conference yesterday, put the region in position to keep the Penguins, regardless of who ends up buying the team, which could be sold within days.

"We believe we can be as competitive as any city in the United States when it comes to a new building," he said.

He made the statements after two of the bidders for the Pittsburgh casino -- Forest City Enterprises and PITG Gaming LLC -- committed in writing to providing $7.5 million a year for 30 years toward the arena construction, contingent on winning the license.

Representatives for both groups signed confirmation letters from the city-county Sports & Exhibition Authority outlining the basic terms. The commitment of the $7.5 million is part of Gov. Ed Rendell's alternative plan for building an arena if the third slots bidder, Isle of Capri Casinos Inc., doesn't get the casino license.

Isle of Capri, in partnership with the Penguins, has pledged $290 million toward a new home for the team as part of its formal bid. The Penguins are required to stay in town if Isle of Capri wins the license.

In the past, Forest City, which wants to build a casino at Station Square, had said it liked Plan B, but would not commit to a dollar amount, and first wanted to see a pledge by the Penguins to stay in Pittsburgh.

That changed yesterday.

"We want to secure the Penguins' future in Pittsburgh and we believe that now, assuming the Pittsburgh Penguins ownership group is willing to stay in the city, they have every opportunity to do that," said Abe Naparstek, Forest City development director.

Forest City decided to commit to a specific dollar amount, he said, because "the public officials -- the mayor, the county executive and the governor -- felt it was important to have all the pieces in place for an arena funding plan."

Also committing in writing was Detroit businessman Don Barden, president of PITG Gaming, who previously had pledged verbally to supply the $7.5 million requested by Mr. Rendell. Mr. Barden, who is proposing a casino on the North Shore, also has said he committed in writing to the state Gaming Control Board, which will award the casino license.

The pledges would be the cornerstone to Mr. Rendell's so-called $315 million Plan B to build an arena. The plan also includes $7 million from a slots backed development fund, and $4.1 million a year in team contributions. The Penguins also would have to commit $8.5 million upfront.

The Isle of Capri plan would not require any contribution from the team, and Penguins President Ken Sawyer yesterday once again urged local leaders to get behind it, saying it was "by far the best one for the city and the region."

Also yesterday, Mr. Onorato and Mayor Bob O'Connor released a letter from Mr. Rendell committing $26.5 million in state funds toward arena site acquisition and preparation. The money should be available by September and would be paid back once slots revenues begin rolling in.

The SEA already has started negotiations with 10 property owners in Uptown to secure land for the building and hopes to get deals by the end of the summer. The city and county would like to start construction in 2007. SEA Executive Director Mary Conturo said the $290 million price tag for the building appeared to be realistic.

Mr. Sawyer described the site assembly as "tremendous news," saying it fulfills a pledge the SEA made last year.

Mr. Onorato said the bidder and state pledges remove a lot of the question marks surrounding Plan B, putting the city and county in position to keep the team. He said he updated National Hockey League Commissioner Gary Bettman on the developments yesterday afternoon.

"I informed the commissioner that the mayor and I and the SEA are prepared to get this done and that if he had any doubt that there was any commitment from the local elected officials, he can wipe those doubts away right now. This is the real deal," he said.

He quoted Mr. Bettman as saying his preference is to keep the team in Pittsburgh.

Mr. Onorato said the city and county pushed to get the commitments in anticipation of a possible sale of the Penguins. Four to five groups are bidding for the team.

While two have pledged to keep the team in Pittsburgh, the future is not as certain with the others.

However, Mr. Onorato believes Plan B gives the city and county the ability to compete with other cities trying to woo the team. With gambling money being used to build the arena, the city and county have the flexibility to offer the Penguins virtually all building revenues.

"We believe we can be as competitive through the lease term and the arrangement we create for the Penguins," he said.


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

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http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/cityregion/s_462004.html

New rail route no sure thing

By Jim Ritchie
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Saturday, July 15, 2006


No one is certain that Port Authority of Allegheny County's $435 million light-rail extension under the Allegheny River won't become another lemon, even some who approved moving forward with it this week.
Supporters lauded the decision to award the first contract for the North Shore Connector, but critics continue to worry about rising costs, lofty projections and whether the project should be a priority.

"We're not Virginia Beach," Greenfield resident Jimmy Sterner said Friday at a bus stop Downtown. Extending the T to Oakland and Squirrel Hill, or even along Carson Street, makes more sense, he said.

"What do we want this for? I think it's a big mistake."





Construction of the subway link from Downtown to the North Side is scheduled to start in early fall. The Port Authority board's 5-2 vote ensures the project moves forward, although County Council says it won't approve a $1.8 million increase in the county's contribution.

"I don't believe Port Authority anymore," said Councilman Matt Drozd, an opponent of the project. "I lost trust in them. I think they have a track record of bad decisions."

Some of the authority's five board members who backed the project did so with hesitation.

"If I were picking projects today, this might not be the one I would pick, but it's the one we inherited," said member Jeff Letwin, who worried that stopping the project would make the Federal Transit Administration reluctant to grant money for future local projects.

Critics doubt the connector will attract 10,000 daily riders expected in 2012, its first year of operation, and are concerned about paying the $2.5 million projected annual operating cost.

Those concerns are exacerbated by Port Authority usage projections that fell far short for its West Busway in 2000, the Wabash High Ocuupancy Vehicle Tunnel in 2004, and the South Hills Village parking garage in 2005.

"I have serious concerns about a tunnel under the Allegheny River," said authority board member James Dodaro, who voted against the project. "The history of late at Port Authority, in terms of projected usage, revenue and expenses, is not a good one. That's a concern."

The West Busway initially was projected to draw 50,000 new riders on an eight-mile road that would include a bridge over the Monongahela River. Rising costs forced the authority to kill the bridge and shorten the road by three miles. Revised projections reduced the count to 10,000 daily riders, which the authority is just shy of today at 8,475.

When the agency renovated the Wabash high-occupancy vehicle tunnel, it projected 4,500 vehicles daily would use it by 2014. Current usage is about 390 vehicles daily.

City Councilman Jim Motznik in April urged the Port Authority to open the tunnel to all motorists.

"The reason they had for reopening the tunnel is that it would take a certain amount of traffic off the roads and ease congestion in the Fort Pitt Tunnel and Liberty Tunnel, and it hasn't done any of that," Motznik said.

When the authority built the South Hills Village parking garage, it projected that 1,100 customers would pay to use it. About 325 customers park in the $24 million garage in Bethel Park daily. The 2,200-space garage costs $350,000 annually to maintain.

The agency's difficulty with these projects has been offset by some successes, especially the 2004 opening of the Overbrook T line and 2003 extension of the Martin Luther King Jr. East Busway.

Ridership on the T has increased 11.3 percent, from 22,250 weekday riders in 2004 to 24,763 daily riders, since the faster Overbrook line opened about two years ago.

Ridership on the East Busway has increased 7 percent, from 23,549 daily riders in 2003 to 25,186 daily riders today, since the private bus road was extended more than two miles, from Wilkinsburg to Swissvale.

Some fear the North Shore Connector won't be the success its supporters predict, and it already has had problems.

The connector's initial construction cost of $393 million has increased by $42 million, and it no longer includes a link to the David L. Lawrence Convention Center.

"It's just going to be a gigantic boondoggle," said Jake Haulk, president of the Allegheny Institute for Public Policy, a Castle Shannon think tank. "The North Shore has some development over there, but those people have been getting over there anyway. This thing was built for the benefit of the stadium people."

County Chief Executive Dan Onorato and Mayor Bob O'Connor would rather extend the T from Downtown to Oakland. Onorato still backed the connector because more than $300 million in federal grants were pledged. The money would be lost if Port Authority switched directions to Oakland.

Oakland groups pushing for better transit service do not oppose the North Shore Connector but say the bustling educational and medical hub is desperate.

"I think Oakland needs it," said Oakland Planning & Development Corporation Executive Director David Blenk. "We're full. We're full of cars."

County Council appears to be the last financial hurdle for the North Shore Connector project. Council this week was unwilling to increase the county's portion of the project to $14.5 million, but is expected to approve paying $12.7 million toward it in December when it votes on a 2007 capital budget, said Onorato spokesman Kevin Evanto.

Onorato anticipates Port Authority will have to find the remaining $1.8 million in its capital budget, Evanto said.

"One would assume that if Port Authority is only a million dollars shy of getting $435 million ... they'll find a way to get that million," he said. "A million is really not that much."



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



Here's a PDF on Port Authority projects
http://www.pittsburghlive.com/images/video/2006_pdfs/GX-PAT-JL-07-16.pdf

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http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06196/706003-192.stm

Editorial: Start digging / The Port Authority keeps the connector on track
Saturday, July 15, 2006

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

The Port Authority board made a difficult, and correct, decision Thursday to move ahead with the North Shore Connector that will extend Allegheny County's light-rail system to the North Side.

The $435 million project, which will build twin tunnels under the Allegheny River, has become controversial because of rising construction bids and the transit system's dicey operating budget.

Skeptics should keep two things in mind. The federal government is still committed to pay for 80 percent of the project, a generous level of subsidy that Washington has discontinued for future projects. And light rail accounts for only 16 percent of the Port Authority's operating budget, a funding area that the governor and Legislature nonetheless have pledged to stabilize, if not enhance.

The benefits of the decade-old project remain. By extending light rail beyond the river, mass transit can spur the business development getting under way between the stadiums; reduce workday traffic Downtown by carrying commuters who will park on the North Side; serve travelers bound for neighborhood attractions like the community college, the Carnegie Science Center and the Andy Warhol Museum, not to mention the Pirates and Steelers; and also put the light-rail system in position to serve points north or west in the future.

It was unfortunate last fall that the Port Authority had to cancel the part of the project that would have extended light rail to the convention center. But the authority was concerned about rising costs and maintaining federal support -- both legitimate concerns.

We can only hope that the convention connector will return someday to the drawing board. Till then, however, we're glad Pittsburgh and the Port Authority will have their hands full with the dig under the Allegheny.

[themaguffin]

Looking at the PG and Trib this morning was classic. Typical anti-city bullshit from Scaife and sound reason from the PG Editorial page.

[UrbaniDesDev]

I was thinking the same thing as I was reading the the Trib's standard bias against any efforts for mass transit or improvements of the city.

Judging by PATs history as listed above. All their projects dealing with mass transit, particularly the T has paid off and all their developments dealing with cars, Wabash and Bethal Park lot, fail miserably. This should help them focus, you would think, for future developments and get started on a connector to Oakland.

I'm surprised little was made of the fact that the future of the line to the North Shore is eventually to extend to McKees Rocks and on to the Airport and vacinity. This would give it better rational for those doubting it.

[AaronPGH]

I just wish all of this T stuff were moving faster. It seems like it takes ages to get anything done here (or even moving). The airport connector and an oakland/east end portion should be well underway by now. It's still like they're barely doing anything about it. All of the talking needs to stop and things need to start happening. City development has been exploding and the transit development isn't keeping pace.

[UrbaniDesDev]

"$1 Billion in Development Pumps up City's Volume"
18 residential and cultural projects at various stages of development destined to change Pittsburgh forever;
http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/business/s_462084.html

always great to hear more news on the development

[Evergrey]

Great find. All that development only makes the need for more sophisticated transit development all the more critical. When are we gonna wake up and realize that the billions we spend on Mon-Fayette disasters would be better redirected towards smarter transportation development? Higher construction costs are a new reality due to escalating fuel prices... so it makes even greater sense to devote our resources to transportation development that will promote density and the urban environment.... instead of sprawl-serving highways.

[chiaroscuro]

18 developments for downtown? I guess I've lost track of some. I have my own list of the ten most important developments for downtown (including North Shore). Feel free to rip it apart!

1. Cultural District Riverfront Development
2. 3 PNC Plaza
3. Isle of Capri/Forest City/Majestic Star casino & neighborhood development (including new hockey/event arena)
4. Piatt Place
5. North Shore Connector
6. Forbes Village
7. 151 Firstside
8. Market Square Place
9. North Shore Live! entertainment complex
10. Point Park University student housing & performing arts stage

[Wheelingman04]

Great find. All that development only makes the need for more sophisticated transit development all the more critical. When are we gonna wake up and realize that the billions we spend on Mon-Fayette disasters would be better redirected towards smarter transportation development? Higher construction costs are a new reality due to escalating fuel prices... so it makes even greater sense to devote our resources to transportation development that will promote density and the urban environment.... instead of sprawl-serving highways.

The Mon-Fayette Expressway and Southern Beltway may not even get finished because of the extremely escalating costs and lack of transportation money.

[themaguffin]

Clark Building fetches $22M
Pittsburgh Business Times - July 14, 2006by Robert Sandler
Once a workplace for movie stars, the Clark Building will become a center for robotics and other high-tech companies, if the new owner of the Downtown building gets his way.

The 291,000-square-foot, 23-story office building was purchased last week by Singularity Clark LP, headed by New York investor Ira Gorman, for $22.5 million. The seller was Pittsburgh resident Nick Hoban, founder and former owner of the Pennsylvania Culinary Institute. Hoban was represented by Mike Liguori of Downtown-based Langholz Wilson Ellis Inc.

The building is about 77 percent occupied and anchored by the Culinary Institute. The top five stories are vacant.

Gorman said he's bullish on Pittsburgh because of the high-tech companies coming out of Carnegie Mellon University.

"I believe that Pittsburgh is going to be the center for artificial intelligence and robotics. Within 10 years, that will be one of the biggest businesses in the world," Gorman said. "Pittsburgh will be to artificial intelligence what Silicon Valley is to chips."

The top five floors of the Clark Building currently are just shells, having had their infrastructure renovated in the past few years. That space easily could become a home for the tech companies, Gorman said. "Whatever these robotics companies' needs are, we are willing to do," he said.

In the past, however, high-tech companies haven't flocked to the central business district, said Tim Goetz, an office broker with Grant Street Associates Inc., Downtown. But, Goetz said, they might do so in the future.

"I would think it's tied to the universities and Oakland," he said. "Maybe there is a need for that type of space. You'd like to think that they would look to the greater Downtown area. I hope it works, but I personally haven't seen any evidence of it."

Kevin Lane, spokesman for the Pittsburgh Technology Council, said most robotics and artificial intelligence companies need industrial space with their offices. In Pittsburgh, most also like to congregate near the universities or near each other, as they have at the Pittsburgh Technology Center on Second Avenue, he said.

"Robotics companies require manufacturing processes," Lane said. "The space in the Clark Building, I can't imagine it would be transformed to accommodate that kind of (operation). There's floor-loading equipment and all sorts of things; they need manufacturing space, and that's all office space.

"You just don't convert an office building to a building that accommodates manufacturers."

Silver screen past
Construction on the Clark Building began in 1927 as a joint venture with the Stanley Theater Co. The building was named after theater magnate James Clark, who played a role in the founding of the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc. film studio.

At one point, Warner Brothers had a regional office in the penthouse suite at the Clark Building and the building was a screening area for many MGM films. Today, the building is a haven for jewelers, in addition to the cooking school.

Hoban purchased the building in 1998 when he owned the Pennsylvania Culinary Institute. Under his ownership, the building was renovated and tenants were rearranged to put smaller users on the lower floors, with the middle 100,000 square feet occupied by the Culinary Institute and the top five floors left as what Hoban called "vanilla shell" -- ready for a tenant to build to its specifications.

After selling the Culinary Institute, Hoban decided it was a good time to sell the building.

"I have done what I set out to do -- and that is metamorphosize that building," he said. "It wasn't as if I needed to sell it. I took the position that if I get a really healthy number, I sell it."

Liguori, the broker representing Hoban, said the building attracted interest from investors around the country who were interested in Pittsburgh's low-priced real estate. Several investors had the building under agreement for short periods of time, only to have the deals fall apart.

"The unique tenant mix, along with major building improvements and the Clark Building's prime location in Pittsburgh's Cultural District, brought overwhelming national attention," Liguori said.

"Pittsburgh and similar midlevel markets are proving to be an excellent alternative for investors seeking lucrative investment returns."


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[themaguffin]

Oh and here's some frustrating info:

Beginning Monday, July 24th, ALL stories from Pittsburgh Business Times print edition will be available online to print-edition subscribers ONLY. If you are already a print subscriber or you wish to subscribe, click here to learn more.

[Evergrey]

That's really unfortunate that the Business Times would take such a backwards move.

Anyways... here's some news from Beechview. I was in Beechview a couple months ago... and the Latino presence is quite apparent... especially with a number of Latino-owned businesses popping up. I think this neighborhood has a lot of potential, especially with the T going through the heart of it.

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/cityregion/s_462159.html
Beechview project mired in politics


By Karen Roebuck
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Monday, July 17, 2006


An effort to rejuvenate Beechview's business district appears to be stalled by the turbulent politics of the South Hills neighborhood.
Controversial developer Bernardo Katz wants to erect a $2.6 million complex of medical offices and a lab, a small theater, and stores, anchored by a large senior center at Hampshire and Broadway avenues.

"The question here is, how could this be bad for Beechview?" said Katz, who has purchased most of the neighborhood business district in recent years. "The people who are criticizing it, what solutions are they offering?"

Critics contend potential businesses don't want to do business with Katz, who also owns properties in Mt. Lebanon, Downtown's Cultural District and elsewhere around Allegheny County.





"The best thing and the worst thing (about Katz) are probably the same thing -- just that he's a very persistent businessman," said Jeff Iovino, who opened Iovino's Cafe in one of Katz's buildings in Mt. Lebanon in April.

The Beechview senior center would expand from 3,000 square feet to 10,000, and the city would get a 10-year, renewable lease for the site for about $50,000 a year, including utilities, Katz said.

State Rep. Michael Diven, R-Brookline, secured a $1 million state grant for a new senior center. The city kicked in $400,000, and Katz pledged the remaining $600,000 needed to match the state grant.

Beechview is political ground zero in the battle for Diven's state House seat.

Democrat Chelsa Wagner is the only candidate on the Nov. 8 ballot. Diven, a Democrat-turned-Republican, is waging a write-in campaign after withdrawing his nominating petitions because of a court challenge.

The Wagners are a longtime political force in Beechview, the city's 19th Ward. Chelsa Wagner is the daughter of Pete Wagner, the Democratic Party ward chairman, and niece of Pennsylvania Auditor General Jack Wagner, a former city councilman and state senator.

Chelsa Wagner, Beechview Merchants Association president Don Bell and other community activists complain that public money should not be used for privately owned developments and that the community had no input in the proposal.

"The question is on the sincerity of what's being done, and the secrecy itself raises a huge red flag," Chelsa Wagner said.

Duane Ashley, the city's director of community initiatives, who oversees senior centers, said the use of grants to develop senior citizens centers is "obviously a very wise and prudent use of public funds." The city owns 12 of its 15 senior centers.

"That's the way it's done," Ashley said. "There's very few developers who are going to spend private money to build a senior center."

Katz said he wants to leave a legacy of doing good for communities such as Beechview. He insists he's a casualty, not an instigator, of the politics and ill will swirling around him.

Born and raised in Rio de Janeiro, where his father was a dentist and his mother taught high school math, Katz has widely varying interests. He said he speaks seven languages, runs four miles a day and has a hobby train collection that fills more than 2,000 square feet of storage space. As a teen, he became an accomplished cellist, winning national competitions, he said.

He earned bachelor's and master's degrees in music on scholarships in Germany. He played in Europe and Brazil before moving to the United States -- first to the Dallas area and then Phoenix -- and earning a doctorate in music from Arizona State University in 1999.

Katz met his second wife, Holly, a violinist, in 1989, when both played in the Phoenix Symphony. The couple moved here in 1991, when Holly Katz joined the Pittsburgh Symphony. Bernardo Katz performed with the Pittsburgh Opera for two years in the early 1990s and as a substitute with the Pittsburgh Symphony. He will perform with the Pittsburgh Civic Orchestra next May.

People describe Katz as energetic, passionate, aggressive, impatient and controlling.

