PITTSBURGH | Rundown [Archive] - Page 47

Evergrey

07-31-2008, 06:24 AM

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08213/900705-34.stm

A yen for Chen: Star chef opens in Eastside

Thursday, July 31, 2008
By Elizabeth Downer, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/images/200807/20080731pprichard_chen1_500.jpg
Pam Panchak/Post-Gazette

Chef Richard Chen and Chef Simon Lewis in the dining room of Chef Chen's restaurant in East Liberty.

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/images/200807/20080731pprichard_chen6_500.jpg
Pam Panchak/Post-Gazette

Orchids grace the tables.

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/images/200807/20080731pp_chen3_500.jpg
Pam Panchak/Post-Gazette

Junior sous chef Greg Vitunic works in the kitchen of Richard Chen in East Liberty.

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/images/200807/20080731pp_chen4_500.jpg
Pam Panchak/Post-Gazette

In the dining room of Richard Chen in East Liberty.

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/images/200807/20080731pp_chen5_500.jpg
Pam Panchak/Post-Gazette

One of two private dining areas in Richard Chen in East Liberty.

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/images/200807/20080731pp_chen2_500.jpg
Pam Panchak/Post-Gazette

Crunchy chocolate caramel bar with hazelnut ice cream, featured at Richard Chen in East Liberty.

It was a frosty December in 2005 when Kathy Yee, owner of Ya Fei restaurant in Robinson, accepted an invitation to soak up some desert sun and fun in Las Vegas. She would be staying with an old friend, another Taiwanese restaurant owner, who had as a regular customer Richard Chen, executive chef at Weng Lei restaurant in the Wynn Hotel. Weng Lei is the only Chinese restaurant in America to earn a coveted star from the Michelin Guide.

When Chef Chen met Ms. Yee at their mutual friend's restaurant one evening, they found a lot of common ground. Both are Taiwan natives who immigrated to the United States as children in 1976. She had settled in Pittsburgh and he in Chicago, but both families maintained ties to their Chinese culture and both were in the restaurant business. By the summer of 2006, the two were married.

Now Chef Richard Chen is bringing the first Michelin-star-quality chef and a much anticipated restaurant to Pittsburgh's booming Eastside development: Richard Chen starts its "soft opening" to the public tomorrow.

Mr. Chen is the son of a professional chef who spent his life preparing traditional Chinese foods. He grew up working in the kitchen with his father.

"All the time I was cooking traditional Chinese food I was dreaming of ways to transform those dishes by using non-traditional ingredients and techniques," he said. "I knew that to do that I would have to learn about Western culinary traditions, and that is when I decided to attend the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park."

After graduating, he cooked Euro-French food at the Ritz Carlton and other luxury hotel dining rooms.

It was when he became the chef de cuisine for the Shanghai Terrace restaurant in the Peninsula Hotel in Chicago that he began creating what have become his signature dishes, fusion dishes that combine local products with Asian techniques and sauces or Asian products with European techniques. For example, one of the dim sum on his menu is a dumpling stuffed with broccoli rabe, sun-dried tomatoes and shiitake mushrooms. On the hot appetizer menu is miso-glazed cod wrapped in a lettuce leaf. Five Spices Duck is first cured in sugar and salt, then stuffed with Chinese spices and steamed and finally deboned and fried until the skin is crisp.

"I have had an interesting career until now, but I always dreamed of eventually owning my own restaurant," he said. Now that he is a part-time resident here, he felt Pittsburgh would be the ideal place to realize that dream. It took two years to find the location and to bring together all the pieces that go into an elegant restaurant.

A team of Chef Chen's former collaborators has followed him to Pittsburgh. Chef de cuisine is Simon Lewis, an Englishman with an impressive resume that began at Le Talbooth, a Michelin two-star restaurant in the United Kingdom. Mr. Lewis also worked with legendary chef Rich Tramonto at TRU in Chicago, at the Four Seasons Hotel in Kona, Hawaii, and Joel Robuchon in Las Vegas before joining Mr. Chen at Weng Lei. Chef Lewis has assembled a team of eight local chefs to assist him in the kitchen. When asked why he relocated to Pittsburgh, he replied, "It's very simple. Richard is the only chef I will work for from now on. I respect him enormously. He's been an inspiration to me both in the kitchen and out of it."

That sentiment was repeated by all the other staff who have come here from Las Vegas. Dining room manager Noel Flores, who worked in Chicago with Chef Chen, said, "He is so calm, competent and unflappable. Plus kind, thoughtful and a creative genius. Working with him just makes me smile and makes me happy."

