PITTSBURGH | Rundown [Archive] - Page 44

Evergrey

06-15-2008, 05:23 PM

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08167/889837-109.stm

The Next Page: Schenley High School -- a 'Green Building' ahead of its time

Sunday, June 15, 2008
By Vivian Loftness

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/images/200806/20080614ho_next_schoolfront_500.jpg
Original architecht: Ed Stotz

The debate over closing Schenley High School has been long and bitter. It has also been a pivotal event for the Pittsburgh Public Schools, which faces declining enrollment and immense financial challenges.
Superintendent Mark Roosevelt has concluded that the district simply cannot afford to renovate the school, which requires absestos removal and a major mechanical overhaul.

Vivian Loftness, of Carnegie Mellon's School of Architecture, contends that the district will save money in the long run by preserving a school of superb design, rather than wasting resources retrofitting substandard buildings to replace Schenley. Here, she examines the qualities that make Schenley visionary.

...

"Green Schools" are being built across the nation in an effort to provide the healthiest and most productive classrooms for our children. The attributes of Green Schools are many, embodied in national standards such as CHPS (Collaborative for High Performance Schools) and LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design).

Some of the most significant characteristics of sustainable, green and healthy schools are embodied in our own Schenley High School.

The quality and invention of Schenley could never be afforded today. It should be a centerpiece for the Pittsburgh Public Schools for tomorrow.

Fresh air in every classroom (http://www.post-gazette.com/downloads/20080615nextPage_1000.pdf)

International research demonstrates that increased levels of fresh air in classrooms increases both student performance and health. Fresh air can be delivered in high quantities through windows that open with "cross ventilation," and through vertical chimneys that contribute to "stack ventilation."

Schenley High School was designed as a naturally ventilated school, the healthiest and highest performance environment. Not only was each classroom given large quantities of fresh air through tall double-hung windows, corridors and stairs, lunchrooms and gyms, even the theater could be naturally ventilated. Natural ventilation does not eliminate the potential for air conditioning as needed, or for additional forced ventilation.

Daylight in every classroom

International research demonstrates that access to daylight as the dominant light source in classrooms, accompanied by views, increases student performance. A 2000 classroom study in three states (by the Heschong-Mahone Group) identified 20 percent higher math scores, 26 percent higher reading scores for students with the most daylight in their classrooms, as well as 7 to 8 percent greater academic progress in classrooms with operable windows.

http://www.post-gazette.com/images4/20080614HO_330_classroom.jpg
Dig that natural light: The Schenley library in 1952

Daylight provides a high level of lighting needed for reading fine print and music, provides full-spectrum light to ensure illustrations and art are seen in true colors, and provides important vitamins and melatonin production critical to healthy sleep patterns.

Schenley High School was designed for daylit classrooms, daylit corridors and stairs, daylit cafeteria and gymnasiums (originally), and even a daylit theater for practice periods, with blackout shades for events.

Solid acoustic separations

Noise control between classrooms is extremely important for student learning, and for protecting the health of teachers. Overhearing other teachers and background noise makes it difficult for students to concentrate and forces teachers to speak at higher levels, causing vocal strain.

Schenley is built with very solid materials that ensure excellent separation between classrooms and support class management.

Timeless materials with low maintenance

Buildings were at one time built for centuries of service, not 35 to 50 years as today. Materials were timeless and craftsmanship was celebrated.

Once asbestos is abated, the solid materials and craftsmanship in the Schenley High School building will ensure that maintenance, replacement and repair costs are lower than all newer schools with less durable construction.

Given timeless, crafted surfaces, the associated reduction in paints, adhesives, outgassing fabrics and cleaners will support student and teacher health.

Safe, social, and educationally rich settings

The social science community has rediscovered the value of the grand stair and generous corridors that support visual connections between teachers and students and groups of students.

After years of squeezing square footage out of circulation areas, eliminating space, daylight and natural ventilation, we now realize that they are critical to socialization, reducing stress and ensuring safety. Generous daylit stairs have the additional benefit of encouraging walking and climbing over elevator use and sitting, increasingly important in our children's all-too-sedentary lives.

In addition, the provision of classrooms with views and high ceilings provide important inspiration for students and teachers alike, including rooms for art and music and yes, computer skills.

Schenley High School is one of the few Pittsburgh schools with multiple grand stairs, with generous corridors and easy sight lines for adult supervision, with sunlight and fresh air to calm tempers and nervousness, and uplifting windowed classrooms for every discipline.

'Passive Survivability'

If the power goes out in a sealed, artificially lit, artificially conditioned building, we have to go home. Today's most progressive schools are designed as a refuge for our kids and their communities, with passive systems that will run even if the power is down.

http://www.post-gazette.com/images4/20080614HO_330_hallway.jpg

http://www.post-gazette.com/images4/20080614HO_330_auditorium.jpg
Images of Schenley from the Journal of the Pittsburgh Architectural Club in 1916, the year the school opened.

Schenley has the most reliable conditioning systems -- daylighting, natural ventilation, gravity-fed heating (gas or coal needed to create hot water, but no electricity), and the most

amazing fresh air distribution system hidden in the corridor walls.

Hundreds of vertical chimneys with rooftop vents take preheated or earth-cooled air from the basement vertically to every classroom, without the need for fans -- a system that ensures "passive survivability" for all of us, and energy efficiency with the highest environmental quality. Allegheny County Courthouse had a similar system for heating in winter, and bringing in naturally cooled air in summer -- technologies that are today being rediscovered.

Sustainable Sites: mobility, safety, cultural and educational amenities

A key aspect of sustainability is accessibility for diverse populations to the school and to cultural amenities that are important to education. Today, environmentally sustainable communities have been defined as mixed use, diverse and walkable.

The location of Schenley in the cultural, academic and medical center of Oakland ensures multiple transportation options; walkability to cultural and educational amenities and after-school opportunities; and safety to maintain middle-class commitment to public schools.

Historic building -- embodied energy and infrastructures

The green building community recognizes the energy and environmental value of existing buildings and infrastructures. While all public schools under consideration meet this environmental goal, only Schenley has the historic qualities that ensure long-term "cherish-ability." Buildings that don't inspire preservation long-term will end up being "money pits" with funds yielding five to 10 years of prolonged use rather than 25 to 50 years.

This is a very important life-cycle consideration as investments in alternative schools are debated -- schools that do not have the daylight, natural ventilation, timeless materials and craftsmanship, social settings and location, location, location of Schenley High School.

Vivian Loftness is university professor of architecture at Carnegie Mellon University, where she served as head of the School of Architecture from 1994 to 2004 (loftness@cmu.edu).

The Next Page is different every week: John Allison, thenextpage@post-gazette.com, 412-263-1915

Tombstoner

06-15-2008, 11:44 PM

http://www.moespittsburgh.com/image/Moe's%20Market%20Square.jpg

much nicer. apologies to Moe's.

Tombstoner

06-15-2008, 11:47 PM

The Schenley school is such a class act. I hope Pittsburgh doesn't blow it (look to Atlanta for lessons on not retaining your architectural gems).

DBR96A

06-16-2008, 04:16 AM

As am I...aren't we just a progressive bunch.

Actually, no. By default, you're just a provincial, backward-thinking mullet-head because of the approximate latitude and longitude of your place of residence. I'm sorry, but everybody with a brain (read: not you) knows that the worst location on the face of the earth is about 40 degrees north of the Equator and 80 degrees west of the Prime Meridian. And remember, the only reason you're still there is because you're too stupid to know that life is so much better everywhere else. Just get in that beat-up Camaro of yours and drive at least 150 miles in any direction...if you dare.

</sarcasm> :haha:

Brentsters

06-16-2008, 06:02 AM

E-mail from Riverlife Task Force:

Mon Wharf at Last!

The Mon Wharf Landing Project has been submitted to PennDOT for bidding so that construction can begin this summer! TheMon Wharf connection will link Point State Park to the Eliza Furnace Trail as part of the Great Allegheny Passage Trail which links Pittsburgh to Washington, D.C. Converting the river edge of the Mon Wharf into an enjoyable public space and trail connection has been a Riverlife focus since the 2001 Vision Plan for Pittsburgh’s Riverfronts. In fact, at the project’s outset, some argued the conversion impossible! Stay posted for news of a ground-breaking for this particular feature of Three Rivers Park . And thanks to all of you for your hard work and support in making it a reality.

http://www.riverlifetaskforce.org/wp-content/themes/riverlife-v1/banners/projects/monwharf/phase1/images/monwharf_b+a.jpg

Evergrey

06-16-2008, 06:25 AM

thanks Brensters... I was wondering if that would ever come to fruition...

...

here's another example of Harrisburg screwing up a good thing

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08168/890246-85.stm

Streetface program in city faces questions

Rules for facade fix-up grants examined

Monday, June 16, 2008
By Rich Lord, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/images/200806/20080616as_streetface1_500.jpg
ndy Starnes/Post-Gazette
Catherine Berard stands in the doorway of her shop, Prism Stained Glass, 5234 Butler St., Lawrenceville. She used the Streetface program to make a glass mosaic on her storefront.

On Upper Lawrenceville's still-spotty 5200 block of Butler Street, a building fronted with a glass mosaic and one with the partly-painted facade across the street represent the rise and decline of one of Pittsburgh's most successful redevelopment programs.

Behind the explosion of color and texture that greets visitors to Prism Stained Glass toils Catherine Berard, who used the Urban Redevelopment Authority's Streetface program to turn a storefront from plain clapboard into revelation. Back in 2006, she was one of 15 individuals and firms that tapped the program for a total of $607,854, according to data provided by the URA.

The place across the street, where laborers painted last week, is owned by a company managed by Joe Edelstein, whose efforts have won historic preservation awards but have also landed him in hot water with building inspectors and raised contracting questions. This year, the Streetface program has nearly become his preserve, with five of seven grants it has made going to a firm he manages. The program has awarded just $149,050 this year, according to the URA.

"We're still getting a high level of inquiry," said Kyra Straussman, director of real estate for the URA. "We're just not getting as many people going through with the process."

That's due in part to a requirement, imposed by the state, that contractors on Streetface-backed projects of $25,000 or more pay prevailing wages -- rates set by the state that are based on local union contracts. That's "a real buzz-kill," Ms. Straussman said, for some small developers.

Now, thanks to scrutiny of Mr. Edelstein's work, the URA is weighing whether more rules would strengthen the program, or harm it.

Mayor Luke Ravenstahl, who appoints the URA board members, didn't respond to a request for his views Friday.

The program, launched in 1986, has provided $10.3 million to help fix up more than 1,000 facades. It is only for commercial buildings, and is generally restricted to 19 neighborhood business districts. It pays 40 percent of the cost of the facade work -- or 80 percent in three hard-hit neighborhoods.

It's a subsidy that benefits the neighborhood more than the developer, because the former gets a big image boost, while the latter might see just a marginal increase in rents it can charge, said Kate Trimble, executive director of the Lawrenceville Corp., a nonprofit development group. Her organization and other neighborhood groups have veto power over Streetface grants in their territories.

William Barron used the program twice in 2006 to help renovate Penn Avenue buildings.

"Easy to use? A little bureaucratic," he said last week.

But it's been invaluable, he added. The Streetface program "turned the tide in Lawrenceville."

It's credited with doing the same thing in parts of East Liberty, Highland Park, the Strip District and especially the South Side, where it backed the revamping of 200 storefronts. Ms. Straussman used the program when she was with that neighborhood's development group.

In late 2006, state regulators ruled that since Streetface funds need not be paid back if the borrower keeps the building in good condition for seven years, they are grants, rather than loans. State-backed grants for projects of $25,000 or more trigger the prevailing wage requirement, Ms. Straussman said.

Prevailing wage-rate contracts are significantly higher than those based on nonunion rates.

"I don't use it as regularly today as I did a few years ago, because of the requirement of [paying] prevailing wage," Mr. Barron said.

It hasn't prevented Mr. Edelstein from using the Streetface program through two businesses he manages, Wylie Holdings and 3600 Penn Associates. They got 13 of the 59 Streetface grants made from 2004 through 2006, and seven of 17 since 2007.

"Without his investment and the gamble he's taken on Lawrenceville and the personal investment he's made, [Upper Lawrenceville] would look very different, and not in a very good way," said Ms. Trimble.

Approached at his Butler Street office Thursday, Mr. Edelstein pointed out a wall of awards, across from a walk-in closet full of keys to the scores of properties he manages. He would not answer questions for the record.

A year ago, WTAE-TV reported that Mr. Edelstein was giving the URA and the Bureau of Building Inspection sharply different estimates on the cost of his facade work. The reports generated a city controller's office audit.

The estimates affect the amount of the grants. A $75,000 estimate can qualify the developer for the maximum $30,000 grant. Most of the recent Streetface grants won by firms managed by Mr. Edelstein were accompanied by bids in the range of $75,500 to $78,500.

Usually those estimates come from W. King Builders, which, according to state records, is controlled by Mr. Edelstein's wife and based at her Shadyside home. Since 2004, the Streetface program has written checks totaling $528,222 to Wylie Holdings, 3600 Penn and W. King Builders, according to the URA.

The URA had required that Streetface grants be based on three bids from registered contractors. In recent years, it dropped that requirement for developers that use what Ms. Straussman called "their own contracting companies."

It was senseless to make firms solicit bids when the work was almost certain to go to one firm, Ms. Straussman said. Instead, the URA established benchmark prices for certain types of work. When a developer relies on a bid from a closely-related company, the URA checks the bid against the benchmarks, and sometimes slashes the amount of the grant.

The URA also is wrestling with whether its awards should be tied to enforcement efforts by the city Bureau of Building Inspection. Both agencies are located at 200 Ross St., Downtown, but they haven't always communicated.

At two Butler Street locations a block apart, Mr. Edelstein was sparring with building inspectors over decks built without permits -- in cases that eventually got so contentious they resulted in April hearings before District Judge Ron Costa -- even as the URA was either paying, or authorizing, Streetface grants on the same properties.

"We're sensitive to the fact that we have [building code] rules and regulations here that we're all trying to uphold," said Ms. Straussman. At the same time, the URA doesn't want to make so many rules that no one can get a Streetface grant. The agency is considering asking applicants whether they have outstanding building code violations.

"I think code compliance should certainly be part of Streetface program decision-making," said Ms. Trimble. "People who get development subsidies ... should play by the rules."

Most repeat users of the Streetface program don't have regular run-ins with building inspectors, according to a review of violation records. Some value the fact that the city is overseeing the projects it is funding.

"Thanks to the building inspectors, nobody shortcuts me," said Eddie Lesoon, managing partner of Wedgewood Group, which has used the program repeatedly, mostly along East Liberty's Broad Street. He also has no problem with getting three bids for the work. As for the new prevailing wage requirement, he said he'll probably "bite the bullet and do it anyway."

For all the hassles, the Streetface program is too important to forego, he said.

"It's just transformed East Liberty like you wouldn't believe."
Rich Lord can be reached at rlord@post-gazette.com or 412-263-1542.

Evergrey

06-16-2008, 06:43 AM

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08168/890205-85.stm

Onorato to ask Southwest to expand flights here

Monday, June 16, 2008
By Mark Belko, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

With fuel prices skyrocketing and carriers slashing flights and raising fees, it might be next to insane to try to persuade an airline to expand in Pittsburgh or anywhere else at this time.

But that's exactly what Allegheny County Chief Executive Dan Onorato will be doing today, when he travels to Dallas to meet with Southwest Airlines and its chief executive officer, Gary Kelly.

Accompanied by Allegheny County Airport Authority Executive Director Bradley D. Penrod and board Chairman Glenn Mahone, Mr. Onorato said he would make a pitch to Southwest to become a "major player" in Pittsburgh, where it now is the second-largest carrier with nearly 17 percent of all traffic.

"We want to let them know that we want them here. We want them here in a big way," Mr. Onorato said.

The trip comes only a few days after US Airways announced that it would be cutting 1,700 employees, reducing flights and adding new fees to compensate for soaring fuel prices. It's uncertain how the cutbacks might affect Pittsburgh International Airport, where the airline has slashed hundreds of flights at its one-time hub and is now only a shell of its former self.

Other airlines have been cutting as well to try to offset fuel increases. Southwest has fared better than most, in part because of an agreement made several years ago to buy fuel at set prices, but still has been forced to raise fares and scale back expansion plans.

The airline has cut its growth rate from 8 percent last year to about 2 percent in 2008, and Mr. Kelly has said it may not expand at all next year.

That means Mr. Onorato may face a very tough sell in persuading the airline to add service despite its healthy growth in Pittsburgh, where it went from 10 flights a day to 22 in the first two years after starting service in May 2005. That's where it stands today.

"Really, the environment is going to be the indicator of how quickly we're able to grow in Pittsburgh or anywhere," Southwest spokeswoman Whitney Eichinger said. "We continue to look at opportunities to expand Southwest service, but we do have to be very strategic about that because of the environment and the uncertainty in the airline industry."

Mr. Onorato appeared to be undaunted by the challenge, however.

"There's no doubt that the entire industry is in chaos. It's very confused on where it's going and what's going to happen. One thing's for sure: Whatever the shakeout ... someone is going to be serving the flying public," he said.

He is betting one of those will be Southwest, the low-cost pioneer that has remained profitable in a sky of red ink.

And with so few US Airways flights at Pittsburgh International -- 71 a day at the end of April versus more than 500 seven years ago -- the climate for expansion is better than ever before, Mr. Onorato argued.

"The days of US Airways undercutting a low-cost carrier are over," he said.

In fact, he envisions the day Southwest will overtake US Airways as the airport's largest airline. US Airways at one time carried more than 80 percent of all airport travelers. That was down to 34.3 percent in April.

"That's a strong possibility," he said of Southwest rising to the top, "and it would be a welcome relief to see a company like Southwest become a dominant player at our airport."

He eventually would like to see Southwest become as large in Pittsburgh as it is in Nashville, where it operates more than 70 flights a day, or in Baltimore, where it is the dominant carrier with more than 170 flights daily.

One factor working in Pittsburgh's favor, he said, is that its origin and destination traffic -- local travelers who start and end their trips here -- has soared from 6.2 million passengers two years ago to 8.2 million this year. Such growth may be appealing to low-cost carriers.

While prospects for more expansion may be dim right now, Southwest has been pleased with traveler response in Pittsburgh, Ms. Eichinger said.

"From the beginning, Pittsburgh has just welcomed Southwest Airlines with open arms," she said.

