PITTSBURGH | Rundown [Archive] - Page 42

Evergrey

05-01-2008, 05:58 AM

perhaps EventHorizon could provide some insight

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08122/878159-56.stm

McKeesport officials tout signs of rebirth

Summit points to new businesses, plans

Thursday, May 01, 2008
By Karamagi Rujumba, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/images/200804/20080501sm_mckeesport4_500.jpg
Steve Mellon/Post-Gazette
Michael Pergantis joined others yesterday in examining renderings of new development in McKeesport during an economic development summit. Mr. Pergantis owns property on McKeesport's Fifth Avenue.

After years of economic slide that left McKeesport reeling from high unemployment, crime and blighted neighborhoods, community and business leaders in this old steel-mill town say it is undergoing a significant economic face-lift.

The problem is, however, not a lot people know about it, Mayor James Brewster said at an economic development summit he held yesterday to highlight some of the triumphs in McKeesport's ongoing turnaround.

"These are exciting times for us," Mr. Brewster said in his presentation to about 200 city officials, business owners and residents gathered in the Palisades Hall at McKees Point.

In the last four years, Mr. Brewster said, McKeesport has seen continuous signs of growth with the opening of 119 new businesses, creation of more than 450 new jobs and an expansion of the city's existing businesses.

"We are doing well, but all too often, we get stuck in the negative because people don't know much about what is happening in our city," Mr. Brewster said, adding that his administration has presided over construction of 27 new homes and expansion of the city's tax base by $3 million.

Much of what is happening now, which includes the paving of 87 city streets, construction of two baseball fields and the razing of abandoned houses, was spurred by more than $27 million in federal, state and county funding that poured into McKeesport, said city administrator Dennis Pittman.

"We have sustained the blows from our loss of the steel industry and now we are trying to diversify our business base with companies that have a specific connection to McKeesport," he said.

After being $1.2 million in debt four years ago, Mr. Pittman said, McKeesport has climbed its way back to financial solvency because of homegrown businesses like McKeesport Candy Co., Book Country Clearing House and Blueroof Technologies, a McKeesport nonprofit organization that has plans to build 12 new houses in an independent living community for senior citizens.

What is happening in McKeesport now is all the more compelling because the city, like many other communities in the Mon Valley is struggling against economic forces beyond its control, said Allegheny County Chief Executive Dan Onorato.

In many old steel-mill towns, he said, "the infrastructure is old, the economy changed, and you were left with legacy costs that you couldn't control on your own."

Citing his administration's push for the redevelopment of Carrie Furnace, a 137-acre swath of Monongahela riverfront property in Rankin and Swissvale, and the recently completed renovation of the Homestead Grays Bridge, Mr. Onorato told people at the summit that he is committed to major investment in Mon Valley towns.

And for McKeesport, that investment might also mean an extension of services, said District Attorney Stephen A. Zappala Jr., who talked about his plan to open a regional courthouse in the Mon Valley.

"We have found that about 16 percent of the major crimes are generated in this Mon Valley corridor," Mr. Zappala said, laying out plans for what could be the McKeesport Regional Justice Center.

"It's an opportunity to create a courthouse here, where you will be able to do anything that you can do at the courthouse in Pittsburgh," Mr. Zappala said.

The idea of a regional courthouse complex in McKeesport was borne of necessity, but it could also fit in with what McKeesport is trying to do, he said.

"We spend about $400,000 in leasing fees Downtown because we don't have enough room in our locations Downtown," Mr. Zappala said.
Karamagi Rujumba can be reached at krujumba@post-gazette.com or 412-263-1719.

EventHorizon

05-01-2008, 08:05 AM

Well, to be honest, I can't add much more insight because I haven't lived there for the past six months – and rarely find myself there anymore. But, like the Mayor suggests, the city has a very bad image problem that persuades people from having anything to do with it whatsoever. And it certainly keeps people from seeing anything good being accomplished.

I'm not aware of any large projects the city or private developers have planned – other than that flyover ramp to the EchoStar location along the Mon riverfront, that may help open it up to more development at the brownfields. I haven't a clue what that drawing from the article shows – though It's most likely along the Youghiogheny. It could be a redevelopment of the riverfront park there.

I really don't have the foggiest clue of what can save the Mon Valley let alone McKeesport itself ...perhaps a large waterfront development akin to homestead's? Who knows!? I'm afraid a couple dozen new houses for low income people and a courthouse aren't going to help much in the long run though. The entire valley needs a reason to exist... or we should just let the jagger bushes take over. Any ideas?

AaronPGH

05-01-2008, 01:12 PM

Fucking great. We're #1 sootiest city this year rated by the American Lung Association. It's front page on Yahoo.com, CNN.com, and more. Way to go Pittsburgh.

Evergrey

05-01-2008, 01:47 PM

Fucking great. We're #1 sootiest city this year rated by the American Lung Association. It's front page on Yahoo.com, CNN.com, and more. Way to go Pittsburgh.

Is it that time of year again already??? Let's go and reinforce some outdated stereotypes!

PA Pride

05-01-2008, 02:02 PM

Fucking great. We're #1 sootiest city this year rated by the American Lung Association. It's front page on Yahoo.com, CNN.com, and more. Way to go Pittsburgh.

Wow, you're right; The story is prominently displayed.

I wonder what the biggest offendors are? Where I live in Beaver County, occaisionally the coal fired powerplant in Shippingport will blow soot all over the surrounding area.

Evergrey

05-01-2008, 02:09 PM

Wow, you're right; The story is prominently displayed.

I wonder what the biggest offendors are? Where I live in Beaver County, occaisionally the coal fired powerplant in Shippingport will blow soot all over the surrounding area.

offenders??? plural? no... the way the American Lung Association does their ranking... is by looking at only the single worst air quality monitor in a metropolitan area... Pittsburgh happens to have the worst air monitor reading in the country in the Clairton area near the nation's largest coke facility... so since 1 percent of the metro is breathing the worst air in the country... the whole metro gets the tag of "sootiest city"

JackStraw

05-01-2008, 02:10 PM

Evergrey

05-01-2008, 02:15 PM

I would like to see how these studies are actually done. I am going to admit that there are a few days in July and August that are unbearable with the ozone smell. However, if you took the days of extreme hot ozone days to the number you would have in LA or even Denver, it would be minimal.

the American Lung Propaganda Association finds the worst air monitor in a metro and ranks the metros by that single monitor... disregarding the rest of the monitors in the metro... real scientific-like

JackStraw

05-01-2008, 02:22 PM

the American Lung Propaganda Association finds the worst air monitor in a metro and ranks the metros by that single monitor... disregarding the rest of the monitors in the metro... real scientific-like

That is just retarded. I was wondering why Birmingham, Al was on there. Then I figured it is because they probably set up the monitoring next to one of their steel mills.

I hate when these rankings come out every year. Now it gives the ignorant stereotype that we are a smokey steel mill city to the people who never travelled here.

Evergrey

05-01-2008, 02:29 PM

yeah... hopefully we have another "World's Best City" award coming our way to counteract this lol

hey... Forbes ranked us 60 out of 292 for small business! woohoo!

JackStraw

05-01-2008, 02:39 PM

marinog

05-01-2008, 03:05 PM

^We were on Forbes cleanest cities list a while back too. Kind of strange.

Did anybody ever buy the book by Bert Sperling (some guy that writes about cities), "Cities Ranked and Rated". It came out in 2005 I believe. Sold a good amount of copies. I bought it while living in Denver. They ranked at talk about 400 different metro regions.

Pittsburgh was number 28 out of like 350 American Metros. Only Portland, or was the only large metro that beat us. The best was like Charlottesville, Virginia. It said great things about Pittsburgh as they compare education, cost of living, leisure, arts and culture, economy, etc. The opening line on Pittsburgh was something like, "Forget about steel mills and the smoke largely blew away leaving a revitalized and beautiful city with great neighborhoods."

Just thought I would post that to get people a little less upset about this stupid sooty crap.

I have a copy of that book... Pittsburgh ranked in the top of just about every category.. I remember they got a 10 in arts and entertainment... I think they only category Pittsburgh didnt do to well in was weather... I also remember my hometown of Erie was ranked like 342 out of 350... Some of material that is used for how they come up with the rankings was kind of stupid though, like how many Starbucks does a city have??? I think at the time Erie only had 4 or so...

Evergrey

05-01-2008, 03:31 PM

here's the photo ABC News is using
http://a.abcnews.com/images/Technology/ap_pitts2_080430_mn.jpg

AaronPGH

05-01-2008, 03:43 PM

here's the photo ABC News is using
http://a.abcnews.com/images/Technology/ap_pitts2_080430_mn.jpg

Would you expect anything else? Every single news source is doing the exact same thing. Let's find the worst picture of Pittsburgh we can get...look for bad weather, not pollution.

JackStraw

05-01-2008, 04:07 PM

http://www.achd.net/air/pubs/pdf/ecoMayJun2007.pdf

Here is a article that backs up Evergrey's assesment on how they do their "Study".

JackStraw

05-01-2008, 06:01 PM

http://pittsburgh.about.com/b/2008/05/01/pittsburgh-is-americas-sootiest-city.htm#gB3

aboutPittsburgh.com fires back today.

BMikeSci

05-01-2008, 07:43 PM

Would you expect anything else? Every single news source is doing the exact same thing. Let's find the worst picture of Pittsburgh we can get...look for bad weather, not pollution.

As you guys know, I love PGH, but the city has horrible pollution. In fact, after living in downtown PGH for just six months, I put my apartment on the market and got out. My health declined horribly in a very short period of time. I lost money, but my health is more important.

PGH is a great town. There is so much to do and see. I really love it, but I can't live there.

Check this out:

http://www.scorecard.org/env-releases/county.tcl?fips_county_code=42003#major_chemical_releases

It's hard to argue with the EPA's Toxic Release Inventory data since it is provided directly by the companies themselves.

In this report, you can see the following releases:

2002 TRI Pollution Releases Sorted by Health Effect*
Air Releases
(Pounds from TRI sources) Water Releases
(Pounds from TRI sources)
Recognized Carcinogens 162,391 1,534
Suspected Carcinogens 161,067 748
Suspected Cardiovascular or Blood Toxicants 1,251,371 354,993
Recognized Developmental Toxicants 305,920 1,342
Suspected Developmental Toxicants 957,499 1,980
Suspected Endocrine Toxicants 312,647 36,591
Suspected Immunotoxicants 2,934,997 5,518
Suspected Kidney Toxicants 919,742 3,290
Suspected Gastrointestinal or Liver Toxicants 4,875,319 12,378
Suspected Musculoskeletal Toxicants 3,365,227
Suspected Neurotoxicants 2,617,219 48,456
Recognized Reproductive Toxicants 112,370 958
Suspected Reproductive Toxicants 2,051,990 11,490
Suspected Respiratory Toxicants 5,826,270 51,976
Suspected Skin or Sense Organ Toxicants 5,636,946 47,226

These releases are in pounds. Look at suspected Skin or Sense Organ Toxicants. That's over five million pounds per year. Respiratory toxicants are closing in on six million pounds.

Sorry that the report is old, but Bush pulled the plug on scorecard. BTW, pollution in PGH seems worse than ever.