Mr. Flores has assembled a crew of 20 enthusiastic young people and trained them in the art of European-style professional service. He also is responsible for the wine list of 167 selections, which include sakes and sparkling and dessert wines. The table wine list is divided into Old and New World wines. There are eight whites and 10 reds available by the glass.

Pastry Chef Jenifer Fournier recently was named one of the Top Ten Pastry Chefs in the United States by Pastry Art and Design magazine. Formerly with a Michelin two-star restaurant in Las Vegas, she is a frequent guest on Food Network shows. Her desserts focus on fresh flavors. As she put it, "I like people to know what they are eating." There are five desserts on the menu (including Warm Brown Butter Peaches with Sour Cream Ice Cream) plus four sorbets and four ice creams.

Edge Studio of Garfield is responsible for the dramatic interior of Richard Chen restaurant. The architects created a feeling of floating in space for the lofty vertical area of the room where they hung 10 giant Oriental lanterns 3 and 4 feet tall. The cylinders are covered in vibrant colored silks imported from China. The remainder of the room has a crisp and modern aesthetic with rich dark wood paneling enveloping glowing niches. Birch branches laminated between translucent panels enclose the private dining rooms and the birch theme continues with branches silhouetted on the neutral walls behind the banquettes. Shibui, a Japanese word which describes a particular aesthetic of simple, subtle and unpretentious beauty, describes the interior.

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

Richard Chen is at 5996 Penn Circle South in East Liberty/Eastside. Dinner hours are 5 to 10 p.m. Sun.-Thurs. and 5 to 11 p.m. Fri.-Sat.; brunch is 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sun. (412-924-0080).

Elizabeth Downer can be reached at edowner@post-gazette.com or 412-263-1454.

Evergrey

07-31-2008, 07:07 AM

a victory for the Mexican War Streets (and revitalizing neighborhoods citywide)

I've generally liked the new council Rev. Ricky Burgess's leadership... but he tends to go a little crazy when anything vaguely religious comes up (such as being the lone councilor not to support this year's Pride festivities)... invoking class warfare... ughhhh

this article even features a rare non-cringe-worthy quotable from Tonya Payne (if only she'd take the same tact concerning Salvatore Williams' ever-expanding parking lot empire in her Uptown neighborhood... such are campaign donations)

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08213/900772-52.stm

North Side club in line for historic designation

Owner objects, but council votes 8-1

Thursday, July 31, 2008

By Timothy McNulty, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Pittsburgh City Council tentatively approved historic designation of a former men's social club on the North Side yesterday, over the objections of its owner, the Salvation Army, which planned to demolish it.

The approval also was issued over strenuous complaints from Councilman Ricky Burgess, a Baptist minister, who argued the designation violated the agency's religious rights. Under a 2003 city ordinance, churches are exempt from historic designations.

Council voted 8-1 in favor of protecting the Malta Temple building, largely to support efforts by North Side community groups to rehabilitate the neighborhood and save its old structures. The city Law Department also issued an opinion saying the facility, which houses a medical clinic, chapel and homeless drop-in center, does not count as a church.

Mr. Burgess questioned that, saying its work among the poor is part of its religious mission, work that he said well-heeled residents of the Mexican War Streets oppose. Historic designation "has far less to do with historic preservation than a preoccupation with removing the Salvation Army from the community," he said in a lengthy opening statement about the vote.

Tensions between social service agencies and North Side community groups are nothing new. And neither is the community's dedication to historic preservation, especially after so many old structures were destroyed during wayward urban renewal efforts, countered Councilwoman Tonya Payne, who represents the area.

"Just like the Salvation Army wants their work and their mission to be respected, so does the community," she said.

The other North Side councilwoman, Darlene Harris, noted the agency does not join in many community revitalization efforts and questioned why it -- and its lawyers -- were fighting to raze the 1927 building. When she drops money in red Salvation Army kettles, Ms. Harris said, is it "paying for attorneys or paying for goodwill? It kind of puts a doubt in my mind."

After the vote, Salvation Army Maj. James LaBossiere said he was disappointed in council's move, but would try to seek out a compromise before final action on Tuesday. The agency is considering legal action to deny the designation, he said.

In other action, council also preliminarily approved:

• Refinancing $77 million in bonds from 1998, triggering an estimated $3 million in savings.

• Selling the Municipal Courts Building on First Avenue to the state for $9 million. The state took over the former Pittsburgh Magistrates Court in 2005, so the sale finally moves the building off the city's books.