"We know it's a place we can continue to be successful in, and we look forward to the growth opportunities we could have there in the future."

The meeting with Mr. Kelly was set well before the latest announcement of US Airways cutbacks. It was supposed to take place in May but had to be rescheduled.

"We're open to talking about the possibilities for Pittsburgh," Ms. Eichinger said. "That will be an ongoing conversation since it is a tough time right now."
Mark Belko can be reached at mbelko@post-gazette.com or 412-263-1262.

AaronPGH

06-16-2008, 05:02 PM

^ That's great news, but I'm not getting my hopes up. This is a very rough time for airlines.

Wheelingman04

06-16-2008, 10:54 PM

^ That's great news, but I'm not getting my hopes up. This is a very rough time for airlines.

I agree.

JackStraw

06-17-2008, 02:42 AM

^ That's great news, but I'm not getting my hopes up. This is a very rough time for airlines.

It is a rough time for almost all airlines except for South West. South West some how secured jet fuel prices at a locked rate a few years ago. They are paying much less for fuel then other airlines. However they secured a locked in fuel prices, it must of been genius somehow.

AaronPGH

06-17-2008, 03:13 AM

It is a rough time for almost all airlines except for South West. South West some how secured jet fuel prices at a locked rate a few years ago. They are paying much less for fuel then other airlines. However they secured a locked in fuel prices, it must of been genius somehow.

Yes and no. They're certainly profiting, but this fuel hedging they're doing isn't permanent. It's a temporary solution. I'm sure they're watching very closely what they do right now and learning from what's happening to the other airlines. They need to, because they will eventually be in the same boat.

Smoker

06-17-2008, 03:59 AM

Airlines used to pay less for gas. When we were paying 75 cents they were paying 60. I don't know if it is still that way.

They need to be offered a deal that's too good to refuse. Our politicians aren't typically sharp at making deals but maybe Onorato can pull something off.

Evergrey

06-17-2008, 06:21 AM

I've never been to RMU's moon campus... but this article gives a brief rundown of university expansion projects within the city as well... though it lacks CMU's Gates Center and Collaborative Innovation Center II projects and Chatham's big expansion projects

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/s_573095.html

RMU maps out $120 million upgrade in 20-year plan

By Bill Zlatos
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Tuesday, June 17, 2008

Robert Morris University on Monday announced a 20-year, $120 million plan to expand and renovate its Moon and Downtown campuses.

The first phase of the master plan calls for a 12,000-square-foot building for the School of Nursing and Health Sciences, two buildings for the School of Business and 30 townhouse-style units that would house a total of 90 students.

It includes upgrading the university's main academic building, Hale Center, renovating residence halls and its Downtown building, and creating a loop road to move traffic to the perimeter of the Moon campus.

"Years ago, we were primarily a commuter school," said university President Gregory G. Dell'Omo. "We're converting to a residential school. We're changing the whole layout of the campus."

The announcement comes as other universities plan major transformations of their own campuses.

• The University of Pittsburgh expects to spend $954 million over 12 years in Oakland. New facilities will include a 2,500-square-foot gallery in the Frick Fine Arts Building, new athletic facilities and space for academic programs.

• Point Park University will spend $210 million for such improvements as a park, new student union and the relocation of the Pittsburgh Playhouse to Downtown.

• Duquesne University has spent $34 million on the Power Center, a multipurpose recreation center. The Uptown school will spend another $70 million to develop a property on Forbes Avenue.

"These announcements you're seeing in the Pittsburgh area are not atypical," said Don Francis, president of the Harrisburg-based Association of Independent Colleges and Universities of Pennsylvania.

Francis said a 2005 report by his group found that 71,000 employees at private colleges made $4 billion, making that the fourth biggest employment sector in the state in terms of payroll.

"We've seen a good deal of growth and greater economic impact on the community over the decade," he said.

The addition of student housing would allow Robert Morris to increase the number of students on campus from 1,200 now to 1,600 by 2010. By then, 90 percent of its students on campus will live in rooms that are either new or renovated.

Eventually, the university wants to increase its total enrollment from 5,100 to about 5,800 in five years.

"In 10 years, we're looking at maxing out at 6,500 students," Dell'Omo said.

The new buildings for the business school will house the PNC Trading Center and the U.S. Steel Videoconferencing and Technology Resource Center and will create a business school quadrangle around Rudolph Gardens.

The university plans were endorsed by Moon officials and area business leaders.

"We hope to see them keep growing and growing," said Sally Haas, president of the Pittsburgh Airport Area Chamber of Commerce. "They're just going to produce better students that will fill jobs of the future."

Bill Zlatos can be reached at bzlatos@tribweb.com or 412-320-7828.

Evergrey

06-17-2008, 06:27 AM

keep on fightin', Schenley supporters! :tup:

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08169/890472-52.stm

Schenley supporters push to save school

Speakers say a new plan must come before decisions to close

Tuesday, June 17, 2008
By Joe Smydo, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/images/200806/20080617mh_saveschenley_01_330.jpg
Michael Henninger/Post-Gazette
Kathy Fine, parent of an 11th-grader at Pittsburgh Schenley High School, speaks out yesterday against the school's proposed closing during a news conference.

Pittsburgh Schenley High School supporters last tried to shift the momentum in the debate over the building's future, with leaders of the city Democratic Committee, the Pittsburgh NAACP and the Black Political Empowerment Project calling for additional efforts to save it.

School supporters held a news conference outside Pittsburgh Public Schools offices in Oakland, then went inside for the school board's monthly public hearing. The vast majority of 88 registered speakers planned to testify about Schenley or other components of Superintendent Mark Roosevelt's efforts to overhaul city high schools.

"Vote no! Vote no! Vote no!" Tim Stevens, chairman of the Black Political Empowerment Project, or B-PEP, told board members, referring to the possibility of a June 25 vote on Schenley's proposed closing.

Mr. Stevens was among the speakers who said it would be unwise to close Schenley until Mr. Roosevelt unveiled a plan for improving all 10 district high schools. Absent such a plan, he said, how can the board make an intelligent decision?

School supporters, many of whom also plan to attend City Council's hearing on Schenley at 6 p.m. today, said Mr. Roosevelt has been able to frame the Schenley debate with exaggerated estimates for renovating the 92-year-old Oakland landmark.

They said they're trying to re-frame the discussion by focusing on how much the school district stands to lose -- in reputation, academic quality and students who withdraw from the school district -- if officials walk away from it.

Supporters said last night's turnout comprised a cross-section of racial, neighborhood and civic groups, hinting at the breadth of pressure they intend to bring to bear on board members.

Leslie Horne, a member of the NAACP Education Committee, said the reasons to save Schenley include community support for the school, successful academic programs and a diverse student population, including students learning English as a second language.

"What is the hurry?" she said of Mr. Roosevelt's proposal to close the building this month. "Vote to table the permanent closing of Schenley until all options are considered."

Democratic Committee Chairwoman Barbara Ernsberger said a group of about 80 voted overwhelmingly at a May 21 meeting to support efforts to save Schenley.

Mr. Roosevelt repeatedly has proposed closing the school, saying the district cannot afford $76.2 million in renovations, including asbestos remediation.

But speakers last night repeated their assertion that a Schenley renovation could be done for less. They questioned his plans to reassign students to new schools and his motivation for wanting to close Schenley, again suggesting that the cash-strapped district will try to sell the building.

Shadyside resident Annette Werner said MacLachlan, Cornelius & Filoni Inc., the architectural firm that provided the $76.2 million estimate, suggested the district save $15 million by renovating only three of the school's four floors.

The $76.2 million estimate represents an unnecessary gutting of the building -- "great if you can afford it," Oakland resident Nick Lardas said, noting one architectural firm estimated that a scaled-down project would cost less than $40 million.
Joe Smydo can be reached at jsmydo@post-gazette.com or 412-263-1548.

Evergrey

06-17-2008, 06:35 AM

news on the Baum-Liberty development

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/business/s_573059.html

After complaints, proposed 7-story building relocated

By Sam Spatter
FOR THE TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Tuesday, June 17, 2008

Developers of a $230 million complex at the former Don Allen Auto City site in the city's Shadyside-Bloomfield area have revised their project to meet the requests of local community groups.

The complex, called Baum-Liberty Crossing, will feature a seven-story, mixed-use building that will include a hotel, condominiums, and retail shops at the intersection of Baum and Liberty avenues. The Don Allen Auto City building, across Liberty from the new building site, would be the site for the boutique retail shopping center that could contain up to 300,000 square feet of shops.

The hotel was to be located nearby on Ceila Way and brought complaints from Bloomfield residents who said it would overshadow their neighborhood. Gone are the proposed bridges connecting the buildings over the streets, said Mark Dellena of Doc-Economou, which is developing the project along with members of the Voelker family, owners of Don Allen Auto City.

Another community group is still not happy, according to Dellena, executive vice president in charge of development, because Doc-Economou will seek a zoning variance for the building next month from the city Zoning Board of Adjustment.

The variance is needed because only five stories are permitted under zoning rules. That led members of the Shadyside Action Coalition to protest the quick action, said Dellena and Richard Voelker at the coalition's meeting last week.

"The community groups are interested in establishing guidelines for the development, before any city action is taken," said Architect Rob Pfaffman, a member of the Shadyside coalition.

Dellena said it's necessary to move quickly on the building to meet a demanding construction schedule.

He has scheduled a presentation for seven community groups involved in the development at 6 p.m. June 25 in the West Penn Hospital auditorium in Bloomfield.

Tonight, Dellena is scheduled to meet with members of the Baum-Centre Initiative to update them on the project.

The seven-story building will contain retail shops on the first two levels, an extended stay hotel with about 120 to 140 rooms on floors three, four and five, and up to 50 condominiums on the top two floors. It will be built on the site of the former Goodwill Industries building on Liberty Avenue and a vacant lot at Baum Boulevard.

Voelker said a national hotel chain has agreed to manage the hotel, but he declined to identify it.

If approval from the City Planning Commission and City Council are received for the project, demolition of the existing Goodwill Industries building on Liberty Avenue would begin, probably in August or September, Dellena said.

At the same time, a building housing a former Mazda dealership across Liberty from the site would be demolished. Contractors will use that site for construction trailers and equipment. "In this way, we will not cause a major disruption of traffic on Liberty," Dellena said.

Dellena, who formerly headed development at the SouthSide Works, South Side, said his development team hopes to follow the pattern there of attracting new retailers.

"We are cognizant of the retail on Walnut Street, Shadyside and along Liberty Avenue in Bloomfield, and we will be careful not to lure existing retailers or restaurants from those streets into our complex," Voelker said. Concentration will be on retailers not in the region.

"All parking -- about 1,600 spaces -- will be under the buildings," Dellena said. It is possible developers might seek tax-increment financing for the parking portion of the project, he said.

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

...

map
http://www.pittsburghlive.com/images/video/2008_pdfs/GX-SHADY-ch-06-17.pdf

CAPATeach

06-17-2008, 08:43 PM

a couple of things to note about Schenley....

Even if the cost is exaggerated, 75 million is huge for just a building, without considering the cost of revamping the educational programs. Even if it would cost 40-50 million, can we really afford that? Who will pay for it?What will have to be cut? The new schools? The other reform efforts? Will we be back to square one except with less money, more debt we can't afford, and zero new initiatives?
To put it in perspective, the new Science and Technology school, which should be awesome, will cost a little over 1 million. This includes all technology, resources, and university partnerships.

Another thing that I personally think is being misrepresented here is the rosy academic performance and racial harmony that exists at Schenley. Academically, Schenley failed to make adequate progress according to their test scores for the last several years. It is also fairly large, anonymous, and violent in the way that many big urban schools are. It has a high drop-out rate and HUGE racial achievement gap... That's what makes it odd to me that the NAACP is so vocal here. Two schools exist at Schenley - the IB program and the Spartan crew. I haven't taught at Schenley so I may be wrong here, but I don't think so... from anything that I've heard, the IB program is largely white and middle class while the spartan program is where the hill kids are funneled. They certainly don't get a separate but equal education.

Large, comprehensive urban schools are going to be a thing of the past soon - extinct like the dodo in a decade or so, because they don't work for the urban population that we're serving here. I live in the city and have a child who will be coming up through the public schools soon. Renovations or not, I don't want him going to Schenley. However, I would want him going to one of the smaller, theme-based schools that Mr. Roosevelt's initiatives will bring to the district.
I'm not in the Roosevelt fan club, and there are several things that he's doing that I disagree with, but he's steering the district toward small (500-650 kids) schools with a focus. The Tech school, University prep/Pitt partnership school, Health Careers Academy, etc. That's where the district needs to be headed. THAT'S WHERE MORE PROGRESSIVE URBAN DISTRICTS AROUND THE COUNTRY ARE ALREADY HEADED. I'm afraid this Schenley debacle will curtail all other reforms and we'll be back to square one - stuck with a whole bunch of large, comprehensive, anonymous high schools that don't work for today's urban child or urban family. I'm afraid we'll all be standing back and admiring Schenley's great windows, green lighting and architecture, while but it'll be in the same boat as Peabody and every other large comprehensive school in the district.

As a teacher, parent, and city resident, this whole thing is starting to worry me. Like I said before, unless these groups come up with a legitimate funding plan (and not that bunk that Peduto laid out), saving Schenley could come at the cost of all other future reforms. And then one school wins out at the expense of the entire district.

PA Pride

06-17-2008, 09:21 PM

Good post capateach. I agree with you about and think smaller more focused city schools have the best prospect for better academic performance which in the end is the only thing that matters for the children of pittsburgh.

I think it's great to see you living in the city and sending your kid to public schools. I plan on doing the same someday, so I certainly hope the PPS's make smart choices for the benefit of the kids.

themaguffin

06-17-2008, 10:10 PM

Pittsburgh Job Growth now exceeds the U.S. (https://www.pnc.com/webapp/unsec/Requester?resource=/wcm/resources/file/eb743907a9b5670/Pgh_June08.pdf)

Check out chart #1.

PNC does period reports for regions within their presence.

The reports cover economy in terms of employment, development etc.

Brentsters

06-18-2008, 07:06 PM

Anybody else see that as of yesterday the first panes of glass are up at pnc? Sorry, didn't have a camera with me. I also noticed the Hot Metal Bridge has lighting on both portals now that conjures the days of...you got it, hot metal.

chucka

06-19-2008, 09:53 PM

Here are pictures of the Hot Metal Bridge portal lights.
I wasn't impressed. They should have put lights on both bridges and the whole span instead of just the portals.

http://lh3.ggpht.com/chuck.alcorn/SFrFz8Lh1wI/AAAAAAAAF9c/QWoc9xrcwqk/1.jpg?imgmax=800

http://lh6.ggpht.com/chuck.alcorn/SFrF0P_HP7I/AAAAAAAAF9k/XBdG1s7bp8E/3.jpg?imgmax=800

http://lh3.ggpht.com/chuck.alcorn/SFrF0u3mbcI/AAAAAAAAF9s/70r-4y8yB5A/7.jpg?imgmax=800

http://lh3.ggpht.com/chuck.alcorn/SFrF0zzBjRI/AAAAAAAAF90/1B1dsg3VJ2E/16.jpg?imgmax=800

diesel21

06-19-2008, 09:57 PM

Yeah I don't think the lights around the edge of the portal look bad, but I do think that the criss-cross pattern at the top looks pretty tacky.

Evergrey

06-20-2008, 01:26 AM

If Your Zipcar Is Costing More, The Taxman May Be to Blame

By SARAH NASSAUER
June 19, 2008; Page D1

In cities around the country, fans of Zipcar Inc. and other car-sharing companies are seeing prices rise for those jaunts to the grocery store. For that, they can blame the taxman.

As car-sharing companies have enjoyed skyrocketing growth in recent years, several state and city governments have ruled that car-sharing companies need to charge their members car-rental tax. The laws are affecting customers in places such as Seattle, Pittsburgh and Chicago -- and are likely to spread to other areas soon.

Rental-car taxes are already paid by the big players like Enterprise Rent-A-Car and Hertz Global Holdings Inc.'s Hertz Corp. But since customers often use car-sharing services for just a few hours, those extra charges can end up making members' bills a lot higher. In Pittsburgh, a two-hour errand run now costs about $22 instead of $18 with Zipcar, not including sales tax. In Seattle, two hours of Zipcar use is now about $21 instead of $19, without sales tax. The issue is creating a lobbying headache for the small, up-and-coming car-share industry and putting it at loggerheads with traditional car-rental companies.

The concept of car sharing started in the U.S. as small, local, mostly non-profit ventures with explicitly green ambitions, but as national for-profit players Flexcar and Zipcar started to grow, city and state governments started to take note. Then Cambridge, Mass.-based Zipcar bought Flexcar last October, making it the largest and only national game in town, raising the question -- is "car sharing" the same as "car rental" and should services' members be paying rental-car tax?

"This is a policy issue that is not going away," says Scott Griffith, chairman and chief executive of Zipcar. Mr. Griffith says that in a place like Pittsburgh, where the tax adds a significant percentage to prices, "I don't have hopes of growth until we get this resolved." He says membership peaked in the city at the end of February and is now falling. A revision to the car-rental-tax law -- which led to higher prices for many Zipcar customers -- went into effect in Allegheny County, Pa., which encompasses Pittsburgh, in January.

The new taxes on car sharing are enraging some customers. "We are kind of being punished for being more aware of our carbon foot print," says Jean-Michel Brejard, a 51-year-old retail manager in Seattle. "It's the wrong message to send." Mr. Brejard, a Zipcar member, joined Flexcar almost 10 years ago.

Car-sharing companies argue that they shouldn't be required to pay rental-car taxes because their concept -- members renting cars for short periods of time from parking spots close to their home -- reduces the number of cars on the road, eases parking and traffic problems and gets people to drive fewer miles. Some independent research backs up their claims.

Rental-car taxes are particularly popular among politicians because they believe the levies tend to target visitors, not voters. (Rental-car companies however, say that many of their customers are locals, noting that over half of their revenue comes from outposts away from airports.) Funds are used to pay for convention centers, public transportation or similar local projects. There are currently about 112 car-rental-tax laws around the U.S., compared with 14 in 1990, according to the Coalition Against Discriminatory Car Rental Excise Taxes, a group formed in 2005 that includes the largest rental-car companies in the U.S. as well as various travel groups.