Yes, PGH is a great town with a lot of exciting projects, but it has major pollution problems. It's not just bad weather.

hyperion1110

05-01-2008, 08:23 PM

BMikeSci

05-02-2008, 12:13 AM

:previous: I don't really have the words to express how stupid all of this really is. The aboutPittsburgh article made some sense. But I was really disappointed when it said that "some people hypothesize" that the reason for the high pollution is that we are downwind of a lot of pollution. This is not a hypothesis! The mountains to the east of Pittsburgh act as barrier for all of the pollution moving out from the west. Since the prevailing winds for the entire contiguous US blow westward, Pittsburgh is literally collecting all of the pollution from EVERY CITY TO ITS WEST!!! It's the same damn reason why Pittsburgh has so many cloudy days, and it's the same reason why there is a the Seattle area gets loads of rain, yet central and western Washington is much more arid. Air and pollution are not invisible things. Physical barriers like mountains DO dramatically effect the way the winds, and what they carry, move. This is no hypothesis!

And, no, BMikeSci, Pittsburgh is not getting more polluted. I've lived here for 27 years, and it is the cleanest it has ever been.

Well I do have words, and logic. If you want to talk about the topology of the region, let's: First of all, the hills surrounding the rivers keep all the filthy air from escaping. If millions of pounds of toxins are released into the air, and lots of that gets trapped by the topology, there's a problem. Let's take Donora for example: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donora

Between October 26 and October 31, 1948 an air inversion trapped industrial effluent (air pollution) from the American Steel and Wire plant and Donora Zinc Works. "In three days, 18 people died...

Could this happen again? I think it could. 60 minutes did a piece on the possibility of such a disaster. Calgon Carbon, for example, release about 1000 pounds of ammonia gas every day. U.S. Steel's Clairton Works pumps out hugh amounts of pm 2.5 and pm 10 every day from their coke production. Someone even seemingly dumped a large amount of estrogen into the water supply. Bay Valley Foods, a division of Treehouse Foods, the company whose board Michelle Obama sat on, runs a coal powered production furnace almost in the heart of the downtown. Let's face facts: PGH is a town encased in toxins and new toxic releases. It's not stupid to believe this. It is stupid to ignore the facts.

BTW, the monitor that is usually quoted as the worst is the Clairton "downwind monitor" This is what it is called by the ACHD (Allegheny County Health Department) and by the EPA and the DEP. Yes, there are prevailing winds. I believe that along the rivers they go east to west, primarily. At any given time, one can see wind direction indicator flags in the downtown going in all directions simultaneously, if one is at a vantage point with good 360 degree views. It is ironic that US Steel often says that Clairton is not dangerous. They point to the town of Clairton as their example, but Clairton is upwind of the coke works.

Moreover, I lived in PGH 20 years ago. I moved back thinking it would be the same or better. I was wrong. IMO the Iraq war has resulted in higher production of coke, steel, and other industrial products in PGH.

It's too dangerous to disregard these kinds of concerns. The "experts," (take a look at who pays their salaries) in the area may say it's safe, but it didn't feel safe to me. I felt ill from the first day I moved in, every day until I moved away. And for your information, and to alleviate any concerns, I feel fine now. It took me a while to get my respiration back to normal, but it feels wonderful to be able to breath again.

EPA Envirofacts Warehouse shows that multiple companies ship the following toxins to Calgon Carbon's Neville Island Facility:

1,2,4-Trimethylbenzene
Benzene
Cyclohexane
Lead compounds
Mercury compounds
N-hexane
Napthalene
Ammonia
Dioxin
Polycylic Aromatic Compunds
Chromium Compounds
Xylene
Ethyl benzene
N-butylalchohol
Penol
Lotene
Hexachlorocyclopentadiene

Many of these compounds should never be incinerated. For example, incineration of Mercury compounds would lead to toxic releases of Mercury Vapor which would produce symptoms consistent with those I exhibit. Moreover, exposure to mercury vapor can cause pneumonia. I was diagnosed with pneumonia and bed-ridden for over two months. Calgon Carbon is infamous in South Africa for improperly disposing of mercury ash and sludge. I think I remember that they said they were burying fertilizer.

In case you don't know, Calgon Carbon reactivates carbon at their facility. What this really means is that they gather dirty carbon that has been used to clean industrial toxins from other locations. They ship the carbon to PGH. Then the wash and incinerate all the toxins out of the carbon. Basically, they are incinerating toxic waste within a few miles of the downtown. Now IMO, that's stupid.

chiaroscuro

05-02-2008, 01:39 PM

here's the photo ABC News is using
http://a.abcnews.com/images/Technology/ap_pitts2_080430_mn.jpg

I'm surprised they didn't use a picture of Forbes Field.

PA Pride

05-02-2008, 03:53 PM

I'm surprised they didn't use a picture of Forbes Field.

I was gonna say the same thing!

@Bmikesci: Sorry to hear about your experience. I'm suprised to hear that; I spent two years in downtown pittsburgh while going to school and I never had any problems; But I have plans to move downtown someday, and that makes me a little nervous to hear about your story.

Of course, I live in Beaver County so i'm used to toxic air, i suppose.

Evergrey

05-02-2008, 04:35 PM

moving on from the fake sooty air study...

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08123/878486-52.stm

Point Park's plans include new park, activity center and field house

Friday, May 02, 2008
By Mark Belko, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Point Park University has big plans for its property holdings Downtown, including a campus corridor along Wood Street, a new park, and a student activity center and possible field house as part of its acquisition of the YMCA building.

The university expects to unveil full details of the plan for transforming the Wood Street corridor, the heart of its Downtown campus, at a news conference Tuesday.

Early indications are that the plan, reviewed by the school's board of trustees last week, will include a new park at the south corner of Wood Street and the Boulevard of the Allies and reuse of the Downtown YMCA as a student activity center, with a possible field house to be constructed in the parking lot next to it.

The university also wants to turn Wood Street into a "campus corridor" stretching from the Monongahela Wharf to Fifth Avenue, where it would intersect with the new Three PNC Plaza skyscraper and Piatt Place, the converted Lazarus-Macy's store.

Ed Meena, president of the university's faculty assembly who attended last week's trustees' meeting, said the plans were both ambitious and "very impressive." He said the faculty as a whole was behind the vision.

"It's certainly something we all support. The administration under [Point Park President] Paul Hennigan has committed to hiring more full-time faculty and getting salaries to parity and he certainly has maintained that commitment," he said.

The transformation plan will plot a strategy for the 15 properties the university owns Downtown, second only to the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust, and the four others it leases in whole or in part.

Elements of the plan borrow from the vision laid out in October by a panel of experts convened by the Washington, D.C.-based Urban Land Institute, which was hired by the university to help guide future development.

Among the recommendations of the panel was the development of an urban academic village, the creation of more indoor and outdoor gathering spots for students and the purchase of the YMCA to provide recreation space Point Park lacked.

The plan to be unveiled by the university would accomplish some of that by transforming the parking lot at Wood Street and the Boulevard of the Allies into a park and turning the Y, purchased last month for $3.8 million, into a student activity center. Mr. Meena said there's also some talk about using the parking lot next to the Y to build a field house.

Establishing a "campus corridor" along Wood Street, where the university owns or leases at least half a dozen buildings, also would be in keeping with the land institute panel's recommendations to establish an academic village Downtown. It was not known yesterday just what Point Park plans to do to define that corridor.

As part of the plan, Point Park expects to open new dormitory space in a converted office building at 322 Boulevard of the Allies by fall. Of the 94 beds available, all but eight have been taken, Point Park spokeswoman Mary Ellen Solomon said yesterday. A second university-owned building next door also is expected to be converted to dorm space.

Ms. Solomon would not comment on or confirm any of the aspects of the plan yesterday, "pending our community announcement on Tuesday."

One thing apparently still undecided is whether the Pittsburgh Playhouse will move from Oakland to Downtown. Mr. Meena said the plan did not specifically state what would happen with the playhouse.

The Urban Land Institute panel urged the university to acquire the former United Way building at One Smithfield Street and turn that into a "iconic theater complex" that would include the playhouse.

Another possible location, if the playhouse is moved from Oakland, is a cluster of Point Park-owned properties on Forbes and Fourth avenues. That would put the playhouse closer to the Cultural District.

Just how much the various improvements would cost was unknown yesterday. Mr. Meena said the university is planning a capital campaign to help to fund the various proposals.
Mark Belko can be reached at mbelko@post-gazette.com or 412-263-1262.

PA Pride

05-02-2008, 06:52 PM

I'm signing up for a downtown condo Realtor Tour coming up on May 20th!!
http://www.downtownpittsburgh.com/aboutPDP_detail.aspx?NewsID=334

We are touring apprx. a dozen units in these 7 buildings, which include all the major developments downtown & Otto Milk Bldg!!:
http://www.downtownpittsburgh.com/aboutPDP_detail.aspx?NewsID=335

It all starts off with a luncheon from 11:30-1pm at the Penn City Grille in the Westin, where there is a presentation to educate us about the 10 yr tax abatements, parking discounts, etc.
Then after the tour of the condos, some people are going to Palate Bistro, a "modern french cuisine".

Assuming I make it to this event, I will take pics and show you guys what I see.

Tooluther, might you be able to go to this event?

BMikeSci

05-02-2008, 08:22 PM

I was gonna say the same thing!

@Bmikesci: Sorry to hear about your experience. I'm suprised to hear that; I spent two years in downtown pittsburgh while going to school and I never had any problems; But I have plans to move downtown someday, and that makes me a little nervous to hear about your story.

Of course, I live in Beaver County so i'm used to toxic air, i suppose.

Thank you PA Pride. I appreciate your sympathy. As I probably said before, I too lived downtown about 20 years ago, and I did not have the same kinds of problems, although I do recall having a number of colds. I think the air was cleaner then - less industry operating probably. Also I was younger and my body had higher tolerance and less awareness.

Downtown, it seemed to me, the air quality was usually much worse at night. The ACHD (the permit authority) closes down at 5:00, so if you call them, nobody will do anything. You'll get their answering service, and the answering service will not notify anyone until morning. During the day the ACHD will send someone out to check a complaint and to see if a permit holder is violating the terms of the permit, but at night, permit holders can pretty much act with impunity. Also, under cover of the night, these facilities operate with far less public notice. Whereas someone might complain about a huge plume of smoke during the day, it is far less likely to be spotted at night. That being said, a trip up Mt. Washington at any time can be an eye opener. The next time you are feeling ill, drive up to that overlook area. I'll bet you see something foul billowing out into the atmosphere.

http://commentsfromleftfield.com/uploaded_images/Shenango-719689.jpg

http://kdka.com/video/?id=34617@kdka.dayport.com

Notice the gravel voice of the guy in this video. I started to sound like that too. In fact lots of people in the area sound like that.

After riding my bicycle I would spit-up black dust. Finally, I stopped going out of my apartment.

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06177/701186-53.stm

No one in PGH seems to want to admit that there is a problem. Doctors will blame pollen, etc. before they are willing to talk about p.m. 2.5, hydrochloric acid, ammonium hydroxide, sulphuric acid, volatile organic compounds, and a whole list of nasty stuff.

I recommend that you try renting there first on a month to month basis. Then if you feel your health is being harmed, you can move easily.