"Personalities that are not strong do not do developments," Katz said. "Would you mind Donald Trump coming to Beechview? He has a strong personality. If he wants to come to Beechview, I'll step aside."

Katz and his companies, Phoenix Properties and Rio Properties, own 59 commercial and residential properties valued at $9.77 million, according to the county's real estate Web site, but Katz said he has sold some of those.

Katz pointed to the upscale Mt. Lebanon business district, where he owns a block of buildings on Washington Road and several other properties, as his vision for Beechview. Critics complain Katz's Beechview storefronts have been left vacant too long.

"He has great ideas on paper," said Councilman Jim Motznik, who represents Beechview. "I would hope he'd sell off his properties and go away, because he's not been successful and he's controversial. He's someone, unfortunately, who rubs people the wrong way and who the community has turned on."

The developer said he is being choosy about tenants, refusing check-cashingstores and tattoo parlors. Heboasts that neighborhood crime has dropped significantly since 2004, when he closed two nuisance bars. From September 2004, when the second bar was shut down, to August 2005, major crimes, ranging from theft to homicide, dropped 25.1 percent in Beechview from the previous 12 months, according to Pittsburgh police crime statistics.

Businessman Agustin Garcia and his partner, Alberto Martinez, are among the few to open new businesses in Beechview, attracted by the neighborhood's burgeoning Latino population and low rents. They opened a small grocery store there three months ago and plan to open Mexico City Tacqueria this month.

The city leases the current Beechview senior center from Katz. The lease was in effect when Pete Wagner's brother, Bob Wagner, owned it and Jack Wagner served on City Council, officials said. Katz bought the building from Bob Wagner, who Katz said still holds the note on it.

Motznik said he would like the state grant applied toward buying and renovating St. Catherine of Siena Church for a senior center, library and recreation center the city would own.

Motznik scheduled a public hearing about future Beechview development for 7 p.m. Wednesday at St. Catherine's Church Hall, 1905 Broadway Ave.

"This is political. This is a Diven-Wagner feud," said Victor Diaz, CEO of the Pittsburgh Metropolitan Area Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. "Everybody says it behind closed doors. There are politics being played. ... Everyone agrees behind closed doors: How do you massage it so no one gets egg on their face?"

He predicted no decision will be made on a senior center until after the November election.

Katz said he will not wait that long and likely will sell his Beechview properties.

"They just delayed a $2 million investment in a place where nobody puts $20,000," Katz said.



Karen Roebuck can be reached at kroebuck@tribweb.com or (412) 320-7939.

[Evergrey]

http://pittsburgh.bizjournals.com/pittsburgh/stories/2006/07/17/story3.html?t=printable

Developer bets 300 acres on industrial space near airport
Chapman Properties targets large tenants
Pittsburgh Business Times - July 14, 2006by Robert Sandler
A Leetsdale-based developer is planning a large-scale warehouse and distribution campus on 300 acres in Findlay Township, near Pittsburgh International Airport.

Chapman Properties bought the parcel of strip-mined land, close to the Findlay Connector, earlier this year. It started to market the project this month.

The company is planning to build a total of 2 million square feet of industrial space in a development to be called Chapman Commerce Center, said president and CEO Steve Thomas.

Major national retailers have built enormous distribution centers around the country in recent years, but the hilly terrain in southwestern Pennsylvania has made such projects difficult and expensive to build. Thomas said he believes his land will open up that opportunity for the Pittsburgh region.

"A lot of other markets have 1-million-square-foot pads for Home Depot and others," he said. "They handle a lot of stores, and they need large facilities."

A plan for Chapman Properties' site shows three buildings of 300,000 square feet or more. The plan also includes a 50-acre shovel-ready site -- large enough to hold a building of 1 million square feet, Thomas said.

Site work will begin around the end of this year or in early 2007, he said. The first speculative building, which will be between 80,000 and 100,000 square feet, will open before the end of 2007.

"We can accommodate anything from a 20,000-square-foot user to a 1-million-square-foot user, which is unusual for Pittsburgh," Thomas said. "There's not a lot of large shovel-ready pads that can accommodate the buildings that you've seen in other markets."

Thomas believes the park will be successful because of its location three minutes from the airport and its accessibility from the Findlay Connector, a highway currently under construction by the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission. The road is expected to open this fall, and water and sewer infrastructure will be built soon afterward.

In addition to the speculative industrial space, Chapman also will offer six office pad sites, including two 20-acre sites that face the Findlay Connector.

Chapman Properties purchased the Findlay parcel from Imperial Land Corp., which owns more than 5,000 acres in Allegheny and Washington counties, near U.S. 22 and the Findlay Connector.

Imperial-based Imperial Land has an agreement with Chapman Properties that both parties expect will keep them from competing head-to-head for the next five years.

Chapman will build speculative industrial property, while Imperial will focus on selling land directly to users.

Gerald Bunda, president of Imperial Land, said his strategy focuses on extremely large users.

"Typically, most sites, the infrastructure is put in, and someone will come in and acquire a 10-acre or 15-acre site," Bunda said. "We're looking at it a bit differently. What if someone needs 200 acres?"

Imperial Land is staying out of the speculative construction business, hoping to sell major chunks of land for campuses. When most industrial parks are developed, and a road is built through the middle of a tract of land, it helps small users but can be an obstacle for a big user who wants the entire property, Bunda said.

"Our intent is to sell to people who want to build buildings for specific users," he said. "Hopefully, maybe, somebody will want to come in and do a campus development."

Lou Oliva, an industrial broker with Downtown-based Grubb and Ellis Co., who represents Imperial Land and works with Chapman on other properties, said Imperial Land and Chapman's holdings could create as much as 10 million square feet of industrial space, just a quick drive from the airport.

The properties' access to the Findlay Connector makes them attractive, he said. "I think it's the best development opportunity in the region."

rsandler@bizjournals.com | (412) 481-6397 x223

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http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06198/706419-53.stm

Work set to begin on Mt. Washington condos
Seven story building's units will sell for $1 million average
Monday, July 17, 2006

By Rich Lord, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Work is set to start shortly on a long-delayed seven-story Mt. Washington condominium, developer Craig Cozza said yesterday.

The prospect of a tall building at 341 Grandview Ave. sparked some neighbors to sue, and the long-empty lot has upset others. Now Mr. Cozza is promising to bring "the pinnacle of high-end in Pittsburgh" to the site.

He's completing final drawings and bidding out the foundation and concrete work, while getting final building permits, he said.

Of the 14 condos, half will be 3,250 square feet, and half 3,845 square feet, Mr. Cozza said. All will have views on three sides, and a glass-encased elevator will run up the front of the building.

There will be underground parking.

The building may feature environmentally friendly aspects like geothermal heating and cooling, which uses underground air to moderate temperature.

Automated lighting, granite countertops, hardwood floors and marble bathroom fixtures will add to the allure, he said.

The $15 million price tag will be entirely privately financed, he said. To cover that, the units will have to average a sale price of more than $1 million each.

He said he expects to move the first buyers in during the summer or fall of 2007.

Mr. Cozza bought the property in 2004, and neighbors appealed a Zoning Board of Adjustment decision allowing him to build higher than 40 feet.

Common Pleas President Judge Joseph James handed the neighbors a defeat 15 months ago.

"He's entitled to do what he wants to do," said Paul Renne, a Mount Washington resident who opposed Mr. Cozza's plan.

"With the [homes previously on the site] having been torn down, and the lot vacant, most people would be favorable to getting some construction started as soon as possible," said Ethan Raup, executive director of the Mount Washington Community Development Corp.

Another vacant lot owned by Mr. Cozza, in the 1400 block of Grandview has irked neighbors. Mr. Cozza said he is resolving legal matters before beginning work on that site.


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

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

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http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06198/706386-53.stm

Route 28 trail span faces a few hurdles
Monday, July 17, 2006

By Ervin Dyer, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

A couple of hurdles must still be cleared to build a bridge that links nature, bike and riverfront trails in Herrs Island and Millvale along the Route 28 corridor.

One is determining if CSX and Norfolk Southern railways will grant access to build on their property and the other remains the uncertainty over how the connector bridge will be funded.

A PennDOT district executive, Don Cessna, met with about 50 people on Herrs Island last week to update concerned Washington Landing residents on the status of the project.

Also at the meeting were representatives of Friends of the Riverfront, a decade-old group founded to bring more activities to Pittsburgh waterways. It's long been a dream of that group that a concrete and metal pedestrian bridge over the back channel of the Allegheny River will connect trails from Millvale to Herrs Island.

When the plans to redo Route 28 were rolled out in the spring, it was PennDOT's desire to complete the hiking trail.

But, as Mr. Cessna said he explained in the meeting, there were unexpected impediments, such as gaining right-of-way access from CSX and Norfolk Southern railways, which own some of the property linked to the redesign.

If the railways use the land they own for running tracks or maintenance roads, which is expected, it will force the connector trail to Herrs Island and Millvale to be built a little closer to the river.

Rudy Husband, a spokesman for Norfolk Southern, said that PennDOT does need the railways property to reconfigure the route. There are currently two Norfolk Southern tracks that run along the Route 28 corridor, but there is room for three. As currently conceived, building the nature trail connector could cause the railway to lose availability for a third track, which the railway does not want to do.

There are no plans to add a third track now, said Mr. Husband, "but we're not going to approve the possibility to hinder our network."

Without the access, the nature trail connector would be forced closer to the river, which would require construction of a retaining wall.

The wall would begin at the 31st Bridge and would continue for about 1 mile north to Millvale.

The wall, which is expected to be about 10 feet high in some sections, is expected to cost $2 million.

It's money that PennDOT doesn't have, said Mr. Cessna, who told meeting participants that the Route 28 project is already underfunded.

Reconstruction of Route 28 is expected to cost at least $120 million by the time it is completed in 2011. The project will eliminate traffic signals between Troy Hill and Millvale, and shift roadways and traffic patterns to allow motorists to travel a now congested two-mile stretch of East Ohio Street in about three minutes.

Mr. Cessna said PennDOT could possibly fund the wall's design, but would need for advocates of the nature trail to seek independent, federal or other funding.


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

(Ervin Dyer can be reached at edyer@post-gazette.com or 412-263-1410. )

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http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06198/706483-100.stm

Demolition begins to make way for 5th Ave. complex
Monday, July 17, 2006

By Ed Blazina, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

PNC Financial Services Group began demolition on Fifth Avenue, Downtown, today to make way for a 23-story office, hotel and residential complex to be known as Three PNC Plaza.

Demolition workers today erected Jersey barriers with small fences on top to cordon off the area around seven buildings scheduled for demolition. The buildings are between One PNC Plaza, at Fifth and Wood Street, and Market Street.

One lane of Fifth Avenue is closed, along with the short block of Market Street between Fifth and Liberty avenues.

The plaza, the city's first new skyscraper in two decades, will have 11 floors of office space, a 185-room upscale hotel and 30 luxury condominiums. The hotel and condos will share the upper floors of the complex but will have separate access elevators.

Nearly half of the office space will be occupied by Downtown law firm Reed Smith, and PNC is expected to take the rest.

The complex will be a "green" building, meaning more than 50 percent of construction materials will be made from recycled products. When it opens in 2008, it is expected to be the largest environmentally friendly building in the country.



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

More details in tomorrow's Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

[Evergrey]

another industrial park and 550 jobs... in Canonsburg... what are we gonna do when we can't access the Business Journal anymore? (It's a system-wide policy... I checked Philly's Biz Journal as well).

http://www.bizjournals.com/pittsburgh/stories/2006/07/10/daily26.html

Canonsburg brownfield designated for cleanup
Pittsburgh Business Times - July 12, 2006
A developer's plan to revitalize a brownfield into a light industrial park got a boost Wednesday when the location was designated for a quick cleanup.

The 25-acre parcel in Canonsburg, Pa., outside Pittsburgh, received a Brownfield Action Team designation, which receive top priority for cleanup, from Gov. Ed Rendell.

Projects designated for brownfield action team status typically receives permits in half the usual time.

The remediation of the site will likely include cleanup of contaminated soil and othe materials.

David Stoehr of Stoehr Development Inc. wants to develop the $23 million Fort Pitt Industrial Park on the Fort Bridge property in Canonsburg.

Stoehr wants to demolish 400,000 square feet of heavy industrial facilities by the end of 2006 and put up six buildings. So far, the project has received a $130,000 state planning grant.

Stoehr previously developed Meadow Lands Industrial Park, also in Washington County.

Pennsylvania officials say the development could create up to 550 jobs.

[Evergrey]

I don't think this has been posted yet...

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06194/705400-57.stm

Area's image as business site improves, panel says
Thursday, July 13, 2006

By Andrea Iglar

When Robert Ady is hired to find business locations for his clients, he starts with 100 or 200 places in mind.

Then, one by one, the professional site selector finds reasons to cross them off his list. Perhaps a pre-existing distribution warehouse would fit plenty of products, but it would be too far from a highway for trucking. Maybe another piece of land would be the perfect spot to build a technology park, but the local labor force wouldn't have the suitable skills to staff it.

"Site selection is a process of elimination," said Mr. Ady, of Ady International Co., near Chicago.

"We find reasons to reject you, so you must be prepared."

About 250 people interested in economic development attended a panel discussion Monday at North Fayette's Imperial Business Park to learn how to prepare to stay on that list.

The event was co-sponsored by the National Association of Industrial and Office Properties, a national trade association for developers, landowners, investors and others interested in commercial real estate.

Mr. Ady and five fellow commercial site selectors, who find and recommend sites for Fortune 500 companies and other U.S. businesses, discussed ways to lure companies to southwestern Pennsylvania and talked about the benefits and drawbacks of the region.

Local business and finance reporter Bill Flanagan mediated the discussion.

Panelists said the Pittsburgh area had improved its desirability as a business location in recent years by enhancing its image and diversifying its industries, but the region needs more young adults in the workforce to attract businesses.

Still, Pittsburgh has a reputation as an educational center and a good environment for research and development, Mr. Ady said.

The area could take advantage of the educational environment and keep young graduates by soliciting industries that require high skill levels, such as high-end electronics, medical fields and advanced manufacturing, said Deane Foote, of Carter & Burgess Inc., of Phoenix.

Creating centers of high-tech industry that are supported by academic institutions and the public sector could help recruit and retain "upwardly mobile young people," Mr. Bruce said.

Such a growth center could emerge from Imperial Business Park, a $100 million project under construction on 325 acres adjacent to the Imperial exit of Route 22/30 on Route 978.

Developers plan to build 2 million square feet of warehouse, light manufacturing and office space, including a business incubator for start-up companies, planned in conjunction with the Pittsburgh Airport Area Chamber of Commerce.

Imperial Business Park has been cooperating with a coalition of business, civic and educational groups to apply for state Keystone Innovation Zone status, which could provide tax breaks to emerging businesses and allow workers to tap the brainpower and resources of local colleges and universities, including Robert Morris.

Such cooperative efforts have become more common and more necessary in order to create jobs that would keep local college graduates in the area, said Patrick Geho, president of the Beaver County Chamber of Commerce.

Mr. Geho manned one of 15 exhibits by local economic development groups and companies selling or developing commercial real estate.

"This [event] couldn't have happened 10 years ago. There's been such a change in philosophy," Mr. Geho said. "Gone are the days of putting up borders around our counties."

Bernie McShea, the senior vice president for business investment of Pittsburgh Regional Alliance, said the region needed more large, ready-to-go industrial sites to compete with Charlotte, N.C.; Cleveland and Columbus, Ohio.

Recent marketing efforts, he said, have focused on the benefits of Pittsburgh International Airport and the Findlay Connector, a six-mile toll highway set to open this fall between the airport and Washington County.

Kevin Withers, of Chapman Properties in Leetsdale, said his group planned to build nearly 3 million square feet and include distribution and light manufacturing buildings 400,000 square feet or larger, which would compete with those available in Charlotte and Columbus.

Construction of the Chapman Commerce Center would begin late next year, about a year after the Findlay Connector opens, providing access to 300 acres via a new highway interchange.

Mr. Withers said his group was drawn to Findlay partly because of the emphasis politicians have been putting on the area. "The whole airport corridor has a lot of visibility these days," he said.

Another regional effort to attract industrial jobs and investment is the Tri-County Airport Partnership, which comprises Allegheny, Beaver and Washington counties and the Allegheny County Airport Authority.

Dan Donatella, a Beaver County commissioner, said Pittsburgh had the potential to lure workers and businesses because the region has a good quality of life, low cost of living and strong work ethic.

Bracken Burns, a Washington County commissioner, said cooperative efforts had created jobs in biotechnology, nanotechnology, robotics and other advanced fields, but that "we do need to do a better job of making our labor market known."


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(Andrea Iglar is a freelance writer. )

[themaguffin]

Yeah it's a bizjournals thing, not the specific Pgh Business Times that is doing this. I check out other journals as well, so it's even more frustrating.

I wonder if subscription access grants web access to all of the journals or just the web version of the subscription?

The development meeting last Monday was the source of a few articles last week and seemed to be positive - with the Findley Connector and new Parkway West interchange, several developments seem to be in the works or recently announced. I don't think that I was aware of this Imperial one, but it makes sense and certainly that portion of 22 is ready to grow.

[Evergrey]

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06199/706619-53.stm


Fifth-Forbes transformation starts with PNC project
Tuesday, July 18, 2006

By Ed Blazina, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

http://www.post-gazette.com/images4/20060718pd_fifthave3_450.jpg
Construction got underway yesterday at the corner of Fifth Avenue and Market Street.

After more than a decade of starts and stops, the first open sign of what Pittsburgh officials hope finally will be long-lasting redevelopment in the central business district began yesterday.

Contractors for PNC Financial Services Group placed Jersey barriers and fencing along Fifth Avenue yesterday between Wood and Market streets. That's where the company will tear down seven empty buildings to make way for Three PNC Plaza, a 23-story office, hotel, residential and retail complex

The PNC project is the first of three redevelopment efforts moving forward in the Fifth-Forbes corridor. Millcraft Industries is refurbishing the former Lazarus department store at Fifth and Wood into a retail-condominium complex and is finalizing an agreement with the city Urban Redevelopment Authority to redevelop another block along Forbes Avenue, including the former G.C. Murphy store.

Beginning in the early 1990s, former Mayor Tom Murphy targeted the Fifth-Forbes corridor for a major overhaul, but he had limited success.

In fact, the Lazarus store was built with substantial public subsidy and was considered the catalyst when it opened in November 1998. It was followed shortly thereafter by Lord & Taylor moving into a former Mellon Bank building on Smithfield Street.

But the expected stream of additional development never followed as Mr. Murphy's plans for tearing down existing buildings met with opposition from preservationists, and several developers who had considered the entire corridor as one mega-project walked away.

With little additional development to create a critical mass, the two department stores closed within five years.

Now, the former Lazarus building and the PNC project are key components in efforts that city officials say -- combined with construction of nearly 1,000 apartments and condos in the Downtown area -- will have staying power.

"We're pretty excited about the quality of the projects and the broad range of developers," said Michael Edwards, chief executive officer of the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership. The group, which represents Downtown businesses and building owners, has been working with the city on revitalization plans.

Mr. Edwards also noted that the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust has begun a 10-year project along Penn Avenue, two blocks from the retail corridor. That project is expected to include riverfront housing, retail space, a park and parking facilities.

"I think one of the big differences [in the latest efforts] is we're not putting all of our eggs in one basket," said Mr. Edwards, who came to Pittsburgh last year. "I think cities across the country are moving towards using multiple developers and away from one silver-bullet project that they hope will solve all of the problems."

Jerome Dettore, executive director of the URA, said the varied components of this project are the key.

"Clearly, the emphasis isn't on retail," Mr. Dettore said. "The focus of [Downtown efforts] is residential. Eventually, you have a very strong residential base and some retail will follow. I think Downtown has reached the low point and has turned the corner."