In Allegheny County, the law now says that a $2-per-day charge applies even if a car is rented for "any part of a day," adding a hefty fee to Zipcar's average $9-per-hour rate. The county executive's office says it is drafting an amendment that would exempt car sharing from the tax, but doesn't believe it will come up for a vote in the county council "anytime soon."

Last summer, Washington state's department of revenue asked car-sharing companies to start paying car-rental tax. Several politicians objected, including the governor, saying car sharing helps the state reduce the number of cars on the road. But, in March, the state Legislature failed to pass several measures designed to protect Zipcar members from paying -- after traditional car-rental firms objected. Local politicians say they expect to raise the topic in the next legislative session.

So far, only Portland, Ore., has given car sharing a total exemption from rental-car taxes. That law -- which says any member-based car-rental service doesn't have to pay -- was passed in 1999, long before the industry appeared to hold potential for big profits.

A few areas have allowed partial exemptions. In 2006, Chicago exempted car sharing from the city's car-rental tax on hourly rentals, but not daily rentals. Boston allows Zipcar to charge members a flat annual "convention center tax" of $10, instead of the $10 per rental it charges customers of traditional rental-car companies like Enterprise, Hertz or Avis Budget Group Inc. (Besides the hourly rental charge, car-sharing companies also charge members an annual fee.)

Car-sharing members in several other areas are quietly paying rental-car taxes. In New York, car-sharing service members pay the state's 5% rental-car tax -- which comes out to about $1 more on a two hour Zipcar rental there. In New Jersey, members pay the state's $5 per rental "Domestic Security Fee." In Philadelphia, members pay a 2% state rental-car tax, plus a $2-per-rental state tax, and the city's 2% rental-car tax. In Colorado, new car rental tax legislation is expected to be introduced in the next legislative session that may entangle car-sharing customers as well.

The new taxes are causing some potential car-sharing customers to think twice about signing up. Alexia Muir, a 25-year-old Pittsburgh resident, says she was thinking about joining Flexcar (which was bought by Zipcar last October) late last year. But when she heard about the car-rental-tax issue from her roommate she decided to hold off. "You pay the fee to use it, an additional tax, plus another tax. You might as well just take the bus," Ms. Muir says. She is reconsidering now because Zipcar sent her roommate an email advertising a promotion -- if he can get a friend to join he gets a $50 credit and she doesn't have to pay the service's annual membership fee.

Car-sharing companies' biggest adversary in the tax battle is often the legacy car-rental companies, which vehemently object to exemptions for car-sharing members, but not their customers.

"Our position has been this is wrong for everybody," says Laura Bryant, spokesperson for Enterprise Rent-A-Car, National and Alamo and the Coalition Against Discriminatory Car Rental Excise Taxes. She says there is no difference between car rental and car sharing. "It would be pretty dumb to say 'If you rent for two hours no tax and for eight hours you are taxed,' " she says. Enterprise actively objected to exemption legislation in Illinois and Washington. The company has argued that giving Zipcar members a tax break puts Enterprise at a competitive disadvantage, especially in urban areas.

Traditional rental-car companies point out that they now offer hourly rates, too, that appeal to local users -- and deliver the same environmental benefits as their car-sharing competitors. In 2005, Enterprise started offering hourly rentals in certain urban areas where car sharing has done well like New York, Seattle and Chicago. Last year, Enterprise introduced its own car-sharing company in St. Louis, WeCar. Last year, Hertz started offering hourly rental in New York, then Boston and is mulling starting its own car-sharing brand. Dollar Thrifty Automotive Group Inc.'s Thrifty started offering hourly rentals in New York City last year.

Zipcar is frustrated by car-rental agencies' objections to their exemption efforts. Car-rental agencies "will do anything they want, including killing car sharing right now, and they have a lot more money to spend on lobbyists then we do," says Mr. Griffith.

While car-rental companies and car-sharing companies don't currently see eye-to-eye on who should be exempt from the taxes, both are hoping for some type of federal solution. The Coalition is sponsoring a House bill that would outlaw new car-rental taxes in the U.S., but not change existing car-rental-tax laws. Zipcar says it would like to eventually move toward federal legislation but plans to hold off launching a national battle. "We want to step back" to do more research and wait for the presidential-election results, says Mr. Griffith. "We've decided to take a breather."

Write to Sarah Nassauer at sarah.nassauer@wsj.com1
Source: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121383390638486797.html

AaronPGH

06-20-2008, 01:39 AM

Lame. I was actually going to consider Zipcar when they finally get around to putting cars in south side. That's certainly a lot more money than I'm interested in paying.

Evergrey

06-20-2008, 04:02 AM

looking down at Market Square with the Market at Fifth development in the foreground... you can see the sidewalk seating in the Square...
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3117/2594522794_00d9c93e3b_b.jpg

I love the Hilton's new paint job
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2256/2594531932_f4090ab010_b.jpg

CAPATeach

06-23-2008, 02:44 AM

http://www.post-gazette.com/multimedia/?videoID=100700

I stumbled across this interesting PG interview with Mark Roosevelt, superintendent, for anyone wanting to hear more of his side of the Schenley issue.

PA Pride

06-23-2008, 03:59 AM

Evergrey

06-23-2008, 04:04 AM

Evergrey, do you know what exactly they are doing at the Market at Fifth development? It's such a small building; I can't imagine it will be very impressive looking directly across the street from the gleaming new PNC 3.

It's actually several small buildings in that little block. Some of them are severely decayed... so Pittsburgh History & Landmarks is putting a lot of work into rehabbing these structures. PHLF is investing $2.5 million in a trio of abandoned buildings there, which will be a mixed-use complex known as Market at Fifth. The complex will feature a restaurant, retail space and 7 apartments.

http://www.phlf.org/wp-content/uploads/2008/04/0429market02-a.jpg

...

btw, the Pittsburgh Pride Parade was held today... unfortunately I was an idiot and overslept... apparently the parade and last night's Pride In The Street festival were huge
http://kdka.com/video/?id=42893@kdka.dayport.com

PA Pride

06-23-2008, 05:19 AM

Oh, thanks evergrey! I was gonna ask if you had a rendering but then I didn't; So thanks for that. I hope all the different scaled buildings in this area blend nicely when it's all done.

xyagentguy

06-23-2008, 07:09 PM

In perhaps a "social construction" ;), mayor Luke Ravenstahl signed the Pittsburgh partner registry for people living together in committed relationships.

This registry is essentially a law that was created to extend basic rights and responsibilities (such as health care) to same-sex couples.

The mayor signed the law during the gay pride festivities yesterday which clearly demonstrated a commitment and respect to the gay community. Kudos to the mayor and to the city of Pittsburgh for not being in the dark ages on this issue any longer.

Pittsburgh Mayor Signs Partner Registry Law (http://www.365gay.com/Newscon08/06/062308pg.htm)

Evergrey

06-25-2008, 03:12 AM

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/business/s_574325.html

Airlines to slash flights, routes at Pittsburgh International

By Jim Ritchie
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Wednesday, June 25, 2008

Airlines plan severe cuts in flight schedules at Pittsburgh International Airport starting in September as they struggle to counter soaring fuel costs.

Service to most destinations will be less frequent and all of US Airways' direct flights to Harrisburg will be eliminated as airlines trim operating costs.

"It's pretty severe," said JoAnn Jenny, spokeswoman for the Allegheny County Airport Authority, which runs Pittsburgh International in Findlay. "It's happening across the board. It's not like Cleveland is thriving and Pittsburgh's suffering."

The airport authority on Tuesday would not specify the number of reductions because it had not received official notifications from airlines.

"What the airlines are trying to do is correct the system by cutting capacity. They just cannot function under what they're going through right now," Jenny said.

What they're experiencing is record-high fuel costs. The cost per gallon of jet fuel surpassed $3.90 in June, according to the Air Transport Association, an industry group. The average a year ago was roughly $2.15.

"Since 2007, when we started to see rapid increases in the price of fuel, 100 communities have either lost or will lose service by the end of the year," said David Castelveter, the association's spokesman. "If the price of fuel continues to climb at the pace it is, that number could more than double."

The cuts are good and bad for Larry Schwartz of Mt. Lebanon.

Schwartz is finding travel to visit relatives in New Hampshire and Minnesota more and more difficult. The September cuts will make the situation worse, he said.

"None of our family's in Pittsburgh," he said. "You can't get there direct anymore, and the prices have skyrocketed. We often traveled once a month but we've definitely changed that because we can't afford it."

The flight cuts will help Schwartz's computer-based business, Midnight Blue Technology Services, which provides information technology services to smaller companies.

Customers who used to fly more often are turning to the less costly and more convenient alternative of using the Internet and computer technology to hold meetings and talk with clients, Schwartz said.

"It helps our business in a way," he said. "The smaller businesses are opting not to travel as much because it's a bigger impact on them financially when they do. They're finding ways to do business without traveling as much."

Air travel at the airport this year was down 10.3 percent through April, the latest passenger data available. About 3.1 million passengers flew through April 2007, compared to nearly 2.8 million in the same period this year.

Southwest Airlines might be among the few airlines that will not drastically cut flights, said Whitney Eichinger, an airline spokeswoman.

Southwest has avoided paying high fuel costs in recent years through a fuel-hedging program, which allowed it to lock in lower rates before fuel prices spiked. In 2007, the airline saved an estimated $727 million by locking in rates for about 90 percent of its fuel purchases, according to the airline.

US Airways representatives did not return calls seeking comment.

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

Evergrey

06-25-2008, 05:26 AM

I would love to see this succeed... you'd think with our waterways we'd be the perfect city for water taxi... with the great work done by Riverlife Task Force and the increasing number of riverfront amenities and attractions (such as SouthSide Works)... there should be an increasing interest in this type of service

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08177/892306-53.stm

Will water taxi service finally float?

Wednesday, June 25, 2008
By Mary Kate Malone, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/images/200806/mh_ferry_02_500.jpg
Michael Henninger/Post-Gazette
Alex Docherty, 8, waves from the Miss Pittsburgh to another boat yesterday. He is the son of Laura Docherty, a member of the ferry's crew.

At 5:25 last night, Miss Pittsburgh, one-third full with 16 passengers, departed from the 23rd Street docks in the Strip District bound for PNC Park.

At 9 years old, the pontoon boat is no novice to the water, but her voyage yesterday was the first of many ferry trips Pittsburgh Cruise Lines has planned for remaining Pirates home games this season.

Many have tried and failed to establish regular water taxi service on Pittsburgh's rivers. Mark Schiller, vice president of operations for Pittsburgh Cruise Lines, is betting that steep parking prices near PNC Park and the opportunity to sip a drink on the river will attract customers.

Mr. Schiller's company has maintained a steady presence on the water for nine years, using the 49-passenger Miss Pittsburgh to shuttle fans to Steelers and University of Pittsburgh football games.

The new route starts ferrying passengers from Lockwall Marina at 23rd Street in the Strip District two hours before game time. It travels downriver to the wooden docks near Lincoln at North Shore -- steps from PNC Park. The service caters to residents in the Cork Factory Lofts in the Strip District, who can easily walk to the marina.

A round-trip ticket costs $6, one-way $4. Soft drinks are served on board for $1, and alcoholic beverages are $2. And, if you get there before the crowds, parking nearby is free.

"You really can't beat this," said Pat Fabian, 32, while sipping a beer on board. "For $6 you can ride the boat and park for free ... it's ideal."

Mr. Fabian and his wife, Jill, were the first customers to arrive (and consequently won passes to ride the boat for free all summer). He plans on bringing five of his buddies from their Kittanning Township home for tomorrow's game.

Steve and Mary Zugell of Lincoln Place enjoyed the ride so much they didn't get off the boat when it arrived outside the stadium. Drinks are cheaper on board, Mr. Zugell said, so why get off early?

In the summer of 2006, Pittsburgh Cruise Lines operated the Port of Pittsburgh's water taxi service with government subsidies in the final year of a three-year trial program.

As gasoline prices continue to rise, if the demand is there, Mr. Schiller hopes to run a taxi service as a private venture.

For now, though, the company is focusing on boosting ridership for its new baseball service. The ferry made six trips last night, carrying about 100 people total.

"We figure it's a good start," Mr. Schiller said. "We can always improve and always do better, but we'll take this for the first night."

Chris Folio, 49, of Irwin, had his arm resting outside the window as Miss Pittsburgh departed for the stadium. Several cities, like Annapolis, Md., and Baltimore, have water taxis, Mr. Folio said. "It's about time we got one here in Pittsburgh."
Mary Kate Malone can be reached at mmalone@post-gazette.com or 412-263-3858.

Gilamonster

06-25-2008, 05:57 AM

A few evening pics from some local developments:

American Eagle Outfitters Headquarters:

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3206/2609074349_8e30c1ec33.jpg

The newest addition to the Pittsburgh Technology Center:

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3264/2609074305_db8976338d.jpg

Three PNC Plaza with first panes of glass:

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3047/2609904680_a118f80c83.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3151/2609905070_dacfbedf4e.jpg

PittPenn 03

06-25-2008, 03:06 PM

If the person who is putting in the Moe's in Market Square is still reading, I just want to say that it is looking fantastic! I love all the stained wood! Very nice job!

Evergrey

06-26-2008, 04:12 PM

Sal Williams, the bane of Uptown's existence, is at it again

http://www.bizjournals.com/pittsburgh/stories/2008/06/23/story4.html?b=1214193600^1653366

Penguins arena prompts proposal for more Uptown parking

Pittsburgh Business Times - by Ben Semmes

http://cll.bizjournals.com/story_image/121533-400-0-2.jpg
Joe Wojcik
A plan to add more surface parking spaces in Uptown calls for the demolition of this building at 2130 Fifth Ave.

With an eye to the changes surrounding the new Penguins arena, one of Uptown's largest landlords is proposing to more than double the number of its surface parking spaces.

The plan would include expanding the parking capacity at the company's property along Fifth Avenue from about 180 spaces to nearly 500, said Tony Williams, who manages Uptown property for Sal Williams Real Estate Investments.

The expansion would be undertaken by the opening of some new lots, the demolition of at least one building at 2130 Fifth Ave. and zoning variances to allow additional parking on existing lots from the 1000 block to the 1900 block of Fifth Avenue.

The proposal goes in front of Pittsburgh's Zoning Board of Adjustment on June 26.

Although the number of surface parking spaces in the Hill District is difficult to determine, the total has shrunk considerably as space is cleared for the new hockey arena, said Williams, the son of company owner Sal Williams. With the closing of parking lots at the former St. Francis Central Hospital as well as along Washington Place and at the Beth Hamedrash Hagadol-Beth Jacob synagogue, the demand for new spaces is high, Williams said.

Mellon Arena, which is surrounded by about 2,500 surface parking spaces, seats about 17,500. The new arena will seat roughly 18,500 and includes plans for a 500-car garage and a 150-car surface parking lot.

"They are adding all of those seats to the new arena," but not expanding parking capacity, Williams said.

The opening of additional surface lots is temporary, Williams said. He said the company's three-year plan -- still in development -- calls for consolidation of the surface parking into a large garage and the development of the empty lots into housing and commercial space.

Plans to add surface parking in the neighborhood have faced opposition in the past. In 2000, former City Councilman Sala Udin proposed a five-year moratorium -- never adopted -- on new surface parking along Fifth and Forbes avenues from Downtown to Oakland.

"The Uptown community is being turned into one whole surface parking lot," said Udin, who now serves as president and CEO of Pittsburgh's Coro Center for Civic Leadership. "If you don't control it, the whole community turns into a sea of parking lots."

State Rep. Jake Wheatley, a Democrat whose district includes Uptown, expressed similar concerns.

"We want to make sure that the appropriate development happens there ... actual development and not just surface parking," Wheatley said.

But City Councilwoman Tonya Payne, who took over Udin's seat on council, said that the city has facilitated meetings between Uptown Partners of Pittsburgh -- a community group -- and Sal Williams Real Estate Investments to come to an agreement on the proposal.

Payne said the community and the city requested that the company install sidewalks, trees, fencing and retaining walls in the vicinity of the surface parking.

"They have basically complied with the issues," Payne said.

Renee Aldrich, co-chairwoman of Uptown Partners of Pittsburgh, said she expects to reach an agreement with the company prior to the June 26 meeting.

"We are working with (Williams) to make sure that we are meeting the needs of the community and Sal Williams Real Estate," Aldrich said.

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

Evergrey

06-26-2008, 05:31 PM

2 items in urban grocery news

1. The Hill District has long clamored for a grocery store. However, the community balked at a proposed Sav-a-Lot a few months ago. It appears to have paid off as now a developer is proposed a full-service Kuhn's as part of a larger development, certainly a few steps up.

2. Densely-populated Oakland gets a much-needed pedestrian-oriented grocery store. At least something good has come out of the demise of Club Laga.

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/cityregion/s_574660.html

Full-service grocer proposed for Hill

By Tony LaRussa
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Thursday, June 26, 2008

Plans for a supermarket in the Hill District that would include a pharmacy, dry cleaner drop-off service, bakery, deli and flower kiosk were announced Wednesday.

McCormack Baron Salazar, which developed Crawford Square in the Lower Hill, is proposing a 50,000-square-foot, full-service Kuhn's Market.

The target location for the development is the 1800 block of Centre Avenue, across the street from Hill House Association, said Joe Dentici, president of Franklin Square Inc., which operates the seven family-owned Kuhn's Markets in the Pittsburgh region.

The supermarket would serve as the anchor for a proposed 100,000-square-foot commercial project the developers hope will eventually attract a bank, restaurant and retail shops.

Dentici said it is a good time to open a supermarket in the Hill District because "it's an up-and-coming neighborhood."

"The Hill District has a promising future and a specific market need that Kuhn's is prepared to meet. We hope to have the opportunity to provide this community with the high-quality, full-service grocery store that it needs and deserves."

Thelma Lovette, 92, of Clarissa Street said having a supermarket in the neighborhood is "long, long overdue."

"Our neighborhood has been cut off for a very long time from many of the services a full-service store can provide," said Lovette, a lifelong resident of the Hill. "I think this is wonderful news for our community."

In recent years, some residents have balked at proposals for an Aldi or Save-A-Lot grocery store in the Hill District because the markets are discount stores that offer limited selections and few amenities.

The developers plan to host community meetings in coming weeks to educate residents and seek their input on the project. Plans are in the works to bus residents to a Kuhn's Market so they can view the operation.