Good luck.

tooluther

05-02-2008, 09:14 PM

PA Pride

05-02-2008, 09:33 PM

Yes, I'll be there. Its a PDP event so I'll most likely be working registration. 5 Lofts is on the tour and we MAY have a model done in time.

Oh, that's great! Are you a member of the PDP I guess?
Hope you have a model done. I would love to see it.

PA Pride

05-02-2008, 09:37 PM

I recommend that you try renting there first on a month to month basis. Then if you feel your health is being harmed, you can move easily.

Good luck.

Well, thanks for the info and suggestions. Definitely something to think about and take into consideration.

JackStraw

05-02-2008, 11:50 PM

:whatthefuck: "As I probably said before, I too lived downtown about 20 years ago, and I did not have the same kinds of problems, although I do recall having a number of colds. I think the air was cleaner then - less industry operating probably. "

Dude, Seriously, just seriously.

Evergrey

05-03-2008, 03:20 AM

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08124/878780-52.stm

New arena design modified

Saturday, May 03, 2008
By Mark Belko, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

The Penguins have tweaked the design of the new arena's Fifth Avenue storefronts and its Centre Avenue side and made changes to an adjacent garage in a bid to win the favor of the city planning commission.

Architects will take the changes before the commission for approval on Tuesday, slightly less than a month after members panned much of the previous design as bland and too mall-like, particularly along Fifth Avenue.

On the Fifth Avenue side, HOK Sport, the arena architect, has altered the look of the storefronts and redesigned the awnings in an effort to make the proposed retail space more individualized.

Planning Commissioner Todd Reidbord had criticized the look of the Fifth Avenue facade last month, saying it was too much "like Disneyland, where everything's exactly the same." He urged the team to vary the look and add more character to the retail space.

Commission Chair Wrenna Watson also raised concerns about the east side of the arena facing Crawford Square. To address the issue, the Penguins, for the second time, appear to have added more glass to try to enliven the space.

The team also has made some changes to a section on Centre Avenue near where the arena's suite entrance will be, zoning administrator Susan Tymoczko said. Commissioner Barbara Ernsberger had said that some portions of the building, including those along Centre, were too "flat looking."

Ms. Watson said yesterday she still was unhappy with the east side facing the Hill. She said the team has replaced some of the brick with siding.

"To me it looks worse," she said.

The biggest changes may have been made to the five-story garage that will be attached to the arena. It appears that the team has deepened the color of the materials and created more of a wave-like pattern along the long side of the structure.

Ms. Watson said she already has conveyed her concerns about the changes to the Penguins. She said she is expecting architects to make some additional proposals Tuesday to satisfy objections so the project can move forward.

The team declined comment yesterday.

The Penguins are hoping to break ground on the $290 million building this summer, with completion scheduled before the start of the 2010-11 hockey season.

The latest drawings can be viewed on the city planning Web site at www.city.pittsburgh.pa.us/cp/.

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

EventHorizon

05-03-2008, 08:22 AM

here are the images:

http://i87.photobucket.com/albums/k148/MRM80/08_arena_presentation_PC-050608-01.jpg
http://i87.photobucket.com/albums/k148/MRM80/08_arena_presentation_PC-050608-02.jpg
http://i87.photobucket.com/albums/k148/MRM80/08_arena_presentation_PC-050608-03.jpg
http://i87.photobucket.com/albums/k148/MRM80/08_arena_presentation_PC-050608-04.jpg
http://i87.photobucket.com/albums/k148/MRM80/08_arena_presentation_PC-050608-05.jpg
http://i87.photobucket.com/albums/k148/MRM80/08_arena_presentation_PC-050608-06.jpg
http://i87.photobucket.com/albums/k148/MRM80/08_arena_presentation_PC-050608-07.jpg
http://i87.photobucket.com/albums/k148/MRM80/08_arena_presentation_PC-050608-08.jpg
http://i87.photobucket.com/albums/k148/MRM80/08_arena_presentation_PC-050608-09.jpg
http://i87.photobucket.com/albums/k148/MRM80/08_arena_presentation_PC-050608-10.jpg
http://i87.photobucket.com/albums/k148/MRM80/08_arena_presentation_PC-050608-11.jpg

The original PDF containing these images can be found here (http://www.city.pittsburgh.pa.us/cp/assets/new_arena/08_arena_presentation_PC-050608.pdf)
(it's a very large file, beware!)

Evergrey

05-03-2008, 02:49 PM

hyperion1110

05-03-2008, 03:54 PM

Thank you PA Pride. I appreciate your sympathy. As I probably said before, I too lived downtown about 20 years ago, and I did not have the same kinds of problems, although I do recall having a number of colds. I think the air was cleaner then - less industry operating probably. Also I was younger and my body had higher tolerance and less awareness.

Downtown, it seemed to me, the air quality was usually much worse at night. The ACHD (the permit authority) closes down at 5:00, so if you call them, nobody will do anything. You'll get their answering service, and the answering service will not notify anyone until morning. During the day the ACHD will send someone out to check a complaint and to see if a permit holder is violating the terms of the permit, but at night, permit holders can pretty much act with impunity. Also, under cover of the night, these facilities operate with far less public notice. Whereas someone might complain about a huge plume of smoke during the day, it is far less likely to be spotted at night. That being said, a trip up Mt. Washington at any time can be an eye opener. The next time you are feeling ill, drive up to that overlook area. I'll bet you see something foul billowing out into the atmosphere.

http://commentsfromleftfield.com/uploaded_images/Shenango-719689.jpg

http://kdka.com/video/?id=34617@kdka.dayport.com

Notice the gravel voice of the guy in this video. I started to sound like that too. In fact lots of people in the area sound like that.

After riding my bicycle I would spit-up black dust. Finally, I stopped going out of my apartment.

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06177/701186-53.stm

No one in PGH seems to want to admit that there is a problem. Doctors will blame pollen, etc. before they are willing to talk about p.m. 2.5, hydrochloric acid, ammonium hydroxide, sulphuric acid, volatile organic compounds, and a whole list of nasty stuff.

I recommend that you try renting there first on a month to month basis. Then if you feel your health is being harmed, you can move easily.

Good luck.

BMikeSci, I am also sorry you had such a bad experience. I truly do not think Pittsburgh is dirtier now than 20 yearsd ago. The only thing I could think of is that downtown may perhaps be worse? I could see somethat like that happening, since the number of workers, people living, cars, and especially buses have all gone up downtown in that time. And you're right...in downtown, there aren't very many places for anything to go.

I think Pittsburgh is making a lot of progress. We disagree...so, there we are.

I hope things get better for you.

hyperion1110

05-03-2008, 04:00 PM

thank you, EventHorizon.. with the exception of the street-level interface along Fifth Ave... this arena looks horrible... I afraid we're gonna get a publicly-funded dud since we're doing this on the cheap.... maybe Ron Burkle could pony up a few million to make sure this thing doesn't suck

I don't know how you can really make an uber-cheap arena look very good. I think it looks fine, and it will definitely look better than what it replaces.

Let's just hope for something a little more interesting for the development adjacent to it, and on the old Mellon Arena site.

Johnland

05-03-2008, 07:02 PM

Yesterday's WALL STREET JOURNAL had a tiny article about Pittsburgh's status as sootiest city. Apparently, Los Angeles has reduced their smog so much that they dropped from number one. While it does seem a stretch to say that 10 M + population, car-addicted LA now has less soot than Pittsburgh, at least the photo of Pittsburgh in the article ran was a great shot. It's even current because you can see the completed 151 First Side on the Mon side of the skyline.

Tombstoner

05-03-2008, 11:32 PM

thank you, EventHorizon.. with the exception of the street-level interface along Fifth Ave... this arena looks horrible... I afraid we're gonna get a publicly-funded dud since we're doing this on the cheap.... maybe Ron Burkle could pony up a few million to make sure this thing doesn't suck

I quite agree. It's a shame -- this is such a high-profile project and yet the design is so completely big-box-retail looking

UrbaniDesDev

05-04-2008, 12:39 AM

I do think the arena is looking better. It has some drama to it but there are some opportunities missed. Its shaping up well.

This news of Point Park University is very exciting. It is an image maker! It will be, not unlike NYU!
:banana:

Evergrey

05-04-2008, 07:11 AM

this will get screwed up / delayed forever somehow

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/s_565720.html

Big checks ahead for Penguins

By Jeremy Boren and Justin Vellucci
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Sunday, May 4, 2008

The Pittsburgh Penguins are poised to collect a prize as valuable as the Stanley Cup, and it's right under their skates.

Some commercial real estate agents estimate the 28 acres at the Mellon Arena site -- near the confluence of Downtown, Uptown and the Hill District -- could be worth as much as $70 to $100 a square foot, or between $85.3 million and nearly $122 million.

Others say the land, which the city and Allegheny County gave the Penguins the right to develop, could be worth less money but is key to reconnecting the economically depressed Hill District with the Downtown business district.

"It really becomes a fantastic opportunity for the city of Pittsburgh to have a piece (of land) that size right next to what is now really part of Downtown," said Peter Sukernek, vice president and general manager of Howard Hanna Commercial Real Estate Service.

"I think it is an extremely valuable piece of property, and one that will take a lot of thought and a lot of planning in order for it to be used for its highest and best use."

There are a few catches.

Appraisers said it's difficult to put a price tag on land without knowing what kinds of development could take place there. A master plan for the site could be two years away, once the Penguins open their 2010-2011 season in a new $290 million arena. And there aren't any similar lots Downtown to use for a fair comparison.

"Everything's relative, but you don't have 28-acre parcel sales in the (central business district)," said Stephen Barone, a real estate appraiser for Barone, Murtha, Shonberg & White, a real estate consulting agency in Castle Shannon.

According to county records for 2008, the land under Mellon Arena is assessed at $11.5 million, and the arena itself is assessed at $134.8 million. By comparison, the land beneath Heinz Field was assessed at $6.1 million, and the building valued at $342.5 million.

Plans for the Mellon Arena site probably won't develop quickly, Penguins officials said. The team is focused on getting its nearly 1 million-square-foot arena built.

"It is still far too early in the process to talk about the 28 acres," team spokesman Tom McMillan said. "Our focus now is on the arena and its master plan."

Mayor Luke Ravenstahl hopes the development includes housing that would be an extension of the Crawford-Roberts and Crawford Square developments in the lower Hill.

"If that's a piece of it, I think that would be wonderful. I think ultimately it's going to be a mix, but to have some sort of residential housing there I think is important," Ravenstahl said.

The Penguins are required to develop 2.8 acres a year, for 10 years, beginning the year after Mellon Arena is torn down or the year the new arena opens -- the second of which is the trigger for development. The state will provide up to $15 million in redevelopment assistance for projects built on the site. Any undeveloped land goes back to the owner, the city-county Sports & Exhibition Authority, according to the lease.

A revised project development plan for the $290 million arena's exterior is set to go before the city Planning Commission on Tuesday. The commission originally rejected an arena plan last month because members said it was bland and resembled a generic mall.

Sukernek compared the Mellon Arena site to Duquesne University's new Power Center, which sits on Uptown land sold to the school for $8.5 million, or about $100 a square foot, Sukernek said. Mellon Arena could be valued at close to that rate, he said.

Some appraisers said that figure sounds too high for the site.