Allegheny County, which owns the adjacent county jail, will take over maintenance with $1 million of the city's sale proceeds. The administration of former Mayor Sophie Masloff paid $15.1 million, or three times the original estimate, to construct the building, which opened in 1994.

• A ban on placing handbills on vehicle windshields in public rights of way, just as they are banned on public utility poles. Councilman Bruce Kraus pushed the ban, which would include fines of $25 to $300, to cut down on litter in his South Side district. The legislation includes an exemption for parking tickets. (yay!)

Tim McNulty can be reached at tmcnulty@post-gazette.com or 412-263-1581.

...

I think the Malta Temple / Salvation Army building is the 5-story brown structure two buildings past the Garden porno threatre in this photo... (wonder when we're ever gonna hear anything about this block)
http://www.pbase.com/deadwing/image/55229344.jpg

UrbaniDesDev

07-31-2008, 12:29 PM

Yeah urbandes, I agree: Those lines detract from the beautiful architecture of our area. Where was that last photo taken of the neat townhomes?

That is Chestnut Street. A fast deteriorating street that is where the 16th Street Bridge leads to on the North side. This is a section, that is essentially like the Mexican War Streets but has been neglected and probably won't survive as is.
It's a section squeezed by highways. Rt 28 empties onto E Ohio Street there and Madison Street is the on ramp to the Parkway North. This should improve a bit once the new ramp from 28 to I 276 is opened.
Penn Brewery sits on the hill above. Chestnut Street is the entrance to Spring Hill. It's a district with incredible possibilities. Great location with views. It's saturated with section 8 housing and slum lords tho.
The streets are very narrow. I can still see the ghosts of what Chestnut Street was, the abandoned trolly lines still in tact.

tooluther

07-31-2008, 02:38 PM

the new Summerset at Frick Park has buried utilities

In most cases, new build in the region (I know the City and Mt. Lebanon) require buried utilities. Existing utilities are not required to go underground when you do “true” infill (not that S@Frick isn’t in-fill, but you get my point).

Wiz Khalifa

07-31-2008, 04:04 PM

http://www.popcitymedia.com/galleries/Default/Dev%20News/Issue%20118/alleghenycosports_300.jpg

A 78-acre vacant brownfield site formerly owned and operated by Pittsburgh and Lake Erie Railroad will soon be reborn as a major recreational amenity for the region.

The Redevelopment Authority of Allegheny County has received a donation of 78 acres of land from The Sports Legacy Foundation to create a new sports and athletic complex and expanded trail amenities.

Located across the Ohio River from Neville Island in Moon Twp., Coraopolis and Robinson Twp., the recreational destination will feature nontraditional athletic fields for rugby, soccer and lacrosse, recreational programming, trout fishing, and a mile-long extension of the Montour Trail.

“We’re going to do a master plan with Burt Hill over the next four months. There’s been a tremendous amount of interest generated by this announcement,” says Kevin Evanto, with Allegheny County. “We’re definitely going to engage the local community.” The project’s estimated cost is $10-15 million.

The vacant brownfield property will undergo environmental remediation and then be transferred to the Allegheny County Department of Parks. “The goal is to move it from a commercial grade up to residential quality,” adds Evanto, who says The Sports Legacy Foundation has already completed $600,000 worth of site clean-up. Chester Engineers is working with the state’s Department of Environmental Protection to determine the scope of the remaining environmental work.

Known as Montour Junction, the 78-acre site is bordered by Rte. 51, the CSX Railroad and Coraopolis Bridge, and residential areas. The head of the Montour Trail is approximately one-fifth of a mile to the south, and Montour Run—a stocked trout stream—bisects the property.

Writer: Jennifer Baron
Source: Kevin Evanto, director of communications, Allegheny County

hyperion1110

07-31-2008, 04:19 PM

That is Chestnut Street. I fast deteriorating street that is where the 16th Street Bridge leads to on the North side. This is a section, that is essentially like the Mexican War Streets but has been neglected and probably won't survive as is.
It's a section squeezed by highways. Rt 28 empties onto E Ohio Street there and Madison Street is the on ramp to the Parkway North. This should improve a bit once the new ramp from 28 to I 276 is opened.
Penn Brewery sits on the hill above. Chestnut Street is the entrance to Spring Hill. It's a district with incredible possibilities. Great location with views. It's saturated with section 8 housing and slum lords tho.
The streets are very narrow. I can still see the ghosts of what Chestnut Street was, the abandoned trolly lines still in tact.