"We've worked closely with our development partners to ensure a plan that will benefit this historic community for many years to come," said Karl Schlachter, senior vice president of McCormack Baron Salazar.

The developer, which is teaming up with the Hill House Economic Development Corp. on the project, plans to submit the proposal to the city Urban Redevelopment Authority.

Details on what type of assistance the developers will seek from the URA were not available.

Evan Frazier, president and chief economic officer for the Hill House Economic Development Corp., said efforts are under way to revitalize the neighborhood.

"This development would not only address the community's current needs for a full-service grocery store, it would have a long and lasting impact on the Hill District's efforts to attract new businesses, helping to restore a main street that was once a bustling center of retail activity," he said.

Tony LaRussa can be reached at tlarussa@tribweb.com or 412-320-7987.

...

http://www.popcitymedia.com/developmentnews/iga0618.aspx

First grocery store in 11 years under construction along Oakland business district

http://www.popcitymedia.com/galleries/Default/Dev%20News/Issue%20116/3609forbes_7987_300.jpg

With construction underway at Market on Forbes, IGA, Oakland’s central business corridor, is poised to have its first grocery store in 11 years.

Located at 3609 Forbes Ave., the 4,000-square-foot full-service market will carry 3,000 items, and will include a deli, rotisserie kitchen and seating area for 15 people. Architect is Bohlin Cywinski Jackson. Specializing in general grocery products, the market will also sell sandwiches and wraps, basic supplies and IGA private label items.

“We anticipate doing a big lunch and snack business, and dinner. We’ll sell a lot of things in smaller quantities, grab and go items,” says Oakland developer and market owner Ron Levick, who expects to open August 15 and to hire 20 employees. “It’s a neighborhood market. We’re anticipating people coming in daily. One hundred percent of our business will be foot traffic.”

The second-floor market is housed within a 50,000-square-foot property owned by Levick and previously home to Club Laga and Upstage, which includes 20 upper-level student apartments and University of Pittsburgh offices. Street level tenants include SUPERCUTS, CD Warehouse and a Chinese restaurant.

Levick—who looks forward to serving the 100,000 people who work and study in Oakland daily—says the closest grocery stores are on the South Side and in Squirrel Hill. “We’ve been waiting for a grocery store for years. It's going to be a great asset for the community,” says Georgia Petropoulos, with OBID.

Located adjacent to Chipotle and Caribou Coffee, the market will also be joined by a new Pizza Sola planned for Forbes. Atlanta-based IGA operates 4,000 locations throughout the country, with two area markets.

Writer: Jennifer Baron
Source: Ron Levick, Market on Forbes IGA; Georgia Petropoulos, Oakland Business Improvement District

Photograph copyright Brian Cohen

Evergrey

06-26-2008, 05:41 PM

density! TODs!

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08178/892578-147.stm

Developer expected to get OK for townhouses next to LRT in Mt. Lebanon

Thursday, June 26, 2008
By Joe Grata, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

A dozen townhouses are to be built on one of the few parcels of unused land remaining in Mt. Lebanon, an example of the type of transit-oriented residential development long sought by the Port Authority.

The one-acre hillside site assembled by Chatham Development Corp. of Pittsburgh is situated along the light-rail line near the Poplar station.

A sidewalk on the housing side of the new street that will end in a cul de sac will make it a short trek for residents to access the transit line. A landscaped "green" buffer zone on the other side of the street will separate the development from the trolley tracks.

"We think the simple economics of gasoline costs and [Downtown] parking will help drive sales," said Mike Eveges, an engineer and Mt. Lebanon resident who's president of Chatham Development. "We think the townhouses will appeal to baby boomers and mid-career professionals."

The three-bedroom, brick units are expected to be priced at $399,000 each, which includes a two-car garage in the basement and a private elevator as an option to climbing steps necessitated by the way the units will be integrated into the tree-covered hillside. Chatham has chosen "Shady Grove" as the name for its undertaking.

Mt. Lebanon officials are expected to approve development and street plans this week. Port Authority directors are expected to approve retaining wall and storm water drainage easements next month. Construction is scheduled to get under way late this summer.

"This is the first-of-its-kind, transit-oriented development in the area," Mr. Eveges said. "It will demonstrate possibilities for the future."

Authority officials and the county's Economic Development Department have been studying potential residential and business developments in proximity to other places along the T, including Dormont Junction, Potomac Avenue and Mt. Lebanon Station, where the authority would sell "air rights" to enable construction over top of the station.

Mr. Eveges said Shady Grove will raise the local and county tax base as well. The current assessed value of the property is $83,800; the future value is to be about $4.8 million.

The Port Authority expects to benefit not only by increased ridership, albeit tiny in the overall picture, but also by encouraging smart growth for the future.

There is a proposal for Potomac Station that involves redevelopment of property currently occupied by a gasoline station and a convenience store. At Dormont Junction, plans call for building a park-n-ride garage on the current park-n-ride lot, with the first floor to be used for offices and small business. And at Mt. Lebanon Station, officials are considering large-scale development between the station and Washington Road, including building a deck over the station so building can occur on top.

The studies are being financed through the state's Transit Revitalization Investment District Act, which authorizes public agencies to work with the county and local governments and the private sector to create joint public-private "neighborhood" development projects concentrated around transit facilities.

State Rep. Chelsa Wagner, D-Beechview, is seeking to establish more revitalization districts in proximity to the T in Beechview and South Hills Junction.
Joe Grata can be reached at jgrata@post-gaztte.com.

Evergrey

06-26-2008, 05:53 PM

more on the development boom in Beaver County's Ambridge... now if only the other hundred or so tired rivertowns in the region could find their own Australian tycoons ;)

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08178/892614-52.stm

Ambridge a town in transition with new development

Thursday, June 26, 2008
By Brian David, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Drivers crossing the Am-bridge-Aliquippa Bridge into Ambridge will notice a couple of new sights.

First, there is a large stone fountain gushing waterfalls in the borough park. Then, a block to the east, there is a vast space where industrial buildings are being demolished. A half-block past that is the sparkling new high school, flanked by the rubble that remains of the old high school.

It is a dramatic look at a town in transition.

The high school is a purely public project, funded with taxpayer money. The demolition is part of the Northern Ambridge Redevelopment Project, a private development that is rebuilding about 22 square blocks of the town's industrial sector.

The fountain, meanwhile, is a community project, put together by a grass roots group interested in sprucing things up.

"What we want to do is just grow on the momentum in town," said Ray Fedorko, spokesman for the Committee to Clean and Beautify Ambridge, which commissioned the fountain and raised money for it. "There's a lot of development going on."

The big move in that development is the Northern Ambridge project, now in its third year. Spearheaded by Australian tycoon Rob Moltoni, it will include an industrial/technical sector at its northern end, a commercial area in the middle and a residential section from 14th Street to 11th Street, with shops and offices fronting 11th.

Centria Inc., a steel coatings maker, is in the industrial/technical center, known as the New Economy Business Park. Bill Sutton, who is partnering with Mr. Moltoni, said the plans include three new high-tech office buildings. One will be for Centria's research department and another would house Mr. Sutton's company, Pittsburgh Mineral & Environmental Technology of New Brighton.

Plans are also in the works to acquire the property where the now-closed Foodland is located. It would be demolished so Merchant Street could be straightened out to Route 65, creating a more natural entrance to the town and the business park.

The central part of the plan, from 16th Street to 14th Street, is in demolition. It housed industrial buildings, and Mr. Sutton said 28 underground storage tanks had to be removed, a laborious process involving extensive environmental testing.

One tenant has been confirmed there: Beaver County will build a new home for its emergency services operation including its 911 call center. Mr. Sutton said one of the other tenants will be a grocery store, possibly along with a pharmacy and a bank.

Demolition crews also are working their way in from the south end, from 11th Street toward 14th.

The general plan is for two-story buildings along 11th -- across from the borough building and the new high school and bordering Trinity Episcopal Seminary -- with first-floor shops and second-floor offices. Behind that would be the residential area, with about 60 units and a clubhouse with a pool.

The project will, in a sense, give Ambridge a new heart, removing a mostly defunct industrial area that divided the town.

"We're starting to get people wanting to move back to these small towns, especially with gas prices going up the way they are," he said.

People could live, work and do most of their shopping within the development without ever using a car, he noted, and would have Old Economy Village and the rest of Ambridge all around them as well.

And if the Committee to Clean and Beautify Ambridge has anything to do with it, the rest of Ambridge will be an ever-more-inviting place.

Mr. Fedorko said the committee got its start in 2006 as a group committed to picking up litter.

"Every Sunday we would pick a block and pick up trash and pull weeds," he said.

Under the leadership of founder and president Roberta Sciulli, the group grew to about 30 members, and decided to take on larger projects.

"We're focusing on the gateways into the community," Mr. Fedorko said. "We want it to look nice as people enter." He said they are working on flower baskets and other plantings in those areas.

The fountain, so far, is the committee's biggest project, put together with $10,000 in two grants: $5,000 each from Pittsburgh Connections 250 and Columbia Gas.

Ambridge artisan Robert DeMacio of Indoor Oceans created the fountain out of rough-cut stone piled artfully to look like it was carved by nature. An upper waterfall divides, then divides again into three main waterfalls at the bottom level, so it can be viewed from three sides.

"I tried to build it to look as if it always existed," Mr. DeMacio said, of the fountain, which includes plants. "You don't see any pumps; you don't see any wires. It actually becomes a self-sustaining ecosystem."

Mr. DeMacio said the fountain is a $25,000 project, but he did it for cost.

It includes, he said, about 100 tons of stone, 100 tons of gravel and 10,000 gallons of water, and is actually suspended over a 20-foot-by-25-foot pool of water, which recirculates.
Brian David can be reached at bdavid@post-gazette.com or 724-375-6816.

...

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08178/892611-52.stm

Some Ambridge residents skeptical, others optimistic on plans

Thursday, June 26, 2008
By Brian David, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

There has always been a healthy dose of skepticism when it comes to Robert Moltoni's plans for Ambridge.

Mr. Moltoni, an Australian businessman, went public in 2005 about his plan to tear down rusting factories and rebuild 22 square blocks of the town's northern end as part of a $60 million, 60-acre mixed-use plan. About three months later, voters used the primary elections to eject a group of council incumbentsthat had been working with him, replacing it with a cadre of skeptics.

More than three years later, many of the factories have been razed, and the bulldozers keep rolling. The business park which is part of Mr. Moltoni's plan has a substantial anchor in Centria Inc., and Beaver County is building a new emergency services center on the site.

The skeptical attitude, however, has resisted the wrecking ball.

"People say good things are coming, and we wait years and years and nothing happens," said Bill Maslunik, the broker at Valley Realty and the one truly local real estate agent left in town.

"I think where a lot of people's heads are here, they want to see something go up before they'll believe it."

Such negativity may be natural in Beaver County, which was staggered by the death of the steel industry a quarter-century ago. It may also be fed by the promises of Mr. Moltoni's plan: a bustling, upscale village center transforming hardscrabble Ambridge into a suburban gem.

And it probably doesn't help that those talking about the plans -- Mr. Moltoni's partner, Bill Sutton, of New Brighton, and officials from the borough, county and state -- are people with a vested interest in seeing it succeed.

Brad Dornish, of Economy, however, is free of influences when he looks at Ambridge. A real estate lawyer, investor and leader of an investors' group, he has only one simple question: Can he make money there?

His answer is a resounding "yes."

"My new projects are in Ambridge precisely because of Moltoni," Mr. Dornish said. "The Moltoni project, by itself, is going to reshape Ambridge."

It's not just talk: Mr. Dornish recently bought and renovated an apartment building in the town's historic district, a block and a half from part of the Moltoni property. The building, where the Harmonists of Old Economy once made wine barrels , cost him $35,000.

"It will be worth much, much more than that once it's next to this incredible new project," he said.

Mr. Dornish said he is negotiating over two other Ambridge buildings, and his investors' group, ACRE, of Beaver County, is busy gathering information on Mr. Moltoni's plans "so we can benefit from riding their coattails."

The underlying concept, Mr. Dornish said, is simple.

"In Western Pennsylvania, you don't see tremendous appreciation in real estate values uniformly," he said, "but you do see tremendous appreciation when you invest adjacent to exciting developments."

The trick, then, is recognizing developments that are going to succeed.

"It starts with a major private developer," Mr. Dornish said, one experienced enough to make good choices and stable enough to see them through financially.

The next component, he said, is cooperative government.

"Without it, you can't get facade grants, tax-increment financing, other help," he said. "Without it, you can't really push to the next level."

Ambridge revamped its zoning to accommodate the Moltoni project before that 2005 election, and the councilskeptics elected that year eventually were converted; Mr. Sutton has repeatedly praised the borough's helpful stance. The county, meanwhile, has pursued and administered a number of grants, and locating the 911 center there is a huge vote of confidence.

The final aspect, Mr. Dornish said, is how the development connects to the community. He likes the way the Moltoni project is "integrated into the heart of Ambridge," and thinks its residential component -- upscale townhouses and condominiums -- will be key.

"It's going to bring in a new middle to upper middle class group close to retail stores and light-industrial areas," he said. He sees that group revitalizing the Merchant Street business district, especially in the historic district, and also connecting with the high school and borough building on 11th Street.

All of which leaves one natural question: Why is Mr. Dornish giving his secrets away? If more people get interested in Ambridge real estate, won't it just drive up prices on the properties he wants?

He had a simple answer.

"There are 100 buildings that have wonderful potential in the area of the Moltoni project," he said. "I can't begin to take advantage of them all."

Mr. Maslunik, for his part, said that while he hopes Mr. Dornish is right, he is certainly not seeing any evidence in the real estate market. In fact, he said, "Values are way down with all the foreclosures, and there are a whole lot more out there that the banks haven't acted on yet. It's going to get worse before it gets better."

Perhaps, he said, local people will get more optimistic "once the dirt flies a little more."

And if things do start happening, he said, "hopefully some of these investors will call me."
Brian David can be reached at bdavid@post-gazette.com or 724-375-6816.

Evergrey

06-26-2008, 06:22 PM

I agree with Mike Edwards on this... what do you think???

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08178/892681-53.stm

Art panel: limit Market Square traffic

Thursday, June 26, 2008
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

The Art Commission yesterday approved a Market Square redesign plan on the condition that property owners and merchants provide compelling reasons why any traffic not related to public safety, business deliveries and garbage collection should be allowed.

Of three members present, two strongly opposed parking within the square. Chairman Dina Klavon recused herself and left the room because her design firm has the contract.

Reached after the meeting, Mike Edwards, president and chief executive officer of the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership, said "the notion of strictly pedestrian space is a pretty old idea and one that is rarely successful."

The transition of Market Square already has eliminated bus traffic, and the discussion and planning process to date "has reduced the number of [parked] cars ... from 40 to 24 or something like that," he said.

During the meeting, commissioner Joseph Serrao argued against any parking if the plan calls for only 20 spaces, saying such a dearth of spaces would inhibit anyone from even trying to get one. "If you're going to expunge the past, expunge the past," he said.

Commissioner Dennis Astorino said the square, as newly envisioned, is to be enjoyed without cars cutting off people's views and disturbing their reverie on a beautiful day.

Mr. Edwards rejected such an elysian vision: "We argue that the square is not a green space but an interplay, a ballet of sorts, and the merchants are an extremely important part of the vitality of the square."

Currently, traffic can use Forbes Avenue straight through the square and around it. Under the new design, Forbes traffic would be diverted around the square or made to turn off onto a side street before the square. Cars would not be allowed to enter the square from Graeme and Market streets.

The plan calls for tall canopy trees, like American elms, to shade three quadrants, with the fourth quadrant open for a stage or interactive elements, said Maria Riley, a landscape designer for Klavon Design Associates.

Evergrey

06-26-2008, 07:21 PM

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08178/892770-455.stm

Crunch to cost airport 9% of flights

Thursday, June 26, 2008
By Karamagi Rujumba, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Pittsburgh International Airport will lose 244 flights a week, about 9 percent, after Labor Day as airlines faced with soaring oil prices move to cut their capacity and service routes.

According to the Schedules Reference Service, an airline industry market analysis and research report, Pittsburgh International currently services 2,625 flights a week, but that will change after Sept. 3. The flight cuts include the US Airways express connection between Pittsburgh and Harrisburg, said US Airways spokesman Philip Gee. US Airways currently has 61 flights a day out of Pittsburgh, he said.

Southwest Airlines will release a new flight schedule today, showing a trimming of some flights where demand is low, a company spokeswoman said. There will be "no significant changes to Pittsburgh," she said. "If we do trim in Pittsburgh it is small. At most, one flight."

Bradley Penrod, executive director of the Allegheny County Airport Authority, told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette editorial board the expected cuts are among almost all carriers at the airport. He said it is too early to say how the cuts will impact operations at the airport or if they will cause any budgetary problems for the authority, which gets its revenue mostly from landing fees.

The cuts are the result of the continuing increase in the cost of fuel and should affect all airports across the country.

While the impact of the cuts is still to be determined, Pittsburgh International is not losing as many flights as some comparable airports. Cleveland Hopkins, which has slightly more flights than Pittsburgh, will lose 1,119 flights per week and Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky will lose 703 flights per week.

Speaking Monday at the Airports Council International-North America marketing conference, which ended yesterday at the Hilton Pittsburgh, Downtown, Bob Fornaro, president and chief executive officer of AirTran Airways, said capacity and service cuts were inevitable.

The problem, Mr. Fornaro said, is few airlines have enough cash on hand to leverage low fuel prices, and that is why they are moving to not only increase fares, but add more fees for services beyond the ticket price.

But Greg Principato, president of the Airports Council International-North America, said told the PG editorial board yesterday even though ticket prices may soar in the short term, "there are still opportunities out there [for the airline industry] notwithstanding the economic times."

Generally, the airline industry's business model has never been very stable, Mr. Principato said. "There are always highs and lows, and we just happen to be going through a low period."

Notwithstanding the cost of fuel, which takes up 50 percent of most airlines' resources, the industry as a whole will have a resurgence, Mr. Principato said, especially since it's changing its pricing model and looking to airports to offer more services.

"The European model is coming to the United States, where we are going to see the airports offer a lot more services than they did before," Mr. Principato said, noting that American airports now play a more active role in answering questions and helping stranded passengers, a role that used to be relegated to the airlines.

To fill part of the gap here, Pittsburgh International is in talks to start a low-cost carrier to service a number of smaller Pennsylvania airports.