"I doubt that (the Duquesne deal) is indicative of the value of anything, other than what somebody next door would pay (for it)," said Jim Lignelli, an appraiser with Diversified Evaluation Company.

Ravenstahl said redeveloping the Mellon Arena site will allow officials and planners to re-establish and nurture connections between Downtown, Uptown and the Hill District.

The mayor wants the Penguins to begin work on a master plan for the Hill as soon as the city, county and One Hill Community Benefits Coalition sign an agreement -- likely within the month. One Hill members were set to vote on a tentative collective bargaining agreement May 3, but will wait until May 10 to make the decision. One Hill, a nonprofit organization, is seeking corporate and public subsidies and involvement in development in the Hill District because of the arena deal.

Others say the site's proximity to the Hill District could drive down the value of the land.

"The question is, when will the development community see this as a Downtown address? Because, right now, it's not a Downtown address," said architect Rob Pfaffman, who advocates keeping Mellon Arena and creating a pedestrian link to Downtown.

He said the best gauge for land value are the North Shore lots between Heinz Field and PNC Park, where the city's Stadium Authority has sold waterfront property to Columbus-based Continental Real Estate Cos. for $8 to $15 a square foot.

Richard Beynon, a commercial broker, says $8 to $15 per square foot is less likely than $70 to $150.

"There's no good available (land) for $8 a square foot," Beynon said. "I would guarantee you."

State Sen. Jim Ferlo said the 28 acres can't be just a commercial entertainment district like the North Shore, so the value of the property is harder to determine if developers build -- as Ferlo hopes -- a mix of residential and commercial space there.

"This is a delicate site because it has to blend the historical legacy of anticipated housing replacement and restoring street grids to what had been a Berlin Wall effect between residents of the Hill (and Downtown)," said Ferlo, D-Highland Park.

State subsidies to improve the street grid are inevitable, Ferlo said.

"None of this development is going to happen in the Hill without state and city dollars, Ferlo said. "Everybody says, 'Oh, it will be done privately.' That's baloney. They always come back for state and federal and city dollars."

The state has earmarked $302,000 for infrastructure improvement around the arena, according to the 2007-08 capital budget.

Jeremy Boren can be reached at jboren@tribweb.com or 412-765-2312. Justin Vellucci can be reached at jvellucci@tribweb.com or 412-320-7847.

hyperion1110

05-04-2008, 03:21 PM

PA Pride

05-04-2008, 04:00 PM

Good article Evergrey that addresses re-stitching the urban fabric that was razed for mellon arena.
It seems to address the type of conversation us development junkies have been talking about forever.

PA Pride

05-04-2008, 04:01 PM

hyperion1110

05-04-2008, 10:13 PM

I don't agree with you on that.

All I'm saying is that there is a big problem on the Hill, and it has definitely spread Downtown. And before hundreds of millions of dollars are invested to develop the land, something has got to be done about the crime problem.

guyFROMtheBURGH

05-04-2008, 11:25 PM

lets just say im not a pro on urban land redevelopment. whats all of yins opinions on what should be done on those 28 acres? i seems like a great way to extend the city upward onto the hill and kick alot of that crime out to me...

Evergrey

05-05-2008, 02:08 AM

All I'm saying is that there is a big problem on the Hill, and it has definitely spread Downtown.

what is this comment based on?

CAPATeach

05-05-2008, 06:28 PM

This is going to sound horrible...but I am an advocate of that "Berlin Wall" between Downtown and the Hill. There is so much crime streaming down from the Hill, it's insane. I really don't want to see any restoration of the connection between those two until there are a couple dozen cops patrolling both the Hill and Downtown.

Something has to be done about crime in the Hill. Otherwise, any new development on the Mellon Arena site will just become an extension of the demilitarized zone up the hill form it.

This seems to go against a lot of the things discussed on this site:
1) good urban design. A big barrier like this is just as bad as all of the ridiculous gated communities popping up all over the country that give you an artificial feeling of safety and security. It just disrupts community and the urban fabric.
2) People often post about correcting mistakes of the past. With the poor highway design and ill-advised rings around neighborhoods like East Liberty and the North Side, why advocate to keep one of these things when you have the perfect opportunity (a 28-acre master-plan) to get rid of it.
3) Quality revitalization currently going on in the hill. Consider the Crawford places on the lower hill... I would definitely live there, and it will become even more desireable if (when?) it's surrounded by other high-quality housing leading to downtown. Plus you have the development in Oakland on the other end and possibly a grocery, YMCA, some other good prospects in between. Throw in the prospect of a T-line running through to connect everything (hopefully someday). With all of these positive things happening, why support disconnection and artificial barriers.

I realize that the Hill has problems with crime, but it also has loads of potential given its location and current develpment efforts.

If you're thinking long-term, in my opinion this opportunity to connect with downtown is definitely the way to go.

Grego43

05-05-2008, 07:46 PM

All I'm saying is that there is a big problem on the Hill, and it has definitely spread Downtown. And before hundreds of millions of dollars are invested to develop the land, something has got to be done about the crime problem.

If there is a big problem on the Hill in the way of crime, throw some real police and community resources at it. Hasn't the city turned it's collective back on the Hill for way too long?

hyperion1110

05-05-2008, 09:09 PM

what is this comment based on?

On the increase in crime, specifically violent crime, in recent years in downtown Pgh.

It's naive to a take a "build it and it will all get better approach," CAPATeach. There are serious issues with the Hill that need to be addressed before we, quite literally, open the flood gates to downtown.

Let me be clear. I do not now, nor do I ever, wish to endorse the notion that forcibly dividing two neighborhoods is a good thing, in general. However, there are significant issues that need to be addressed before downtown and the Hill are reintegrated. All the flashy urban planning and wishful thinking will not change the situation in the Hill. So, I say: Make the changes first, then build.

Nature, including people, move along the path of least resistance. For the non-scientifically inclined, shit rolls down hill. With nothing to impede it, crime will flow down from the Hill quite easily.

PittPenn 03

05-05-2008, 09:42 PM

Perhaps I am getting overly hardened by city living, but I do not notice any drastic increase in crime downtown. And I do not remember any Hill connection to the two shootings that I can recall downtown over the last year or so. The last one I heard about came out of a dispute from a bar in the Strip District. The previous one on Smithfield in the morning (was it last summer?) I believe was a domestic issue that could have happened anywhere (whether or not the shooter or victim was from the Hill I think would be irrelevant). The only time I ever feel nervous downtown is at night on empty streets. I just do not think this is going to be an issue. No doubt there will be some elements of crime, but we live in a city and they should be expected every now and then. As far as keeping people from downtown, I think the only people that would be chased away from downtown from any of the current crime levels, would be the ones who might move in on a fashionable whim and go running for the burbs the first time they are aggressively pan handled anyway.

I just do not see this as a problem. There are quite a few non-crime filled neighborhoods around town that are right up against some of the roughest neighborhoods and they are just fine.

On the increase in crime, specifically violent crime, in recent years in downtown Pgh.

It's naive to a take a "build it and it will all get better approach," CAPATeach. There are serious issues with the Hill that need to be addressed before we, quite literally, open the flood gates to downtown.

Let me be clear. I do not now, nor do I ever, wish to endorse the notion that forcibly dividing two neighborhoods is a good thing, in general. However, there are significant issues that need to be addressed before downtown and the Hill are reintegrated. All the flashy urban planning and wishful thinking will not change the situation in the Hill. So, I say: Make the changes first, then build.

Nature, including people, move along the path of least resistance. For the non-scientifically inclined, shit rolls down hill. With nothing to impede it, crime will flow down from the Hill quite easily.

PA Pride

05-05-2008, 11:30 PM

http://post-gazette.com/pg/08126/879310-100.stm

Pittsburgh's Yellow Cab company sold to French firm
Monday, May 05, 2008
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Pittsburgh Transportation Co., which operates Yellow Cab and other limousine and shuttle companies in Allegheny County, has been sold to a major French transportation operator.

Veolia Transportation, based in Paris, and Pittsburgh Transportation agreed to the undisclosed purchase sum in January. The sale should be approved by the end of this year, the company president said today.

Veolia's North American presence has been steadily growing over the past three years, operating rail services and commuter shuttles in Canada, New Jersey, Texas, California and elsewhere.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
More details in tomorrow's Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
First published on May 5, 2008 at 3:37 pm

There are 300+ taxis in Pittsburgh.

In case you're wondering, NYC has 13,000+
Source of Pgh taxi count: http://pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/rss/s_485799.html

AaronPGH

05-06-2008, 12:34 AM

Hopefully the French get it right! I mean....they can't do any worse of a job than Yellow Taxi does.

Evergrey

05-06-2008, 02:02 PM

excellent posts, CAPATeach and PittPenn03

Market Square up for a makeover

http://kdka.com/video/?id=40947@kdka.dayport.com

AaronPGH

05-06-2008, 02:20 PM

Holy shit! Point Park is announcing their redevelopment of downtown right now. This is much bigger than I thought!! :banana:

http://www.pointpark.edu/default.aspx?id=3630

http://cms.pointpark.edu/files/avstudentcenterelevation_03.gif
http://cms.pointpark.edu/files/woodstcorridor_half.jpg
http://cms.pointpark.edu/files/avplayhouseelevation_03.gif

Evergrey

05-06-2008, 02:55 PM

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/business/s_565949.html

Plans for Strip District property remain unclear

By Sam Spatter
FOR THE TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Tuesday, May 6, 2008

The developer of a potential retail complex in the Strip District may not know until after late May if it can move ahead on the project.

"It will depend on what we learn at the International Shopping Center convention in Las Vegas whether there is a demand by retailers for space in the complex," said Aaron Stauber, president of New York-based Rugby Realty Co., the developer.

The convention, held May 18 to 21, is normally attended by retailers across the nation and internationally, and often tenants are secured for developments such as the one Rugby is considering for the former Ayoob-Acme Banana Co. warehouses, along with the Benkovitz Seafood market and the former Nordic Fisheries warehouse behind it, on Smallman Street between 21st and 23rd streets.

Depending on what reaction Rugby agents Herky Pollock and Jason Cannon of CB Richard Ellis receives from retailers, the project could either go ahead for the entire site, or be developed on a smaller portion of the property, Stauber said.

The type of demand will help determine if a residential component will be included. That could consist of condominiums or rentals, or both.

When Rugby acquired the warehouses in 2006 for $950,000 with plans to develop the complex, at a cost estimated to be between $15 million to $25 million, the plan announced then was to build from 50 to 100 condominium units that would sit above a first-level retail area.

Stauber estimated at that time the height could range from seven to 18 stories.

Rugby is one of the largest property owners in Pittsburgh with 2 million square feet of combined commercial space in Downtown, North Side and the Strip District.

Stauber confirmed he is interested in purchasing the State Office Building in Gateway Center, but no offer has been made. He walked through the building last week. It was put up for sale by the state last month.

One drawback is that whoever buys the 16-story, 200,000-square-foot building probably will have to complete extensive remodeling and upgrades, because the interior of the building has not been modernized since its opening in 1957, he said.

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

PA Pride

05-06-2008, 05:52 PM

Wheelingman04

05-06-2008, 06:02 PM

Is there any hope of a new modification for the new arena?