Yesterday's move by contractors for PNC to close one lane of Fifth Avenue and a small section of Market Street between Fifth and Liberty avenues was the first tangible sign the redevelopment effort has begun.

PNC spokeswoman Darcel Kimble said interior deconstruction efforts actually began about two months ago. Workers for Norelco Construction initially removed potentially valuable items such as fancy doors and tin ceilings from the buildings and donated them to Construction Junction, a Point Breeze nonprofit, for resale.

Workers also have been removing asbestos from the buildings.

As they finish with that work in one building, they will move onto the next while others begin demolition. Ms. Kimble said the site is expected to be cleared and ready for construction by late fall.

The project, expected to cost more than $170 million, will have 11 floors of office space, a 185-room upscale hotel and 30 luxury condominiums. The hotel and condos will share the upper floors of the complex but will have separate access elevators.

PNC hasn't announced who will operate the hotel.

Nearly half of the office space will be occupied by Downtown law firm Reed Smith, and PNC is expected to take the rest.

Restaurants and retail stores are expected to be on the bottom floors, and underground parking will be built.

The complex will be a "green" building, meaning more than 50 percent of construction materials will be made from recycled products, including concrete recycled from the demolished buildings. When the building opens in 2008, it is expected to be the largest environmentally friendly building in the country.


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

(Ed Blazina can be reached at eblazina@post-gazette.com or 412-263-1470. )


http://www.post-gazette.com/images4/20060719fifth_forbes.gif

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Has anyone found an updated rendering of 3 PNC Plaza on the web? I haven't seen anything besides the picture RamsayHank took with his camera phone.

[themaguffin]

3 PNC ("final" design):

http://www.popcitymedia.com/galleries/Default/Dev%20News/Issue%2020/PNC.jpg


Looks better than earlier proposed.

[UrbaniDesDev]

The earlier plan was simply a schematic. I think this proposal is looking very refined. I think it will be a nice contrast to the surrounding area

[Evergrey]

3 PNC ("final" design):

http://www.popcitymedia.com/galleries/Default/Dev%20News/Issue%2020/PNC.jpg


Looks better than earlier proposed.

Very sleek design.

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

July 19, 2006
PNC unveils final design of $179 million Three PNC Plaza
PNC Financial Services Group announced final designs for PNC Three, a 752,000 square foot, 23-story high-rise on Fifth Avenue next to its Fifth and Wood headquarters that will extend the corporate campus west to the end of Market St. The project will create 800 construction-related jobs with a $35 million payroll.

The property will include 320,000 square feet of office space, a 185-room, 11-story, upscale hotel, a 10-story, 30-unit luxury condominium, a restaurant and retail, and 330 parking spaces.

“This is especially significant because it is the first new high rise built downtown in 20 years. It serves as an impetus for additional development in the Fifth-Forbes corridor,” says Gary Saulson, director of corporate realty services for PNC.

Gensler Architects of San Francisco are designing the building in collaboration with Astorino of Pittsburgh. Project developer is Oxford Development Company.

Reed Smith, a top-25 international law firm, will occupy 50 percent of the
office, while PNC will occupy 25 percent. PNC will soon announce a major
hotel operator.

Three PNC Plaza is designed to meet LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) standards established by the U.S. Green Building Council.

The only major U.S. bank to build green banks, PNC has opened 24 green branches since 2002. “We think it is the right thing to do for our customers, our shareholders, and the community within which we live and work,” says Saulson.

Green elements for Three PNC include a minimum of 50 percent of construction materials made from green and/or recycled materials along with daylighting, and high efficiency heating and cooling systems. Consulting for green building is by Paladino and Company of Seattle.

Construction will begin in August with an expected completion date in late 2008. Over the next three to five years, PNC expects to add 1,000 employees to its Pennsylvania payroll, with many positions based in Pittsburgh.

Writer: Jennifer Baron
Sources: Gary Saulson, director of corporate realty services, and Darcell Kimble, spokesperson, PNC Financial Services Group

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

http://www.popcitymedia.com/galleries/Default/Dev%20News/Issue%2020/encore.jpg

July 19, 2006
$40 million Encore reaches 50% occupancy mark
The Encore, located downtown at 100 7th Street, has just reached 50% occupancy. The $40 million project, managed by Lincoln Property Company, features 151 units ranging in size from 830 to 2,600 square feet.

“We are at 50% occupancy and moving right along,” says Janet Brown, business manager with Lincoln Property Company.

“It is a very good mix--single professionals who want to live and work downtown, empty nesters and people who want a house in the city and suburbs. I am seeing more and more people relocating to Pittsburgh; there is an upsurge,” says Brown.

While Brown adds that units facing the river are more popular, all types of units have leased. Two of the Encore’s most popular are The Virtuoso, with large bedrooms and round windows, and The Maestro, featuring spacious balconies.

“People walked in and take a look during the All- Star Game. People like to be able see into PNC Park and up and down the river,” says Brown.

The Encore also includes three rentals spaces ranging from 1,147 to 3,000 square feet. A small gourmet food shop and café are currently considering the largest space. “This would benefit downtown and our residents. We also have some small restaurants and an art gallery or boutique interested,” says Brown.


Writer: Jennifer Baron
Source: Janet Brown, business manager, Lincoln Property Company.

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fantastic article on how unique and exciting new nightlife venues have helped turn around struggling sections of the city... the only place I've been to is Quiet Storm... which I love... great Mexican Hot Chocolate and their vegetarian sandwiches are delicious... my friend just went to the Shadow Lounge this weekend and said he was blown away by how "chic" it was...

http://www.popcitymedia.com/features/20nightclubs.aspx

Out of the Ashes
By: Robert Isenberg

July 19, 2006
With few exceptions, the decor, the music, the entertainment and the tea and tobacco selections at the Sphinx Café in Oakland are exactly as one would find them on the streets of Cairo. And customers of the new hookah bar love it.


Like a number of Pittsburgh’s most popular night-spots, the Sphinx Café’s Oakland branch began as an abandoned husk. For 12 years, the former church on the corner of Atwood Street was a “crack-house,” Residents of South Oakland would pass it on their way to class or work, maybe stopping long enough to notice the stained-glass windows or the unkempt sod that ringed the building But despite the “For Sale” signs, no one seemed interested.


Until Ramy and Amera Andrawes came along. Born in Egypt, the couple have lived in Oakland for several years, though their business is located in the Southside. Thanks to recent financial success and ardent friends and family, they were looking to expand. Their business: Tobacco hookahs.


“We went through hell to get this place,” Ramy Andrawes says of the Sphinx, which opened its doors May 1, after months of renovation work. “We got some support from the Oakland community. They said they didn’t want another bar, but they didn’t know what kind of crowd we’d bring.”


The eclectic crowd is a mix of collegiate and young professional, Middle Eastern nationals, hipsters, tobacco enthusiasts, belly-dancing fans, and curious passersby. They sip Egyptian tea and draw flavored smoke from tall, ornate glass bubblers known as shisha. They relax on pillows on the floor and take in the peculiar atmosphere – a cavernous room hung with crosshatch-patterned drapery, where Arabic songs play from the speakers and the room is aromatic with grape, strawberry, mango and lemon-smelling smoke.


The Sphinx Café is more than twice as big as the original Southside location – which is still in operation – and can comfortably seat over 100 people in what used to be the church’s nave. While shisha bars have become surprisingly popular in Pittsburgh, with upscale Om Shiva in Shadyside and fusion-style HKAN on Carson Street, the Andraweses claim that they are “Pittsburgh’s only authentic hookah bar.” Such a bold statement is bolstered by two years of good press, good service and an ever-expanding menu, and, most importantly, a strict emulation of the Egyptian shisha bar rubric which explains the Cairo feel of the place.


What’s striking about the Sphinx – and other savvy new venues – is its location: Atwood St. is mostly residential, neglected in large parts, and inhabited by students. While the popular Mad Mex is located across the way, Andrawes makes a good point: Oakland is saturated with bars and restaurants. But a hookah bar is new and different, and it has transformed the scraggly, unimpressive block into a magnet for cultured thrill-seekers.


The Eye of the Storm

When the Quiet Storm opened its doors in 2000, skeptics worried for the safety and success of the hipster café. The reputation for the area's battered streets was only one of the Quiet Storm’s challenges; there was also the question of limited parking on the narrow streets, the somewhat obscure location on a desolate stretch of Penn Avenue, and the proprietor’s strained budget – which more or less ruled out advertising. None of which deterred the Friendship Development Associates, which had bought the building as part of their mile-long Penn Avenue Arts Initiative, turfed out the former and troublesome inhabitants and renovated the storefront.

The aim? To create a place where the blossoming electic residents of Friendship and Garfield, the neighborhoods divided by Penn Avenue, could gather and commune.


Today it's a whole new scene. The Quiet Storm is universally beloved by all kinds of regulars – particularly bike punks, artists, independent music fans and vegetarians. The Fair Trade coffee and colorful menu are major draws for progressive lunchers, and every week brings its nocturnal revue of bands, spoken word artists, magazine release parties, and activist meetings. For the many patrons, the Sunday brunch is an unbreakable tradition; others will visit almost daily, staying for hours, reading books or writing poetry or chatting with the ultra-casual staff.

The Quiet Storm has succeeded because it hasn’t strived to gentrify the neighborhood; but rather, it has given the area a multi-faceted, upbeat hang-out complete with open doors and a non-confrontational attitude. And it’s fair to say that the vast majority of the Quiet Storm’s customers would rarely, if ever, have visited the neighborhood if it weren’t for the coffeehouse.


What’s in the Box


The Brillobox has enjoyed the kind of overnight success that most places only dream of: Within a month, the former dive bar, notorious for fights and theft, had become one of the most talked-about businesses in inner-city Pittsburgh. And in the process it's transforming the neighborhood.


The downstairs of The Brillobox boasts a long bar, elegant tables and chairs, an antique Deco ceiling, reasonable drink prices, and an expanding menu of filling entrees. Like the Sphinx and the Quiet Storm, it’s difficult to pigeonhole: The upstairs loft is an epicenter of deejayed dance parties, multi-media projections, spoken word, live music and even stage drama. It’s no accident that the Brillobox offers an underground Manhattan vibe: When Eric Stern and Renee Ickes opened its renovated doors in late 2005, they had recently returned from a several-year sojourn in New York City.


Also located on Penn Avenue, but further east in Bloomfield, the Brillobox has no competition in the vicinity: The only nearby businesses are two modest coffee-shops, a small pizzeria and a gas station. What used to be an innocuous crossroads, an ignorable intersection between Lawrenceville and Bloomfield, has become an attraction for scores, sometimes hundreds of visitors, every night of the week.


Lounging in the Shade

While all of these venues can claim diverse patronage – Andrawes is particularly impressed by the growing over-40 crowd that the Oakland Sphinx has attracted – the Shadow Lounge is by far the most cosmopolitan. The bronze-colored, high-ceiling rooms host a radical variety of spoken word and live music; the slam poets who perform are arguably the most respected in the city. Most recently, the Shadow Lounge has dabbled in stand-up comedy, a genre that barely exists outside of the city’s two big clubs, the Improv and the FunnyBone. Other recurring events, like Beautiful Noise (a cross-media, collaborative performance series) and Pandemic (a turntable dance party featuring such various genres as Hindi pop music and West African hip-hop) have won the Shadow Lounge untold acclaim as one of the city’s most enterprising performance venues.


The Shadow Lounge may have the toughest turf to win – a small nook of East Liberty, directly across from the neighborhood’s massive Presbyterian church. Once feared by outsiders, East Liberty’s tough reputation has changed with the arrival of Whole Foods, the highly touted restaurant, Red Room and equally acclaimed Ethiopian restaurant, Abay, along with other hot spots—Kelly's Bar, with its cool, throwback era design--that are attracting people from all over the region.


When the Shadow Lounge opened, owner Justin Strong made it non-smoking and BYOB, but like the now-defunct Oakland Beehive, the Shadow Lounge caved to pressure and earned a liquor license. But it’s still smoke-free, and business has been strong enough – sometimes with packed houses – to facilitate a second room in the back, where atmospheric lighting and comfortable leather loungers make patrons feel like they’re conversing in a Mattress Factory installation.





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

Robert Isenberg is a freelance writer and co-author of a new book, The Pittsburgh Monologue Project. His last story for Pop City was about the Penn Avenue Arts Initiative.

[Wheelingman04]

What a nice design.:tup:

[Evergrey]

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06200/706788-336.stm

NHL bylaws, funding plans should keep Penguins here
Wednesday, July 19, 2006

By Shelly Anderson and Mark Belko, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

The state and local government's proposed plan for alternative arena funding and the NHL bylaws have dovetailed nicely to make it difficult for a new owner to move the Penguins to another city.

It apparently wasn't orchestrated by the two entities.

Allegheny County Chief Executive Dan Onorato yesterday said neither he nor other local or state officials were angling for their "Plan B" to reinforce the NHL's tough stance on franchise relocation or even knew the details of the league bylaw, although he said the effect of the two "sounds positive."

Onorato said he doesn't sense additional pressure to get Plan B done, but that he, Mayor Bob O'Connor and Gov. Ed Rendell have been working under the assumption for some time "that a new multipurpose facility has to be part of the deal" with a new owner because of the proliferation of new, revenue-generating arenas throughout the NHL.

Before it was reported yesterday, Onorato said he and other officials were not aware that a Canadian group that had the highest of the five bids for the Penguins at $175 million or more withdrew after realizing that Plan B might limit its options.

That Canadian group, which has guarded its identity, was believed to be interested in either keeping the Penguins in Pittsburgh or moving them to a city with a better arena option, but probably not Hamilton, Ontario, as earlier thought.

There are four remaining bidders. A decision on which will sign a letter of intent could come any day.

NHL commissioner Gary Bettman has said he would prefer that the Penguins stay in Pittsburgh. A league spokesman said Bettman was not available and that there would be no comment from the NHL.

The new Penguins owner will be obligated to abide by the team's agreement with gaming company Isle of Capri, which will donate $290 million for a new arena if it gets the city's slots license sometime around December.

If Isle of Capri doesn't get the slots license, Plan B comes into play. As long as Plan B is a viable option for a new facility to replace outdated Mellon Arena, it seems the NHL would have the power to nix any relocation plans for the Penguins.

A copy of the four-page Section 36 of the NHL bylaws, dealing with franchise relocations, was obtained from the league.

There are 24 areas of consideration that are to be used in determining whether to allow a team to move, including "whether there is a reasonable prospect ... that it could become financially viable" and whether the club received a "publicly financed arena, special tax treatment, or any other form of public financial support."

A new arena under Plan B would arguably give the Penguins a reasonable chance of financial health, and it could fit the criteria of public financial support.

Also considered under the NHL bylaws would be local fan support, whether local authorities could help reduce operating costs and whether a move would harm the league's image or make travel, scheduling and divisional alignment difficult.

The Penguins, who led the league in attendance increase in 2005-06 despite having the NHL's second-worst record, are expected to get a favorable lease at a new arena. Their Mellon Arena lease expires in June 2007.

Under Plan B, Isle of Capri's competitors, Forest City and PITG Gaming, have made written commitments to the state to provide $7.5 million per year for 30 years toward arena construction if they get the slots license.

The Penguins would commit $8.5 million up front, then contribute $4.1 million per year. The state has $7 million per year earmarked from a slots-backed development fund. Rendell, Onorato and O'Connor also are using $26.5 million in state funds to start acquiring and preparing land in Uptown for a new arena.

The city and county's goal is to have the new arena under construction in 2007 and have it completed in 2009.

It's believed that part of the Canadian group's concern centered on being locked into Plan B without knowing what the actual costs will be, including construction cost overruns and delays that might mean more time spent in Mellon Arena, which is sure to equal financial losses.

Onorato said having a new arena and a lease that "makes sense" to the owners will have a positive effect.

The Steelers and Pirates were responsible for cost overruns at their new facilities in exchange for control over construction, and Onorato said the current thinking is to work out a similar deal with the Penguins' owner. He said that is subject for negotiation.

"None of that has been agreed to until we have a signed document. Right now, that is a discussion item. Nothing has been agreed upon," he said.

He added that he and the mayor are prepared to sit down with the new owner to provide whatever assurances or guarantees are necessary to try to get an arena built as quickly as possible.

"All we can do is put Pittsburgh in the best possible position to keep the franchise here," Onorato said.


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

(Shelly Anderson can be reached at shanderson@post-gazette.com or 412-263-1721. Mark Belko can be reached a mbelko@post-gazette.com or 412-263-1262. )

[FlyersFan118]

Glad to hear that. Penguins belong in Pittsburgh.

[Evergrey]

This photo was taken by Chucka at the UrbanPlanet Pittsburgh forum. It appears everybody's favorite sloped root is still part of the design.

http://static.flickr.com/78/194350301_204b8040c8_o.jpg

More photos here: http://www.urbanplanet.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=27815

[Wheelingman04]

^ Things are going great in Pittsburgh. We are going to be getting this nice, new tower and the Penquins are going to stay.:)

[PA Pride]

Based on PNC 1 and PNC 2, both buildings which are over 400 ft and I did the math and one bldg is 13 ft per floor and the other is 14 ft per floor. So if we go off those numbers we can assume the new 23 story PNC 3 will be between 299 and 325 ft high.

[themaguffin]

I was wondering how tall as well. Just be glancing the buildings via this web site, the Westinghouse building is 23 floors and 354 ft.

The Federal building is 23 and 341 ft.

The Hilton 22 and 335

Frick 21 and 330...

so I would guess in the 330ish range....

[AaronPGH]

Damn, I was hoping we'd get a little more than that. Sadly, I don't think this building is going to be very visible around town other than maybe from the station square side of it. That's a pretty dense area.

[PA Pride]

^ Yeah, themaguffin, I think we are right in the fact that it will be in the 300's somewhere...

Here's a couple more pictures i've come across that I haven't seen on this thread yet.. First is a 28 unit, 82,000 sq ft condo building going up on Beacon Street in Squirrel Hill between a Giant Eagle and Beth Shalom Congregation, named: "5859 Beacon Street Condominiums", which should be ready for occupancy this fall, since it started construction late last year. Prices for two- and three-bedroom units range from $370,000 to $691,000. There will be four penthouse units on the top floor and eight units each on the first to third floors. Units are 1,500-2,200 sq ft. Each unit will have a porch. Integral parking for 49 cars is planned.

Renaissance 3 Architects of the South Side is the architect.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v284/austindaniel/BeaconStreetbldginSquirrelHill.jpg



Next is the exciting new rendering for the Gates Center for Computer Science on the Carnegie Mellon Campus! Now someone has posted a picture of what looked like a non-detail cardboard cut-out of what the building might look like but check out the finished product.... This is the result of the worlds richest man coming to Pittsburgh a year or two ago and telling CMU what a wonderful contribution to this country and the world they are with their huge successes in innovation and writing them a check on the spot for $20 million to go towards their new Computer Research building... Well, with that gift they upped the total price of what they could afford to build to an $89 million building.


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v284/austindaniel/GatesCenterforComputerScienceonCMUc.jpg


This is alround the same time CMU finished the innovation collaboration building which has helped Google, Intel, Apple & Seagate to all recently open offices for R&D and engineering in Pgh in the last couple of years.

Newer CMU Collaborative Innovation Center:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v284/austindaniel/CollaborativeInnovationCenter.jpg

[PA Pride]

Yeah aaronclark, i never understood why everyone was getting super excited over a 23 story midrise building... Even though it will most definitely be over 300 ft, I new it wasn't gonna be very visible in a city as dense at Pittsburgh that currently has 27 buildings over 300 ft in height!! Compare that to Cincinnati with 15 or Cleveland with 17 .

[themaguffin]

The South/West view looking towards downtown should be pretty open to see 3 PNC.


PA, thanks for the updates. I don't think that I've seen the Squirrel Hill condos before.

Of course the CMU stuff is fantastic.