Mr. Penrod said he is actively pursuing options of starting a low-cost carrier through the state's Air Service Development Opportunity Grant. That would involve a partnership with airports in Harrisburg, Erie, Johnstown, Latrobe, State College, Franklin and Dubois, to contract with a low-cost carrier that could shuttle between key routes like Pittsburgh to Harrisburg.

The airport authority is currently in serious talks with two smaller-sized air carriers, including Cape Air from Massachusetts, Mr. Penrod said, and the key hurdle to a potential deal revolves around the process of figuring out the computer system necessary for checking in passengers.

"We already have the software," Mr. Penrod said, adding that the initiative is backed by $650,000 from the state, which would be shared among the airports involved in the partnership and would be used for advertising.

Beyond the state grant, he added, the different airports involved will put up the money to launch the carrier, but an impediment may be the bigger airlines' hesitation to embrace a smaller carrier by accepting and processing connecting passengers.

Already, Mr. Penrod said, the state universities have shown a willingness to support a carrier, if it were launched, and the state of West Virginia has also shown considerable interest since Continental Airlines cut back much of its service.

"This partnership [with different airports through the state] is just one way we are trying to provide more services," Mr. Penrod said.

There is no specific timetable to launch the carrier and Mr. Penrod declined to identify the second carrier under consideration.

Correction: A previous version of this story had an inaccurate number of Southwest flights in Pittsburgh. That information has been deleted.

Staff writer Dan Fitzpatrick contributed. Karamagi Rujumba can be reached at krujumba@post-gazette.com or 412-263-1719.

Evergrey

06-26-2008, 07:25 PM

what now for one of the most magnificent structures in Pittsburgh?

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08178/892763-52.stm

School board votes to close Schenley building

Thursday, June 26, 2008
By Joe Smydo, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

The Pittsburgh school board last night voted 5-4 to close the Pittsburgh Schenley High School building, rejecting a proposed referendum on the issue and saddening school supporters who spent months fighting to save the historic structure.

Voting to close Schenley were board members Heather Arnet, Theresa Colaizzi, Jean Fink, Floyd McCrea and President Bill Isler. Voting no were Mark Brentley Sr., Sherry Hazuda, Thomas Sumpter and Randall Taylor. The vote followed another in a string of emotional debates about whether the building could be spared.

"The closing and the destruction of Schenley High School -- the public's not going to forget this," said Mr. Taylor.

The 92-year-old landmark that graduated artist Andy Warhol, jazz great George Benson and Nobel Prize-winning physicist Clifford Shull, among other notable names in sundry fields, will close June 30. Staff members already had packed equipment and supplies for use at other school buildings.

The board left open the possibility of reopening Schenley one day by forming a committee to investigate future uses for the building and how to pay for renovations.

"It remains to be seen whether Schenley will rise again," Mr. Sumpter said.

The board's action did not satisfy Schenley supporters. "There was no reason to vote to close Schenley," said Highland Park resident Jill Weiss.

In October, Superintendent Mark Roosevelt proposed closing Schenley at the end of the school year, saying the district couldn't afford to address asbestos and other maintenance problems.

At the time, Mr. Roosevelt said renovations would cost about $64 million.

He increased the estimate to $76.2 million May 19, after consulting with a fourth architect, and in recent days had put the cost at more than $80 million.

Mr. Roosevelt said the district must commit its money to academic improvement, not bricks and mortar, and he maintained the district is stretched to the financial limit with increasing costs, flat revenues and previous debt.

The proposal to close Schenley and replace it with new schools drew an outcry from school supporters, who scrutinized architects' reports and concluded the building's needs weren't as serious, or the potential cost as high, as Mr. Roosevelt had indicated.

Supporters argued that the building could be renovated for about $40 million, and they bitterly opposed Mr. Roosevelt's claim that students couldn't remain in the building during a renovation project.

Civil-rights and neighborhood groups united to save Schenley. Supporters packed public hearings, lobbied board members and tried to get City Council to intervene in the dispute.

The building has been the touchstone for a larger debate about the direction in which Mr. Roosevelt is leading the district.

Parents asked why Mr. Roosevelt would dismantle a school with a happy, diverse, high-performing student body, suggesting that Schenley instead should be a model for reform district-wide.

Supporters have skewered the new schools Mr. Roosevelt has proposed in place of Schenley, such as questioning the efficacy of the middle-high school concept he wants to make a district staple and claiming a university-partnership school in the Hill District will promote segregation.

Believing a majority of voters wouldn't want to go into debt to save one building, Mrs. Colaizzi last week proposed a referendum on the issue. But the board ultimately chose to make the decision itself.

The fallout of the Schenley debate remains unclear.

At a time when Mr. Roosevelt is trying to sustain community support for a broad range of academic and financial initiatives, the Schenley fight alienated numerous parents, including some who have threatened to pull their children from a district already struggling from plummeting enrollment.

The debate also conflicted a school board that has strived to remain focused on Mr. Roosevelt's improvement efforts .

Schenley's remaining 10th-, 11th- and 12th-graders will attend classes at the Reizenstein building in Shadyside and remain together -- as Schenley students -- until their classes graduate.

Future ninth-graders will go to the university-partnership school, a new International Baccalaureate school or Pittsburgh Peabody High School. Assignment will be based on students' neighborhood or magnet preference.
Joe Smydo can be reached at jsmydo@post-gazette.com or 412-263-1548.

cdc

06-26-2008, 08:23 PM

I agree with Mike Edwards on this... what do you think???

i agree with you and Mike.

I also don't like the fact that Forbes is one way East in some areas
and one way West in other areas. Totally closing a section to
traffic just adds to that...

UrbaniDesDev

06-27-2008, 04:36 AM

This is taken from Sal Williams website. (the uptown "developer")
This from his own posted "testimonial page

Dear Sal and Tony Williams;

Today I am delighted to witness the immense improvement in the scenery as I look out through the windows in the back of my building overlooking Watson Street, towards Fifth Avenue. Watson Street, being the alley that runs behind my building located at 1919 Forbes Avenue. Several months ago, when dilapidated or vacant housing occupied the space that is now a pristine parking lot, myself and my tenants, often used to watched in disgust at the loathsome antics that were typical daily occurrences for the "transients" (for lack of a better word) that visited the alleyway, using the vacant housing as a "playground" for their drug habits; prostitutions or often as a full-service bathroom without walls. Over the five years that I have owned and invested heavily in this property, I have grown quite weary and frustrated with trying to police the "transients" as they have no respect for themselves let alone others. Not surprisingly, but still unfortunate, the daily actions of the transients seem to fall under the wire of real concerns for local law enforcement, as well as city officials.

Over this same time, I have also come to know of several other projects in the Uptown area; aside from the parking lot I speak of, which the Williams family has undertaken. I realize too, that in some cases, but not all, these re-development projects must take the shape of parking lots, either as an intentionally temporary or seemingly permanent solution to fill the void of the often-neglected, but persistent parcels of land. Your efforts in this regard, have generated a fair amount of criticism and scrutiny from several sources. Subsequently, it is the purpose of this letter to document and offer my support of your efforts in our area and express my rationale for doing so.

I hope that visitors to my building (1919 Forbes), after viewing the manner in which I have revitalized my property (at 1919 Forbes); believe that I am a big proponent for the insightful renovation of old buildings, because this is absolutely true. Having visited (and studied) other cities that have been cited in textbooks as success stories of urban revitalization (incl. Southside; LoDo (Denver); SoHo (NY); etc) the revitalization process often mixes enduring architecture with new more modern structures as the most tasteful and optimistic recipe for success. Urban revitalization strategies have never geared themselves towards the sole salvage of all aging structures present.

With this in mind, I have evolved into a triage type attitude towards the resurrection of the Uptown neighborhood.
Save what is salvageable quickly and easily demolish what is not able to be salvaged quickly and easily, or demolish whatever anyone has no interest in saving immediately (bonafide historical significance notwithstanding) with the hope that a clear view of the areas potential can be realized by others. In my opinion, the Uptown neighborhood cannot wait any longer for its solitary financial savior. We cannot and should not wait for: a) some huge land developer to come in and build an upscale Book Store and Grocery; b) nor wait for some huge influx of private individuals to transform the neighborhood. It appears the resurrection of Uptown can only be accomplished by part and by parcel by families such as the Williams and also by others far less capable - individuals (hopefully) such as myself.

Despite criticisms to the contrary, I see little wrong with the Williams approach to Uptowns resurrection. Does anyone really have to even ask me which I (or my tenants) would rather prefer to see out my back window? A clean, well-lit parking lot with evergreen shrubs and an iron fence.as compared to some dilapidated, but potentially recoverable housing in complete disrepair that may sit there for years and years before anyone rescues it , complete with its daily infusion of drug addicts and nasty prostitutes engaged in a screaming battle over whos John is it anyway?

If I am the developerare you going to show me a run-down group of buildings with transients slumped on the steps eyes glazed over hassling me for a smoke or some change . when you could possibly show me a clean, flat parking lot poised to be re-developed by me.. as I drive through Uptown?

Thank you, Sal and Tony Williams for your immediate and continued efforts in the face of the criticisms and controversy. Thank you for continuing to invest your money and time in Uptown. You have my gratitude and support.

I hope you will continue to be optimistic towards Uptown and the people who live here.

Sincerely;

C. W. Fetrow
RiverCity Restorations, LLC
1919 Forbes Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15219
412-401-0961

I am a single woman living in Uptown for many years. I have met Sal Williams only one or two times and was very encouraged by what he had to say regarding the future of the area. More importantly, I am impressed by what he has done for over the past twenty or thirty years. I don't know if some people are jealous or have a personal agenda, but I think that they are being irrational when they criticize him and want to form a mob because he is definately making a positive impact on the City of Pittsburgh and more specifically the Uptown area. I guess some people will just never admit it no matter how much evidence you show them -Anonymous

My name is Mildred Spencer and I am the same age as Sal Williams. We were both raised in Uptown and I have known him for many, many years. Sal Williams was always good to the residents of Uptown and the Hill, he would do anything for you if you just ask him. When my husband Van passed about 20 years ago I was unable to keep up with our house and the one across the avenue that we rented out. One time Sal sent his son Tony to represent me in Housing Court when the City said they was going to arrest me for a sidewalk that needed concrete cracks filled. I told Sal to please buy my house because I couldnt pay for the repairs no more. It was not a safe building to live in neither. So he agreed to buy it without even coming inside and then move me into a new fixed up house just a block away. He doesnt charge me any rent but I give him $80.00 a month from my Social Security check to cover some of the costs that he has. I know that its expensive to own property but I have his word that I can stay here all my life and not worry about being homeless. I thank Sal and his son Tony for helping me, they are doing a lot of good things in Uptown. I hope they never leave.

My name is Christina and I am 24 years old (not my real name or age) and I am an employee of UPMC. I park in Tony Williams lot on 5th Avenue in UPTOWN and I take the daily shuttle bus to work in Oakland. There is a rumor going around that a neighborhood group is complaining to the City about his surface lots because it hurts the area, his fence is too high, he does'nt have enough trees, and that his dad tore down too many crack houses up there, etc. Well, now I would like to tell you some positive things about Tony (I never met his dad). Tony is providing a clean, safe, and convenient place for all of us to park at a very affordable rate. Tony is professional, courteous, and dedicated to his job (he even assists the young neighborhood children across busy 5th Avenue every morning so they can safely catch their school bus). Tony is very easy to talk to and if that neighborhood group wants him to change something, I'm sure he would try to accommodate them. What good would an empty parking lot do for anyone? It would just be another place along 5th Avenue to dump garbage, leave stolen cars, hang out, sell drugs, be a base for prostitutes, etc. Instead, if we continue to park here we will hopefully initiate the change that is so badly needed in Uptown. There are thousands of cars and trucks that speed down 5th and up Forbes Avenue everyday, but nobody wants to stop here! Why? It is a really scary place, thats why! I can't believe that I park here everyday with all the open drug dealings and prostitution, but Tony makes us all feel comfortable. If the neighbors are angry because we don't work in Uptown, well that may be a legitimate argument in their mind. But, think about this: what if we all walked to work in some Uptown or Downtown office building instead of waiting for a shuttle bus to pick us up? Would that make a difference? What if we were all employees of Mercy Hospital? Would that make a difference? The way I look at it is this: there is definitely a parking problem in Oakland, Uptown, and in Downtown, the City is being paid sorely needed tax money, the lots are clean and safe, and nobody else wants to come up here! Somebody please take a good, hard look at the lots and the Uptown neighborhood and honestly answer this question:
Who is getting hurt?!

I have known Sal Williams just about all my life. I was raised in Uptown and still own property on upper Fifth Avenue. I know for a fact that Sal Williams is up there in that neighborhood almost everyday. He patrols his properties, keeps them clean, lighted, guarded, and maintained. Im sure he pays all of his taxes too! Yes he has torn down many buildings and gets alot of heat from certain people for that, but they were all dilapidated structures that he demolished. He did the area a favor because he got rid of dozens of undesireable squatters in the process and improved the property by eliminating a safety hazard and in most cases just a boarded-up eyesore. I applaud whatever he has done up there in the Uptown section of Pittsburgh. Sal Williams should be thanked by the City for hanging in there all of those years when nobody else would go near it. He is really the driving force in helping to turn Uptown around. Now the Penguins are building a new Civic Arena but Sal Williams was there before the Penguins existed. He has single-handedly brought hundreds of workers to the area that would never have been; I know because I see it with my own eyes what he has accomplished. He is Mr. Uptown! -Robert Haley

The vacant, former Fifth Avenue High School Annex buliding site was redeveloped over a dozen or so years ago by a gentleman named Sal Williams. I had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Williams recently and have been negotiating with him and his son Tony for the parking spaces that I need not only for our doctors, staff, patients, and other ancillary services that our company's new headquarters will need. With the assistance of the Williams Uptown Redevelopent Team and the fact that our mayor recognized the need for...facilitating sensible and commercial growth, we are now more confident than ever that we made the right decision to purchase our building. I can see the changes taking place in Uptown thanks (almost exclusively) to the sole developer in the area. By staying in the city and the Forbes Avenue location, we will continue to pay taxes, provide employment, and be part of the "Uptown Redevelopment Project." -Georgia A. Brown, Administrator Everett and Hurite Opthalmic Association

To Whom It May Concern:

In response to the articles of May 19 and 24, 2007 in the (newspaper), I have been a property owner in Soho (Uptown) since 1976, and I live there too.

With respect to Mr. Sal Williams and his demolitions and parking lots I feel that overall he has made an improvement. The properties he has bought were offered for sale and he paid for them himself with his own money and not that of the taxpayers. If local residents and community groups had wanted they could have outbid him. If they felt that it was changing the character of the neighborhood with the demolitions, the time to object was fifteen or twenty years ago, not now.

As for the comment of (former Chairman of the Citys Historic Review Commission), I am amazed at the hypocrisy! About fifteen years ago I contacted the Pittsburgh History and Landmarks Foundation by phone and spoke to Martin Aurand. He assured me that there was Nothing of any historic significance in the Forbes-Fifth corridor. (After all, it is not South Side, Manchester, or Allegheny West.)

I was a student at Duquesne University from 1960 to 1965 and it was during that time, especially in 1963 and 1964 that Duquesne University teamed up with the U.R.A. to declare the Bluff area "blighted". There was a redevelopment area extending from Magee Street to Boyd Street and from Forbes Avenue to the Blvd. of the Allies. If I remember correctly, everything was bulldozed except the University's buildings which Duquesne wanted. The destruction included a house reported to have been part of the pre-Civil War "Underground Railroad", numerous mid-nineteenth century houses and entire city streets such as: Gibbon, Lomond , and Seitz, etc. which the very streets no longer exist (today). The 1965 Duquesne University yearbook is decorated with sketches of the demolition in progress. An entire neighborhood was obliterated, converted to Duquesne Universitys campus at the taxpayers expense and of course to be tax exempt, paying no property taxes ever after.

Right now the City is demolishing one side of the 1000 block of Fifth Avenue and also various other properties in the area to provide a new (multi-purpose facility) arena for the Penguins. This (however) doesn't trash the architectural integrity of the Uptown area?

As for the surface parking lots, to be sure, it would be better to have restored some of the houses for owner occupancy, but there seems to be a shortage of owner occupants desiring to live here.

I am much better pleased with paved parking lots instead of the alternative which is derelict buildings beyond repair, vermin infestation, vacant lots filled with weeds, trash, broken glass, needles, junked cars, and the like; not to mention broken up sidewalks.

Mr. Williams is also responsible for the removal of the majority of crack houses in the area and (because of that) there are many less of the drug addicts, pimps, prostitutes, and thieves.

The newspaper should be thanking Mr. Williams instead of vilifying him.

The City makes it as difficult as possible to obtain an occupancy permit for any use. I have met quite a few investors who have said that they will never invest in Pittsburgh property because of the high taxes and the bias against small businesses.

Whether or not Mr. Williams was associated with crime or if he ever served any time in federal prison is utterly irrelevant to parking lots. What does that have to do with the price of tea in China either? Such matters may be public record, but to include them in a newspaper article is something which no respectable journalist/reporter would do and no newspaper with any integrity would publish. It amounts to character assassination; the kind of thing that one might expect from tabloids such as the National Enquirer. - Paul R. Hayes

http://www.salwilliamsrealestate.com/

Evergrey

06-27-2008, 05:40 AM

hahaha! nice find, UrbaniDesDev! I love how "proactive" and "confrontational" that website is! Sal Williams has bulldozed many structures and turned Uptown into a big parking lot... many of his lots operated without a license for years until the city finally cracked down on him a year or two ago... he is exactly the type of absentee landowner (he lives in the suburb of Carnegie) that is so fundamentally destructive towards struggling urban neighborhoods... I have very little faith that his proposal for more parking lots will ever evolve into his "three year plan" for "mixed-use development"... and I don't think "fencing and landscaping" can do much to mask vast desolate stretches of parking... regardless of what Councilor Tonya Payne says... I swear she just takes the opposite position of former Councilor Udin on everything (which is usually the wrong position)

btw, here's the article from last year that was previously posted in this thread about Sal Williams' demolition of the Uptown neighborhood and operation of illegal parking lots
http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/cityregion/s_508501.html

one choice cut from that article:

"Councilwoman Tonya Payne, a lifelong Uptown resident, backed Williams in his attempt to expand his parking business. Campaign records show Williams and his wife contributed $4,460 to Payne during the first six months of her successful 2005 run against Udin." - with the demise of Twanda Carlisle... I have a new least favorite councilor (Motznik is horrible but is at least ridiculously entertaining sometimes)

...

anyways... this is exciting!