I hope that neighborhood turns around. My grandfather was born in a house two blocks away from there, in 1918...the house is still there.

The current state of that neighboorhood (which is actually Deutchtown/Spring Garden) is a natural consequence of decades of neglect, and the (presumably) intentional concentration of low-income housing. There are at least three major housing projects on the North Side, that I know of! Why?! I know poor people have to live somewhere, too...but the concentration of them in certain neighborhoods, and lack of them in others, indicates the kind of politicking and cronyism for which Pittsburgh is famous. ...The North Side rots while the good old boys pat each other on the back keeping all of the black people and NST (I know you have to be a North Sider to know what NST is) in their ghettos.

Pisses me off.

themaguffin

07-31-2008, 05:51 PM

To follow up on my thoughts the other day. The North side is terribly underutilized - I realize demand must exist, but planning, marketing and timing could really create a dynamic place where Allegheny Center sits.

Pittsburgh should do something that works for Pittsburgh and not merely copy, but imagine how great a Monument Circlesque type development would look in the center of the North Side:

http://pics4.city-data.com/cpicc/cfiles33569.jpg
source: city data

Though to maximize space and have some sense of scale with the mostly very low rise area, I think buildings in the upper teens to 30 stories would look nice.... with a nice park in the middle.

Wiz Khalifa

07-31-2008, 06:16 PM

^ That looks awesome, what city is that from... I'm guessing somewhere in Europe?

themaguffin

07-31-2008, 06:38 PM

^ That looks awesome, what city is that from... I'm guessing somewhere in Europe?

Indianapolis actually. Though as great as this looks, there downtown thins out not much beyond the circle.

Grego43

07-31-2008, 06:58 PM

themaguffin beat me to it. And true, the rest of downtown is kinda sterile.

themaguffin

07-31-2008, 07:06 PM

http://pics4.city-data.com/cpicc/cfiles33569.jpg

Yeah you can't see it from this shot (and they do have a few larger towers) but it's a small area.

In any case some all these line - nice, dense, and overall sharp looking.

It would be great if there were more room beyond Allegheny Center, but then you get into the neighborhoods which is whole other issue.

PA Pride

07-31-2008, 11:45 PM

^ That looks awesome, what city is that from... I'm guessing somewhere in Europe?

THE Wiz Khalifa or just a fan?

Evergrey

07-31-2008, 11:55 PM

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/cityregion/s_580841.html

Edgewater Steel site plan in Oakmont nears completion

By Rossilynne Skena
VALLEY NEWS DISPATCH
Sunday, August 3, 2008

Final plans for development at the former Edgewater Steel site could be completed within a few months.

Shawn Gallagher, an attorney representing Oakmont in its dealings with the developers, said the plans' completion is short-term.

"We foresee that both developers are going to be moving on to final plan approval in the very short future," he said.

Two developers -- Kacin Companies of Murrysville and Brooks & Blair Homes of Wexford -- plan to build on the former industrial site. Both plans include residential and commercial construction in the mixed use developments.

Brooks & Blair will formally submit plans and requirements for final approval to the borough in the "very near future," said Daniel J. Mancosh, one of the company's owners.

Kacin Vice President Bruce Corna said the company is working on a final plan.

There are two adjacent parcels on the site. Brooks & Blair plans to build a residential and retail development on 28 acres. Kacin intends to build an upscale residential community with retail and office space on an adjoining 34 acres.

The site is located near the College Avenue and Allegheny Avenue in Oakmont.

Gallagher said the bulk of the plans' review was taken care of in the tentative plan process. In the final approval, the plan will be reviewed for consistency. First the planning commission will review plans, then make a recommendation to the borough council. Only council can give final approval.

Council tentatively approved applications for the developers in September, provided certain conditions were met.

Mancosh, of Brooks & Blair, said the company has been working out some of the matters that were noted in the tentative approval and required further clarification. Essentially, he said, nearly all of those issues have been dealt with.

Mancosh said the company wants to begin construction early next year.

In April, Kacin was awarded a $7.7 PENNVEST low-interest loan to clean up contaminated soil on the property. The total cost of the project is $14.8 million, state Sen. Jim Ferlo, D-Highland Park, said in April.

Corna said the loan is for infrastructure. Work cannot begin until the borough's final approval, he said.

Mancosh said Brooks & Blair is investigating the possibility of seeking a PENNVEST loan. He said the company has had meetings with PENNVEST.

Both developers filed lawsuits against Oakmont over issues with the borough's tentative approval of their proposed projects.