[EventHorizon]

I think it'll be quite visible. The view from PCN park is going to be even more sweeter!. It should look very nice from several mt. wash. perspectives as well!

maybe something like this:
http://img363.imageshack.us/img363/9666/1mw7.jpg
http://img152.imageshack.us/img152/705/2kt0.jpg
http://img103.imageshack.us/img103/4699/3in7.jpg

*pictures originally from Evergrey, Google, and Flickr. Thanks ;)

[Evergrey]

Yeah aaronclark, i never understood why everyone was getting super excited over a 23 story midrise building... Even though it will most definitely be over 300 ft, I new it wasn't gonna be very visible in a city as dense at Pittsburgh that currently has 27 buildings over 300 ft in height!! Compare that to Cincinnati with 15 or Cleveland with 17 .

I don't think most people are excited about 3 PNC over any perceived "skyline presence". I'm excited in that it's going to be the "largest LEED-certified green building in the country". It will serve several functions, including: office space for PNC and Reed-Smith (one of the world's top 25 law firms, based right here in PGH!), Pittsburgh's most exclusive hotel (more so than even the Renaissance), more downtown housing, street-level retail... and it really does seem to have a sleek design and while maybe not providing a strong skyline presence from Mt. Washington or PNC Park... it will have a huge presence within the downtown district. The structures that are being demolished, while originally architecturally interesting, have been so defaced over the years and have become eyesores. These properties have long outlived their usefulness as they've contributed to the under-performing and blighted Fifth-Forbes "retail" district. 3 PNC is a big big deal... and is one critical component in a series of projects that will absolutely push downtown Pittsburgh over the top.

Anyways... as EventHorizon's drawings show... 3 PNC should have a decent skyline impact from many angles. Due to its green status, it will definately rank amongst the must-see architectural marvels of one of the most architecturally rich downtowns in America.

[Evergrey]

Thanks for the info on those Squirrel Hill condos, PA Pride. I forgot about that project. http://www.5859beacon.com

Units will include:

Spacious terraces with the option for outdoor cooking

Customized unit design

State-of-the-art security systems

Large combination utility, laundry and storage area

An exercise room

A pet washroom

A bike storage area

High-speed Internet access




I have no idea what's going on in that CMU rendering... is that a rooftop covered with moss?

[Evergrey]

More info on the Canonsburg industrial brownfield site.

http://pittsburgh.bizjournals.com/pittsburgh/stories/2006/07/17/daily47.html?t=printable

Revamp of Fort Pitt Bridgeworks gets boost
Pittsburgh Business Times - 4:06 PM EDT Fridayby Robert Sandler
Redevelopment of the former Fort Pitt Bridgeworks in Canonsburg, Pa., has received $5.2 million in funding from the state's Business in our Sites program, state legislators announced this week.

Developer David Stoehr is planning to build six buildings totaling about 225,000 square feet of industrial and flex space on the brownfield site.

The state is contributing a $1.9-million grant and a $3.3-million loan for the project. Pennsylvania already spent more than $130,000 for planning the site's redevelopment.

Stoehr is hoping to start demolition of the existing heavy industrial buildings later this year.

State Sen. J. Barry Stout and Rep. Tim Solobay, both Washington County Democrats, made the announcement, saying they believe the state funding will make the site a major employment hub in the future.

rsandler@bizjournals.com | (412) 481-6397 x223

[PA Pride]

If anyone is interested in reading more about the 89 million Gates Center, here is the link with info, including another link to the architects website if you wanna read that:
http://gatescenter.blog.cs.cmu.edu/overview/



Also, about the skyline presence of PNC 3, Event Horizon: you are overestimating it's height. It will will probably be right around 315 ft tall; Which is 130 ft shorter than PNC 2 and 110 ft shorter than PNC 1... So the new building will be THREE-QUARTERS of the height of those other two... Your diagram is showing them as almost the same height... The actual height is gonna be about the same as the Hilton Hotel building which is 333 ft tall which is in the foreground of that last rainbow picture posted above^... Look at the Hilton and that is about what you can expect. I believe that PNC 3 will be take over as the 25th tallest building in Pgh; Respectable, but not that noticeable in our already huge skyline.

I would love if the new tower were 900 ft tall, but I'm just trying to be realistic with everyone here.

[Evergrey]

If anyone is interested in reading more about the 89 million Gates Center, here is the link with info, including another link to the architects website if you wanna read that:
http://gatescenter.blog.cs.cmu.edu/overview/



Also, about the skyline presence of PNC 3, Event Horizon: you are overestimating it's height. It will will probably be right around 315 ft tall; Which is130 ft shorter than PNC 2 and 110 ft shorter than PNC 1... So the new building will be THREE-QUARTERS of the height of those other two... Your diagram is showing them as almost the same height... The actual height is gonna be about that of the Hilton Hotel building which is 333 ft tall which is in the foreground of that last rainbow picture posted above^... Look at the Hilton and that is about what you can expect. I believe that PNC 3 will be take over as the 25th tallest building in Pgh; Respectable, but not that noticeable in our already huge skyline.

I would love if the new tower were 900 ft tall, but I'm just trying to be realistic with everyone here.


Considerations concerning the height of PNC 3...

1. The sloped roof... how will this affect the height? Is the sloped roof ornamental like a spire would be? Or is the sloped roof functional... featuring X number of floors? Maybe the peak of the sloped roof will add additional height.

2. Green construction. I've heard that this environmentally-friendly method of construction tends to have higher floor-to-ceiling ratios than conventional construction. This may increase the height.

3. Mixed-use. Office space tends to have higher ceilings than residential/hotel. The fact that much of 3 PNC will be residential/hotel could decrease the height of the building as opposed to a building that would be exclusively office.

4. Also to consider at least in comparison to 1 PNC, 2 PNC, Hilton etc... when guessing the height of 3 PNC from those existing structures... I don't know if this is fact... but it seems to be the case... that average ceiling heights for skyscrapers has increased over the years since the 1950s-70s era. Just look at U.S. Steel... a jaw-dropping 64 floors in a rather short 841 ft. (also without the luxury of a decorative top).

[EventHorizon]

If anyone is interested in reading more about the 89 million Gates Center, here is the link with info, including another link to the architects website if you wanna read that:
http://gatescenter.blog.cs.cmu.edu/overview/



Also, about the skyline presence of PNC 3, Event Horizon: you are overestimating it's height. It will will probably be right around 315 ft tall; Which is 130 ft shorter than PNC 2 and 110 ft shorter than PNC 1... So the new building will be THREE-QUARTERS of the height of those other two... Your diagram is showing them as almost the same height... The actual height is gonna be about the same as the Hilton Hotel building which is 333 ft tall which is in the foreground of that last rainbow picture posted above^... Look at the Hilton and that is about what you can expect. I believe that PNC 3 will be take over as the 25th tallest building in Pgh; Respectable, but not that noticeable in our already huge skyline.

I would love if the new tower were 900 ft tall, but I'm just trying to be realistic with everyone here.

Perhaps I am overestimating. I was basing my little sketch thingy on the 23 story Westinghouse building, which looks noticeably taller than the 22 story Hilton -- yet it's only one floor shorter.
Maybe Evergrey’s right about the floor heights and such -- which could make it quite higher than the Hilton. But who knows!!?? We shall see.

Anyway, they should have more renderings showing it in the skyline rather than looking up at an angle.

Anyone have any ideas when/if they'll have those anytime soon?

[UrbaniDesDev]

I don't really think that the height is the main event. It will be a respectable height but it's presence will be most welcome. Frankly, a tower any taller would not sit well in that lot. The towers of, what was "Oliver Plaza" are very tight together already, and a 40 story tower would be overwhelming.

[Evergrey]

Well, this is Skyscraperpage.com

haha...good point... I agree, UrbaniDesDev... a significantly taller tower would look ungainly on that site...

As for that proposed 1000 footer back in the 80s... I'm not familiar with the architectural firm you mentioned... but I believe Fifth Avenue Place (31 stories, 615 ft. incl. massive spire structure) was originally supposed to be 60 stories, which would have put it over the 1000 ft. mark. I'm not sure of the whole back story... but I believe the city pressured the developers to reduce the height of Fifth Ave. Place... probably for aesthetic reasons (thank god) and perhaps NIMBY concerns.

[themaguffin]

Fifth Ave Place was reduced because of its location downtown. Depending on where a structure is downtown there maybe height limits.

[themaguffin]

With eye on Pittsburgh, Disney applies for $2M state grant
State recently switched from tax credits to cash incentive
Pittsburgh Business Times - July 21, 2006by Tim Schooley
Pennsylvania officials were hoping new legislation would start the turnstiles turning for filmmakers looking to bring production into Pittsburgh and the rest of the state.

And apparently the VIP invitation of $10 million in cash grants for film production is already generating interest.

The Walt Disney Co. is among the first to file an application for funding under the new program, which took effect July 1.

Disney is seeking $2 million, and representatives of the Pennsylvania and Pittsburgh Film Offices are in discussions with the company about a future production here, according to Dawn Keezer, executive director of the Pittsburgh Film Office, and Mickey Rowley, deputy secretary for tourism at the state Department of Community & Economic Development, which oversees the state's film office.

Rowley and Keezer would not reveal the name of the production and emphasized that a deal has not yet been confirmed. Disney did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Regardless, Rowley is confident Pennsylvania's commitment to attracting film productions will pay dividends.

"You can make an argument that there's an arms race with other states out there," he said. "And we should be winning it."

The new cash lure, made available on a first-come, first-served basis in amounts that are capped at $2 million, represents a considerable increase over Pennsylvania's previous film incentive program.

Previously, Pennsylvania offered $10 million in tax credits, a program that enabled film productions to write off 20 percent of their in-state production costs on their taxes. Because the credits were for Pennsylvania state taxes, productions from companies based outside the state were forced to sell the credits to Pennsylvania-based companies, which often bought them at discounted rates.

The grant program requires 60 percent of a production's costs to be incurred within the state. Productions must be intended for a national audience. The Pennsylvania Film Office will choose the recipients.

Keezer expects Pittsburgh to fare far better in recruiting new film production now that Pennsylvania's calling card is cash.

"We're the only ones doing cash, I believe, and not a tax credit," said Keezer, who helped establish the legislation.

In recent weeks, Keezer and Rowley visited Los Angeles to spread the news of the new grant program to studio companies such as DreamWorks SKG and Universal Studios. Last week, the Pittsburgh Film Office announced that Keezer will continue her role as the executive director of the PFO in Los Angeles, where she is moving. The organization has come under fire from city councilman Doug Shields for allowing the move.

Keezer and Rowley both described a very different reception from Hollywood than in the past. Rowley notes that Pennsylvania's role in movie pitches is now reversed, with the state able to mull pitches and the production companies lining up for funding that is expected to go quickly.

"Now all of a sudden, I'm being the customer and they are being the persuader," said Rowley.

Amy Lamb, a local film production veteran and president of Mount Washington-based Lumiere Films, had heard rumors of Disney seeking to produce a film in Pittsburgh.

"It would be a great boon considering that there hasn't been any large budget features in town for several years," said Lamb.

She cautioned that Pittsburgh needs to better streamline its permitting processes to make the city more hospitable to major film production companies such as Disney.

"We need to change things to make our city more production friendly," Lamb said. "If we're getting a chance like this, now is the time to press forward on that."

---------

[themaguffin]

Purchase of parcel completes UPMC's Baum-Centre 'puzzle'
Hospital considers area ideal for expanding its cancer center
Pittsburgh Business Times - July 21, 2006by Robert Sandler
The University of Pittsburgh Medical Center appears to have assembled the final piece of nearly two city blocks it has been coveting for planned expansion of the Hillman Cancer Center and UPMC Shadyside hospital.

UPMC last month purchased a lot behind Family House, a residential facility for patients of area hospitals and their family members, located between Baum Boulevard and Centre Avenue. The parcel, which sold for $485,000, is just east of the Boston Market restaurant property, which the health system previously acquired. The seller was D.A. Associates LLC, an entity controlled by the Voelker family, which owns nearby Don Allen Chevrolet.

Richard Voelker, the president of Don Allen Chevrolet who also developed the nearby Courtyard by Marriott hotel, said the deal gives UPMC control of the entire block between Baum and Centre in the area west of Family House.

"That completes their puzzle," Voelker said. "The chess game they had going on over there was the assemblage of those parcels. That completes their block."

The health system also in June trimmed some of its real estate holdings in the area, selling the former Goodwill Industries Inc. property at the corner of Baum Boulevard and Liberty Avenue to LAV Associates for $1.5 million. LAV Associates also is controlled by the Voelker family.

For the past few years, the health system has been accumulating properties along the Baum-Centre corridor, with an eye toward expanding the Hillman Cancer Center.

UPMC said last month it was working toward building a new tower of 100 or more beds at UPMC Shadyside hospital, as well as a separate addition to the cancer research center of at least 300,000 square feet. In March, it purchased the former Ford Motor Co. building, now occupied by Papermart, for $10 million, according to property records.

UPMC spokesman Frank Raczkiewicz would only say that the latest transactions are part of that process.

"Our cancer research programs are tremendously successful," Raczkiewicz said in a statement. "As we continue to grow, additional space to pursue our cutting-edge research is necessary."

Voelker said the car dealership is currently parking cars on the Goodwill site. The property has both "a short-term, and potentially a long-term use," he said, but declined to say whether he would seek to redevelop it in the future.

"The corridor's changing," Voelker said. "It is flush with opportunities, and we keep a close eye on that. We're being patient when it comes to real estate."

Developers have flocked to the Baum-Centre corridor in recent years, as UPMC and others have planned major construction there.

A new Mercedes-Benz dealership by Bobby Rahal Motor Car Co. is under construction on Baum, Walnut Capital Partners recently opened a new retail center at Centre and Millvale avenues, and Giant Eagle Inc. also opened its upscale Market District store on Centre Avenue.

Luna Square, a $110-million mixed-use hotel-retail-entertainment development led by Harmar-based Kratsa Properties, was planned for a site on the north side of Baum Boulevard, but that project has been stalled.

Ned Doran, a real estate broker with Downtown-based GVA Oxford, is working to build a new National City Corp. bank branch on the site of the Exxon gas station at Baum and Millvale Avenue. He said the entire Baum-Centre corridor has been exploding with growth coming out of Oakland.

"Oakland can grow no further. Land's becoming scarce, buildings are becoming scarce. So where's the closest area to Oakland?" Doran asked rhetorically.

Richard Swartz, executive director of the community development agency Bloomfield-Garfield Corp., said UPMC's expansion plans would give a boost beyond just the Baum-Centre corridor.

"I think that's good news for the whole East End, because it promises a larger employment base for a lot of folks," Swartz said.

Swartz said he hopes the former Goodwill site will be restored for neighborhood shopping. While he acknowledged that the site doesn't have the amount parking required for a large store, he said the building could be used for multiple retail tenants.

"We always thought it would be nice to see that retain some kind of a retail use," he said.

-------

[themaguffin]

Packed retail area gets transit study
Pittsburgh Business Times - July 21, 2006by Jennifer Curry
The Airport Corridor Transportation Association plans a study of the Robinson Township/North Fayette retail area.

The study will look at ways to improve mobility within the Robinson Town Centre corridor, which includes The Mall at Robinson as well as stores such as IKEA.

ACTA will receive $150,000 to conduct the study. Eighty percent of the funding will come from a planning and research grant from the Federal Highway Administration, and the remaining 20 percent will come from the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, according to Shannon O'Connell, a spokeswoman with the Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission. The commission, which serves as the regional planning agency for a 10-county area in southwestern Pennsylvania, will administer and oversee the project.

ACTA hopes to come up with ways to make the corridor more pedestrian and bicycle-friendly. Currently, the area is very congested and hard for people to get around, according to Lynn Manion, executive director of ACTA, a Robinson Township-based association that works to improve the transportation system for businesses located near the Parkway West.

Creating a more pedestrian-friendly area would encourage people to go from store to store, Manion said.

"It is built for cars more than for a human scale," she said.

Michael Bonini, a transportation planning manager for PennDOT, said the study has been identified as one of PennDOT's highest priority projects because it is designed to foster the use of many modes of transportation, including mass transit, automobiles, pedestrians and bicyclists, all at once.

"It is looking at improving mobility and traffic flow in and around the suburban retail area," he said. "It will help to alleviate congestion and improve safety and mobility."

ACTA expects to begin the study in about two months.

------

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Seems like the Biz Journal had a little glitch earlier today... I had all the full articles opened on my computer and then it crashed... I got on 10 minutes later and the glitch was fixed already... ARGH!!!!!!!!!!! Thanks for posting a few of those articles.

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The master plan for the Baum Corridor that was recently published emphasized its development as a "high-density" urban district. Yet that new National Bank branch going up there will be of a very suburban design featuring a drive-thru. What a waste. Hopefully Rahal's automobile dealership will be of an urban enclosed design.

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From what I was able to glean from the Biz Journal... from the little bit I read before my computer crashed... and the 1st paragraphs of each article that are available now... (complete with my own commentary)

1. There was an editorial about how Pittsburgh leaders invited all those "site selection" experts to town over the All-Star Game. The site selectors were impressed with Pittsburgh's progress and left with a new impression of the region. Pittsburgh has done much work to develop shovel-ready industrial sites in the Airport region and elsewhere... which could mean up to 25,000 new jobs in the future. That would do a lot to help reverse the region's population loss.

2. Pita Pit, a pita chain that usually locates in college towns (incl. State College, Indiana and Morgantown) is opening 2 locations in PGH (Oakland and South Side Works). Pittsburgh has really been on the radar for many of the more interesting chain restaurants and stores lately. This is a sign of growing confidence in the region's demographic and purchasing power. Chipotle, a popular Mexican fast food chain will be opening its first location in Oakland. A Charlotte-based fast Mex Salsarita's is also coming. http://pittsburgh.bizjournals.com/pittsburgh/stories/2006/07/24/daily4.html

3. In somewhat bizarre news, a chain of "Rock and Roll" schools will be opening a Pittsburgh location. I guess it teaches children how to play rock music. They get to gig at clubs and play with famous musicians. Sounds pretty rad.

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This is cool news. This will be a wonderful attraction for the waterfront of SSW. I think Hofbrauhaus will only help the business of Penn Brewery and other local institutions. Like how Starbucks increased "coffee awareness", Hofbrauhaus will help increase "beer awareness".


http://pittsburgh.bizjournals.com/pittsburgh/stories/2006/07/24/daily6.html?t=printable

Hofbrauhaus headed for SouthSide Works
Pittsburgh Business Times - 2:48 PM EDT Mondayby Tim Schooley
After initial expressions of interest two years ago, Hofbrauhaus, the famed German beer hall, expects to make its final commitment to open a location at the SouthSide Works later this week.

Christine Fulton, vice president for external relations for the Soffer Organization, the developer of the SouthSide Works, confirmed that officials from the Hofbrauhaus will sign a lease in a ceremony this Friday.

Hofbrauhaus will develop a 17,000-square foot Pittsburgh location on a riverfront site near the Hot Metal bridge across the street from Claddagh Irish Pub and The Cheesecake Factory, Fulton said.

Hofbrauhaus expects to open in fall 2007.

The beer hall and restaurant will be operated by an investment group lead by Nick Ellison, who currently operates the Hofbrauhaus location in Newport, Ky., a suburb of Cincinnati.

Representing Ellison in his site search in Pittsburgh is Bruce Hill III, president of Downtown-based Hill Cleary and Associates, and Cincinnati-based Dan Mawer, of the real estate firm Chelsea Moore.

Hill wouldn't comment on Hofbrauhaus.

In a prepared statement, Ellison said "we are proud to join in a rich brewing tradition in Pittsburgh."

In a city with plenty of beer heritage and German ancestry, Hofbrauhaus could prove to be a substantial draw for the SouthSide Works.

The Pittsburgh location will be only the third in North America, following Ellison's Newport location and another based in Las Vegas.