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/s_574799.html

Oakland Portal might be path to growth

By Ron DaParma and Sam Spatter
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Friday, June 27, 2008

Oakland -- a compact area of universities, medical facilities, offices and housing -- may get relief from its crowded condition through a proposed $150-million-plus development called the Oakland Portal.

The project, on the drawing board for several years, appears poised to move ahead, with a $30 million request for state capital budget funds being considered in Harrisburg.

Proposed by FWG Realty Inc. and local investors, the complex would provide more than 1 million square feet of space on a 10-acre site for physician offices and commercial businesses, a 200- to 250-room hotel, a 1,500-car parking garage and residential condominiums. The complex would be built in three phases over a five- to seven-year period.

"There is a capital budget request on our behalf, but I can't comment further," said Frank Gustine Jr., partner in FWG. Gustine and Ed Pope, a local architect, head the development team. Joining Gustine and Pope in the project are Lou Molnar and members of the late Bill Baierl family.

Gustine's father, the late Frank Gustine, an All-Star infielder for the Pirates from 1946-48, operated Gustine's tavern on Forbes Avenue in Oakland for many years.

The first phase of the project would put a 160,000-square-foot physicians building on the corner of Forbes and Craft avenues including space for relocation of the Dialysis Clinic Inc. that occupies a building on Craft within the project site. A second, 100,000-square-foot building catering to business office tenants would be built on top of the central parking garage with entrances from Fifth and Forbes avenues. The hotel would be built on a site formerly occupied by Lamar Advertising closer to Forbes.

An agreement in principle with the Dialysis Clinic has been obtained.

Once financing is in place and city approvals obtained, demolition and site preparation could occur later this year, and construction could begin in 2009, with the first building completed in about 2 1/2 years.

About 60 percent to 70 percent of the financing for the project's first phase will be private. Negotiations are under way with lenders for pre-construction loans.

Plans for the second phase would include as many as four buildings, with about 500,000 square feet of space. Those structures, to be built in the center of the project site off Fifth and Craft, will cater to business offices, but could include educational uses.

The developers have acquired most of the properties needed for the project but are in negotiations for several parcels, including smaller properties owned by the University of Pittsburgh or the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.

"Gustine provided my board with a concept of the project, and the board was receptive," said Georgia Petropoulos, executive director of the Oakland Business Improvement District. "We are excited to see that section come to life, since the project is very much needed because it is the entry point into Oakland."

Petropoulos said the site is located near Carlow University, UPMC Magee-Womens hospital and UPMC Montefiore hospital.

"Oakland has a high demand for space, and the Oakland Portal project is going to meet that demand in key ways. ... It should be a fabulous addition to the city and the region," said Dewitt M. Peart, president of the Pittsburgh Regional Alliance, which markets the region to companies worldwide.

The developers will seek funding under a tax-increment finance plan to construct the 1,500-car parking garage, expected to cost about $35 million.

Rep. Don Walko, D-North Side, said the city's Urban Redevelopment Authority and the state are helping to secure financing for the parking garage. Walko said that of the $30 million authorized in the budget for the project, about $2 million is earmarked for the garage.

Before the amount is approved, the state must raise its debt ceiling to meet the budget requirements, he said.

"We (the delegation from this region) recognize Oakland as a regional center, and we realize this portal site is underutilized," Walko said.

Evergrey

06-27-2008, 05:46 AM

seems like Harrisburg gave the casino license to the wrong guy... what do yinz think? pine for Isle of Capri?

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08179/892974-53.stm

Officials still back Barden, for now

Casino developer owes contractors millions for work on N. Shore project

Friday, June 27, 2008
By Gary Rotstein, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Key state and local officials remained supportive of casino owner Don Barden yesterday in the wake of concerns about his ability to pay contractors, but that could quickly change if work halts on his North Shore project.

Mr. Barden is to meet Monday with the contractors and subcontractors who granted him more time last week to pay for $10 million in work they performed in the month of April. He owes an even larger amount for work performed in May, according to the primary contractor, Keating Building Corp. The companies are hoping next week to receive money to cover their own ongoing costs.

The threat looms of a possible shutdown or slowdown of work if the contractors and subcontractors are dissatisfied with whatever the Majestic Star's developer tells them Monday. Mr. Barden has struggled to complete a $780 million financing package to cover all of his costs, including repayment of the $200 million bridge loan from Credit Suisse that enabled him to start work.

Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board members and staff toured the busy construction site west of Heinz Field yesterday in a previously scheduled visit unrelated to the financial issues.

Board member Sanford Rivers of Churchill said afterward that he's impressed by the pace of work and optimistic about the Majestic Star being completed by next May 15, as its representatives told him yesterday.

If unpaid contractors or failed financing or any other issue stops work, however, he said the board would immediately want to meet with Mr. Barden. Mr. Rivers said the board has to protect taxpayers' interests in guaranteeing opening of a facility with up to 5,000 slot machines that will begin generating tax revenue for the state.

"If Monday at 5 o'clock, there's no activity there, I am sure we will have an emergency meeting to do whatever it is we have to do," Mr. Rivers said. "We'd want to find out what the issues are and know that from him immediately."

Mr. Barden obtained a postponement from the board earlier this month in presenting his financing plan to it, but he and his representatives have been in regular contact since then with the board's finance staff.

Mr. Rivers said the board has had no regrets about its decision, surprising at the time to many outside observers, to award the sole Pittsburgh casino license to Mr. Barden instead of either of two larger gaming corporations that applied. Since then, a different company is pursuing financing on behalf of Mr. Barden, and the overall market for investment capital has plummeted.

The city of Pittsburgh has its own stake in the casino's opening and success, Mayor Luke Ravenstahl noted yesterday, as the city's budget projections count on receiving nearly $10 million as a share of casino revenue in 2010 and almost $12 million in 2011. Also, Mr. Barden has committed to provide $7.5 million annually from his revenue to support construction of the new Penguins arena and additional funds for neighborhood projects.

Mr. Ravenstahl said he spoke briefly with Mr. Barden in the wake of media reports about his payment difficulties. Mr. Barden told him "he will live up to his commitment," the mayor told reporters yesterday, and he has not soured on the Detroit-based casino owner.

"Obviously, we are concerned in that we want to make sure that the residents and the taxpayers of this city are protected," Mr. Ravenstahl said. "There is a lot on the line here. ... We need to make sure ... that everything is done in a way that ensures that what has been promised to Pittsburgh is delivered to Pittsburgh."

Mr. Barden's local spokesman, Bob Oltmanns, said there was nothing new to report yesterday about the pursuit of permanent financing.

Keating Building Corp. Chairman Dan Keating III, whose company handles billing and payments between Mr. Barden and the more than 20 firms working on construction, stressed yesterday that they are looking not just for quick payment of what's owed, but an end to month-to-month worries about it.

"What we don't want to see is an answer to the immediate issue, with no answer to the long-term issue," he said.
Staff writer Rich Lord contributed. Gary Rotstein can be reached at grotstein@post-gazette.com or 412-263-1255.

qwho

06-27-2008, 02:05 PM

When I saw "Oakland Portal" I got excited for a second. I thought maybe it was a news item about rail going to Oakland... :(

They should make the parkways toll roads and use that cash to fund more light rail. It would limit the traffic on the parkway and expand public transport.... I know, the cost of upgrading parkway entrances and exits would be prohibitively large, as well as create traffic themselves... sigh...

hyperion1110

06-27-2008, 04:52 PM

I've said it before, and I'll say it again...Barden got the license because he was black, end of story. He had the weakest of the three proposals, a horrible financial record, insufficient funds to build the casino (he always planned on borrowing every dime, including the license fee), and, worst of all, completely misrepresented himself and his project before the Gaming Control Board. He didn't know about the water table on the construction site, which would prevent him from burying a good bit of the garage?? He went from an architectually significant design (which is saying something for a casino) to one that would have more place on McKnight Rd (which is tied for the ugliest place in the world along with significant stretches of 51) than within eyeshot of one of the most beautiful places in the country.

If Barden was an idiot or a dreamer (or both), then his actions in this whole affair may be excusable. But the truth is that he is not an idiot. He looked at this project as a way to SAVE his failing financial portfolio, and he did everything he could to misrepresent himself and his project to the Board and the people of Pittsburgh. His actions are becoming dangerously close to criminal!

And all of this, for what? What have the city and the state gotten from all of this but lost tax revenue (either Harrah's or Isle of Capri would have produced more tax money, if for nothing more than the adjacent developments they proposed), increased debt, broken promises, a long list of IOU's, and a concrete monolith defiling the riverfront and downtown that so many people have worked so hard to beautify.

But, nothing will be done. Barden was smart...he got just enough money to start building the casino. There is little that can be done now except to bear witness to the unfolding of yet another government blunder in this state.

Grego43

06-27-2008, 05:19 PM

:previous: Hyperion1110

That is so very sad...and more and more seems to be spot on.

PA Pride

06-27-2008, 09:02 PM

Good synopsis Hyperion. I agree with you.

That Isle of Capri development looked so good......

Evergrey

06-28-2008, 01:32 AM

Good synopsis Hyperion. I agree with you.

That Isle of Capri development looked so good......

well, Harrisburg has never given a damn about what's good for Pittsburgh

...

more Sal Williams news!

http://pittsburgh.bizjournals.com/pittsburgh/stories/2008/06/23/daily39.html?surround=lfn

Uptown parking plan delayed

Pittsburgh Business Times - by Ben Semmes

A hearing for a controversial plan to more than double the Uptown parking spaces controlled by Sal Williams Real Estate Investments has been continued until next month.

The item, which was scheduled to be heard Thursday, will now go before the city's Zoning Board of Adjustment on the morning of Thursday, July 17.

A community group, Uptown Partners of Pittsburgh, requested a continuance as it continues to hammer out an agreement with Sal Williams Real Estate Investments, said Alice Mitinger, a member of the Zoning Board of Adjustment and a lawyer at Downtown-based Thorp Reed & Armstrong LLP.

The parking plan would expand the company's surface lot spaces from about 180 to nearly 500 in 16 lots.

The expansion would entail the opening of new lots, the demolition of at least one building at 2130 Fifth Ave. and zoning variances to allow additional parking on existing lots from the 1000 block to the 1900 block of Fifth Avenue.

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

All contents of this site © American City Business Journals Inc. All rights reserved.

...

http://pittsburgh.bizjournals.com/pittsburgh/stories/2008/06/23/daily34.html?surround=lfn

Bakery Square gets $10M loan from state

Pittsburgh Business Times

Walnut Capital Partners' Bakery Square at Eastside project in East Liberty has secured a $10 million loan from the state.

State Sen. Jim Ferlo, a Highland Park Democrat, on Thursday announced the loan for the project, which will include about 216,000 square feet of office space and 174,000 square feet of retail within the former National Biscuit Co. structure and four new adjacent buildings on Penn Avenue in East Liberty. It is being developed by Walnut Capital, a real estate firm based in Pittsburgh's Shadyside neighborhood.

The state's Commonwealth Financing Authority approved the loan under the Building PA program.

"A project of this size and the recent announcement that Chatham College has also purchased a major building just next door will be a catalyst for further residential enhancement of the nearby Larimer neighborhood as well," Ferlo said in a statement. "These benefits that spill over to Larimer are tied to the core of a revitalized East Liberty."

All contents of this site © American City Business Journals Inc. All rights reserved.

Evergrey

06-28-2008, 02:14 AM

looks like hyperion was right all along...

more on Barden's poor finances... workers may walk if Barden doesn't come up with millions before Monday

http://kdka.com/video/?id=43120@kdka.dayport.com

hyperion1110

06-28-2008, 04:43 AM

looks like hyperion was right all along...

more on Barden's poor finances... workers may walk if Barden doesn't come up with millions before Monday

http://kdka.com/video/?id=43120@kdka.dayport.com

Man...seeing that video just pisses me off even more. I do know one thing, though. If Barden doesn't pull this thing off, he is going to get torn a new one by pretty much everybody, starting with Governor and working down the food chain.

ColDayMan

06-28-2008, 04:58 AM

When I think of Baker Square, I think of...

http://www.masonproperties.com/images/bakers_2.jpg

Pancakes!

Grego43

06-28-2008, 02:00 PM

When I think of Baker Square, I think of...

http://www.masonproperties.com/images/bakers_2.jpg

Pancakes!

mmm, and their pie! :tup:

Johnland

06-28-2008, 02:07 PM

Regarding the news about development plans for Oakland, I'd love to see a highrise tower go in somewhere on Fifth or Forbes. It appears the economics of Oakland could support a highrise, demand is high and available land is scarce. Either residential, commercial or insitutional, one way or another, I think it's time. A 20+ story tower would be visible form the Parkway, South Side and the East End and really boost Oakland's skyline.

themaguffin

06-28-2008, 04:07 PM

It won't happen, but the powers that be must be serious about dumping him if things don't look good this week regarding the casino. Time is an issue and he has been given the benefit of the doubt and more time. I don't trust any of the bidders, but at least the others have more of a clue of what they are doing. Killing this could also mean killing the garage that ate the Northside too.

Regarding the news about development plans for Oakland, I'd love to see a highrise tower go in somewhere on Fifth or Forbes. It appears the economics of Oakland could support a highrise, demand is high and available land is scarce. Either residential, commercial or insitutional, one way or another, I think it's time. A 20+ story tower would be visible form the Parkway, South Side and the East End and really boost Oakland's skyline.

Give demand and space issues, there should be a plan for a section of taller buildings - I don't think that building a one off does the area justice - they should plan a corridor zoned for taller buildings of office and residential and help Oakland realize its potential.

Johnland

06-28-2008, 05:30 PM

Give demand and space issues, there should be a plan for a section of taller buildings - I don't think that building a one off does the area justice - they should plan a corridor zoned for taller buildings of office and residential and help Oakland realize its potential.

Even better. Oakland should be stepping into a higher urban echelon. It's got the young student population, the tech and medical fields, Pitt, CMU, the hospitals, the culture (one tenth of which I would love to here), the density and proximty to Downtown, South Side and East End neighborhoods.

Smoker

06-28-2008, 08:43 PM

Oakland has been low enough long enough. Build high and try not to block or outdo the Cathedral of learning.

---

I could almost pray they get rid of Barden. It means that damn garage goes with him. Plans for the casino seemed to keep disintegrating with each new rendering. The panel that chose him should be ousted as obviously their judgment is lousy. I'd rather we had no casino. The benefits to the citizens are almost nil and we don't need additional traffic. Build one somewhere else away from this city.

Did you see the interview with Barden's attorney? He said it wasn't Barden's fault and blamed the economy similar to fat gov. on the video above.

detmi7mile

06-29-2008, 03:15 AM

I love Pittsburgh. Great town and it's good to see more development. Bummer for the Uptown Parking plan though.

Evergrey

06-30-2008, 07:35 AM

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08182/893605-53.stm

Market Square's makeover shifts into high gear this week

Monday, June 30, 2008
By Diana Nelson Jones, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Market Square's transition is in full swing.

Dunkin Donuts opens there at 6 a.m. today. Moe's Southwest Grill will open Thursday. A dark, romantic bar is to follow later this summer.

In addition, a veteran restaurant, Buon Giorno, is dressing up for a higher profile. Renovations are ongoing to add a second-story deck that has passed the city's historic review. And the former Mick McGuire's will become a wine, cheese and dessert bar called Sante -- with an accent on the "e" -- later this summer beside the 1902 Landmark Tavern.

Of Sante, Mike Edwards, president and chief executive officer of the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership, said, "It is supposed to be very romantic. So dark you have to be close" to see each other.

Dunkin Donuts brings another choice of coffee and baked goods within a stone's throw of Nicholas Coffee, Crazy Mocha, Bruegger's Bagel Bakery and Starbucks.

When questioned about a possible glut of caffeine choices, Robin Frederick, vice president of marketing and human resources for Dunkin Donuts, said Market Square was an attractive site for the company's expansion.

"We're going to do what we do best and hope they do too," she said of the competitors.

Mr. Edwards said Market Square's renovation plans have generated "a lot of public buy-in and set a direction for investors to make confident decisions." He said the years of debate over the Fifth and Forbes make-over stagnated Market Square's.

"Now we have direction," he said, citing a $1 million "Paris-to-Pittsburgh" grant from the Colcom Foundation to match up to $25,000 the cost of any restaurant renovation that opens it to the outside. The Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership is administering the grants, which will enable "use of the city the way it should be used, not just as an office park."

The Paris-to-Pittsburgh grants target Downtown merchants only, he said, adding that Moe's Southwest Grill "is probably the best use of it."

Moe's co-owner Mike Geiger said the restaurant will open to the outside with three bays of windows, each 15 feet wide, and six retractable awnings. It will be the first Moe's in the city, with four others in the region.

Buon Giorno and Mixstirs, a casual restaurant that offers a range of smoothies, are also going for the Parisian look, and Mr. Edwards said other restaurants have expressed interest.

True to its name, the square becomes a marketplace every Thursday through Oct. 23, with vendors selling fresh produce, baked goods, salsas and other items, from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The Fifth and Market project, in which Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Foundation has invested, is also under way and will include several condominiums.

"There's a maturing going on in Downtown Pittsburgh," said Mr. Edwards, citing restaurants that have broadened and elevated diners' tastes. "All the huge, great wonderful projects are important," he said, but the smaller ones are the connective tissue that will keep making the city compelling.
Diana Nelson Jones can be reached at djones@post-gazette.com or 412-263-1626.

PittPenn 03

06-30-2008, 02:57 PM

I went to Dunking Donuts this morning!!!!! Waited for a 20 min. with the line about 30 people outside of the door. Oh the donut was so fresh compared to the stale bricks at Jenny Lee! And the coffee - so much better than anywhere else!! I am in heaven!

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08182/893605-53.stm

Market Square's makeover shifts into high gear this week

Monday, June 30, 2008
By Diana Nelson Jones, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Market Square's transition is in full swing.

Dunkin Donuts opens there at 6 a.m. today. Moe's Southwest Grill will open Thursday. A dark, romantic bar is to follow later this summer.