Gallagher said those suits are in the process of being resolved. The legal action will have to be resolved before a final approval.

Rossilynne Skena can be reached at rskena@tribweb.com or 724-226-4681.

Evergrey

08-03-2008, 05:24 AM

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08216/901305-28.stm

Pittsburgh one of few cities where hotel industry has been growing

Sunday, August 03, 2008
By Ann Belser, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/images/200808/20080803bwholiday1_500.jpg
Bill Wade/Post-Gazette
John Severino, general manager of the Holiday Inn, Pittsburgh University Center, stands before the new logo at the front desk in Oakland.

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/images/200808/20080803bwholiday3_500.jpg
Bill Wade/Post-Gazette
The Holiday Inn, Pittsburgh University Center, sports the chain's new logo outside the hotel in Oakland.

Once again Pittsburgh seems to be dodging an unsettling national trend.

Halfway into the year, hotel occupancy dropped nationally by 2.6 percent -- but in Pittsburgh, demand is rising.

Of the 100 largest cities in the country, only 11 saw their hotel occupancy rates rise, according to Smith Travel Research, which tracks hotel occupancy nationwide. Pittsburgh had the ninth highest increase in occupancy rates at 1.3 percent.

"That's pretty good," said Bobby Bowers, senior vice president of operations at Smith Travel Research.

The local numbers look even better when you factor in that there also was an increase in the number of hotel rooms available. A Hampton Inn and Suites opened in the Strip District last year.

Even those hotels that have been around for a while are capitalizing on the occupancy boom.

The University Center Holiday Inn was one of 20 in the chain to be chosen for renovations. In Oakland, the owners spent more than $6 million to redo bathrooms in the rooms, change the wallpaper, renovate the restaurant and redesign the front desk. Sporting the new Holiday Inn logo, the hotel is testing other features, such as new bedding in which the bed spreads are a thing of the past and the blankets, comforter and sheets all get washed daily.

Last week, John Severino, the general manager of the University Center Holiday Inn, was going through the reports from Smith Travel Research with the other managers at the hotel. "For every manager, that's your bible," he said.

Mr. Severino said the hotel's occupancy rates have been strong. On Monday night, there wasn't an empty room.

"Where we're located, it's pretty recession-proof," he said. It's the closest hotel to Carnegie Mellon University and surrounded by the University of Pittsburgh. During the week, the rooms are filled with people doing business with the universities. On the weekends, the proximity to Heinz Memorial Chapel is a draw. Last weekend there were bookings for 10 weddings and one family reunion.

Mr. Severino said during the last serious recession, occupancy fell only 2 percent, even when the hotel also raised its rates.

Across the country, 19 of the top 25 markets, which are all larger cities than Pittsburgh, saw declines in their hotel occupancies in the first six months of this year compared with the same period last year.

In the 11 benchmark cities that VisitPittsburgh uses to compare Pittsburgh's performance, Pittsburgh came out on top. Of those cities -- which do include some of the larger markets such as Philadelphia and Detroit and modestly sized cities such as Charlotte, N.C.; Columbus, Ohio; and Memphis, Tenn. -- Pittsburgh had the highest percentage of growth. Only two benchmark cities, Milwaukee and Louisville, Ky., did not experience declines, Mr. Bowers said. Louisville saw moderate growth; Milwaukee was flat.

The struggling economy has affected hotels in most areas. Of the top 100 markets in the United States, 76 saw occupancy rates drop, 13 markets were flat and only 11 saw increases.

Mr. Bowers said the top 11 included New Orleans, which he called a special case because its 12.1 percent growth in occupancy reflects the recovery from Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

Pittsburgh, which had been below the national average in hotel occupancy, is now dead level with the average at 61.4 percent occupancy.

Joe McGrath, president of VisitPittsburgh, said that was exactly where the city wants to be. Pittsburgh had a 1.6 percent growth in the number of rooms with recent hotel openings and expansions, he said, so room demand actually increased by 2.8 percent year to date from 2007.

In the Greater Pittsburgh area there are 192 hotels with a collective total of 22,072 rooms. The figure, Mr. McGrath said, does not include the smallest boutique hotels or bed and breakfasts.

Full-service hotels need an occupancy rate of 60 percent or just higher to make a profit. However, if the rate starts to climb above 70 percent, hotel chains expand in a market, driving up the surplus of rooms and driving down the rates.

For the Holiday Inn, the Pittsburgh area has been its best market in the state.