The original Hofbrauhaus is a German institution based in Munich, where it was founded in 1859 by a Bavarian duke. The original Hofbrauhaus is in a huge facility that serves 30,000 customers a day and produces 1.5 million liters of beer each year.

In May 2004, Ellison described a business that would offer five different varieties of beer made on-site, along with a menu of traditional German food in a traditional German beer-hall setting that includes a 7,000-square foot outdoor beer garden.

Opened in 2003, the Newport location of the Hofbrauhaus reached between $7 million and $10 million in its first year of business. If Hofbrauhaus is eventually able to reach that level of business at a future Pittsburgh location, it would rank it among the city's most lucrative restaurants, which includes its future neighbor, the Cheesecake Factory.

Perhaps the most likely competitor for Hofbrauhaus is Pennsylvania Brewing Co., which opened the region's first brew pub 20 years ago on the North Side and focuses on producing German-style lagers.

Sean Casey, owner of the Church Brew Works, was optimistic that another brew pub selling quality beers would only further educate the market to buying more of the kind of beer his business sells.

Just as Starbucks now thrives in a Pittsburgh he said was once a Folgers town, Casey said he's seen the most popular beer sold in his restaurant shift to a darker beer once more popular among more serious beer drinkers.

"People's palates are expanding here just sat they have in the acceptance of better coffee," said Casey.

tschooley@bizjournals.com | (412) 481-6397 x244

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more SSW news... from the South Pittsburgh Reporter

http://www.sopghreporter.com/default.asp?sourceid=&smenu=65&twindow=&mad=&sdetail=4281&wpage=1&skeyword=&sidate=&ccat=&ccatm=&restate=&restatus=&reoption=&retype=&repmin=&repmax=&rebed=&rebath=&subname=&pform=&sc=1089&hn=sopghreporter&he=.com

Height restrictions for SouthSide Works site back to commission
The LTV Site Steering Committee of the South Side Planning Forum reported on proposed text amendments to the zoning for the SP-5 District at the SouthSide Works site.
The Soffer organization has requested a change in the zoning to permit a total of five buildings to exceed 75 feet in height, with two of the buildings to reach up to 110 feet and three up to 165 feet tall. The three tallest buildings would be condo towers and a hotel.
In May of this year at the Planning Forum, a zoning change was suggested that would allow the condos to reach a height of 200 feet to permit 75 units in each tower. The change proposed in June reflected two 165 feet tall condo towers with a 20 percent allowance. The extra space was proposed to allow for ornamentation, such as architectural outcropping that are not livable space, but was not limited to such.
Some planning forum members saw the new change as a “back door” way to have the condo towers reach almost 200 feet in height without the community’s approval.
In June, the LTV Steering Committee was concerned about the mass of the buildings, saying the height of the building were controlled by the mass and the base of the structures. The taller the buildings were, the larger the mass of the base would have to be on the thin strip of land between the Monongahela River and the railroad tracks.
The committee also wanted language in the text amendment to the zoning to include language that made provisions about the mass, density and space or sight-lines between the buildings.
At this month’s Planning Forum meeting, Marty Uram reported that the LTV Steering Committee “would not be in approval of the text amendment.” He added that they have been discussing the height restrictions on the site for more than six months and haven’t been able to come up with a compromise.
“This is the first time in more than 15 years the [LTV Steer
ing] Committee hasn’t approved a request,” Mr. Uram added.
Rick Belloli, executive director of the South Side Local Development Company noted that the South Side and the Soffer Organization have always had a good relationship and that they are “substantially closer to a compromise.” Soffer has already agreed to five buildings over the 75 foot limit instead of the seven they had originally wanted and to limit the height of the tallest buildings to a “flat” 165 feet instead of the 200 feet originally requested.
Mr. Belloli reminded forum members that “the more you push the buildings down, the more you spread them out.”
Additional information regarding the proposed changes may be obtained at the Zoning Office on the third floor at 200 Ross Street, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
The public hearing before the Planning Commission has been rescheduled for Tuesday, July 25 at the John P. Robin Civic Building, First Floor, 200 Ross Street, Downtown.
Individuals desiring to testify before the Planning Commission will be limited to three minutes each. A spokesperson representing must provide a “Letter of Authorization” from the appropriate officers and will be limited to five minutes.
Those testifying should not read from prepared statements, however, the statement may be summarized and handed to the commission for review.

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TheMaguffin... I find that Robinson Twp transit study article to be rather humorous. That retail complex is an absolute clusterf#ck. It's very confusing, bizarre and dangerous. But I honestly don't see how they could make it more pedestrian and bicycle friendly other than bulldozing the whole development and rebuilding in a less post-apocalyptic fashion. Where are the pedestrians and bicyclists gonna come from anyways? The retail complex is so far from where anyone lives... that the only way someone can arrive there is by automobile.

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http://www.timesonline.com/site/index.cfm?newsid=16930539&BRD=2305&PAG=461&dept_id=478569&rfi=8

Pittsburgh looks again to transatlantic service
Tom Fontaine, Times Staff
07/18/2006
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FINDLAY TWP. - Airlines will make a record number of flights to Europe this month, according to a USA Today study, but none of them will be departing from Pittsburgh International Airport.

Advertisement


Airport officials say bringing back nonstop transatlantic flights has been their top priority since US Airways ended direct flights to Frankfurt, Germany, and London in late 2004. But even the airport's top executive, Kent George, conceded that it could be some time before nonstop transatlantic service returns - if it does at all.

According to the USA Today study, U.S. and foreign airlines are offering 386 nonstop flights a day to Europe, 21 percent more than they did three years ago. And the number of flights has gone up despite the fact that the average one-way fare on a transatlantic flight, $549, is 44 percent higher than it was in 2003.

George, executive director of the Allegheny County Airport Authority, described the quest to restore nonstop transatlantic service as his "No. 1 priority" and said the airport has been negotiating for 18 months with several carriers, though he would not identify them.

"We're continuing to work on that, but it's not going to happen overnight. After all, it took us five years to bring Southwest Airlines here and 3½ to get JetBlue. And it's going to be very, very difficult to get international service in a community of this size without feeding traffic (from elsewhere)," George said.

There is less so-called feeding traffic than ever before at Pittsburgh. While the majority of the airport's passengers had stopped briefly in Pittsburgh on connector flights when the airport was a US Airways hub, today 60 percent of its passengers are either departing from Pittsburgh or heading here, and that level is increasing.

"We have to depend on our market, and that may only be able to support international flights seven or eight months out of the year," George said, noting demand typically isn't great between November and February, when there is less vacation travel.

For business travelers, though, there is year-round demand.

"On any given day, there are 300 passengers who fly from Pittsburgh to destinations in Europe," said Ken Zapinski, a senior vice president with the Allegheny Conference on Community Development who also heads the Regional Air Service Partnership, which represents dozens of companies in the region and has made its top priority restoring transatlantic service out of Pittsburgh.

"We think transatlantic service can be profitable for a carrier that's willing to take a risk," Zapinski added.

For business travelers, a connecting transatlantic flight can be a "double risk," said Joy Chandler, director of corporate communications for Latrobe-based Kennametal Inc., which has locations in Europe.

"In the winter, you might have to connect somewhere, and if the weather's bad there, you can get stuck in a storm and miss an important meeting. The same could happen with a direct flight, but if you have to connect, you're doubling your risk," Chandler said.

Chandler estimated that connecting flights add "a minimum of four or five hours" to a business trip, and in business, she said, "Time is money."

Tom Fontaine can be reached online at tfontaine@timesonline.com.






©Beaver County Times Allegheny Times 2006

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If it's gonna take us 5 years to complete this dinky little North Shore Connector... will any of us even be alive by the time we get an East End line?

http://www.popcitymedia.com/developmentnews/july26shore.aspx

http://www.popcitymedia.com/galleries/Default/Dev%20News/Issue%2021/allegheny_station_rendering.jpg

July 26, 2006
$435 million North Shore Connector Project to start construction this fall
Construction starts this fall on the North Shore Connector (NSC), a 1.2-mile expansion of the T, Pittsburgh’s 25-mile light rail transit system. The NSC will run under Stanwix Street and the Allegheny River in twin-bored tunnels. Two new stops will be constructed, one under Tony Dorsett Drive, and one near the Carnegie Science Center, a national destination whose annual attendance is 690,000.

Construction is slated to conclude in 2011. 80% of the project’s $435M budget will come from federal dollars, 16 2/3% from state monies and 3 1/3% from local resources.

“Several North Shore developments were constructed with the knowledge that this project was in the pipeline. If you look at PNC’s Firstside Center, one factor was the First Avenue garage and stop. Mellon made a similar decision with their customer services center over Steel Plaza. Increasingly, transit is important to companies. North Shore development will be very well serviced by transit, without increasing auto congestion,” says Bob Grove, Port Authority spokesperson.

The NSC will link the Northside, Downtown, Station Square and South Hills business, residential, cultural, entertainment and retail centers, as well as enable future T expansion and create additional parking.

“There are so many destinations on the North Shore. Areas look at transit hubs to plan residential, retail and office development around them, so that you can have density but make it walk-able. Transit-oriented development is growing in popularity,” says Grove.

Steelers' and Pirates' game ridership is expected to account for 12% of the 4.2 million annual riders projected to use the NSC. The project will support $377 million in new and $750 million in existing development.

Writer: Jennifer Baron
Source: Bob Grove, spokesperson for Port Authority

Rendering courtesy of Port Authority

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Allegheny West's Beech St. is my favorite residential street in Pittsburgh. It's got a wonderfully intimate charm to it... and an extremely impressive tree canopy. I've seen this building under construction for a long time... I honestly had no idea it was an adaptive reuse of a 1920s industrial structure though! It looks so modern and fresh.

http://www.popcitymedia.com/developmentnews/july26bghtn.aspx

http://www.popcitymedia.com/galleries/Default/Dev%20News/Issue%2021/lofts_at_brighton_beech.jpg

July 26, 2006
$2.1 million dollar lofts at Brighton Beech near completion
The lofts at Brighton Beech, located at 814 Beech, in the historic Allegheny West on Pittsburgh’s Northside, is nearing completion. The 27,000 square-foot property features six, three-story units ranging in size from 3,000 to 4,000 square feet.

Architect Bill Durkee of Lorenzi Dodds and Gunnill designed the lofts and contractor Bridges Construction built the property. Wolfinger bought it in 2003 for $280,000 from Arc Allegheny.

"My goal was to create unique places, and as open as we could. Lofts should be highly individualized. Everything is built to extremely high standards so the infrastructure is there,” says developer Andrew Wolfinger. Each unit features a third-floor master suite, deck and garage.

The project included exterior beautification: "We moved the curb out so we have areas to put shrubs and plants,” adds Wolfinger.

The 1920s-era building functioned as a manufacturer of brass and copper products. To Wolfinger, location is the draw: “I like the neighborhood because you can walk downtown. In the summer I take a bike; if it rains, I take the bus. You have that freedom," says Wolfinger who adds that the neighborhood holds block parties.

“Beech Avenue is fantastic. It is very mixed--old, young, a lot of children. It is a hidden gem. I’d like this to be the gateway to Beech,” adds Wolfinger.

Writer: Jennifer Baron
Source: Andrew Wolfinger, owner, Wolfinger Enterprises

Image courtesy of Keller Williams Realty

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I visited the Summerset at Frick Park development for the first time yesterday (it's actually rather difficult to find! I happened upon it by accident while exploring the southeastern edge of Squirrel Hill). I had seen a few pictures before... but was rather suprise by the architectural diversity of the properties. I like it more than I thought I would. Though it's a bit disconnected from the city fabric... it does have a rather beautiful location.

http://www.popcitymedia.com/developmentnews/july26court.aspx

http://www.popcitymedia.com/galleries/Default/Dev%20News/Issue%2021/Crescent_Court_01.jpg

July 26, 2006
$14 million Crescent Court Condominiums sells first 12 units, slated for completion in spring 2007
Crescent Court Condominiums at Summerset at Frick Park is slated for completion in spring 2007.

The $14 million, 87,800 square-foot development features 36 units, twelve of which are now sold or reserved. The one-, two- and three-bedroom units range in size from 1,100 to 1,860 square feet.

“We are selling a lifestyle more than a condominium. I don't think people buy bricks and mortar as much as they do neighborhood and lifestyle. It is another choice for Pittsburghers, a brand new traditional neighborhood in the city,” says Ralph Falbo with Falbo Pennrose.

Perfido Weiskopf Wagstaff + Goettle designed the condominiums and the contractor is Mistick Construction. The developer, Summerset Land Development Associates, is comprised of Falbo Pennrose, The Rubinoff Company and Montgomery & Rust. Tennesee-based architectural firm Looney Ricks Kiss creates the overall design standards for Summerset at Frick Park.

Crescent Court is located minutes from downtown and Oakland, and near Squirrel Hill and The Waterfront. Residents have access to a pool and fitness room, hiking and biking trails and historic Frick Park.

“It is integrated into the community, so residents can participate in the creation of a new neighborhood,” says Craig Dunham with The Rubinoff Company.

Each residence, ranging from $235,000 to $495,000 is a single-floor corner unit, featuring nine-foot ceilings and glass-walled solariums.

Writer: Jennifer Baron
Sources: Ralph Falbo, Falbo Pennrose, General Partner, and Craig Dunham, Principal, The Rubinoff Company

Rendering courtesy of Summerset at Frick Park

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I saw the site for this yesterday. It's great to see an institution like this locate to this area.

http://www.popcitymedia.com/developmentnews/july26home.aspx

http://www.popcitymedia.com/galleries/Default/Dev%20News/Issue%2021/childrens_home.jpg

July 26, 2006
Children’s Home of Pittsburgh to open new $20 million, 63,000 sf facility in spring 2007
The Children’s Home of Pittsburgh (CHP), the only facility of its kind in Southwestern Pennsylvania, is scheduled to open a new $20 million facility in spring of 2007. The CHP will relocate from 5618 Kentucky Ave to a three-story, 63,000 square-foot building at 5324 Penn Avenue.

The new facility will house the organization’s three current programs--Adoption, Transitional Infant Care, and Child’s Way—and will allow CHP to establish a Pediatric Transitional Care center which will include the first in-patient pediatric hospice beds in our region. Architect is Perkins Eastman and construction manager is P.J. Dick Incorporated.

"We are excited to be a part of the revitalization of the Penn Avenue Corridor. We have strived to reach out to the community groups of Friendship, Bloomfield and Garfield every step of the way. The community has really embraced us, and we couldn't be happier,” says Pamela R. Schanwald, chief executive officer, CHP.

Designed to complement the neighborhood’s residential scale, the facility preserves specimen trees and historic brick walls, recycles existing materials, and includes active child play areas, passive gardens and parking.

"This expansion will allow us to serve a greater number of families, to have the flexibility to better meet their needs, and will allow for greater collaboration among our programs as well as with the organizations and hospitals that help families find us," says Schanwald.

Established in 1893, the CHP is an independent, non-profit organization that promotes the health and well-being of infants and children through services which establish and strengthen the family.

Writer: Jennifer Baron
Sources: Robin Weber, Director of Marketing, and Pamela R. Schanwald, CEO, The Children's Home of Pittsburgh

Rendering courtesy of The Children's Home of Pittsburgh


Neighborhoods: Friendship & Penn Avenue Arts District

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I haven't seen this Knoxville project yet.

http://www.popcitymedia.com/developmentnews/july26baus.aspx

July 26, 2006
$2 million award-winning Bausman Street Independent Living Project hosts ribbon cutting, open house
On July 27 at 11:30 AM, Bausman Street Independent Living (BSIL) welcomes tenants and community members with a ribbon cutting, barbecue and tours. Located in the 200-block of Bausman Street in Knoxville, the project received a 2006 Commonwealth Design Silver Award, sponsored by 10,000 Friends of PA.

Perkins Eastman Architects designed the twelve fully accessible apartments which include green elements such as high-efficiency AC, compact fluorescent lighting and ample green space. Sota Construction Services acted as contractor. BSIL was co-developed by the South Side Local Development Company (SSLDC), Neighborhood Development Ventures and ACTION- Housing, a United Way agency.

“Everyone is impressed by the design and it fits tenants’ needs. It is also contextually sensitive to the surroundings. We have heard that it is an asset to the neighborhood," says Kevin Hanley of SSLDC.

The apartments were filled by May 2006. Major funding was provided by HUD’s Section 811 program, which provides capital funds for projects geared to low-income people with disabilities.

This is the first residential project of its kind developed by SSLDC. “The HUD process is very competitive. ACTION-Housing has a good background and management experience,” says Hanley.

“The idea developed a long time ago with conversations with our board when someone from the local MS Society mentioned a lack of accessible housing in the city,” says Hanley.

Writer: Jennifer Baron
Source: Kevin Hanley, Manager of Real Estate & Housing Programs, South Side Local Development Company








http://www.10000friends.org/designawards/winners/

Bausman Street Independent Living
Location: Pittsburgh, PA
Submitter: South Side Local Development Company
Project Type: Urban infill and Residential

Five years in the making, the Bausman Street Independent Living project is a newly constructed supportive housing development designed to complement an existing urban, residential context. The project composed of 3 buildings with 4 apartments in each building that provides affordable housing to low-income disabled adults. The project represents the first new construction in decades in Pittsburgh’s Knoxville neighborhood. The units, which replaced a vacant lot and an adjoining storage building, were designed to fully integrate into an existing neighborhood and use existing infrastructure. The Bausman Street Independent Living project represents a unique partnership between two Pittsburgh-based nonprofits, three social service providers and Pittsburgh’s U.S. Housing and Urban Development office.

Bausman Street Independent Living




Project profile

Bausman Street Independent Living (BSIL) is a newly constructed supportive housing development designed to complement an existing urban, residential context. BSIL was co-developed by two Pittsburgh-based non-profits, ACTION-Housing, Inc. and Neighborhood Development Ventures, Inc., a supporting organization of South Side Local Development Company. The project was made possible primarily through funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Section-811 Program. Housing referrals and on-site services for residents are provided in cooperation with three Pittsburgh-based agencies: Mercy Behavioral Health, Residential Care Services and United Cerebral Palsy of Pittsburgh.

The buildings were designed by Perkins Eastman Architects and built by SOTA Construction Services. Construction took nearly twelve months. Apartments were available to qualified residents on February 1, 2006 and currently 10 of the 12 units are rented. Green building features incorporated into the project include high efficiency condensing units, pervious pavement and the use of compact fluorescent lamps throughout. The completed project is now owned by a non-profit Board of Directors and professionally managed by Supportive Housing Management Services (SHMS). SHMS also maintains the project’s waiting list and monitors compliance with HUD regulations.

The project is composed of three buildings with four accessible apartments in each building; there are 8 one-bedroom and 4 two-bedroom units. One-bedroom apartments are roughly 500 square feet and two-bedroom units are about 675 square feet – per HUD regulations. Each building also contains a common area that serves as an alternate entrance and houses mailboxes, laundry facilities, stairs and a lift. Parking is located behind the buildings and accessed via Dove Way. BSIL replaced a vacant, poorly maintained lot and adjoining building that was being used as storage by a local contractor. The density of the project is 7.2 units per acre, while the average density of the surrounding neighborhood is approximately 12 units per acre; the decision to build at a lower density was based upon Pittsburgh’s declining population and the community’s desire to see some greenspace incorporated into the development.

The Knoxville neighborhood was developed as a bedroom community within the city and composed primarily of single-family, detached homes built prior to 1939. A small main street district is two blocks away; it hosts a post office, bank, drug store and a number of family-owned restaurants and businesses. A bus stop (for two city routes) is directly across the street from the development and provides excellent access to the wealth of amenities available in the Pittsburgh region. The new buildings made use of existing infrastructure including water and sewer lines, overhead electric, gas and roadways. The architects also took advantage of the existing drop in elevation (from south to north) across the site and designed stacked apartments with rear-facing apartments at grade with Dove Way and lower units at grade with Basuman Street. Additional site improvements include ACT2 site remediation to address slightly elevated levels of heavy metals in the soil and on-site sumps to keep additional storm water from the local watershed.