EventHorizon

05-06-2008, 06:05 PM

May I give a third, holy shit! really great development project!

here's those higher resolutions (albeit shrunken)

http://i87.photobucket.com/albums/k148/MRM80/FirstAvenue11x17.jpg
http://i87.photobucket.com/albums/k148/MRM80/FortPittBoulevard11x17.jpg
http://i87.photobucket.com/albums/k148/MRM80/FourthAve.jpg
http://i87.photobucket.com/albums/k148/MRM80/Playhouse.jpg
http://i87.photobucket.com/albums/k148/MRM80/StudentUnion.jpg
http://i87.photobucket.com/albums/k148/MRM80/WoodStCorridor.jpg
http://i87.photobucket.com/albums/k148/MRM80/WoodStStreetscape.jpg
http://i87.photobucket.com/albums/k148/MRM80/WoodStreetCorridor2.jpg

here's that intersection as it is now and then after:
http://i87.photobucket.com/albums/k148/MRM80/Untitled3.jpg

image resources are from Point Park's web site (http://www.pointpark.edu/default.aspx?id=3631)

Brentsters

05-06-2008, 06:07 PM

The Point Park U expansion will be huge for downtown. Although none of the renderings seem stunning architecturally, the impact the build-out will have on the street-level more than compensates for that. By my count 4 surface parking lots are being removed (3 infill, 1 park :) ). IIRC, a while back there was discussion about their holdings on Forbes possibly being demolished. It looks like they've decided to rehab them instead, adding to the current Fifth-Forbes improvements. Anyways, more renderings:

Here you can see the Forbes Ave buildings in question. It's one of the worst blocks in the Fifth-Forbes corridor right now so this will be a huge improvement. According to their site it will include 3 theaters, a residence hall, and a teaching area.

http://i296.photobucket.com/albums/mm194/bts6/Point%20Park%20Master%20Plan/Playhouse.jpg

Proposed Residence hall. Currently the site is a parking lot, basically across the street from the Carlyle under renovation.

http://i296.photobucket.com/albums/mm194/bts6/Point%20Park%20Master%20Plan/FourthAve.jpg

Blvd of the Allies. Surface lot becomes a gym. Old YMCA finally gets some windows and becomes a Student Center, and 2 dorms.

http://i296.photobucket.com/albums/mm194/bts6/Point%20Park%20Master%20Plan/StudentUnion.jpg

Wood St at the Blvd looking toward Station Sq. Corner parking lot becomes a park.

http://i296.photobucket.com/albums/mm194/bts6/Point%20Park%20Master%20Plan/WoodStCorridor.jpg

PA Pride

05-06-2008, 06:09 PM

Thanks Eventhorizon.

Wheelingman: They've already made so many adjustments; I'm not sure if those latest renderings are final or not?

PA Pride

05-06-2008, 06:13 PM

To anyone who likes/dislikes the Point Park Development, on their website they have a comment form:
http://www.pointpark.edu/academic_village.aspx

I left them a nice comment and told them that well thought out developments like this are just what downtown needs.

EDIT: One last note; According to the Post Gazette article, this is a $210 million dollar development. Not bad!
Source: http://post-gazette.com/pg/08127/879484-100.stm

Evergrey

05-06-2008, 11:04 PM

KDKA reports on the revised arena designs!

http://kdka.com/video/?id=40982@kdka.dayport.com

xyagentguy

05-06-2008, 11:22 PM

After watching the KDKA video on the new arena, I can truly say that although I am not exceptionally impressed, I think it is still a fine arena. I think the changes are a major improvement. I just wish it still had a little flare to it, but overall, for the budget, I think it's nice.

:)

PA Pride

05-07-2008, 12:41 AM

They did it. Unanimous approval on the design of the new arena.

http://post-gazette.com/pg/08127/879577-100.stm

City planners approve arena design
Tuesday, May 06, 2008
By Mark Belko, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
The Pittsburgh Planning Commission unanimously approved the project development plan for the new arena this afternoon, clearing the way for construction to begin this summer.

Approval came after the primary tenant, the Pittsburgh Penguins, modified the design to change the look of proposed store fronts on Fifth Avenue.

While commission members still expressed concerns about some aspects of the design, they decided to push the $290 million project ahead. Some of the concerns will be addressed in conditions attached to the approval

Penguins CEO Ken Sawyer said after the meeting he was "very happy" with the approval.

"Everything is falling into place," he said.

The Penguins are on track to open the new arena before the start of the 2010-11 hockey season. The arena will be located across from Mellon Arena on land bounded by Fifth and Centre avenues.

More details in tomorrow's Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

DBR96A

05-07-2008, 12:29 PM

The arena is fine by me; there's only so much you can do with $290M. It's set back from Centre Avenue, so there's not as much of a need for windows on that side. On the Fifth Avenue side, though, I would've liked a few more windows higher up, but at least it works well at street level.

PA Pride

05-07-2008, 02:35 PM

Century Building & G.C. Murphy building expected to receive funding this week:

Pittsburgh's URA to discuss Downtown projects
Pittsburgh Business Times - by Ben Semmes
http://www.bizjournals.com/pittsburgh/stories/2008/05/05/daily19.html

Pittsburgh's Urban Redevelopment Authority plans to move forward this week with two high-profile Downtown development projects.

The URA's board of directors, which meets Thursday, expects to approve grant and loan agreements with the developers of Market Square Place at the former G.C. Murphy building and the residential conversion of the Century Building, according to the meeting agenda.

The URA will first seek authorization to apply for up to $5.6 million in grants from the state's Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program for Cecil-based Millcraft Industries Inc.'s Market Square Place project.

Market Square Place, which landed a 38,000-square-foot YMCA as its first tenant last year, is expected to include both residential and commercial components.

Meanwhile, at the Century office building -- once home to Mylan Inc. -- Oakland-based TREK Development Group is working with the Cultural Trust to convert the 12-story, 68,000-square-foot structure into affordable "work force" rental apartments.

On Thursday, the URA will seek approval for $2.8 million in low-interest loans for the project, which is threatened with delays as demand for affordable housing tax credits has dried up amid the credit crisis.

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

Evergrey

05-07-2008, 03:27 PM

more on the arena... columns of light extending above the roof?

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08128/879704-85.stm

Planners approve final design for Penguins' arena

Wednesday, May 07, 2008
By Mark Belko, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/images/200805/20080507ho_arena_330.jpg
One of the drawings submitted to the planning commission yesterday shows the entrance to the arena at Fifth Avenue and Washington Place.

The Penguins scored another big victory yesterday, this one off the ice with city planning commission approval of the design for their $290 million arena.

A month after battering the design as bland and too mall-like, planning commission members voted unanimously in favor of the project after architects tweaked certain elements to address their concerns.

The decision clears the way for a groundbreaking this summer, with completion expected before the start of the 2010-2011 hockey season.

"Everything's falling into place," Penguins Chief Executive Officer Ken Sawyer said after yesterday's vote.

In some respects, getting to this point has been as challenging as the Penguins' quest for the Stanley Cup.

The team did not get an agreement on a new arena until March 2007, amid threats of a possible move. For months, the team and local government officials have been negotiating with Hill District leaders over a community benefits agreement, now nearing completion. Last month, it was forced to make modifications to the arena design after planning commission members raised objections.

The Penguins sought to counter some of the criticism yesterday by unveiling nighttime renderings of the arena that pictured the structure in a more favorable light. One showed the building's centerpiece -- a brightly lit glass atrium running along Washington Place and facing Downtown.

Those drawings, Mr. Sawyer said, really tell "the story of the design."

"The atrium in the front allows everyone to see the energy and electricity inside the building during events. When you're inside, you get to see the most beautiful city skyscape in the country," he said. "That's really the signature part and it came out today in those renderings."

Among the modifications to the design, architect HOK Sport reduced the amount of glass on the Fifth Avenue side of the arena and varied the storefronts to make the proposed spaces more individualized.

Planning Commissioner Todd Reidbord complained last month that the Fifth Avenue facade looked too much "like Disneyland, where everything is exactly the same." He was pleased with what he saw yesterday.

"What you've done is certainly a big improvement," he said.

The team also added more glass and removed banners from the arena's Centre Avenue side and the east facade facing Crawford Square, where some of the brick was removed in favor of panels at the request of engineers. The size of a video display board on Centre also was reduced.

Architects made changes to a parking garage to be built next to the building to address criticism that it was too generic looking.

Despite the modifications, there were lingering concerns about elements of the arena design, particularly the east facade facing the Hill.

Chairwoman Wrenna Watson, who initially raised concerns about that part of the building, was told, in response to her question, that much of the facade would be blocked by the parking garage and future development on that side.

Planning Commissioner Barbara Ernsberger said she found it "disconcerting" that anyone would count on future development to resolve design issues.

Another member, Barbara Mistick, said many of the design issues that developed over the past several weeks had been raised by the city's contextual design advisory panel months ago.

"We're talking about the same things over and over again," she said.

She added that the outside of the building, not the inside, is what most people will see.

Among conditions of the approval, the commission ordered that final design of the Fifth Avenue retail space be reviewed and approved by city planning staff before completion and that the final design of the east facade facing the Hill also be submitted and acted on by staff before a building permit is issued.

Another point of contention, a proposed walkway that is to connect Centre and Fifth avenues on the west side of the arena facing Downtown must be finished before an occupancy permit is issued for the building. That's assuming that funding for the connection, which is separate from the arena financing, is in place by July 31, 2009.

Instead of placing banners on some parts of the arena, the Penguins may commission public art to fill some of the space. The team, said HOK architect Wayne London, also is looking for sites for a "statue of a well-known player for the region," referring to Penguins Hall of Famer and owner Mario Lemieux.
Mark Belko can be reached at mbelko@post-gazette.com or 412-263-1262.

...

More arena renderings available here!
http://penguins.nhl.com/team/app/?service=page&page=NewsPage&articleid=362675

Evergrey

05-07-2008, 03:34 PM

more on Point Park University's Academic Village!

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08128/879642-85.stm

Point Park envisions an 'Academic Village'

Downtown expansion plan has playhouse

Wednesday, May 07, 2008
By Eleanor Chute, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Point Park University, which began as a secretarial school in 1933, has refashioned itself so much that it now is embarking on a $210 million plan to expand its campus.

Point Park yesterday unveiled plans to create an "Academic Village" Downtown, including moving the Pittsburgh Playhouse from Oakland.

Pieces of the plan have been publicly discussed for several years as the university has been acquiring, through purchase or lease, the necessary property.

But the comprehensive plan unveiled yesterday made the breadth of its impact clearer.

At yesterday's presentation, Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahl termed the project "dynamic," calling it "probably the largest in terms of scope and scale" of any proposal for Downtown Pittsburgh.

Point Park President Paul Hennigan said the university has "literally run out of space" because the student body has expanded by more than 50 percent over the last decade.

The university expects enrollment to grow from about 3,600 this school year to 4,300 by 2013, with most of the growth in traditional undergraduate students. The number living in university student housing Downtown is expected to grow from 750 to 1,200.

Allegheny County Chief Executive Dan Onorato said that the increased number of students Downtown will help because students will be out day and night. "That activity, you can't put a price tag on what that does for the perception of Downtown," he said.

In addition to the increase in students, Dr. Hennigan said the project will result in 100 additional faculty and staff members and at least 40,000 others coming to see productions at the new Playhouse.