John Merkin, senior vice president of Holiday Inn, said one reason midsize cities such as Pittsburgh may be seeing growth in hotel occupancy is that companies are cutting back on large gatherings in places such as New York and Washington, D.C. Instead, companies are holding regional meetings to which their workers can drive.

"That circle has expanded to about a five-hour drive from a three-hour drive," he said.

Pittsburgh is well-positioned for those sorts of regional meetings.

VisitPittsburgh officials also point to a study conducted by a state House tourism committee and the Department of Community and Economic Development that ranked Allegheny County first in the state for tourism based on spending.

The success of local hotels is attracting some high-profile competition.

Harmar-based Kratsa Properties, which is currently building a 115-room SpringHill Suites on the South Side, has signed on to build a six-story Hilton Garden Inn, Downtown, and a 180-room Marriott Residence Inn on the North Shore.

A 178-room Hyatt Place Hotel is in the works for the North Shore near PNC Park.

DOC-Economou, which is planning a $48 million hotel-condo-retail project on the South Side, also plans to build a 120-room hotel as part of a redevelopment of the former Don Allen Auto City site in Shadyside.

And Three PNC Plaza, which is undergoing construction Downtown, will house a 165-room hotel to be run by Toronto-based Fairmont Hotels and Resorts.

Whether Pittsburgh's occupancy rate will remain at the national average once those rooms are added to the mix is anyone's guess, but for now there is plenty of room in the inn-keeping business.

Ann Belser can be reached at abelser@post-gazette.com or 412-263-1699.

PA Pride

08-03-2008, 11:34 PM

Great news on our hotel scene! Love that article. Does anyone else think though that all those new hotels are too many at one time?!? Or are all those new rooms needed?

Harmar-based Kratsa Properties, which is currently building a 115-room SpringHill Suites on the South Side, has signed on to build a six-story Hilton Garden Inn, Downtown, and a 180-room Marriott Residence Inn on the North Shore.

A 178-room Hyatt Place Hotel is in the works for the North Shore near PNC Park.

DOC-Economou, which is planning a $48 million hotel-condo-retail project on the South Side, also plans to build a 120-room hotel as part of a redevelopment of the former Don Allen Auto City site in Shadyside.

And Three PNC Plaza, which is undergoing construction Downtown, will house a 165-room hotel to be run by Toronto-based Fairmont Hotels and Resorts.

Evergrey

08-03-2008, 11:44 PM

I think Pittsburgh has been an under-served hospitality market... especially in the urban core...

up until a few years ago... there weren't any major hotels that I can think of in city limits other than Downtown and Oakland.. Downtown being an especially pricey market.

I think it speaks to the strength of our neighborhoods as business locales and tourism hubs that we now have (or are getting) major brands in North Side, Strip District, South Side, East Liberty, Bloomfield, Shadyside, Squirrel Hill. Who wants to be stuck out in GreenTree or Monroeville when visiting Pittsburgh?

Gilamonster

08-04-2008, 02:38 AM

I was pleasantly suprised by reading that PG article in my Sunday Paper. The obvious suprise being that Pittsburgh has increased it's occupancy levels this year. I have been thinking that with all these hotels opening/planned that Pittsburgh was overdoing it. Luckily that hasn't happened yet, but the article does say that Pittsburgh is now at the national average as far as occupancy rates at 61.4 percent. It also mentions that profitability for hotels hovers around 60 percent occupancy or just above. There are still quite a few hotels under construction and/or proposed. Other than the Fairmont, which is in a league of its own, these future hotels will be fighting for the same pool of guests. That is, unless Pittsburgh is to keep adding hotel guests. I personally think that growth will be much slower, if at all. As the hotels continue to be opened, I expect capitalism to wave its magic wand; with the increase in competition, prices should be good for guests relative to other similar sized cities and perhaps there will be a casualty or two of a significant sized hotel in the region.
The other nice tidbit in the article was that Allegheny Co. was first in the state as far as tourism spending. I would have guessed that we would be perpetually second behind Philadelphia Co.

Evergrey

08-04-2008, 05:27 AM

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08217/901694-52.stm

Fifth, Forbes projects take off

Residences in former stores selling briskly

Monday, August 04, 2008
By Mark Belko, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

A Washington County developer's bid to help transform the Fifth and Forbes corridor Downtown has kicked into high gear.

At the former Lazarus building at Fifth Avenue and Wood Street, steel and framing are poking above the rooftop, part of the bid by Millcraft Industries to transform the failed department store into a mix of residential, retail and office space.