Project merits

Diverse Residents – This was HUD-Pittsburgh’s first Section-811 project to engage multiple service providers to encourage diversity within one development.

Building Design – Development scale and rhythm were influenced by neighborhood context as were architectural features like front porches and pitched roofs.

Unique Partnerships – BSIL is the product of a local non-profit, teamed with a regional non-profit, three service providers and Pittsburgh’s HUD office.

Location – Urban location encourages integration and public transportation allows easyaccess to businesses, institutions, agencies and opportunities important to target market.

Community Support – Inclusive planning fostered community trust and led many neighbors to testify in favor of BSIL before the zoning board.

http://www.10000friends.org/imagelib/BSIL_269_Bausmanr.jpg

http://www.10000friends.org/imagelib/BSIL_Rear_Westr.jpg

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http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/cityregion/s_463144.html

Costly rehab down the line

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/photos/2006-07-24/0724pBikintheincline-a.jpg
Travis Auerbeck (front), of Allentown, rides the Monongahela Incline home from school Thursday, with Denise Reinheimer, of Mt. Washington, who comes home from work every evening via the incline.
Heidi Murrin/Tribune-Review

By Jim Ritchie
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Monday, July 24, 2006


The iconic Monongahela and Duquesne Heights inclines each day crawl up and down Mt. Washington's steep hillside, inching ever closer to needing a costly rehabilitation.
Port Authority of Allegheny County directors say the price tag to keep the cars running could reach $40 million -- and some want civic, corporate or historical groups to help pay, so the financially struggling agency isn't forced to spend money that could be used to replace buses or light-rail cars or to pave busways.

"We've got to be looking at ways to generate revenue," authority board member James Dodaro said. "It is a community asset, and it's something the community should have an interest in preserving. It's something that shouldn't be a drain on the Port Authority."

Some incline riders agree the inclines are an asset for the city and like the idea of having community groups help pay for their long-term upkeep. More than 1.1 million people use the inclines annually.





"When I go Downtown and have to do business, I use it," said Mt. Washington resident Raymond Batykefer, who rides the Mon Incline frequently. "It's cheaper, saves me the cost of parking, and it's pretty efficient."

The 136-year-old Mon Incline and 129-year-old Duquesne Heights Incline are in good working condition, and a major renovation isn't anticipated soon. But the authority, which faces a $31.5 million deficit in its 2006-07 budget, anticipates future incline expenses.

"This board has made it a point to direct the staff to try and discover new funding streams wherever possible, and that includes funding streams for projects like this down the road," Port Authority spokesman Bob Grove said.

Port Authority could tap its capital budget -- more than $200 million this year -- to pay for improvements, Grove said. But any money spent on inclines is money the agency won't have to improve bus and subway service.

Finding money elsewhere would not be easy, local nonprofit officials say.

The Allegheny Regional Asset District planned to allocate nearly $75 million this year, but largely focuses on helping parks, libraries and civic organizations -- not transit or public works projects.

"There's nothing right now that would make their application ineligible, but it would be an entirely new direction," said David Donahoe, executive director of the asset district.

The Greater Pittsburgh Convention & Visitors Bureau markets the region but does not help secure money.

"We do not get involved in bricks-and-mortar," Executive Vice President Bob Imperata said. "Having said that, we're very conscious of the need to have attractions like the Mon and Duquesne inclines. They're very valuable assets and important tourist attractions. We market them extensively."

The bureau has considered using the inclines as a symbol for Pittsburgh's tourism industry, similar to San Francisco's cable cars or the St. Louis Gateway Arch, Imperata said.

Advertising companies have pushed local officials to adopt the symbol so they could market incline trinkets, he said.

"This is so historical," Octavia Coburn, of Rankin, said after riding the Mon Incline. "They've got to keep it going. People come here and look for the inclines."

"This is Pittsburgh -- the inclines," said her husband, Donald Coburn.

Imperata suggested Port Authority might find a corporate sponsor or sell naming rights. The authority has tried to sell naming rights for its Downtown light-rail transit stations without success.

The Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Foundation in 1970 declared the Mon Incline a historic structure. Foundation spokeswoman Cathy McCollom said that could help the authority seek money nationwide.

""Many of the historic preservation grants are statewide, if not throughout the U.S.," she said.

State grants would offer up to a few hundred thousand dollars and national grants might rise to a million dollars, she said. But getting such money is a competitive process.

One possible long-term solution used elsewhere is charging tourists more money.

The Lookout Mountain Incline Railway in Chattanooga, Tenn., charges tourists $12 for a round-trip. Local commuters can buy a monthly pass that makes the fare about $1.25 per trip.

"One of the reasons we're focused on it so much is, our incline generates about a million dollars of net revenue a year," Chattanooga Area Regional Transportation Authority Executive Director Tom Dugan said.

A round-trip fare on the inclines in Pittsburgh is $2.25, whether the rider is a tourist or commuter.

The Duquesne Heights Incline, although owned by Port Authority, is operated by the nonprofit Society for the Preservation of the Duquesne Incline. The group pays for maintenance by accepting contributions from foundations and other groups.

Donahoe said the group twice applied for Regional Asset District grants and was rejected.

"I can't imagine people concerned about historic preservation not coming together to find a way to help," McCollom said.



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

[Evergrey]

Here's some details on Forest City's Station Square plan. 1200 residential units sounds awesome... but do we really need an amphitheatre? I thought there was an amphitheatre under development next to Heinz Field already? Also, I just cannot comprehend a $512 million dollar "gaming facility". What could possibly make it that expensive? That's more than SouthSide Works and the Cultural Trust's downtown project.

http://www.popcitymedia.com/developmentnews/21gaming.aspx

July 26, 2006
One billion dollar, 52-acre development and gaming facility proposed for Station Square
On July 20, The South Side Local Development Company (SSLDC) signed a Community Benefits Agreement with Forest City Enterprises, one of three applicants for a gaming license at Station Square, Pittsburgh’s largest entertainment complex.

Among several community components, the agreement outlines a commitment to enhance public transportation in the area. It also includes one new SSLDC staff member to serve as a liaison between the community and developers. The SSLDC formally endorsed the plan to develop Station Square as a gaming enterprise.

The billion-dollar development calls for a $512 million gaming facility, a 1,200-seat amphitheatre and a 500-room hotel. The plan also includes new restaurants and 1,200 new residential units.

“This agreement provides the community with a seat at the table. The project has a very large impact, and we need to make sure the community has a role, to mitigate traffic impact and benefit the traditional East Carson business district,” says Rick Belloli, president of SSLDC.

A steering committee of residents will meet monthly with the development team. The SSLCD modeled their experience on 15 years of work on South Side Works, a project with a $450 million price tag.

“We met with all three applicants. A taskforce of residents and business owners felt this was the best proposal,” says Belloli regarding Forest City, whose operating partner is Harrah’s.

The agreement was submitted to the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board, who will decide which applicant receives the license by late December. Construction would start immediately and the facility would be operational within 18-24 months.

Writer: Jennifer Baron
Source: Rick Belloli, executive director, SSLDC

[themaguffin]

The master plan for the Baum Corridor that was recently published emphasized its development as a "high-density" urban district. Yet that new National Bank branch going up there will be of a very suburban design featuring a drive-thru. What a waste. Hopefully Rahal's automobile dealership will be of an urban enclosed design.

I was thinking the same thing. But overall, positive stuff is happening in that area.

. There was an editorial about how Pittsburgh leaders invited all those "site selection" experts to town over the All-Star Game. The site selectors were impressed with Pittsburgh's progress and left with a new impression of the region. Pittsburgh has done much work to develop shovel-ready industrial sites in the Airport region and elsewhere... which could mean up to 25,000 new jobs in the future. That would do a lot to help reverse the region's population loss.

I don't think that I saw that one (though sometimes their titles are not helpful). They did have an article after the game about site selection professionals and how Pittsburgh looks better positioned now, but nothing about the 25,000 jobs (which I do think is possible, but it's generic in this context).

TheMaguffin... I find that Robinson Twp transit study article to be rather humorous. That retail complex is an absolute clusterf#ck. It's very confusing, bizarre and dangerous. But I honestly don't see how they could make it more pedestrian and bicycle friendly other than bulldozing the whole development and rebuilding in a less post-apocalyptic fashion. Where are the pedestrians and bicyclists gonna come from anyways? The retail complex is so far from where anyone lives... that the only way someone can arrive there is by automobile.

Yeah, I was wondering just what they could do there. It is too bad that the western side development, "The Pointe" which grew quickly with many big box stores didn't start a few years later and it at least could have more likely been a better planned development (part of the life style trend of late).

As it stands, that side is a disaster. The Ikea/Town Centre side is bad too, but not as bad (well then again the mall...)

[themaguffin]

You can see (from a distance) Summerset approaching the tunnel, but I haven't look closer. Overall, it's good that this project is happening. There needs to be new housing stock in the city and in other older communities. Depsite the population loss, people are moving to the region and not everyone wants an 80 year old home.

Here's some details on Forest City's Station Square plan. 1200 residential units sounds awesome... but do we really need an amphitheatre? I thought there was an amphitheatre under development next to Heinz Field already? Also, I just cannot comprehend a $512 million dollar "gaming facility". What could possibly make it that expensive? That's more than SouthSide Works and the Cultural Trust's downtown project.


I don't know if this amphitheatre would replace the existing one...?

The lining up a neighborhood ally is smart, but I hope that the neighborhood interests are really valued. However, it's definetely Forest City trying to win hearts and support for their bid.

But like the PG (column) said yesterday:

This new-arena plan calls for 30-year donations totaling $225 million from the winning slots operator (read: Harrah's),

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06204/707961-195.stm

I do think that SQ makes the most sense as a tourist trap and looking at the city.. plus it's self contained.

[Evergrey]

Great news IMO... take that, NIMBYs!

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06207/708574-53.stm

Developer clears hurdle for more buildings at SouthSide Works complex
Wednesday, July 26, 2006

By Diana Nelson Jones, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

The city planning commission yesterday approved a zoning change that would allow the developer of the SouthSide Works complex to increase the heights of several proposed buildings.

Some South Side residents had objected to the change, which would need City Council approval.

The Soffer Organization wants to construct three condominium buildings with a height of 165 feet that currently are limited to 110 feet. The company also wants to build two 110-foot-high office buildings that now are limited to 75 feet.

For 11 years, Soffer has worked in close collaboration with the South Side Planning Forum, a consortium of local citizen groups in the neighborhood, on planning and building the SouthSide Works. But the two interests could not reach agreement over building height. The forum was concerned about creating "massing," or a wall-like effect between the riverfront and the rest of the development.

"It's hard to come here without their support," said Mark Dellana, Soffer's vice president of development, "because it hasn't happened in 11 years.

"We don't want to create a wall," he said. "We need to make the next phase better than we already have done" of the SouthSide Works.

He said Soffer first proposed a height of 220 feet and scaled back the number of buildings from seven to five.

The developer also changed its plans so that the condominiums would be built west of 27th Street, toward Downtown, and two proposed office buildings closer to the Hot Metal Bridge.

A hotel and conference center are also proposed for the riverfront development.

The plan as it appears now shows wide pedestrian walkways linking the current development to the waterfront, with shoreline access.

Mr. Dellana and members of the forum said they will continue to work together as the properties and streetscape are being designed.

The commission also yesterday recommended approval of a plan for 3 PNC at Fifth Avenue and Wood Street, which calls for the demolition of existing buildings to build a 63,000-square-foot, 23-story building that would combine a hotel, condominiums, office space, retail, restaurants and underground parking.

It also voted to recommend that a building at 100 Smithfield be renovated into apartments, proposed by the architect as housing for university students.


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

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

[Evergrey]

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06207/708519-298.stm

Big East End development firm eyes Reizenstein school building
Wednesday, July 26, 2006

By Dan Fitzpatrick, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Developer Walnut Capital Partners, already interested in redeveloping the old Nabisco bakery on Penn Avenue, also has its eye on the Reizenstein Middle School site across the street.

But the Shadyside real estate company may have to wait two or three years to have a shot at buying the school building and surrounding grounds. The Pittsburgh Public Schools would have to sell the vacant Reizenstein through a public bidding process -- and a decision on such a process is at least two years away, according to school district chief of staff Lisa Fischetti.

In the meantime, the district may use Reizenstein as temporary classrooms for students at Schenley High School, which is scheduled for renovation.

Walnut Capital met with the school district a few months ago to discuss the property.

While a decision to sell has not yet been made, "we want to keep all options open," Ms. Fischetti said.

Walnut Capital President Todd Reidbord said his company "absolutely" would be interested in competing for the property in the event of a sale.

"I think it is a fantastic piece of property ... a great candidate for some kind of mixed-use residential, possibly retail."

Walnut Capital, one of the most active developers in Pittsburgh's East End, has drawn up plans that would turn the former Nabisco plant on Penn into the anchor of a six-acre, mixed use project that would blend about 130,000 square foot of retail with 150,000 square feet of office space, a 1,200-car parking garage, a hotel, 38 residential units and a fitness center. Having Reizenstein would give Walnut a major presence on both sides of Penn.


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

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

[themaguffin]

It's interesting because just the other day - I think in an article you posted, the SSW/NIMBY issue was mentioned. I agree that by lowering them, they only will eventually have to use more land. While I think that the 165 sounds decent and I can live with that, it's too bad that they could round it up and get a little more out of that prime land. In any case, it's a lot of housing and this is direction that this portion of the Southside can handle (the new offices are ok if the market makes sense).

There is opportunity for more development south of this land as well. Perhaps not yet (especially of the Station Square housing happens) but down the road it makes sense.

I'm glad that this project is a step closer.

[Evergrey]

This is pretty interesting... Butler County, the fastest growing area of Western Pennsylvania, has seen a dramatic decline in its housing market... while Allegheny County has surged... the Pittsburgh region as a whole has been holding steady while the rest of the country has seen significant declines...

looking at a street map... it does appear Cranberry Twp is pretty much at build-out (in its current low-density form)... and most of the rest of the county is just too far away or lacking freeway access... for serious suburban development...

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/business/s_463563.html

Cranberry's housing market cools; region avoids big drop

By Sam Spatter
FOR THE TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Thursday, July 27, 2006


Cranberry, Butler County, long one of the region's housing hot spots, is experiencing a cooling off, according to a report Wednesday that said Western Pennsylvania's overall housing market is holding up well despite a national slowdown.
The report by Tall Timber Group, a Ross-based market tracking firm, showed that 1,382 single-family housing permits were issued in six area counties during the first half of 2006, down 1.4 percent from 1,402 units in the same period in 2005.

That compares with an almost 15 percent decrease in national housing starts so far this year, said Jeff Burd, Tall Timber's president.

"There haven't been many good macro-economic indicators for housing during the first six months of the year," said Burd. "The stock market has tanked, interest rates are quite a bit higher than last year, and building materials have spiked again, yet the impact on demand for new housing here seems unfazed."

The overall market remains steady, but Burd said there have been changes locally, including a surge of about 40 percent in housing permits issued in Allegheny County, and a 27 percent decline in permits in Butler County, where Cranberry has seen its total slip to about 31 single-family units, from about 76 single-family units a year ago.

That drop-off was enough to take Cranberry out of Tall Timber's top 10 communities for single-family construction, which is now headed by North Huntingdon in Westmoreland County, with 95 units.

"I have seen some leveling off on new housing starts," said Jerry Andree, Cranberry Township manager.

But he said that 500 to 600 approved lots for new housing are in the pipeline.

"We had a record year in 2005 in total construction costs, reaching $108 million, with 40 percent of that for housing starts," he said.

"If Cranberry's big subdivisions are wrapping up and there are some others in the approval loop, the number of permits will be temporarily lower," said Burd. "It may be that Cranberry, or Butler County generally, is becoming built out, but I think it will take more than two quarters (in 2006) to judge."

Kevin Mihn, a Coldwell Banker Real Estate agent, said he's not surprised by the drop-off.

"After five years of strong real estate sales, it is only natural to expect a slowdown, even in Cranberry," he said.

Allegheny County was the leader in single-family permits issued, with 535 units, followed by Westmoreland County, with 334 units; Washington County, with 199; Butler, with 177; Beaver, with 98; and Fayette, with 39 units.

For total housing permits, including both single-family and multifamily units, Tall Timber's statistics show Pittsburgh as the overall leader, with 262 new single-family housing permits issued.

Overall, the region saw a 60 percent jump in multifamily permits, with 1,025 permits issued, up from 639 units through the end of June 2005.



Sam Spatter can be reached at sspatter@tribweb.com.

[Evergrey]

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06208/708818-34.stm

Munich on the Monongahela is a step closer
Thursday, July 27, 2006

The Hofbrauhaus Pittsburgh will be a 17,000-square-foot German-style beer hall at the SouthSide Works, where an official lease-signing is to be held tomorrow morning.

When it opens in the fall of 2007, it is to be one of only three U.S. locations of the Munich-based chain. It will feature Bavarian-style beers -- brewed on site -- and cuisine as well as some American food, to be enjoyed in the big 600-seat Bier Hall, the 400-seat Biergarten or in a quieter dining room.

Pittsburgh is to have a brew master from Munich supervising the production of four varieties plus seasonal brews.

The other American locations are in Newport, Ky., near Cincinnati, and Las Vegas.

[PittPenn 03]

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06208/708818-34.stm

Munich on the Monongahela is a step closer
Thursday, July 27, 2006

The Hofbrauhaus Pittsburgh will be a 17,000-square-foot German-style beer hall at the SouthSide Works, where an official lease-signing is to be held tomorrow morning.

When it opens in the fall of 2007, it is to be one of only three U.S. locations of the Munich-based chain. It will feature Bavarian-style beers -- brewed on site -- and cuisine as well as some American food, to be enjoyed in the big 600-seat Bier Hall, the 400-seat Biergarten or in a quieter dining room.

Pittsburgh is to have a brew master from Munich supervising the production of four varieties plus seasonal brews.

The other American locations are in Newport, Ky., near Cincinnati, and Las Vegas.

I have been to the Hofbrauhaus in Munich which is pretty cool, but never the two in the US. I hope they are able to make it as authentic as possible, but I have a feeling this is going to come off like a TGI Fridays in comparison to the real one. I just hope it does not hurt Penn Brewery's business.

[PittPenn 03]

[QUOTE=Evergrey]This is pretty interesting... Butler County, the fastest growing area of Western Pennsylvania, has seen a dramatic decline in its housing market... while Allegheny County has surged... the Pittsburgh region as a whole has been holding steady while the rest of the country has seen significant declines...

looking at a street map... it does appear Cranberry Twp is pretty much at build-out (in its current low-density form)... and most of the rest of the county is just too far away or lacking freeway access... for serious suburban development...

Cool! I hope this trend continues. I cannot imagine how anyone can live in that mess up in Cranberry.

Pittsburgh was also sited as having rising sales in the latest existing homes sales report:

"He said that housing continued to be a "tale of two markets" with previously hot areas experiencing declines and more modestly priced areas showing a boom.

Lereah said that while New York City, Boston, Chicago and Minneapolis had seen sales declines, cities such as Syracuse and Pittsburgh were experiencing rising sales."

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060726/ap_on_bi_ge/home_sales_9;_ylt=Ak_jXcZhZ33VdpsPIpnfZeIN5LIF;_ylu=X3oDMTA2ZGZwam4yBHNlYwNmYw--

[themaguffin]

Ground-breaking ceremonies for Riverside Mews, a 48-unit townhome development by Sota Construction Services Inc., to be built on the South Side, will be held Thursday, near Riverfront Park along the Monongehela River. The townhomes, to be marketed by Prudential Preferred Realty, will be priced from $300,000 to $500,000.


...a real estate brief from today's Trib.

[Evergrey]

is that on 18th then?

[Wheelingman04]

Cranberry sucks.:yuck:

[themaguffin]

is that on 18th then?


huh?