In the strategic plan, the first phase focuses primarily on the block bounded by Wood and Smithfield streets, the Boulevard of the Allies and First Avenue.

It includes opening a new student center in the existing YMCA; building a new gymnasium, with a 1,000-seat indoor basketball and volleyball arena, on a parking lot next to the Y; turning two existing eight-story buildings into student housing; and creating a park at the corner of Wood Street and Boulevard of the Allies on what is now a surface parking lot.

The second phase is the Pittsburgh Playhouse complex, which is to be located in the block bounded by Wood and Smithfield streets and Forbes and Fourth avenues.

The new Playhouse complex, which will have an entrance on Forbes Avenue, will include three theaters, ranging from 150 to 500 seats each; production and teaching areas; a residence hall; and retail space. It will be a combination of new construction on two surface parking lots and use of existing buildings under university control.

Dr. Hennigan said the Playhouse building in Oakland has "far outlived its useful life."

He said the college will try to preserve the facades of existing buildings as much as possible.

"We love the architecture in this neighborhood," he said.

The plans call for creating a "true boulevard" along the Boulevard of the Allies from Market Street to Smithfield Street. It plans to plant 150 trees along the Boulevard and Wood Street.

The university does not control all of the buildings and land in the affected blocks, but it does control -- leases, owns or is purchasing -- the ones it wants.

There has been speculation that the university was interested in two other buildings -- One Smithfield Street and Wood Street Commons -- but Dr. Hennigan said it is not.

The properties controlled by the university stretch from Fort Pitt Boulevard to Forbes Avenue along or within a block of Wood Street.

The first phase -- the Wood Street corridor and along the Boulevard of the Allies -- is expected to cost $71 million, including $29 million from the university and $42 million through fund-raising.

The Playhouse phase is expected to cost $139 million, including $44 million from the university; $61 million to be raised; and $34 million from a public-private partnership for 400 parking spaces beneath the theater complex.

In the first phase, the Point Park contribution for residence halls and property acquisition is through debt. A decision will be made later about the second phase, which may be paid for through university cash or debt.

In total, the university will need to raise about $103 million. As part of that, it will be asking the state for $14 million for street improvements and the like.

The goal is ambitious for a university with a $20.7 million endowment and a $69.1 million annual operating budget.

The planned investments follow $60 million in capital improvements over the last decade.

The timeline for the project starts with a residence hall next to the current YMCA to be completed this year and finishes with the new Playhouse in 2015. The timeline could change, depending on funding.
Education writer Eleanor Chute can be reached at echute@post-gazette.com or 412-263-1955.

...

Evergrey

05-07-2008, 03:43 PM

http://www.bizjournals.com/pittsburgh/stories/2008/05/05/story4.html?b=1209960000^1629410

Fuel, materials boosting price on prominent Pittsburgh projects

Pittsburgh Business Times - by Erin Lawley

http://cll.bizjournals.com/story_image/117517-400-0.jpg
Joe Wojcik
PNC says the price tag for its 3 PNC Plaza tower Downtown has risen $22 million and is now expected to cost $200 million.

The rising price of fuel and building materials is driving up the cost of some of the region's highest-profile construction projects.

The price of construction materials rose 6.5 percent during the past year, pushed by the climbing price of diesel fuel, steel and copper, according to Ken Simonson, chief economist for the Associated General Contractors of America. The increases are impacting construction projects across the country, he said.

In March, the price of diesel fuel was 61 percent higher than a year ago, steel mill products were up 8.2 percent and copper and brass mill shapes were up 22 percent, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Locally, PNC Financial Services Group Inc. is expecting a $22 million jump in the cost of its 23-story Three PNC Plaza development Downtown. The tower, expected to be ready for occupancy in 2009, will cost about $200 million, up from a 2006 estimate of $178 million.

Higher fuel costs are behind part of the increase, as is the inclusion of a hotel run by Toronto-based Fairmont Hotels and Resorts.

The Port Authority of Allegheny County's controversial $435 million North Shore Connector is looking at potential cost increases following a recent project bid that came in $15 million above engineering estimates, said CEO Steve Bland.

"It's really the explosive growth in the construction price indices," Bland said, that lead to the higher-than-expected bid. "It's something everyone across the country is running into."

Bland won't peg the total project cost above $435 million yet, but said he's concerned he'll have to in the future if the high bid price can't be lowered and the few remaining contracts available for bid, such as the aerial structure on the North Shore, come in above estimates.

Simonson expects construction costs could continue to rise at a rate of 6 percent to 8 percent per year for several years because of the demand for materials.

John Sebastian, executive vice president at Dick Corp., the region's largest construction contractor in terms of billings, said price volatility is not affecting projects under construction as much as those in pre-construction phases.

Projects under construction will have already purchased many materials and can avoid future cost escalation. Those that aren't there yet, such as the planned multi-purpose arena where the Pittsburgh Penguins will play, face higher risks, Sebastian said.

"In a lot of cases, estimates for projects are put together months or even a year or more before the project goes out for competitive pricing," he said. "To the extent the market is more volatile than they might have expected, it's going to be an issue with a lot of people's budgets."

Pittsburgh Penguins' spokesman Tom McMillan said the Uptown arena is still pegged at $290 million.

However, the 18,500 seat facility has not yet passed through all stages of the planning process, including approvals from Pittsburgh City Planning, which has asked for design changes that could affect the project's cost. (Evergrey's note: it was approved last night)

Len Moser, vice president of national sports for Michigan-based construction management firm Barton Malow, said it's difficult to speculate about whether the arena will meet or exceed its budget without knowing the specifics of the budget structure.

Although construction costs are rising, budgets are built with leeway for cost escalation, he said. There is also an opportunity to make up for costlier materials during the construction phase by selecting materials with less-volatile prices and locally available or prefabricated materials.

Rising prices part of worry

Project delays and tightening credit markets are also taking a toll on project costs.

The Majestic Star Casino planned for the North Shore, which broke ground in December, is now estimated to cost $650 million, up from a $450 million estimate. Including insurance fees and other costs, the project will total $770 million.

Continued project delays, coupled with litigation expenses and the challenging state of credit markets, are the major price tag culprits, said Ed Fasulo, casino general manager.

"The Pirates and Steelers took us to court and then after that got resolved the Riverlife Task Force took us to court," Fasulo said. "That stretched us from breaking ground last July and stalled us from getting financing from July to here we are in May."

Sebastian said he's seeing similar money worries by project owners across the country as lenders have tightened their requirements for private owners and developers.

"We're working with several people who intend to take (a project) to the point of right before spending money ... but not pull the trigger on the actual construction until they see what the market conditions are," he said.

"We don't see any short term turnaround, short term being the next six months."

elawley@bizjournals.com | (412) 208-3824

Evergrey

05-07-2008, 03:49 PM

more on Pittsburgh's taxicab revolution!

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/business/s_566135.html

High-tech taxis take to city streets

By Kim Leonard
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Wednesday, May 7, 2008

Yellow Cab driver John Morrison was heading to Pittsburgh International Airport to look for passengers one recent day when he saw a better opportunity on his satellite dispatch terminal.

People were waiting for cabs at three places in Dormont. All would be short trips, Morrison saw, but he was nearby so he punched in for the first one.

Eventually, "I got all three of them, 1,2,3, because I was on it," he said. "I made as much money as I would have made from the airport, in less time."

Technology in taxis no longer is limited to just a radio and a meter. Yellow Cab Co., whose parent is being sold to a French transportation conglomerate, is among about 15 major-city taxi services using full satellite dispatch to help drivers find and lock in trips, waste less fuel and minimize passengers' wait times.

The company also is installing security cameras to record action inside and outside its 305 cabs, fine-tuning its dispatch and customer service systems, adjusting service for a busier Downtown and continuing to expand its fleet.

Michael M. Edwards, president of the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership, welcomes the changes for Yellow Cab, part of the Pittsburgh Transportation Group.

Veolia Transportation, the North American business of Veolia Transport Worldwide of Paris, plans to acquire the local company for an undisclosed sum this month.

Now, to hail a taxi Downtown, "You kind of have to know where they are," Edwards said, referring to lines of cabs outside hotels, at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center and a few other areas. "It's fantastic, that there are going to be more cabs."

Edwards also hopes Yellow Cab lessens the longstanding frustration of finding a cab for a short trip. The company's drivers are independent contractors who lease their vehicles, as is typical in big cities, and many focus on getting lucrative, $32-and-up trips to or from Pittsburgh International Airport.

Before global positioning systems were installed in each Yellow Cab vehicle, drivers could "book in" to one of 115 zones in the Pittsburgh area.

That invited problems. A driver in Carnegie would line up for a trip leaving from Downtown, for instance, then get an assignment to pick up someone at the Hilton, and sit in traffic for 40 minutes on the Parkway West.

Now, "The satellite looks down at the city, finds the cab closest to the call and it gives the call to that cab -- and only that cab," said Pittsburgh Transportation CEO James D. Campolongo, who'll remain CEO for five years while expanding his role with Veolia.

"A driver can't book into a zone if he's not there," he said, though they still can sign up for trips in the area where they're headed, with the system providing a set time to get there.

Drivers also can't race to steal each others' trips, after hearing an address over a radio. "It takes away that cowboy aspect. It helps you to be more professional," said Morrison, with six years of experience.

Campolongo has invested $1.4 million in satellite dispatching since buying the company in 2002. That includes custom software that accounts for bridges and waterways, as it estimates travel times.

Yellow Cab has grown from 265 cabs a year ago to 305 now and could expand to 375. The company wants to add six posts to its 14 in the central business district, focusing Downtown and in busy areas such as the South Side and Strip District.

And in a year or so, as Downtown's population continues to rise and the Majestic Star casino opens on the North Shore, Yellow Cab will recruit some drivers to concentrate on short trips.

The changes have boosted service 11 percent in six years, Campolongo said, with Yellow Cab recording 1.2 million trips last year. Credit or debit transactions now pay for 60 percent of trips.

State Public Utility Commission records also show an overall drop in complaints it considers to be founded against the company, from 23 five years ago to 12 in 2006.

"We don't get complaints like we used to, that people couldn't get a cab or that it was late," said Craig Davis, vice president of sales and marketing for VisitPittsburgh.

The cameras, in about 20 cabs so far, record 15 seconds before and after sudden stops, for example, or if drivers activate them. All cabs will have them by September, Campolongo said, and the company has started to fit the vehicles with advanced terminals that show maps and give turn-by-turn directions.

As to customer service, employees at Yellow Cab's Manchester headquarters now can provide estimates of trip costs, and an automated system soon will phone them as they await their requested cabs, asking whether they still need service.

Once wireless technology evolves, passengers will be able to hail taxis using GPS antennae on their phones. And expect more upgrades later. "The sale will just give us more strength to make that part of the business even better," said Campolongo' brother Jerry, Yellow Cab's general manager.

Alfred LaGasse, CEO of the Taxicab Limousine & Paratransit Association, based in Rockville, Md., said New York taxis are trying backseat screens for credit payments. Some industry vendors are showing in-cab digital systems that display an ad for a local restaurant, for example, when the vehicle drives into that neighborhood.

And satellite dispatching is quickly becoming standard.

"Everybody saw Danny DeVito for years," LaGasse said, referring to the old "Taxi" comedy on TV. "They think all we do is drive around looking for passengers. Maybe in New York you can make a living that way, but in most cities you'd go broke buying gas."