The three floors being built on the roof of the four-story structure, now known as Piatt Place, will accommodate 58 condominiums, 33 of which have been sold. The first residents are expected to move in by February.

Less than a block away, the old G.C. Murphy five-and-dime store is being gutted to make way for apartments, fitness space and shops, Millcraft's other major Downtown project.

Many of the windows have been removed from the upper floors of Murphy's and adjacent buildings, sending musty odors across Forbes Avenue. A construction entrance on Fifth Avenue offers glimpses of the old store's first floor, once cramped with clothing, candy, school supplies and countless other odds and ends but now dark and dusty.

Although the $40 million project is about a year away from completion, Millcraft already has a waiting list of some 200 people for the 46 loft-style apartments, said Lucas Piatt, vice president of real estate.

The units, some of which will be renting for as low as $700 a month, are designed to reach more of a middle market than the high-end rental and condo developments Downtown, including Piatt Place. Millcraft plans to begin renting them early next year.

"The interest is huge," Mr. Piatt said.

Interest in the luxury condos at Piatt Place, where prices range from $300,000 to $1.5 million, have not been as strong, but Mr. Piatt said others are pleased with the pace of sales so far.

With 33 units sold, condo sales have passed the halfway mark. As a promotion, Millcraft offered the choice of a free Smart Car or the equivalent dollar amount in condo upgrades to the first three people who purchased units last month.

"We're very confident about the progress we're making here," Mr. Piatt said, adding that sales are slightly ahead of Millcraft's internal projections at this point.

"When we're done with the construction, we expect the majority to be sold. We're getting good prices, which is tough to do in a market like this."

Mr. Piatt and Lorrie Andria, who is overseeing the condo sales, believe that the high price of gasoline will drive more people to take a closer look at living Downtown and could be a boost to the development.

Ms. Andria said the 10-year property tax abatement now available to Piatt Place condo buyers also has helped to stir up interest. She said 20 units have been sold since the abatement program was approved last year.

"We've really seen a big difference with the tax abatement. It's been a huge attraction for us," she said.

Tom Sullivan, a commercial broker for Pennsylvania Commercial Real Estate, said that getting sales agreements on 33 units is a "pretty decent accomplishment" given the credit environment and economy.

"If, in fact, they have 33, that's pretty good," he said. "It's hard to make light of that, especially given that you're going to have to spend a minimum of $300,000 to go into the building."

Piatt Place still is facing challenges. So far, Millcraft has failed to find a tenant for three floors of office space available.

Equitable Resources looked at the building for a possible expansion, but no longer is in the mix. Mr. Piatt said Millcraft is talking to the state about leasing space once the State Office Building Downtown is sold, but still has no deal.

On the retail side, Millcraft has enticed Capital Grille and McCormick & Schmick's to open restaurants at street level. It still has one space available on Fifth Avenue and is hoping to fill it with a fashion retailer.

Mr. Piatt also said he has talked to the owners of two Fifth Avenue buildings, including the former Lerner's store, about a possible partnership on another residential project called Wood Street Lofts.

No deal has been reached. Millcraft isn't interested in purchasing either at this point, Mr. Piatt said, adding that he feels the owners are asking too much for the properties.

Mr. Sullivan believes Millcraft should stick to the Piatt Place and Murphy's projects rather than try to take on another redevelopment.

"I think they've got their hands full trying to make these things happen," he said. "The pace of trying to get office or retail tenants into town can be fairly lengthy."

Millcraft is planning a formal ground breaking for the Murphy's project, dubbed Market Square Place, in September or October. It hopes to complete the construction next summer. However, the Downtown YMCA, which is moving its facilities to the redevelopment from the Boulevard of the Allies, could be moving in as early as March.

Mr. Piatt said there has been "very, very good interest" in the street-level retail space available as part of the conversion, but added that Millcraft will take its time in evaluating potential tenants.

"We're being pretty picky about who we bring in. We want the right use. We don't want to fill it up. We want it to be something unique," he said.

The Murphy's redevelopment includes $6 million in financing involving historic tax credits, $5.6 million from the state and $21 million in other forms, among them new market tax credits. Millcraft is putting in $2 million.

The Lazarus conversion is expected to run $65 million, much of it privately financed. The state is kicking in $3.75 million in grants and loans.

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

Evergrey

08-04-2008, 05:43 AM

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/cityregion/s_580930.html

SportsWorks to to be razed this month for T station

By Chris Togneri
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Monday, August 4, 2008

Carnegie Science Center's SportsWorks will close later this month as officials plan a $5 million relocation project on the North Shore.