In addition, a veteran restaurant, Buon Giorno, is dressing up for a higher profile. Renovations are ongoing to add a second-story deck that has passed the city's historic review. And the former Mick McGuire's will become a wine, cheese and dessert bar called Sante -- with an accent on the "e" -- later this summer beside the 1902 Landmark Tavern.

Of Sante, Mike Edwards, president and chief executive officer of the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership, said, "It is supposed to be very romantic. So dark you have to be close" to see each other.

Dunkin Donuts brings another choice of coffee and baked goods within a stone's throw of Nicholas Coffee, Crazy Mocha, Bruegger's Bagel Bakery and Starbucks.

When questioned about a possible glut of caffeine choices, Robin Frederick, vice president of marketing and human resources for Dunkin Donuts, said Market Square was an attractive site for the company's expansion.

"We're going to do what we do best and hope they do too," she said of the competitors.

Mr. Edwards said Market Square's renovation plans have generated "a lot of public buy-in and set a direction for investors to make confident decisions." He said the years of debate over the Fifth and Forbes make-over stagnated Market Square's.

"Now we have direction," he said, citing a $1 million "Paris-to-Pittsburgh" grant from the Colcom Foundation to match up to $25,000 the cost of any restaurant renovation that opens it to the outside. The Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership is administering the grants, which will enable "use of the city the way it should be used, not just as an office park."

The Paris-to-Pittsburgh grants target Downtown merchants only, he said, adding that Moe's Southwest Grill "is probably the best use of it."

Moe's co-owner Mike Geiger said the restaurant will open to the outside with three bays of windows, each 15 feet wide, and six retractable awnings. It will be the first Moe's in the city, with four others in the region.

Buon Giorno and Mixstirs, a casual restaurant that offers a range of smoothies, are also going for the Parisian look, and Mr. Edwards said other restaurants have expressed interest.

True to its name, the square becomes a marketplace every Thursday through Oct. 23, with vendors selling fresh produce, baked goods, salsas and other items, from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The Fifth and Market project, in which Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Foundation has invested, is also under way and will include several condominiums.

"There's a maturing going on in Downtown Pittsburgh," said Mr. Edwards, citing restaurants that have broadened and elevated diners' tastes. "All the huge, great wonderful projects are important," he said, but the smaller ones are the connective tissue that will keep making the city compelling.
Diana Nelson Jones can be reached at djones@post-gazette.com or 412-263-1626.

chiaroscuro

06-30-2008, 03:44 PM

themaguffin

06-30-2008, 04:04 PM

I think that it's a good thing to support minority owned businesses.

The problem with casino's is deeper than that. It's not that there are few minorities - there are few owners period. A few companies own much of Vegas and essentially most of the casino market, so there is not much choice.

I think it’s a good thing to consider a group who is not one of the monopoly owners, however, but the person/group must have their shit together.
What’s been happening is unacceptable in terms of financing the ever decline in quality of the establishment coupled with the ridiculous garage is just insane.

I suspect those in charge will be inclined to continue to extend this bullshit rather than admit they gave it to an unqualified disaster, but that merely delays the inevitable.

Evergrey

06-30-2008, 06:22 PM

I went to Dunking Donuts this morning!!!!! Waited for a 20 min. with the line about 30 people outside of the door. Oh the donut was so fresh compared to the stale bricks at Jenny Lee! And the coffee - so much better than anywhere else!! I am in heaven!

I've never had Jenny Lee... but it's nice to finally have Dunkins back... the ubiquitously available Krispy Kreme donut is awful...

...

Casino Workers Could Walk Off Job Today
http://kdka.com/video/?id=43183@kdka.dayport.com

acenturi

06-30-2008, 09:49 PM

"Barden says he has secured financing for Pittsburgh casino..."
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08182/893769-100.stm

diesel21

06-30-2008, 10:52 PM

No matter how Barden's spokespeople sweeten their public statements, I interpret it simply as "the contractors are making sure all the checks clear before they start up again because they just don't trust Barden"

Evergrey

07-01-2008, 03:35 AM

Dunkin' Donuts part of Market Square Revitalization
http://kdka.com/video/?id=43203@kdka.dayport.com

"Finally, we have good donuts in Pittsburgh."

...

Pittsburgh International Airport is on the list of "major airports" losing over 10% of domestic capacity from Oct. 2007 to Oct. 2008 (I'm amazed we're still considered "major!" lol). PIT will have the 11th biggest percentage decline amongst major airports at 12.3%, dropping to 15,178 average daily seats (though even more airports will have bigger raw decreases). Earlier, a Post-Gazette article stated we would be losing 9% of weekly flights in September (an important distinction between flights and seats). I assume some of this capacity reduction at PIT has already taken place as USAir has been on a permanent reduction spiral here.

I know this is a very grim time for the domestic airline industry, but I find it amazing that we're still one of the biggest losers in the country after we've already suffered the most extreme cuts in industry history at the hands of USAir over the past 7 years. I would think we're pretty much down to the bone now and would be a place with comparatively mild cuts compared to other places. Considering the previous cuts (to the point of being an underserved market), the competitive openings provided by USAir's evaporation here, and the recent dramatic growth in O&D traffic; I would think PIT would be able to at least experience just a modest decline in the face of this industry tailspin... but no... we're one of the biggest losers. Even our good buddies at Southwest are dropping a flight here while growing elsewhere. I just want to scream. And I doubt we're ever gonna get that elusive Amsterdam flight (trans-Atlantic flights have been getting cut at Detroit, Twin Cities, Hartford, elsewhere). Maybe Onorato should spend less time talking to Southwest and more time lobbying for more than two passenger trains a day coming through Pittsburgh (we had a few cut a couple years ago despite record ridership here). Maybe we could get a high-speed link to DC, Philly, NYC... and potentially be the critical link between East Coast and Midwest networks.

Here's the list of major airports losing the most seat capacity (keep in mind that most on this list have much higher capacity than PIT):

Percentage decrease in seats on departing domestic flights, October 2008 vs. October 2007.
Airport Decrease
Honolulu Oahu 23.7%
Oakland 21.8%
Kansas City 15.7%
Cincinnati 15.6%
Houston (Bush) 13.6%
Santa Ana, Calif. 13.6%
Cleveland 13.3%
Raleigh/Durham 12.8%
Orlando 12.6%
Las Vegas 12.6%
Pittsburgh 12.3%
Chicago (Midway) 12.3%
Phoenix 11.4%
Sacramento 10.5%
http://www.usatoday.com/travel/news/2008-05-30-airline-cutbacks_N.htm

hyperion1110

07-01-2008, 02:17 PM

And so it begins...

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08183/893897-85.stm

Builders stop casino work
Barden does not pay $10 million, but cuts big deal with investor

Tuesday, July 01, 2008
By Mark Belko and Gary Rotstein, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Work on the North Shore slots parlor came to a halt yesterday after Don Barden failed to come up with $10 million needed to keep construction going, even as he announced he had secured a $120 million investment in the project from a company headed by a Chicago billionaire and fellow casino owner.

At a late afternoon news conference, Bob Oltmanns, casino spokesman, estimated that the work stoppage would last from a "matter of days" to one to two weeks while Mr. Barden races to complete and close on $780 million in financing, a task that has eluded him for more than two months.

The suspension came even though Mr. Oltmanns said Mr. Barden had reached agreement early yesterday morning with Walton Street Capital Fund 6, a private investment firm headed by Chicago billionaire Neil Bluhm, to provide $120 million in equity for the slots parlor.

Mr. Bluhm also is chairman of the HSP Gaming, which won a state slots license to build the SugarHouse casino in Philadelphia.

The $120 million investment, Mr. Oltmanns said, was the last piece needed in the North Shore casino's financing and replaces a proposed $150 million loan from Apollo Strategic Value Fund LP, part of a private equity firm that was involved in the purchase of Harrah's Entertainment.

They hope to complete the agreement by mid-July, he said. However, at the same time, Mr. Oltmanns said Philadelphia-based Keating Building Corp., the primary contractor, had "requested" that work at the site be suspended until the permanent financing was in place.

The contractor asked for the stoppage after Mr. Barden failed to deliver by yesterday's deadline about $10 million owed for work performed in either April or May by a team of more than 20 companies laboring at the site. The companies continued to pay their workers during that time.

At a meeting June 16, they gave Mr. Barden until the end of June to come up with the money or face a possible work stoppage or slow down. Mr. Oltmanns said Keating and the subcontractors met with Mr. Barden again yesterday and rendered their decision.

Dan Keating III, chairman of Keating Building Corp., could not be reached for comment. Mr. Keating, like Mr. Bluhm, also is one of the investors in the SugarHouse casino project in Philadelphia.

Mr. Oltmanns said the suspension of work should not affect the timetable for the North Shore casino's completion, scheduled for May 2009.

In addition to finalizing the $120 million investment from Walton Street, Mr. Barden also will be working to close on more than $600 million in funding arranged through international lender Credit Suisse during the same time frame.

The heavy borrowing by Mr. Barden had been a concern of Wall Street credit rating agencies and forced the Detroit businessman to put his Fitzgerald's casino in Las Vegas up for sale to raise $35 million to invest in his North Shore slots parlor.

Walton's investment and the rest of the proposed financing still will have to be reviewed and approved by the state gaming control board.

The board's next regular meeting is July 10, and it is uncertain what extent Mr. Barden's financing will be part of that agenda. The casino owner obtained postponement from the board last month in giving a detailed review of his financing plans.

However, the work stoppage unsettled some local and state politicians, who are counting on the casino to deliver budget and tax relief to the city and Allegheny County and their taxpayers.

"Obviously, I'm very concerned about the whole situation. I've been concerned since the whole uncertainty began. There's been a cloud hovering over this project for the last couple of weeks or month," county Chief Executive Dan Onorato said.

State Sen. Jim Ferlo, who has raised concerns about Mr. Barden's ability to complete the financing in the past, also pressed the gaming board to move quickly to settle the issue.

He noted one of his concerns is that with the $120 million investment replacing Apollo's $150 million loan, Mr. Barden still appears to be $30 million short of the $780 million he said he needed to complete the casino's financing.

Mr. Bluhm could not be reached for comment yesterday.

The Chicago billionaire is the principal investor in the SugarHouse Casino, a $650 billion project along that city's riverfront that has failed to start construction yet. The gaming board awarded licenses for two Philadelphia casinos at the same time it gave one to Mr. Barden, but local opposition has stymied progress on both of those projects.
Mark Belko can be reached at mbelko@post-gazette.com or 412-263-1262. Gary Rotstein can be reached at grotstein@post-gazette.com or 412-263-1255.
First published on July 1, 2008 at 12:00 am

Grego43

07-01-2008, 02:20 PM

"Pittsburgh International Airport is on the list of "major airports" losing over 10% of domestic capacity from Oct. 2007 to Oct. 2008 (I'm amazed we're still considered "major!" lol). PIT will have the 11th biggest percentage decline amongst major airports at 12.3%, dropping to 15,178 average daily seats (though even more airports will have bigger raw decreases). "

I don't mean to be a prophet of doom, but there will probably be even more cuts coming to PIT. PIT, once one of the largest hub operations in the country, is now just a spoke in the network of many airlines. Flight levels will be based solely on O&D (origination & destination) traffic, and there will be more seasonal service, like Airtran's winter-only service to Ft. Lauderdale & Ft Myers. With a stagnant population (both in growth and wanderlust) airlines are loathe to add service. In addition, PIT has one of the higher fee schedules of any airport in the country, and the highest of US's hub airports. The high fee schedule was the primary reason sited by US when they dehubbed PIT. As flights are cut, those fees automatically increase to the existing carriers. The costs associated with running the facility are fixed, and fees are based on landings and services, not just gate rentals. The sliding scale dictates that the more flight operations there are, the lower the fees are. The white elephant that is now PIT is the legacy of building a made-to-order complex for US, and then having them ram it up the collective asses of the tax payer.

As for the hoped-for NW flight to Amsterdam, I don't believe that will happen now. NW has announced they are cutting their Hartford-AMS flight this autumn, and the PIT-AMS flight was to be modeled on it...a B757 point to point with little to no feed from other airports. Now that NW is merging with Delta, there will be bigger fish to fry.

cdc

07-01-2008, 02:43 PM

And so it begins...

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08183/893897-85.stm

Builders stop casino work
Barden does not pay $10 million, but cuts big deal with investor

No kidding. Disgusting. And it looks like the whole gaming
industry is in for a rough ride. This is not going to make it
any easier for Barden.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121487405694118001.html?mod=hpp_us_whats_news

Debt-Laden Casinos
Squeezed by Slowdown

The gambling slowdown that began early this year is taking a serious toll on Las Vegas, with banks, investors and private-equity funds growing as tightfisted as the consumers who are gambling less in the slumping economy.

Once believed to be recession-proof, casinos are proving to be highly vulnerable to the economic downturn, which is striking the industry at a bad time.
...

Xeelee

07-01-2008, 03:08 PM

I am one of them now too.

I work to far to do so. Wish I could though. Looks like there's alot of stuff to read about Pittsburgh. :)

Tombstoner

07-01-2008, 05:42 PM

Dunkin' Donuts part of Market Square Revitalization
http://kdka.com/video/?id=43203@kdka.dayport.com

"Finally, we have good donuts in Pittsburgh."

I hate to say it, but getting excited by Dunkin' Donuts or Moe's or any of this chain stuff is so...so...Atlanta. Here in Atlanta, we high-five everyone when we break ground on a new Target or Taco Mac (a local chain that's as tacky as it sounds). That's the antithesis of Pittsburgh (I thought).

PittPenn 03

07-01-2008, 06:47 PM

I hate to say it, but getting excited by Dunkin' Donuts or Moe's or any of this chain stuff is so...so...Atlanta. Here in Atlanta, we high-five everyone when we break ground on a new Target or Taco Mac (a local chain that's as tacky as it sounds). That's the antithesis of Pittsburgh (I thought).

I am all for non-chains, but if I am going to get fat and unhealthy on something I eat it better be good! The only two places downtown to get donuts aside from Dunkin Donuts now are Jenny Lee's Bakery and Macy's bakery. Jenny Lee's donuts are always stale - or perhaps they make them to taste stale -I do not know and there are always these little black mystery particles throughout them. Macy's serves Krispy Kremes which are just god awful to me. I am a donut fanatic - have loved Dunkin Donuts since I was a kid and do not care if it is a chain. I do not find it turning Pittsburgh into Atlanta considering there are about 3 or 4 locations in the entire metropolitan area and it is not located in the middle of a parking lot of a strip plaza in the middle of the city. I will add that the downtown location is the only one in the city limits, is a vast improvement over the business that was there previously, and compliments the area in scale. I hope as they continue to expand (if they do throughout the city), that they are respectful of the neighborhoods. As long as they do not tear down urban fabric to make a suburban style location - I am okay with them. Moe's I look at the same way at this point (though the name gives me flashbacks of Atlanta). The owner did a very good job of making it seem like it belongs in Market Square. Both I think will drive traffic to Market Square's non-chain business which all seem to becoming more busy by the day. In fact, the line at Dunkin Donuts was so long today that I think it actually increased the business at Jenny Lee (I noticed it being rather busy while I was in there since I had to settle for them myself due to running late for work and not being able to wait in line at DD).

If Jenny Lee looks at their new competition and decides that they need to improve the quality of their donuts to Dunkin's level I would certainly start getting my donuts there instead. Chains are fairly unavoidable today. I do think there are a handful of acceptable ones, and I think it is safe to say that if Pittsburgh wants all of its retail space in the city filled a good portion will be chains if we like it or not.

diesel21

07-01-2008, 08:11 PM

Surprise surprise, more cutbacks on the casino...

http://postgazette.com/pg/08183/893978-100.stm

PittPenn 03

07-01-2008, 08:57 PM

Surprise surprise, more cutbacks on the casino...

http://postgazette.com/pg/08183/893978-100.stm

Okay - this should be the last straw! It is time his property is seized and bid out to someone who can afford it. Before all is said and done we are going to end up with a sheet metal building that looks like a barn.

Now the casinos in Gary, IN might end up looking better than ours!

diesel21

07-01-2008, 09:05 PM

Looks like we're going to end up with a Wal-mart building with slot machines with the way everything is being scaled back. I was against these casinos all along, but that being said, I believed that if they insisted on allowing them, they should have allowed two in the Pittsburgh area (not necessarily both near Downtown). That way, competition would have forced each one to try to beat the other and build a nicer casino. Basic economics folks: when there is competition, the consumer ends up with a better product.

Smoker

07-01-2008, 09:29 PM

The Chicago billionaire is the principal investor in the SugarHouse Casino, a $650 billion project along that city's riverfront that has failed to start construction yet.

They will use gold bricks and diamond mortar?

PA Pride

07-01-2008, 11:49 PM

I am all for non-chains, but if I am going to get fat and unhealthy on something I eat it better be good! The only two places downtown to get donuts aside from Dunkin Donuts now are Jenny Lee's Bakery and Macy's bakery. Jenny Lee's donuts are always stale - or perhaps they make them to taste stale -I do not know and there are always these little black mystery particles throughout them. Macy's serves Krispy Kremes which are just god awful to me. I am a donut fanatic - have loved Dunkin Donuts since I was a kid and do not care if it is a chain. I do not find it turning Pittsburgh into Atlanta considering there are about 3 or 4 locations in the entire metropolitan area and it is not located in the middle of a parking lot of a strip plaza in the middle of the city. I will add that the downtown location is the only one in the city limits, is a vast improvement over the business that was there previously, and compliments the area in scale. I hope as they continue to expand (if they do throughout the city), that they are respectful of the neighborhoods. As long as they do not tear down urban fabric to make a suburban style location - I am okay with them. Moe's I look at the same way at this point (though the name gives me flashbacks of Atlanta). The owner did a very good job of making it seem like it belongs in Market Square. Both I think will drive traffic to Market Square's non-chain business which all seem to becoming more busy by the day. In fact, the line at Dunkin Donuts was so long today that I think it actually increased the business at Jenny Lee (I noticed it being rather busy while I was in there since I had to settle for them myself due to running late for work and not being able to wait in line at DD).

If Jenny Lee looks at their new competition and decides that they need to improve the quality of their donuts to Dunkin's level I would certainly start getting my donuts there instead. Chains are fairly unavoidable today. I do think there are a handful of acceptable ones, and I think it is safe to say that if Pittsburgh wants all of its retail space in the city filled a good portion will be chains if we like it or not.