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

Evergrey

05-07-2008, 03:59 PM

a year later... Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission's "Project Region" initiative finally makes it to the pages of the Post-Gazette... SPC is the metropolitan planning organization for a 10-county region... the commission is a "senate" format where each county gets equal representation... so tiny outlying counties like Greene and Lawrence get a disproportionate amount of power...

SPC developed 3 regional plans for the future... status quo sprawltopia, a kinda half-assed corridor development, and urban center development

unfortunately, SPC has no power to control regional land use planning... it only has the power to allocate transportation funds endowed to it by the feds... so it has a real limited ability to carry out its regional vision... the absolutely breathtaking amount of municipal fragmentation in this region presents huge challenges for regionalism...

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08128/879573-35.stm

Clarke Thomas: A great plan for southwestern Pennsylvania

It calls for more sustainable development; but will our leaders make it happen?

Wednesday, May 07, 2008
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Now that the county commissioners of southwestern Pennsylvania have a defined road map for spending $33.3 billion in federal and state tax dollars for infrastructure and development between now and 2035, will they use it:

• On more urban sprawl? Since 1982, nearly half as much land in our 10-county region has been built on, paved over or otherwise developed as in the entire two centuries before -- while the population was declining by 8 percent.

• Or for "smart growth?" That is, slowing the pace of sprawl to achieve greater social equity, environmental quality and economic prosperity?

I asked these questions in an October 2003 Post-Gazette column, "The $33.3 billion question." They are still pertinent, especially in view of the rising cost of gasoline.

Fortunately, there is one big difference since then. The Southwest Planning Commission has now completed and published "Project Region," subtitled "2035 Transportation and Development Plan for Southwestern Pennsylvania" (www.spcregion.org/proj). It covers a vast array of topics beyond roads -- air quality, preservation of agricultural land, the recovering of old industrial sites, tourism, the attraction and retention of young people, etc.

Of particular significance, the plan emphasizes growth in existing town centers -- whether the region's 10 county seats or the aging milltowns in our valleys -- thereby preserving open space and agricultural areas. It also promotes transit use, ride sharing and other fuel-efficient transportation strategies, as well as initiatives to reduce air emissions.

Why is this important? Because the SPC is the federally designated "decider" of where that $33.3 billion will be spent.

The SPC is a 66-member body of representatives (including county commissioners and their appointees from Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Butler, Fayette, Greene, Indiana, Lawrence, Washington and Westmoreland counties, plus the mayor of Pittsburgh and certain state appointees). But the real power rests in its 14-member executive committee -- representatives from each county, usually the county commission chair, Pittsburgh's mayor and three appointees from the Allegheny Conference on Community Development.

But the big question remains: Will these officials, especially the key county commission chairs, stick to the laudatory aims of "Project Region"? Will they stand fast against the jostling of municipalities desperate for any kind of development to enhance their tax bases, whether 1-acre housing or the malls that have eroded the commercial vitality of such county-seat towns as Greensburg, Butler, Washington and Uniontown? Will they be judicious in approving the sprawl-enhancing roads and sewer lines for which developers lobby?

James Hassinger, executive director of SPC, is optimistic about Project Region's future. He points to the unusual amount of participation that went into the plan (more than 3,000 participants from 100 citizen and governmental groups). That accomplishment won for Project Region the 2008 Public Outreach Excellence Award from the National Planning Association. There will be both support and watchfulness from these participants.

The SPC head also points to Cranberry Township's decision to revise its zoning system to what is called a form-based code, with mixed-use components designed for higher density. Describing its "sustainability" goals, the Cranberry planners declare, "Their essence is to plan as though the community is going to be around a long time. That means planning which doesn't encourage development that would hurt future generations."

Mr. Hassinger also feels that some developers are emerging who accept the concepts of "smart growth," rather than attempting to bulldoze past them.

As to older communities, Mr. Hassinger points to Greensburg's railroad station and the Piatt development in downtown Washington as examples for future activity. Turning to transit, Mr. Hassinger says SPC has added a staff person to work with a transit operators committee, with an early focus on developing a smart-fare card that could be used by patrons in any of the region's transit systems -- including those in Westmoreland, Beaver, Butler, New Castle and the Mid-Mon Valley -- something that would provide linkages to such job centers as Pittsburgh and Cranberry.

Another critical issue is managing the water and sewer services essential for suburban developments while dealing with the flooding problems they sometimes create downstream. The Institute of Politics at Pitt has just completed a comprehensive study of the subject by a Regional Water Management Task Force chaired by President Jared Cohon of Carnegie Mellon University. Mr. Hassinger said SPC may use that report for future action.

It's significant that Mr. Hassinger will be a major speaker at Sustainable Pittsburgh's 8th annual Smart Growth Conference May 16. The subject of that meeting at the Omni William Penn Hotel will be: "Revitalize the Region: Seize Market Interest to Redevelop Core Communities."

Back to the SPC commissioners. At the end of the 1787 Constitutional Convention, Benjamin Franklin said this about its signal achievement: "A republic, if you can keep it."

Applied to the SPC, "You have written a great plan. Will you keep to it?"

Clarke Thomas is a Post-Gazette senior editor (clt77@verizon.net).

check out Project Region here!
http://www.spcregion.org/proj/

BANKofMANHATTAN

05-07-2008, 04:14 PM

The Point Park redevelopment of that section of downtown looks very interesting! I really like the park and shops on the Wood/BLVD corner.

If 3 PNC isn't moving slowly already, the price in materials/fuel etc. hike definitely won't help...that sucks.

AaronPGH

05-08-2008, 12:40 AM

If 3 PNC isn't moving slowly already, the price in materials/fuel etc. hike definitely won't help...that sucks.

I'm more worried about RiverParc. :(

qwho

05-08-2008, 02:01 PM

Happened to walk past the north craig site where they are going to build an office low rise. No activity there yet really. They have a sign up with the picture of the building, and that's about it. It is on the front page of this topic if you are wondering what I am talking about.

I didn't have my camera with me at the time. Next time maybe I'll grab a shot of the site.

xyagentguy

05-09-2008, 02:29 AM

Pittsburgh ranks FIRST in "Best Cities for Relocating Families"

http://pittsburgh.bizjournals.com/pittsburgh/stories/2008/05/05/daily33.html?jst=b_ln_hl

It would be logical that if Pittsburgh ranks as America's most livable city then it should be among the best cities to relocate families to as well.

That's Pittsburgh's newest PR trophy, achieving the number one ranking of the "Best Cities for Relocating Families" among large metropolitan areas in the United States.

San Antonio-based Worldwide ERC, a relocation services industry trade group, in conjunction with Primacy Relocation, an international relocation firm, announced their list today, working with Bert Sperling of Sperling's BestPlaces to rate cities based on a variety of criteria.

Pittsburgh beat out Indianapolis, the second-ranked big city, and three Texas metros, Austin, Forth Worth and San Antonio, to take the top spot.

According to a prepared statement announcing the ranking, the 2008 study placed a special emphasis on both the housing market and economy, both of which impact relocation plans and an employer's ability to transfer employees.

Other criteria new to this year's ranking include recent job growth for 2007, percentage of nearby top-ranked colleges, average in-state tuition for four-year public colleges, percentage of population growth since 2000, amount of pediatricians per 100,000 population, and separate sales and income tax categories.

The ranking also includes a green living index, measuring environmental incentives and policies.

"Quality of life issues are increasingly important to transferees, and the employers who move them are recognizing those requirements," Cris Collie, CEO of Worldwide ERC, said in the statement. "Being able to meet the needs of the entire family will be increasingly critical as the labor market grows tighter."

Last April, Pittsburgh was named America's most livable city by the Places Rated Almanac for the first time since 1985.

tschooley@bizjournals.com | (412) 208-3826

Evergrey

05-09-2008, 02:57 PM

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08130/880363-53.stm

Downtown's Century Building to be converted into housing

Friday, May 09, 2008
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

The Urban Redevelopment Authority board voted yesterday to lend $2.8 million to a firm that is turning the Century Building, Downtown, into mixed-income housing in an environmentally friendly setting.

The building, at 130 Seventh St., will feature 60 apartments, all geared toward households earning $20,000 to $60,000 a year, said William Gatti, president of Trek Development. He said tenants should be able to move in by April, and rents will range from $600 to $1,250 per month.

There will be nine stories of apartments above three stories of retail and office space. Trek is using environmental technology that should lead to certification as a green building, perhaps at the silver level or better on the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design rating scale.

"It's a green building, it's Downtown, it's affordable," said URA board Chairman Yarone Zober.

The total project cost is $16.8 million -- around $7 million will be covered by federal tax credits for historic renovation and low-income housing and Allegheny County will contribute $750,000.

The URA board also approved the transfer of the Freedom Corner monument in the Hill District to the City of Pittsburgh, where plans are under way to set up a maintenance and improvement trust fund.

cdc

05-09-2008, 02:57 PM

so.... if United and US Air merge, what happens to PIT? (or PHL
for that matter...?)

here's some speculation from today's PG:

US Airways/United merger could be good news or bad news for region
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08130/880305-28.stm

If US Airways and United Airlines merge, whichever management team lands
in the pilot's seat could produce dramatically different outcomes for the
Pittsburgh area.

"I think Pittsburgh would be a ghost town" with United in charge, said
Bill Freiberger, general chairman with the International Association of
Machinists and Aerospace Workers, District 142.
...

Grego43

05-09-2008, 04:56 PM

so.... if United and US Air merge, what happens to PIT? (or PHL
for that matter...?)

Well cdc, as far as the prospect of gaining flights, I don't either scenario bodes well for PIT...Too many near-by hubs, & high costs at PIT relative to other airports. Any significant growth in the flight volume will come only from increases in Origination & Destination traffic...the good news is O & D is at or near all-time highs thanks to US's dismantling of their largest hub (which allowed the entry of low cost carriers).

As for jobs? I wouldn't bet on any of the mechanics or OCC jobs staying. My two cents.

PHL could see some real competition arise from IAD for hub and Trans Atlantic service.

themaguffin

05-09-2008, 05:05 PM

so.... if United and US Air merge, what happens to PIT? (or PHL
for that matter...?)

500-600 flights down to what, less than a 100? The damage is done.

Hub's are the issue. USAir already settled that issue in relation to PIT.

Philly and Charlotte are the ones to speculate about.

"I think Pittsburgh would be a ghost town" with United in charge

What the HELL is it now??? I was in the airport just the other day.

There's fucking tumbleweed rolling down the concourses.

Evergrey

05-09-2008, 05:16 PM

500-600 flights down to what, less than a 100? .

71... I doubt there's much left that could be cut without crippling Pittsburgh.

Grego43

05-09-2008, 05:24 PM

71... I doubt there's much left that could be cut without crippling Pittsburgh.

If US were to pull out 100%, other airlines would cherry pick the good routes, I wouldn't be too concerned about that. The nearly 10 million O&D passengers would mean $$$ to any airline that took over those US routes.