[Evergrey]

Since I live in Ohio :( ... I'd like to know what the Pittsburghers on here think of O'Connor's dismissal of three key staff members in response to a supposed "power struggle". I've read several articles, but the information concerning the activities that took place leading to the dismissals... has been rather cryptic... so I don't know what to make of the situation... and have no opinion whether it was warranted.

The reviews on O'Connor's radical action have been mixed... some... especially close political allies and Council members.... have praised O'Connor for staying in control while at the hospital... while accusing those dismissed of unethical and even illegal political machinations in O'Connor's absence. Conversely, many prominent community leaders are expressed shock and disdain at O'Connor's actions. Those dismissed were initially praised for their professionalism and experience outside the political realm. This was part of a strategy of promoting a new "progressive" atmosphere in Pittsburgh city government.... which may have been shattered by O'Connor's bold action. Some are concerned that Bob may have received limited and distorted information from close allies.

There were worries that an unstable power vacuum would emerge in O'Connor's absence... and apparently infighting between the professional and political factions existed even before O'Connor's hospitalization. I've been suprised and very pleased by O'Connor's brief tenure thus far... and I hope this shake-up does not have a negative effect on the momentum that has been building downtown and throughout the city.


http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06209/709274-53.stm

"I thought the mayor made it very clear with his moves today that he is in charge of the city of Pittsburgh, and that he wants people around him who fully support his agenda," said City Council President Luke Ravenstahl.

"I think today's events are a tragedy for the city," said Jim Roddey, a former Allegheny County chief executive now involved in a slot machine distributorship. "I think we've replaced the professionals with political hacks."

[Evergrey]

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06209/709347-61.stm

Fingold ices others in Penguins bidding
Developer was in town yesterday; deal appears to be near completion
Friday, July 28, 2006

By Shelly Anderson, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette



Hartford, Conn., real estate developer Samuel Fingold was in Pittsburgh yesterday and it appears he either has signed a letter of intent to buy the Penguins or will do so in the next few days.

That means Fingold, 34, apparently has come out on top after a bidding process that started with five offers and lasted for several weeks. It's believed his final offer was $175 million or more.

A letter of intent gives him exclusive negotiating rights with the Penguins for a period of time, probably 30 days.

He was not available for comment last night.

Fingold has business ties to Kansas City and its new Sprint Center, and at one point said he was interested in moving the Penguins to that Midwestern city. Since then, though, he has said he believes he could work with local officials on their "Plan B" for a new arena.

A new owner also would be obligated to the Penguins' agreement with gaming company Isle of Capri, which has promised to donate $290 to build a new arena if it gets the city's slots license later this year.

The team's lease at aging Mellon Arena expires in June, and the team has said it can't continue to operate there for an extended period of time.

The Penguins have said they would like to finalize the sale of the club by around the start of the season in October. That means closing on the deal and getting NHL approval for the transaction.

Fingold, who runs Kenyon Investments in Hartford, grew up in Toronto and has been a hockey fan since he was a boy.

His intent is to buy the Penguins as a family venture with his father, David, and his brother, Michael, who both live in Toronto and work in real estate.


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

(Shelly Anderson can be reached at shanderson@post-gazette.com or 412-263-1721. )

[themaguffin]

This irritates me- where's Pittsburgh's PR??? - the city should get this kind of press:

http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?t=111817

[PA Pride]

^themaguffin: Well, I've been watching the news on this portland development for awhile now too... It is truly a super unique and newsworthy development.. Imagine the whole strip district being turned into one massive high rise neighborhood all at once.. That is what is happening in portland.. It is a great plan they have there and also an added benefit is that it is probably the largest residential plan that is green in the country.

Yes Pittsburgh has the largest green convention center/ largest green building in the world; One of the largest green corporate HQ's in the country with the PNC firstside 650,000 sq ft bldg; The soon to be largest mix-use green skyscraper with PNC 3; among other notable projects... But I don't think anyone really cares about whats going on in dying cities... People like stories on "hip" new cities like portland and denver; Cities that are winners! Not loser cities...

Anyway, ever since I saw this Portland south waterfront development I have been wishing I could somehow come across a few billion so I could do the same thing to our strip district.... Think about it; The strip already has a good head start on some condo renovations; fresh food and foreign food places... But there are still tons and tons of vacated warehouses and empty lots/parking lots... It is the perfect place to build a shitload of skyscrapers, especially residential because behind it is a giant wall/hill so no one can nimby about how its blocking their views.. Also, it would have great river views and downtown views; It's flat so we could have the lightrail put up a couple stations there; People could walk or ride their bike downtown... It would be a perfect location!!!

But it would take alot of money and time and buying parcels off of 100s of different landowners..

But dont you think the strip would be a great extension of downtown?

It just really needs some density.. More people, stores, units, everything.....

It will happen oneday; It's inevitable with how convenient it is to downtown Pgh.

[Evergrey]

But I don't think anyone really cares about whats going on in dying cities... People like stories on "hip" new cities like portland and denver; Cities that are winners! Not loser cities...


That's a good point. Nobody wants to read about the great things going on in Pittsburgh because we're still perceived as a backwards craphole that couldn't possibly be as cool or progressive as Austin or Portland.


Anyway, ever since I saw this Portland south waterfront development I have been wishing I could somehow come across a few billion so I could do the same thing to our strip district.... Think about it; The strip already has a good head start on some condo renovations; fresh food and foreign food places... But there are still tons and tons of vacated warehouses and empty lots/parking lots... It is the perfect place to build a shitload of skyscrapers, especially residential because behind it is a giant wall/hill so no one can nimby about how its blocking their views.. Also, it would have great river views and downtown views; It's flat so we could have the lightrail put up a couple stations there; People could walk or ride their bike downtown... It would be a perfect location!!!


Well, we do have that 460mil 700-residential unit mixed-use Cultural Trust project breaking ground next year on the Allegheny riverftont next year. And the whole project is designed to be "green". So we got something almost on the scale of Portland's "green" project going on there.

As for the Strip... we got the massive Cork Factory coming online with 295 residential units in a couple months... the Pink Building further down turning into 14 condos... and a developer is planning on knocking down a couple fruit warehouses next to Stanislaus Church to erect a 9-18 story (or something) residential tower.


But it would take alot of money and time and buying parcels off of 100s of different landowners..



Interestingly, you wouldn't have to worry about dealing with too many landowners... as that 50-acre parking lot in the downtown side of the Strip is owned by the Buncher group. (http://www.buncher.com/fReal.htm) They also own all those disgusting "Buncher Bunkers" that stretch for miles along Liberty and Penn.

http://www.buncher.com/images/bigmap.jpg

This beautiful 77,000 sq. foot office building is on Penn... stretching from 14th and 16th... absolutely destroying any connection between Downtown and the Strip District. Talk about underwhelming development in a prime location.
http://www.buncher.com/images/Buncher_x04.jpg

Buncher has been sitting on all this prime Strip District land for a long time and has done little with it... other than erecting buildings that look like prisons or bomb shelters. They're currently developing a 150-room or so hotel (something in the league of Comfort Inn) in the Strip.

Either Buncher is completely idiotic and think that a giant empty parking lot is the highest and best use for this prime parcel... or they're sitting and waiting... perhaps til after this Cultural District project takes off... when the price of this land goes through the roof... and they can cash out. I wouldn't totally rule out the "idiotic" option though... considering what they've developed to date.

Interestingly, the Urban Land Institute selected Buncher's 57-acre Strip District parcel as the location for its 2nd Annual student urban design competition in 2004. http://udcompetition.uli.org/archive/2004/ud_03_B.html

Here's the winning plan designed by a team from Arizona State University.
http://udcompetition.uli.org/archive/2004/ud_03_B_8514ASU.html




Strip District starts to get pretty desolate after about 23rd street... there's an interesting business here and there (Klavon's, Boomerang Australian BBQ)... but most of it is pretty trashy and ugly. I think this area would be a prime target for mass demolition and residential high-rise construction. It's an area Pittsburgh can develop pretty much from scratch since there isn't much there worth saving.


Here's a shot of the heart of the Strip District from the Hill District. Just to the left of St. Stanislaus is where the residential high-rise is going. You can see the Cork Factory beyond that... the empty lot next to it is where a parking garage/retail/restaurant complex is going.
http://i.pbase.com/g4/86/571686/2/61053476.100_6056.jpg

Now this shot shows the "dead zone" between downtown and the Strip District marketplace. The vast seas of riverfront parking lots are owned by Buncher.
http://i.pbase.com/g4/86/571686/2/61053473.100_6052.jpg

[Evergrey]

more interesting details about Hofbrauhaus and SSW

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/business/s_463902.html

Third Hofbrauhaus in U.S. coming to city

By Sam Spatter
FOR THE TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Saturday, July 29, 2006


SouthSide Works continues to add new tenants and buildings.
The latest is Hofbrauhaus Pittsburgh -- a $7 million, German-styled beer and pretzel restaurant that will be built behind the Cheesecake Factory toward the Monongahela River.

Nick Ellison and Eric Haas, principals of Hofbrauhaus Pittsburgh, signed Friday a 15-year lease for the new building with the Soffer Organization -- the owner-developer of SouthSide Works on the South Side.

They were joined by Dr. Michael Moller, managing director of Hofbrauhaus Munich -- the home base of the restaurant -- and by Ferdinand Schumacher, president of Hofbrauhaus of America.

Ellison said the restaurant, which will have space for 1,000 customers, will employ about 200. Many of the employees will be part-time.

Construction of the restaurant will begin this fall, in conjunction with an amphitheater -- known as South Side Riverfront Park, said Mark Dellana, vice president of development for Soffer Organization.

Both the restaurant and amphitheater should be completed by the fall of 2007.

The amphitheater will connect Hofbrauhaus Pittsburgh with a hotel, which will be built opposite the restaurant.

Dellana said negotiations are under way to determine a developer for the hotel, which could have from 120 to 150 rooms.

The future restaurant at SouthSideWorks marks the third Hofbrauhaus in the United States. The first was opened in 2003 in Newport, Ky., outside of Cincinnati. The second Hofbrauhaus opened in 2004 in Las Vegas.

Hofbrauhaus' interest in opening in Pittsburgh was piqued somewhat by fans of the Pittsburgh Steelers.

"When we started selling beer at Cincinnati Reds and Bengal games, our sales were good. But when the Steelers played the Bengals, the addition of Pittsburgh fans sent our sales through the roof," said Ellison of Hofbrauhaus.

Dellana, of Soffer Organization, also announced that more office buildings are planned for the vacant area near the Monongahela River.

"We have plans for Quantum Four and Quantum Five, but they will only be built once tenants have been secured for them," he said.

One building will have about 150,000 square feet; the other between 200,000 and 250,000 square feet. Also planned in the area near the waterfront are two condominium buildings.

Soffer Organization will serve as construction manager for Quantum Three -- a 150,000-square-foot office building for American Eagle Outfitters Inc.

Construction could begin next year on Quantum Three. Although the building's shell should be completed in 2007, occupancy by American Eagle isn't anticipated until 2008, Dellana said.

American Eagle Outfitters is expected to begin occupancy next year of Quantum Two, which it purchased. It will move its corporate headquarters to Quantum Two from its current location in Marshall, along with 700 employees.



Sam Spatter can be reached at sspatter@tribweb.com.

[Evergrey]

more Penguins news

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06210/709578-61.stm

Fingold agrees to buy Pens; Promises to keep team here if possible
Saturday, July 29, 2006

By Shelly Anderson, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette



Connecticut real estate developer Sam Fingold won the bidding contest for the Penguins, and it looks as if he'll do his best to win over the team's fans, too.

Mr. Fingold, leading a group of four active bidders, has signed a letter of intent to buy the hockey club, the Penguins announced last night. It's believed his winning bid was at least $175 million.

As recently as late June, Mr. Fingold expressed concerns over the city's ability to build a new arena and said he would keep open the option of moving the Penguins to Kansas City, which has a new arena.

He later softened that stance and now seems committed to try to keep the club in Pittsburgh.

"As passionate hockey fans, we are excited about this opportunity to purchase the Pittsburgh Penguins," Mr. Fingold said in a Penguins' news release. "We agree with the current ownership group that the Penguins should remain in Pittsburgh and that a new arena is crucial to the team's long-term success.

"So many of the elements for success already are in place here, including a loyal fan base and a spectacular core of young talent, led by Sidney Crosby. The Penguins are an important part of Pittsburgh's sports landscape, and it is our objective to do everything possible to secure their future here."

The letter of intent signed by the Fingold group gives it exclusive negotiating rights to reach a purchase agreement with the Penguins owners, most likely for 30 days. The next step would be NHL approval.

The Penguins team is owned by the Lemieux Group Limited Partnership. Hall of Famer Mario Lemieux and California billionaire Ron Burkle are the two known members of the group.

If plans for a new facility to replace outdated Mellon Arena don't materialize -- whether through the team's agreement with the gaming company Isle of Capri or under state and local officials' Plan B -- there is no doubt Kansas City will be waiting and willing to welcome the team.

According to the Kansas City Star, Mr. Fingold has maintained regular contact with Paul McGannon, president of NHL21, the Kansas City group trying to bring an NHL team to that city's new Sprint Center.

"The next 30 days will determine if Pittsburgh is able to come up with financial models and scenarios to stay in Pittsburgh," Mr. McGannon told the Star for a story appearing today.

"That's the first choice of the league and the current ownership group. But if for whatever reason that does not work out politically or casino-wise or otherwise, what are the other options? Fingold looks at us favorably as an option."

If Isle of Capri gets the slots license for Pittsburgh, it has agreed to donate $290 million toward construction of a new arena.

If one of the other two gaming companies in the running for the slots license prevails later this year, there is a plan for that company to contribute $7.5 million a year for 30 years, the Penguins $8.5 million up front and $4.1 million per year, and the state $7 million a year through a slots-backed fund, all toward the new facility. There also is $26.5 million in state funds for land acquisition and site preparation in Uptown, adjacent to Mellon Arena.

But many aspects of Plan B still will need to be negotiated and finalized if the Isle of Capri situation doesn't materialize.

The Penguins' lease at Mellon Arena expires in June.

"Pittsburgh has a great NHL market of 39 years, two Stanley Cups," Mr. McGannon said. "These are prized commodities, these teams. They are going to do everything they can to keep it, which we totally understand.

"Our job at NHL21 is front and center. We are a viable option. The league is well aware of our desires. We just have to wait and see how all this plays out."

Allegheny County Chief Executive Dan Onorato is not waiting around. He said he got Mr. Fingold's phone number from Penguins CEO Ken Sawyer last night and was hoping for a call back from the prospective team owner.

"We're prepared to sit down with the new owner and discuss a long-term lease at a new multipurpose facility," Mr. Onorato said.

"We have two different plans to get a new facility. I can't worry or speculate on what other cities will do. I just want [Fingold] to know we're prepared to negotiate."

Asked what he thought the chances are that the Penguins will remain, Mr. Onorato said: "I'm not into giving odds, but we now have financing in place for a new facility on the timeline the Penguins need. We hope to start construction in '07 and finish in '09.

"I believe our chances are good."

Under NHL bylaws concerning relocation of franchises, if there is an issue that would make a team viable in its current city -- such as a new arena -- and there is an ongoing plan to rectify that issue, the league likely will block a move.

Mr. Fingold, 34, is the principal of Kenyon Investments, a commercial real estate firm in Hartford, Conn. Mr. Fingold's partners are his father, David, and brother, Michael, who are real estate developers in the family's hometown of Toronto, and Michael Cohl, founder and chief executive officer of Concert Productions International.

"Sam and his family have a tremendous background in business and investments, and, just as importantly, they have hockey in their blood. We look forward to working with them to complete the purchase agreement, and to achieve their goal of keeping the Penguins in Pittsburgh for the long term," Mr. Sawyer said.


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

(Shelly Anderson can be reached at 412-263-1721. )

[Evergrey]

a rather boring article about insurance coverage for the T Connector work reveals a tidbit of news that is sure to excite everyone in this thread...

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06210/709555-147.stm

Also at yesterday's meeting, the board adopted a 2007-10 Transportation Improvement Program, a biennial update of capital spending plans to keep the authority eligible for federal funding.

The plan calls for spending $886.6 million for everything from the North Shore Connector and bus repair parts to new buses and a management contract for the ACCESS paratransit program.

For the first time, the TIP includes money for "east-west corridor rapid transit," a total of $18.5 million to begin planning for future transit to Oakland in one direction and to Pittsburgh International Airport in the other.

Mr. Bland said the money will provide for further study of the merits and needs of new transit facilities. He said the corridor is a high priority of county Chief Executive Dan Onorato and a special task force that Mr. Onorato has formed to recommend future projects.

[PA Pride]

Evergrey: I know about Buncher being a Bunch of assholes and just sitting on all that land.. They will wait till a few big projects happen in the strip like all the clubs opening up and cork factory etc.. And wait till their land is worth a shitload... Which of course I would do the same thing... I just hope they dont build anymore crappy little warehouses and light industrial bldgs to waste that prime land....

The strip is absolutely huge... Besides the completely obvious giant parking lot around the seagate bldg and creeping all the way over to that looong fruit market bldg, on the other side of the cork factory, all the way to the start of lawrenceville/bloomfield past the 31st bridge is all prime, flat real estate that could all be mostly leveled and used for mixed use bldgs and clubs and bars and high rises... Thats my humble opinion...

Does anyone have a full aerial pic of the strip from the convention center all the way to the 40th street bridge??

[themaguffin]

I don't see them waiting just to put up wharehouses. The Cork Factory isn't going to house factory workers. If they are waiting, it's because they want someone to build a large development.

While it's nice to be one a few places to get this German place, it's also a bitter sweet thing because Pittsburgh already is home to an old authentic German pub and also the the Southside has a place that specializes in pretzels.

as for the Pens, I was hoping that one of the groups that didn't have intentions of moving the team, would get them, but greed always trumps everything else. I don't believe his promise, he's as tied to Pittsburgh as NHL laws and Penguins legal contracts make him be. Otherwise KC Whogivesafuck here we come....

And I missed the transportation tidbit Evergrey.... good news, but here we $18 million for a plan that will take a couple years to outline the paths (which I thought there already some plans made) and then all the other BS - which is why in the 80s as the T opened, the other routes should have been in the pipeline so that there was a constant flow.... this build it, stop, wait several years, plan another stage, wait BS is ridiculous. But they started this baby step, so I should be positive...

[Wheelingman04]

I am not too happy about the Penquins new owner either.

[Evergrey]

Good news for Millvale and Wilkinsburg... 2 long-struggling inner-ring burbs... that would be inner-city neighborhoods in most U.S. cities... both have been making efforts at revitalization

http://www.popcitymedia.com/developmentnews/22ranchouse.aspx

August 2, 2006
$1.2 million mixed-used development brings new housing and retail to Millvale
The Borough of Millvale and the Millvale Business Development Corporation (MBDC) are completing renovation of a three-story, 10,000 square-foot property located at 301 North Avenue.

The mixed-use project combines affordable housing and retail space. The building’s two upper floors contain six, 850 square-foot two-bedroom apartments with fully equipped kitchens, laundry facilities and off-street parking.

The first floor houses 3,000 square feet of rentable commercial space. Built in 1901 by the Lippert Saw Company, the property is an architecturally significant structure within Millvale’s Main Street corridor.

High ceilings and open floor plans will create ideal live-work space. The MBDC hopes to attract small businesses, professional and/or medical offices and artists.

P.W. Campbell is construction manager and architect is Lawrenceville-based Charles L. Desmone and Associates. The project is co-developed by Ranch House Associates. Leasing and occupancy will begin in January 2007.

“We’d love to have a restaurant or market here. Mr. Small’s is one block away and is a big draw. They have over annual 7,000 visitors who are looking for other places to go. We can capitalize on this,” says Nancy Noszka, Main Street Manager with MBDC.