Is USA Gourmet on Smithfield not there anymore? I used to go there for donuts. They were really good.

Tombstoner

07-02-2008, 12:56 AM

Yeah, I understand that chains are here to stay and that they are (often) better than nothing. Some chains, in fact, are known for quality control and for being good local citizens. But one of the things that (in my mind, at least) separate Pittsburgh from places like Atlanta is the individuality and quirky personality of the retail offerings. I know it can't last, but I hope Pittsburgh hangs onto it for as long as it can.

Johnland

07-02-2008, 01:14 AM

Macy's serves Krispy Kremes which are just god awful to me .

Why on earth would Macy's sell Krispy Kreme donuts?? When Kaufmanns was Kaufmanns, and not that cheap chain currently occupying the building, there was real food to be found. Macy's just epitomizes complete dumbed-down, plastic crappiness. Last time I looked in the store, it was trashy, poorly stocked, cheaply furnished and boring.

Oh, and I'm glad the casino has hit the skids. That pice of s*** should never be built in the city. Some far-out suburb in need of a garage would be better suited, but not the city for God's sake.

Evergrey

07-02-2008, 09:57 AM

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/business/s_575554.html

Three developments in works for Allegheny County

By Sam Spatter and Ron DaParma
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Wednesday, July 2, 2008

Two major development projects Downtown and one in McCandless were announced by their backers on Tuesday.

Washington County Developer Millcraft Industries -- which already has two important projects under development Downtown -- disclosed details of two more projects for the city.

The Gardens, a $200 million mixed-use development involving properties along Fifth and Forbes avenues stretching between Market Square and Wood Street, is scheduled to begin in about three years. It will involve construction of 500,000 square feet of office space, retail space, a 450-car parking garage and 150 rental apartments or condominiums, said Lucas Piatt, Millcraft's vice president for development at the annual Idea Exchange program at the Westin Convention Center hotel.

Construction will depend on obtaining a major tenant, he said.

The second new project is a $40 million project called Wood Street Lofts, which will include 140 rental or condo units, 60,000 square feet of retail and office space and an additional 350 parking spaces. Millcraft is negotiating with current owners, Piatt said.

Millcraft Industries' total investment Downtown could reach $327 million when its current and future projects there are completed, probably by 2015.

"We see the migration of people wanting to move Downtown, not only in Pittsburgh but nationwide, because of the price of gasoline and the amount of time they spend now in their cars," said Piatt, whose company is developing two other projects Downtown.

He was one of eight developers spelling out plans in the region during the event sponsored by the International Council of Shopping Centers that brings together commercial real estate experts and prospective retail and restaurant tenants to discuss business and expansion plans.

Millcraft's total investment includes the conversion of the former Lazarus-Macy's department store into the $65 million residential, retail, office complex known as Piatt Place, and the $34 million being spent on Market Square Place, a project that will put lofts, shops and a new home for the Downtown YMCA into the former G.C. Murphy store complex and neighboring buildings at the edge of Market Square.

In McCandless, AdVenture Development LLC of Selma, N.C., hopes to bring nearly 1 million square feet of new development to a 135-acre site off Cumberland Road near Passavant Hospital, AdVenture President Kevin Dougherty said.

Site preparation could begin in the spring for his company's McCandless Crossing project, which includes property on the West campus of LaRoche College that AdVenture is purchasing.

McCandless Council recently approved a zoning change for the project that will include retail, entertainment, residential and hotel elements. The first tenant to commit is a Lowe's Home Improvement Center, he said.

The project will include a center with a theater complex, bookstore, specialty grocery store and fitness center, he said. Two hotels are planned, one within the main complex and one on the periphery.

Other developers who spoke about previously announced projects included Anthony Dolan of Walnut Capital Partners, who described the Bakery Square complex in East Liberty; Alan George of Horizon Properties, regarding Southpointe II in Washington County; Drew Gorman, managing director of Faison, regarding Settlers Ridge in Robinson; Bruce Haney, managing partner of Echo Real Estate Services Co., regarding Collier Crossing in Collier; Brett Malky, president of EQA Landmark on Newbury in South Fayette; and Eric Lamm with Creative Real Estate about the Village of Cranberry Woods and Park Place, both in Cranberry.

Evergrey

07-02-2008, 10:02 AM

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/business/s_575552.html

With 1 site and 2 suitors, Hill must chose a grocer

By Ron DaParma
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Wednesday, July 2, 2008

First it was one, and now it's two grocery chains that want to serve the city's Hill District community.

Problem is, both the discount-oriented Save-A-Lot chain and a developer proposing to build a full-service Kuhn's Market are targeting what is essentially the same area along Centre Avenue for their projects.

Now it will be up to the Urban Redevelopment Authority and the community to choose between the two, proponents of the rival projects say.

"I think that having an additional grocery store proposed on the same property is probably good news," said Rick Meyer, vice president of new market development for St. Louis-based Save-A-Lot. "That community for years has fought to have a quality grocer, and they haven't been successful."

That doesn't mean, however, that Save-A-Lot doesn't want the community to pick its plan to put a 16,000-square-foot-plus store touting up to 40 percent discounts on items sold there.

"Save-A-Lot remains absolutely 100 percent committed to open a store in the Hill District," Meyer said. "We also are 100 percent confident that from a quality standpoint and atmosphere, and from a pricing standpoint, we will deliver a first-class grocery for the community."

The second proposal, announced last week by developer McCormack Baron Salazar and the Hill House Economic Development Corp., calls for a 100,000-square-foot development that would include a 50,000-square-foot Kuhn's Market.

Supporters of the Kuhn's plan feel virtually the same way about the community having two proposals to consider, said Evan Frazier, CEO of Hill House.

"This is an opportunity, really, to look at what is the best fit for the neighborhood," he said.

Frazier believes the Kuhn's market would be best because it would answer the community's long-standing desire to bring a full-service grocery store to the neighborhood.

Also, the store would anchor a larger development that calls for a pharmacy, dry cleaner drop-off service, bakery, deli and flower kiosk, and the development team has said it is working to secure additional outlets, such as a bank and a restaurant.

Howard Slaughter, CEO of Landmarks Community Capital Corp., said rising food prices and the effort put in to acquaint the Hill District community with the Save-A-Lot plan are important facts to consider.

"Save-A-Lot submitted its full proposal to the URA on Monday, and they are ready to build this year if it is accepted," said Slaughter, who has been working to push the discount store's plan.

"The 40 percent savings that they offer will be a big savings for residents of the Hill District, and they also have pledged to hire local residents," Slaughter said.

Slaughter said the Save-A-Lot model, which stocks more than 12,000 items, drew a generally favorable response when officials showed off a similar store in Wilkinsburg to Hill District residents on a tour in April. Once the store opens, it will likely attract companion development that includes services that the community has sought, he said.

"The URA will study both proposals, and once that is completed, I will likely call a community meeting and put both proposals in front of the community," said Tonya Payne, city councilwoman and member of the URA board of directors.

That could take place before the end of July, said Payne, whose district includes the Hill.

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

Evergrey

07-02-2008, 10:43 AM

I don't mean to be a prophet of doom, but there will probably be even more cuts coming to PIT. PIT, once one of the largest hub operations in the country, is now just a spoke in the network of many airlines. Flight levels will be based solely on O&D (origination & destination) traffic, and there will be more seasonal service, like Airtran's winter-only service to Ft. Lauderdale & Ft Myers. With a stagnant population (both in growth and wanderlust) airlines are loathe to add service. In addition, PIT has one of the higher fee schedules of any airport in the country, and the highest of US's hub airports. The high fee schedule was the primary reason sited by US when they dehubbed PIT. As flights are cut, those fees automatically increase to the existing carriers. The costs associated with running the facility are fixed, and fees are based on landings and services, not just gate rentals. The sliding scale dictates that the more flight operations there are, the lower the fees are. The white elephant that is now PIT is the legacy of building a made-to-order complex for US, and then having them ram it up the collective asses of the tax payer.

Yes, "white elephant" is a perfect term for PIT. Ironically, this "world class airport" may be hurting the region's competitive advantage these days due to the prohibitive legacy fees. With the benefit of hindsight, I believe the region made a long-term strategic blunder by building the "world's biggest and best" airport here in Pittsburgh based on a hub operation and a dream of Atlanta-esque connecting traffic. I suppose in the apocalyptic 1980s, the region was particularly susceptible to silver bullet economic fantasies like this one. Think of the huge opportunity cost foregone. Pittsburgh could have built an appropriately sized airport (or perhaps enhanced the existing airport) for a fraction of the cost and used the remaining money to build say... the Spine Line or some other useful project(s). (I'm aware monies are allocated for specific purposes... but they all essentially come from the same source... the taxpayers). Even in its "glorious" 1990s, this overbuilt boondoggle never reached more than 50% of its projections... and the nearby development boom never materialized. Today, this ghost-town of the skies exists as some big joke... a misplaced giant of an airport... and the tens of thousands of jobs it supported ephemeral... long ago scattered to the four winds.

...

I hate to say it, but getting excited by Dunkin' Donuts or Moe's or any of this chain stuff is so...so...Atlanta. Here in Atlanta, we high-five everyone when we break ground on a new Target or Taco Mac (a local chain that's as tacky as it sounds). That's the antithesis of Pittsburgh (I thought).

Dunkin' Donuts and Moe's are a massive improvement over the types of businesses that polluted much of the Square in recent years... many of which were little more than fronts for drug dealing and other illegal activities (Giggles). Market Sq. has been a trashy, creepy place for a long time... filled with a host of shady characters. But this past year has seen a remarkable transformation... as respectable existing businesses like Primanti's, Original Oyster House and 1902 Landmark Tavern are joined by new businesses, local and chain alike, in a revitalized and beautified Market Square. Dunkin's and Moe's are both attractive urban buildings with quality products that will attract visitors to the square... which will in turn to be a boon to the neighboring businesses. It's really quite foolish to believe that chain concepts will not be a part of business/retail growth. It's all about attracting the right mix of locals and chains. It's a testament to the improving "market" in Market Sq. that chains like Dunkins and Moe's are investing in there.

PittPenn03 made a lot of good points.

...

Looks like we're going to end up with a Wal-mart building with slot machines with the way everything is being scaled back. I was against these casinos all along, but that being said, I believed that if they insisted on allowing them, they should have allowed two in the Pittsburgh area (not necessarily both near Downtown). That way, competition would have forced each one to try to beat the other and build a nicer casino. Basic economics folks: when there is competition, the consumer ends up with a better product.

Yeah... what a tragedy... but I think we all knew Barden would screw the city over in the back of our minds, right? Harrisburg's Gaming Control Board failed Pittsburgh when it selected Barden based on his "firm financial commitment" after "extensive review and investigation".

Maybe the Riverlife Task Force can sue Barden again over his reneging on the waterfront improvements.

They will use gold bricks and diamond mortar?

:haha: Amazing that this cheesy little casino could cost hundreds of millions more than the scrapped Riverparc... or SouthSide Works... or North Shore Connector... or Baum-Liberty... or the new Children's Hospital.... where does all the money go? it's just a barn for slots accompanied by the world's biggest parking garage

Oh, and I'm glad the casino has hit the skids. That pice of s*** should never be built in the city. Some far-out suburb in need of a garage would be better suited, but not the city for God's sake.

I agree that the casino should've been built somewhere like Washington County (oops, there's already one there)... or maybe Pine Township... instead of in the heart of the city

but with the casino's future uncertain... what happens to the arena financing? The Sports and Exhibition Authority has borrows the funds... but I believe that's ultimately a creature of the City of Pittsburgh... who's on the hook here?

PittPenn 03

07-02-2008, 02:14 PM

Is USA Gourmet on Smithfield not there anymore? I used to go there for donuts. They were really good.

I think USA Gourmet has been gone for more than 5 years. I cannot remember it being open since I have been back. If it was where I remember it being, it is now a Quizno's.

tooluther

07-02-2008, 02:20 PM

PittPenn 03

07-02-2008, 02:47 PM

Why on earth would Macy's sell Krispy Kreme donuts?? When Kaufmanns was Kaufmanns, and not that cheap chain currently occupying the building, there was real food to be found. Macy's just epitomizes complete dumbed-down, plastic crappiness. Last time I looked in the store, it was trashy, poorly stocked, cheaply furnished and boring.

While I will give credit to Macy's for keeping the downtown store open (for now) and making it the regional office for its buyers, the bakery is sad compared to what it was in Kaufmann's days. They do have a few decent baked goods, but switching their own donuts for those ridiculously bad globs of sugar and air (Krispy Kremes) was very sad. At least they kept it open, and I think they even but some money into it (can't remember if Kaufmann's remodeled it or Macy's).

hyperion1110

07-02-2008, 03:17 PM

I'm a bit confused by the two downtown projects proposed by Milcraft. The Gardens I vaguely remember from a while back. Something about a condo tower a block of two from Market Square? And the other project, the Wood Street Lofts...how is Millcraft going to manage 140 units, retail, and a garage for $40 million? That doesn't seem right.

Still, I hope all goes well with these...though I do hope that someone informs the Piatts that downtown does not need more office space right now. The Gardens, to me, should be purely residential and retail. But, what do I know...

chiaroscuro

07-02-2008, 03:40 PM

I know Harrah's/Forest City's casino bid was probably affected by Harrah's being bought and made a private corporation.

But I thought they had a great proposal.

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06024/643184-53.stm

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/s_416323.html

Smoker

07-02-2008, 04:17 PM

FYI, both the Moe's and the Dunkin' are Pittsburgh based franchises. So while they are obviously national CONCEPTS after the franchise fees the rest of the money stays in the local economy.

They are both active in the conversation with the local businesses about redeveloping the square.

What makes these Pittsburgh based? I looked them up on Wikipedia and there was no mention of Pgh.

themaguffin

07-02-2008, 04:20 PM

the franchise, not the company.

Evergrey

07-02-2008, 08:32 PM

http://pittsburgh.bizjournals.com/pittsburgh/stories/2008/06/30/daily26.html?surround=lfn

Millcraft nears financing deal for G.C. Murphy rehab

Pittsburgh Business Times - by Tim Schooley

Millcraft Industries Inc. expects to close on its financing this week to build its Market Square Place, its redevelopment of the former G.C. Murphy building on Fifth Avenue in Downtown Pittsburgh.

Lucas Piatt, vice president of real estate for Cecil Township-based Millcraft, expected the company to close on the final portion of the $36 million budgeted for the development Wednesday.

"It's been a long time coming," Piatt said.

Piatt wouldn't disclose the amount or final lender for the financing, only describing the overall financial package as a mix of historic tax credits and new market tax credits, along with private equity.

"Getting anything financed now is more complicated and more time-consuming," Piatt said. "And you have to be creative."

The Urban Redevelopment Authority is working to remove the asbestos from the building before Millcraft closes on its acquisition. Piatt expects Millcraft will finalize its acquisition of the building in the next few days and begin hard construction in the next few weeks.

Millcraft has already leased a significant portion of the G.C. Murphy building to the new Downtown home of the YMCA. Piatt said the company has 25,000 square feet of retail space available out of a total 60,000 in the property although he wouldn't divulge the names of any other tenants.

The project is far enough along that Millcraft is beginning to consider its plans for the property between Market Square and Wood Street on the opposite side of Fifth Avenue.

"We have some very strong interest from some very, very good tenants," said Piatt, describing them as fashion retailers, restaurants and lounges.

Piatt hopes to begin marketing the loft apartments at Market Square Place in the next six months and complete construction in the next year.

Millcraft is also beginning to plan for its next phase of redevelopment of the Fifth and Forbes business district across Fifth Avenue from Market Square Place.

Between Market Square and Wood Street, Millcraft plans to develop the Gardens, a mixed-use project that could include 50,000 square feet or retail, office space and approximately 140 apartments or condos in a building Piatt gave a rough estimate of 500,000 square feet.

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

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http://pittsburgh.bizjournals.com/pittsburgh/stories/2008/06/30/daily27.html?surround=lfn

Kratsa Properties will build third hotel on North Shore

Pittsburgh Business Times - by Ben Semmes

Kratsa Properties is pressing ahead with its third hotel on Pittsburgh's North Shore.

The Sports & Exhibition Authority, a joint entity of the city of Pittsburgh and Allegheny County, approved selling Kratsa a vacant parcel near the intersection of Federal and Lacock streets for $500,000, said Bill Kratsa, a general partner with the Harmarville-based development company.

Kratsa said plans call for an $18 million, 10-story, select service hotel with 135 rooms. He declined to identify the franchise but said he expects completion within two years.

The company is about 14 months away from completing a 180-room Residence Inn by Marriott at the corner of General Robinson Street and Mazeroski Way.

The company's 198-room SpringHill Suites by Marriott sits at the corner of General Robinson and Federal streets.

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

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http://pittsburgh.bizjournals.com/pittsburgh/stories/2008/06/30/daily20.html?surround=lfn

Pittsburgh riverfront advocates object to proposed casino change

Pittsburgh Business Times

A group that advocates for Pittsburgh's riverfront development is objecting to proposed changes in the construction of a casino on the city's North Shore.

In an effort to cut costs for the $780 million Majestic Star Casino, developer Don Barden has proposed delaying construction of a 1,000-seat amphitheater, riverfront paths and landscaping.

Barden's company PITG Gaming LLC presented the proposed changes to the Pittsburgh Planning Commission on Tuesday.

But the Riverlife Task Force said it was "deeply concerned" about the plan.

"In the November 2006 Majestic Star Development Plan, PITG promised to construct a 1,000 seat, grass-step amphitheater at the river's edge that can be used for public concerts and events," Riverlife said in a news release.

But Executive Director Lisa Schroeder said in a statement, "we are deeply concerned that the proposed changes to the project will postpone -- and ultimately may eliminate -- the amphitheatre, the docking areas and the accessible ramp and pathway connections from the water's edge to the casino promenade. These are the key components that were promised as public amenities, yet the revised plans now show a steep grass bank with rip rap rocks along the riverfront edge and no access from the water to the facility."

In a statement, Riverlife co-chairman John Oliver said, "we simply ask the gaming board and the Planning Commission to enforce the conditions imposed and PITG to comply with the representations it made."

A spokesman for Barden could not immediately be reached for comment.

Barden is in the process of securing $120 million in funding for the casino from Walton Street Capital LLC, but construction work has been temporarily halted as payments to contractors have lagged.

Barden's spokesman has said the plan to open the casino by May 2009 remains on track.

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