PIT has benefited greatly in some ways from US decline. Fares into/out of PIT are among the lowest in the country...they used to be among the highest when US's fortress hub was in existance. I'm flying tomorrow into PIT from South Florida...$118 plus taxes, ROUND TRIP on Delta (no wonder airlines are failing left and right). I fly to Cincinnati a lot on Delta, which is a hub, and that same fare is never less than $300.

cdc

05-09-2008, 05:29 PM

How exactly is PWSA/Alcosan going to fix its water/sewer
system? We know the combined sewer systems overflow
into the rivers when it rains. We know there is a consent decree
with the feds to address this. The article below alludes to
"potentially huge reconstruction expenses to come" in the
third paragraph.

What is this huge reconstruction? Are they considering
replacing all the combined sewer lines? How are they going
to keep our crap out of the rivers?

City Water Authority borrows $100 million for improvements
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08130/880503-100.stm

A $425 million debt package approved today will allow the Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority to fix its plant and pipes without rate increases, officials said.

The package, long in the making, will boost the authority's debt to $680 million, and its approval comes a day after City Controller Michael Lamb called rising debt at city-related agencies "definitely a problem."

Around $325 million of the package will refinance old debt at a lower rate or cover costs of borrowing and initial interest payments. But the package also provides $100 million for improvements and repairs to the Highland Park water treatment plant, the pumping stations and aging water and sewer mains, plus preparation for new development and potentially huge reconstruction expenses to come.
...

Evergrey

05-09-2008, 05:31 PM

If US were to pull out 100%, other airlines would cherry pick the good routes, I wouldn't be too concerned about that. The nearly 10 million O&D passengers would mean $$$ to any airline that took over those US routes.

PIT has benefited greatly in some ways from US decline. Fares into/out of PIT are among the lowest in the country...they used to be among the highest when US's fortress hub was in existance. I'm flying tomorrow into PIT from South Florida...$118 plus taxes, ROUND TRIP on Delta (no wonder airlines are failing left and right). I fly to Cincinnati a lot on Delta, which is a hub, and that same fare is never less than $300.

Re: lower fares

In today's Pittsburgh Business Times, Macy's officials said one reason they chose to consolidate regional merchandising office in Pittsburgh instead of Cincy (adding 55 corporate jobs) is due to our much lower fares.

cdc

05-09-2008, 05:33 PM

If US were to pull out 100%, other airlines would cherry pick the good routes, I wouldn't be too concerned about that. The nearly 10 million O&D passengers would mean $$$ to any airline that took over those US routes.

Is there much overlap between USAir and United PIT routes?
I was wondering if there was enough redundancy to produce
a significant reduction at PIT ("significant" relative to current
post-hub service levels, rather than the old hub levels)?

themaguffin

05-09-2008, 06:06 PM

I can't tell you the last time when I flew to PIT (or out of) and the plane was not at capacity. These routes have to be served.

hyperion1110

05-09-2008, 06:49 PM

Evergrey

05-09-2008, 06:54 PM

As far as the cost of operating at PIT: is there any way to get them down? I mean, I don't think PIT will ever be a hub again, but the city is still in the perfect place for off loading a lot of traffic to Europe.

continue to pay down the debt of this monstrously overbuilt airport designed for USeless Airways

Grego43

05-09-2008, 07:57 PM

Is there much overlap between USAir and United PIT routes?
I was wondering if there was enough redundancy to produce
a significant reduction at PIT ("significant" relative to current
post-hub service levels, rather than the old hub levels)?

There is zero overlap on their routes, and US & UA codeshare their flights as it is, so there should be no reduction due to their possible merger. UA flies to their own hubs, i.e. ORD, DEN, IAD.

themaguffin

05-09-2008, 08:15 PM

I don't think that I had commented on the Point Park announcement yet.

Their proposal is very significant and will really make a bland part of downtown shine. There is not a lot of foot traffic or ground level retail etc around Blvd of the Allies etc and this will strengthen that part of downtown. It will obviously make Point Park more present and hopefully help them build upon their recent successes. This is great all around.

jeffwhit

05-09-2008, 10:13 PM

So, speaking of flying to Pittsburgh...

I am auditioning for the Pittsburgh Symphony in a couple weeks, in order to gaurantee that I was on a plane large enough to check my instrument I have to fly Calgary to Las Vegas, stay overnight and catch a SW flight to Pittsburgh. It took about 2 weeks to figure this arrangement out.

EventHorizon

05-11-2008, 01:18 AM

From Patty926 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/13088689@N00/2480437265/) at Flickr

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2200/2480437265_a640b5fbac.jpg?v=0

hmmmmmmmm

xyagentguy

05-11-2008, 03:03 AM

What exactly happened today? They had the C up at one point but then took it down. The GIANT letters are still laying on the street, I can see them from my window. LOL.

EventHorizon

05-11-2008, 04:50 AM

Not sure, maybe they're trying different fonts... not as easily done as it is in MS Office, eh? :D

Lets just hope they bolt those suckers on tight -- or bye-bye christmas creche! lol ;)

GeneW

05-11-2008, 03:47 PM

Not sure, maybe they're trying different fonts... not as easily done as it is in MS Office, eh? :D

Lets just hope they bolt those suckers on tight -- or bye-bye christmas creche! lol ;)

It wouldn't be the first time that's happened here (http://www.pittsburghpostgazette.com/pg/05043/456599.stm). The guys installing the ARIBA sign on the former Freemarkets building managed to drop the 'B' onto the sidewalk a few years ago.

Evergrey

05-12-2008, 02:23 PM

http://www.bizjournals.com/pittsburgh/stories/2008/05/12/focus1.html?b=1210564800^1631688

In Progress

Quantum III office building

A look at the progress of Pittsburgh's projects

Pittsburgh Business Times

http://cll.bizjournals.com/story_image/117815-300-0.jpg?rev=2
Photo Credit : Joe Wojcik

http://cll.bizjournals.com/story_image/117816-300-0.jpg?rev=2

http://cll.bizjournals.com/story_image/117817-300-0.jpg?rev=2

Despite ever-escalating construction costs, Pittsburgh is in the midst of a building boom. Some contractors are tunneling under rivers, and some are reaching toward the skies. We've got a casino set for the North Shore, and a hockey arena headed Uptown. A retailer is adding space for its burgeoning business, and we'll even throw in some green space. While perhaps not as big as the late 1990s, when PNC Park and Heinz Field were being built and the David L. Lawrence Convention Center was being expanded, Pittsburgh is showing it's on top when it comes to moving earth. Take a look inside for updates on some of the region's more prominent projects.

AMERICAN EAGLE: Quantum III office building
Estimated cost: $20 million-plus

What

The next office building now under construction at the SouthSide Works is planned to be occupied by a new wave of employees of American Eagle Outfitters that makes its corporate home in SouthSide Work's Quantum II office building. American Eagle plans to move another 500 employees into the 150,000-square-foot building, many from its operations in Warrendale.

Where:

The SouthSide Works, the steel mill redevelopment on Pittsburgh's South Side.

What's Unique About It:

The building will occupy a riverfront site next to the Hot Metal bridge. After The Soffer Organization turns over the building's shell to American Eagle at the end of the year, look for the retailer to design the building's interior with the kinds of color schemes, materials and branding found in its stores.

Construction time line:

2007: Construction begins.
Today: Construction crews are laying the brick work for the structure's exterior.
April 2009: With Soffer expected to turn the building over to American Eagle in November, the retailer is scheduled to occupy it in April 2009.

Evergrey

05-13-2008, 06:20 AM

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08134/881292-96.stm

The future is now for technology at Penguins' new arena

Tuesday, May 13, 2008
By Mark Belko, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

The Penguins are looking to give fans the most byte for their buck when they move into their new arena in 2010.

From text messaging to on-demand televised replays, the Penguins not only want the building to showcase the team but cutting-edge technology as well.

They have called on the Pittsburgh Technology Council and the 1,400 companies that are members to find the most innovative technologies, services and materials to incorporate into the arena's development and to "future-proof" the building so that it always stays a step ahead.

"There are so many great resources in town and we already have a great relationship with them. So why not take advantage of that and see what we can come up with mutually?" Penguins spokesman Tom McMillan said yesterday.

The Penguins hope to explore a variety of innovations as part of the initiative, starting with text messaging, which already is a key component of the team's marketing efforts.

Dave Soltesz, the club's vice president of sales and marketing, said officials are looking to take that to "the next level."

Currently, the team has some 20,000 text message subscribers who receive information, special offers and updates on the availability of tickets. Mr. Soltesz said it has proven to be a "very, very powerful way to communicate" with younger fans, with results far better than direct mail campaigns.

The Penguins also want to explore ways to integrate video technology throughout the building, including the potential use of on-demand televised replays and touch-screen food menus in luxury suites.

Mr. Soltesz said there also might be ways to target specific advertising or marketing to different sections of the building. For example, there might be promotions for upcoming events on concourse monitors, while those in the suites advertise something else.

Another idea is the possible use of interactive seat finders and maps in the new arena. The Penguins also want to explore ways to more effectively communicate with fans who have disabilities.

They are looking at the potential for video gaming in the arena, perhaps by creating stations throughout the building and in suites. Other areas of interest include electronic ticketing and computerized and integrated lighting and sound systems.

Mr. Soltesz said the Penguins need to incorporate the best and most innovative technology into the building and their overall business plan because many of their fans are younger and computer- and tech-savvy.

"We have to keep at the edge of that. If we don't keep at the edge of that, they're going to look for other opportunities," he said. "We have an obligation to be on the cutting edge, based on what our fan base is."

The Penguins and the Pittsburgh Technology Council kicked off the initiative last month when the team discussed the types of innovations it was looking for as part of a Web-cast.

More than 400 companies viewed the presentation, and about 70 submitted 200-word descriptions detailing ways their company could provide the kind of technology the team wanted.

Penguins officials will spend the next two weeks interviewing representatives from each of the companies and then determine which, if any, of the innovations they would like to pursue through arrangements with one or more of the firms.

Among the companies that responded were Advanticom, Black Box, Carnegie Mellon University's Entertainment Technology Center, Datavibes Inc., IBM, Intellibot Robotics, Lunametrics, Rodata and Schell Games.

Kevin Lane, Pittsburgh Technology Council spokesman, said the Penguins' request is the first of its type. Usually a builder knows what he wants and sends out a proposal to suppliers seeking bids, he said.

"Here you have a different situation where the Penguins are interested in future-proofing their facility, making it as cutting edge as possible and they don't know how to do that," he said. "They asked us to kind of be the broker to illustrate to them what is cutting edge."

"We give their members a canvas to paint on, so to speak," Mr. McMillan added.

The Penguins aren't the first team to look for better ways to use ever-advancing technology.

At basketball games in San Antonio, the Spurs are using wireless technology to show a welcoming video clip featuring guard Tony Parker. They also are developing ways to send coupons to fans during games. And they are trying to create a wireless message to send at game's end to remind fans where they parked their cars.

At Seattle Mariners baseball games and University of Colorado football games, fans can use their cell phones to order food and drinks from concession stands.

For the Penguins' new arena, concessionaire Aramark likewise has been exploring technology that would allow fans to use their game ticket to buy food, drinks and merchandise.

Through a partnership with Cisco Systems, the Oakland Athletics are looking to build the "world's most technologically advanced" baseball stadium in the Bay Area, one that perhaps will allow fans to view seats and purchase tickets from their cell phones.
Mark Belko can be reached at mbelko@post-gazette.com or 412-263-1262.