Nosvak cites a growing demand for affordable housing located near employment centers, especially with rising commuter costs, as a motivation for her work.

Writer: Jennifer Baron
Source: Nancy Noszka, Main Street Manager, MBDC.

http://www.popcitymedia.com/developmentnews/22mcnary.aspx

First new single-family housing in Wilkinsburg in years
Three new single-family homes have been completed at 1910, 1920 and 1930 McNary Boulevard, in the northeastern section of Wilkinsburg.

The $808,679 development includes three-bedroom, 1,500 square-foot wood-framed homes built on a wooded, 2.5-acre site. Richard Manns designed the homes and general contractor is Opacic Development Company. Forest Development Corporation is the owner/developer. Each home features an integral one-car garage, front deck and back patio, and large yard.

"The houses on McNary Boulevard represent the first new single-family for-sale homes built in Wilkinsburg in many years. The strong interest shown in them from potential buyers is an encouraging sign for continued housing development in Wilkinsburg," says Dennis M. Davin, director, Allegheny County Economic Development.

The construction was completed with funds from ACED and Dollar Bank. The homes will be sold to buyers with incomes at or below 100% of the federal median household income limits for the Pittsburgh area. The sale price is $78,000; Allegheny County will provide a deferred second mortgage for each home.

"The housing is a strong example of the progress that is beginning to take place in Wilkinsburg as a result of the partnership between the Borough, the County, the State, private developers, and local stakeholders. More housing and commercial development are on the way. All sectors of the community are starting to come together to attract and stimulate further investment in Wilkinsburg. We're hopeful that this activity will lead to significant long-term growth,” says Davin.

Writer: Jennifer Baron
Source: Dennis M. Davin, director, Allegheny County Economic Development

[Evergrey]

http://www.popcitymedia.com/developmentnews/22talltimber.aspx

August 2, 2006
Tall Timber Group reports housing holds steady, commercial contracting soars
Tall Timber Group, a Ross-based construction market research firm, reports that despite a national housing market slowdown, residential permits in the region held strong through the second quarter. National housing is off almost 15% year-to-year, but in metropolitan Pittsburgh permits for new single-family detached units were 1,382 versus 1,402 last year.

“What strikes me is the variance between the national and regional situation,” says Jeff Burd, president of Tall Timber. In southwestern PA permits for attached and multi-family housing jumped over 60% in the second quarter to 1,025. Allegheny County leads with 1,122 single-family detached and attached homes built, followed by Westmoreland County with 501. In the Pittsburgh MSA, single-family detached and attached homes in the second quarter of 2006 numbered 2,407, up from 2,041 in 2005.

Data reflects shifts in regional “hot spots.” The city of Pittsburgh remains strongest, with 262 new housing units under construction, while other municipalities show decline, including long-time growth area Cranberry.

“What is really interesting is the variety of housing available now versus 15 years ago,” says Burd, who has worked in the industry for 30 years.

Non-residential construction soared for the third straight quarter, up 49% compared to 2005. Contracting was at $983 million between April and June, after nearly three-quarters of a billion dollars in the past two quarters.

Retail construction contributed 1 million square feet of new construction. Other growth sectors include hospitals, power plants, colleges, manufacturing, and hotels.

Tall Timber provides research and analysis on the housing market, and analysis and business services for the non-residential market.

Writer: Jennifer Baron
Source: Jeff Burd, president, Tall Timber Group.

[Evergrey]

well, the newly restricted Biz Journal has some tantalizing tidbits about "planning for regional growth", the usual news about PGH companies doing great lately... and a number of companies looking for 100,000 sq. ft. downtown... including UPMC looking for 100k-400k




so is anyone else getting sick of the whole Penguins' sale / arena construction / slots license clusterf*ck?

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06212/709950-336.stm

$290M in funding tight, but doable, for arena
Monday, July 31, 2006

By Gary Rotstein, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette



A $290 million investment is about the minimum needed to get Pittsburgh a quality National Hockey League arena if construction starts soon, say developers of such facilities, but overall costs connected to it also could end up well above $300 million.

Pittsburgh Penguins officials since Christmas have trumpeted their agreement with Isle of Capri Casinos Inc. through which the gambling operator would provide $290 million up-front for an arena -- if it wins Pittsburgh's one slots license. The team has not provided specifics, however, about just what the $290 million would cover and what features the new facility would include.

Gov. Ed Rendell has offered a $315 million Plan B that accepts the $290 million estimate for construction-related costs and includes additional funds for long-term financing expenses, which the Penguins say can be avoided if Isle of Capri wins the license and writes out a check for the arena.

Under either scenario, the Rendell administration has committed to have the state cover $26.5 million in additional real estate acquisition and site preparation costs for the new Uptown arena. Either funding scenario also could face higher-than-expected inflation or other unanticipated costs.

Several analysts uninvolved in the Pittsburgh discussions view $290 million as a fair starting point for construction-related costs, if the arena is not intended to be among the league's largest, and if it doesn't necessarily include the most luxurious amenities.

"I think that could be achievable," said Michael Fratianni, executive vice president of Hunt Construction Group, a leading sports arena construction firm nationally.

"I would say that in Pittsburgh, you could be all in for anywhere from $275 million to $300 million," said Mr. Fratianni, who managed the construction of Heinz Field, which cost $281 million. "What it would take with that dollar amount is the right people -- the architect, owner and construction manager sitting down and working through a program that can reflect that cost."

If questions arise about sufficient funding, it could factor into such decisions as whether to include a gourmet restaurant or provide premium-seat buyers their own separate viewing level and entrance, according to those familiar with new arenas.

"Everything affects cost, right down to the dessert carts that visit each suite every game," said Michael Roth, vice president of communications for AEG, which will manage the new, $276 million Sprint Center in Kansas City. "The escalators, the elevators, every amenity of fan convenience adds to the cost."

Brian Parker, project manager for Conventions, Sports & Leisure International, a consulting firm, said minimum cost for an NHL facility would be "at least $250 million, and that's probably a smaller building with smaller square footage and not all of the amenities. ... That's if construction started today, opening three years from now."

Mr. Parker's firm recently advised the Connecticut Development Authority, which has mulled construction of a new arena in Hartford but has no specific plans, that it should assume costs would be in the $300 million to $400 million range, rather than the $250 million to $270 million it was seeking.

He and others said project estimates are affected by start dates and, in the case of population centers between Washington, D.C., and Boston, higher costs for labor, materials and property. Pittsburgh costs would be more in line with national averages.

The only NHL arena currently under construction, to open in 2007 in Newark for the New Jersey Devils, carries a price tag of $310 million. It will contain 18,000 seats, 78 luxury suites, 150 food and retail areas, a gourmet restaurant, 750 television monitors and 12 escalators.

Any future metropolitan Downtown arena could cost at least $300 million, said Jon Niemuth, design principal in the Ellerbe Becket architectural firm, based on Kansas City's 18,500-seat Sprint Center, which is also to open in fall of 2007. It has no major professional sports tenant, and Kansas City officials are hoping the arena will encourage relocation of an existing franchise, such as the Penguins, if the team's ownership is dissatisfied with local arena options.

The Penguins favored suitor, Samuel Fingold of Hartford, has indicated he plans for the team to stay in Pittsburgh.

Penguins spokesman Tom McMillan said that while the organization's officials have no specific design plan, "the $290 million figure is a result of our work with contractors who have built arenas, and the cost of arenas built in the United States in recent years."

In the loosest of terms, Penguins officials have described wanting about 1,000 more seats than the 16,940 they have for hockey; more and better luxury suites than the 53 for which corporations pay $85,000 to $105,000 annually; and wider concourses that allow for more comfortable access throughout the building and more plentiful concession stands and retail stores.

A spate of construction brought 19 new facilities into the NHL from 1993 to 1999 with many of the features deemed lacking in 45-year-old Mellon Arena. Four more have opened since 2000.

Mellon is seven years older than Madison Square Garden, the New York Rangers' home and the second-oldest facility in the league. Mr. McMillan said Pittsburgh sports fans -- from top businesses to average citizens -- also compare Mellon's amenities to what they've enjoyed at PNC Park and Heinz Field since 2001.

Many around the NHL, including Penguins officials, have pointed to the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minn., as a model for new arena development. The facility, which has sold out its 18,064 seats for every game since opening in 2000, was built using $180 million in public-private financing plus $45 million in add-ons the club ownership paid for to upgrade scoreboard, suite and electronic advertising features, among other items.

The "X" is known for its broad concourses that allow fans to see the action while in concession lines. At the same time, it has 72 luxury suites costing $75,000 to $150,000 to lease. It and other new arenas feature separate access and fine dining options for club-seat holders.

The quality and choices of seating arrangements, restaurants and technology -- among other factors -- all factor into what Mr. Neimuth, an arena architect, described as the difference between a "three-star versus a five-star arena." Many of those decisions will be affected by a team's market, he said, and the goal isn't necessarily to build the biggest possible facility.

While some arenas have gone above 20,000 in seating, which maximizes revenue for the most popular events, he said "18,000 seems like a sweet spot most buildings can fill, and if it works right, it drives up demand because more people want in."

He said an annual inflation rate of 5 to 8 percent should be built into construction estimates, based on recent industry trends.

When replacement of Mellon Arena was last under serious discussion by the Penguins and the city-county Sports & Exhibition Authority in 2002, local officials estimated the project cost at between $270 million and $278 million, including the cost of land acquisition and site clearance across Centre Avenue from the existing arena.

The Penguins have committed that if the Isle of Capri plan is accepted, they will cover any cost overruns above the $290 million.

The team, the SEA and the governor's office have yet to iron out details of Plan B, such as dealing with cost overruns and operation of the new arena, because the Penguins are counting on the Isle of Capri plan, although the license decision may not come until next year.

The governor has laid out Plan B as a financial alternative relying on $7.5 million a year for 30 years from the slots licensee, $7 million a year from a state development fund covered by slots revenue, and an annual Penguins contribution that includes a $2.9 million payment and giving up $1.2 million in naming rights that would be directed toward the arena cost. Also, the Pens would be expected to pay $8.5 million up front, as team officials indicated in the past they would be willing to do.

Those contributions would fund an annual $18.6 million debt payment for 30 years on a bond issue to fund arena construction, based on the $290 million estimate. Rendell administration officials said they trust that the Penguins and Isle of Capri negotiated that amount as what was necessary to get a quality arena, as the casino company wouldn't want to donate more than was needed.

"We respect that estimate," said Kate Philips, the governor's spokeswoman. "Things can increase, depending on when you finally break ground, but that aside, we think it's a responsible estimate."

Mr. Fratianni, of Hunt Construction, said design work on an arena typically takes about eight to 10 months, and the construction itself 27 to 29 months, with some overlap possible to reduce the time. The Pens would like to be in a new arena by 2009, which he said "could be achieved, but certainly some things would have to move right off the bat."

How fast things can move is up in the air, at present, because the Penguins have been focused on only Isle of Capri's funding plan and negotiating sale of the team to a new owner, who would inherit that agreement.


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

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

[themaguffin]

Big tenants seek Downtown space
Pittsburgh Business Times - July 28, 2006by Robert Sandler


A number of major tenants are simultaneously searching for substantial amounts of Downtown office space, just as real estate professionals say overall interest in the business district is beginning to increase.

The biggest potential user may be the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, which is looking for between 100,000 and 400,000 square feet of space, two real estate sources familiar with the search told the Business Times this week. The health system is also looking to put its logo at the top of a high-profile Downtown building, the sources said.

The U.S. Steel Tower, with 421,000 square feet of vacant space, is believed to be the leading contender to land UPMC, according to the sources, who are from two different real estate companies and requested anonymity because of the confidential nature of ongoing negotiations.

UPMC spokesman Frank Raczkiewicz declined to comment on the speculation, referring instead to a statement he issued in early June about the organization's search for office space.

"The University of Pittsburgh Medical Center is exploring options to bring together its corporate services into a single headquarters in Downtown Pittsburgh," Raczkiewicz said. "This exploration is still in its early stages, and we are discussing a range of options with a number of parties including, but not limited to, (the U.S. Steel Tower). No decisions have yet been made."

UPMC's administrative personnel are currently located in multiple offices.

Another major tenant, natural-gas supplier Equitable Resources Inc., is searching for 350,000 square feet of office space to accommodate its purchase of Dominion Peoples. Equitable spokeswoman Pat Kornick said that total includes the 156,000 square feet the company currently has at its North Shore headquarters. The company is keeping its options open in terms of where to locate, she said.

Other large tenants are continuing their search for Downtown office space, including law firm Kirkpatrick & Lockhart Nicholson Graham, which currently has more than 200,000 square feet at the Henry W. Oliver Building. The firm has been searching for space elsewhere for more than a year.

Consulting firm Deloitte Inc. also continues to look for between 90,000 and 100,000 square feet either Downtown or on the North Side, real estate sources said.

Ariba Inc. also may be considering a move, sources said, since the company listed its entire 180,000 square feet of office space for sublease in the Business Times' spring commercial real estate guide. Sources indicated the company is seeking about 90,000 square feet; a spokeswoman said the company is keeping its options open.

Downtown-based law firm Cohen & Grigsby PC also has said it is searching for 80,000 square feet, and Cleveland-based law firm Jones Day said this week it is looking to expand its presence from 65,000 to between 70,000 and 80,000 square feet.

H.J. Heinz Co. had looked earlier this year at moving its headquarters out of 123,000 square feet of space at the U.S. Steel Tower, but real estate sources have said that search now appears to be on hold.

'A PERFECT BALANCE'
With so many large firms searching for space Downtown, it's likely that 2006 will trump the past few years in terms of the largest office leases signed, said Jeremy Kronman, an office broker with Downtown-based CB Richard Ellis/Pittsburgh.

According to Business Times' lists of the largest local leases, the largest new office lease signed in 2005 was one for Unison Health Plan, which took 64,000 square feet in Monroeville. The largest lease in 2004 was for Del Monte Foods, which took 179,000 square feet on the North Shore.

The glut of large users hitting the Downtown market comes at a time when tenants have begun to lose the upper hand they held in lease negotiations for the past five or six years, real estate brokers said.

When the economic recession started in 2000 and businesses stopped expanding, tenants gained leverage because they were such a precious commodity. As the economy's improved and businesses are expanding again and looking for large chunks of space, that leverage has mostly been wiped out, they said.

Patrick Sentner, a broker with North Side-based NAI Pittsburgh Commercial, said he believes landlords and tenants are now at "a perfect balance." Landlords aren't able to cut back on tenant-improvement allowances, but to some extent, "the landlord has the ability to dig their heels in," he said.

Downtown still has a fairly high vacancy rate of 17.8 percent, according to Grubb and Ellis Co., but Kronman said those numbers don't reflect the likely choices for large-scale users. Small or midsize chunks of office space may be available, but there aren't many locations available for tenants who are looking for about 100,000 square feet, he said.

The Business Times reported in 2001 that top-level Class A buildings Downtown were available for about $24 per square foot. Class A rental rates today are closer to $21, according to Grubb and Ellis Co.

And rental rates are on the rise again, a sign of economic expansion, Kronman said.

"People are hiring again or have put off expanding for as long as they could, and we're now seeing the results of it," Kronman said. "It is not officially a landlord market yet, but it sure is less of a tenant market for the larger users."

That would represent a major shift in the market, which has favored tenants since about 2000, Sentner and Kronman said.

"There's an upward pressure on rental rates for sure. It's both supply and demand driven," Kronman said. "You have both the finite supply of big blocks of space, and you also have a tremendous pressure on rental rates," with landlords' costs of fuel, insurance, construction and wages on the rise.



:)

[themaguffin]

Bus Times editorial on development:

Editor's Notebook
Planning for regional growth
Pittsburgh Business Times - July 28, 2006by Lauren Lawley Head


We've all heard the doomsayers' reports.

The region's population is in decline. With fewer and fewer people living and working here, businesses will leave in search of a bigger pool of workers and customers. Local governments will have to cut back on services or raise taxes to keep afloat. And as the quality of life spirals downward, more and more of those remaining residents will flee to greener pastures.

Last one here, please turn out the lights.

Luckily, Western Pennsylvania is a region steeped in a tradition of innovation combined with hard work. Among the few hardy souls remaining, a surprising number have stepped up to offer a solution.

One of the most recent proposals comes from Allegheny County's comprehensive plan, called Allegheny Places. It offers four development scenarios that would direct where and how the county would grow. Here's a snapshot:

1. Good old places. In this scenario, Allegheny County would direct growth in existing boroughs and towns. Key components include redeveloping brownfield sites and rehabbing existing buildings to support growth in existing communities.

2. Hot new places. The flip side of the first scenario, this plan would involve directing development around areas that offer the kind of highway access -- both existing and planned -- that would support a mix of office, retail and residential development.

3. River places. In this scenario, the county would focus on development along the rivers. It would mean revitalizing existing communities, but it would take care to avoid flood-prone areas and protect green space.

4. Transit places. This scenario promotes the idea of encouraging high-density development around public transit lines, which would create walkable neighborhoods that include a mix of housing, retail and commercial uses.

Frankly, I like elements of all four approaches. They offer clear strategies for directing efforts to make our community a more attractive place to live and work.

But they don't answer the question: Where will all the people come from?

It's time to pull together, get creative and formulate some strategies to pump up the population, not just in Allegheny County but the entire region. To get the ball rolling, I'll start:

1. Tax incentives. Creating elaborate packages of tax breaks is standard fare when it comes to luring businesses, why not try a similar tactic to attract new residents? Wave the first five years' worth of local income taxes for people who relocate to the region from out of state. Or better yet, have them pay each year, but refund the money the following year if they stay. An added bonus to people who move here from particularly popular locals, such as Phoenix, Atlanta or Fiji.

2. Site preparation. In recent years, local government officials have recognized the benefits of paying to clean up brownfield sites and turn them into prime real estate ready and waiting for developers or tenants. We could take a similar approach on the residential side. Municipalities looking for new residents could buy old houses and rehab, decorate and furnish them to move-in-ready condition. Buyers would simply arrive in town, suitcase in hand, ready to start their new life.

3. Free gas. This is a simpler strategy, but it's one that seems to be working for everything from hotels to mobile phone companies. With a little creativity, we might even be able to get it underwritten by the private sector. The "GetGo-ing and Move to Pittsburgh" program, brought to you by Giant Eagle, has a nice ring to it.

4. Steelers tickets. We don't just want to woo a bunch of transient folk without any ties to the region. A Steelers season ticket package should be enough to convince true Pittsburgh natives to move back home.

As with any planning process, your input is invaluable. To comment on the Allegheny Places plan, check out its Web site: www.alleghenyplaces.com. Have a crazy idea of your own about how to lure people to Pittsburgh? E-mail me at llawley@bizjournals.com.

[Evergrey]

that "regional growth" piece was disappointingly lame...

Downtown's vacancy rate should take a nice plunge with all these companies expanding downtown... and with the conversion of several office buildings to residential (Carlyle and nearby towers)

[Evergrey]

I just thought of a rather significant project that was never mentioned in this thread.

East Liberty's long-vacant 13-story Highland Building... which is undergoing conversion to 84 condo units (avg. $167k) with hotel construction and retail. Demolition of the nearby Stadterman Building will make way for structured parking and 132-room hotel This was announced last Sept. It will welcome residents next summer.

I haven't seen any recent updates on it... but here's the article from last Sept.
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/05269/577859.stm

"Pittsburgh's just really fun. If I had a choice of living in Pittsburgh or Atlanta, it would be hands down Pittsburgh," said Tennessee developer Burch, whose company's name, Terminus, was the original name for Atlanta.

photos I took last July
http://i.pbase.com/g3/86/571686/2/57349777.100_1423.jpg

http://i.pbase.com/g3/86/571686/2/57349785.100_1439.jpg

http://www.ura.org/images/maps/Highland.jpg

[themaguffin]

Yeah it's not exactly what I had expected either. Though some (or most) is for expansion. I don't like reading about useless moving, that simply shifts available space.