The Port Authority of Allegheny County plans to raze the facility on Allegheny Avenue so the transit agency can build an elevated T station for its North Shore Connector project.

The new SportsWorks will be built across North Shore Drive on a parking lot next to the science center, said Ron Baillie, co-interim director at the science center.

To mark the closure, the SportsWorks' last sleepover party for kids will be Aug. 15. University of Pittsburgh athletes and cheerleaders will be there to hand out prizes and entertain the children, Baillie said.

"We're going to go out with a bang," he said.

SportsWorks exhibits will close at the end of business on Aug. 24, but the "Titanic: The Artifact" exhibit will remain open and run through Labor Day.

Some features at SportsWorks -- such as the giant trampoline and human gyroscope -- will be moved into the Science Center's atrium and still be available to the public while the new facility is built, Baillie said.

Groundbreaking on the 15,000-square-foot SportsWorks is tentatively planned for November, with a grand opening scheduled for late next summer.

While the current SportsWorks focuses on the physics of sports, Baillie said the new one should include exhibits that focus more on general fitness and the physiology of sports and athletes.

"We're still in the planning process of the new facility," Baillie said. "But we'll be adding new health and human body exhibits."

Ann Metzger, co-interim director at the science center, said the changes are part of a drive to broaden visitors' educational experiences.

Port Authority purchased the SportsWorks property from the science center for $5 million to lay new tracks for its T subway extension from Downtown to the North Shore. Baillie said proceeds from the sale will pay for the construction of the new SportsWorks.

The new Allegheny Center station will be elevated above street level and will rest on an aerial structure near Heinz Field, authority spokesman David Whipkey said.

Work on the structure will begin toward the end of August, he said. Demolition of the SportsWorks building is scheduled for September or October, but construction of the station has not been put out for bid, Whipkey said.

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

PA Pride

08-04-2008, 01:57 PM

^I'll miss that bldg since I went and saw the bodies exhibit there... I have fond memories. And Chris Benson (The newscaster; I think that's his name) was in line behind me.

PA Pride

08-04-2008, 01:58 PM

I think it speaks to the strength of our neighborhoods as business locales and tourism hubs that we now have (or are getting) major brands in North Side, Strip District, South Side, East Liberty, Bloomfield, Shadyside, Squirrel Hill.

Word.

AaronPGH

08-04-2008, 10:04 PM

I too, am happy for the strong hotel industry...with that said though I would like to see some diversification of the styles of hotels coming to town.

There are an awful lot of generic suburban projects going on. Where are all the small boutiques? All I see is Hampton Inn this, Holiday Inn that. I know there were rumblings of some, including the one at SouthSide Works and the other one in East Liberty, but I haven't seen any progress.

Supposedly Nakama's owners have been planning one for the upper floors of the building for a while (completely with a loungey night-spot). But they've been talking about that for years with no results yet. :(

PA Pride

08-04-2008, 10:42 PM

Open Hotel AC. "Coveniently located next to the Birmingham Bridge. Pittsburgh's first Hotel/House Music Nightclub".

Evergrey

08-05-2008, 12:15 AM

farewell to cheesy nightlife

http://www.thepittsburghchannel.com/entertainment/17091614/detail.html

Pittsburgh's Boardwalk Floats Away From Strip District

Destination Unknown For Longtime Nightclub Complex

POSTED: 5:31 pm EDT August 4, 2008
UPDATED: 5:48 pm EDT August 4, 2008

http://www.thepittsburghchannel.com/2003/0624/2291149_320X240.jpg

PITTSBURGH -- Pittsburgh's former Boardwalk is on the move.

For more than 15 years, the entertainment complex was home to various nightclubs such as Donzi's and Tequila Willies along the Allegheny River in the city's Strip District.

WTAE Channel 4's Action Cam captured an image of the Boardwalk being floated down the Allegheny on Monday.

Eventually, it made a turn and went up the Ohio River.

The future of the Boardwalk is unknown. It was shut down in January and put up for sale.

...

partytime!

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08217/901783-100.stm

City bond rating slightly upgraded

Monday, August 04, 2008
By Timothy McNulty, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

New York City bond raters Moody's Investment Service slightly upgraded the city of Pittsburgh's bond rating today in advance of a debt refinancing this week.

Moody's raised the city's rating one notch from Baa2 to Baa1, with a stable outlook for the future. It praised the city's two years of budget surpluses -- with another $19 million surplus forecast for 2008 -- which would mean a sixfold increase over cash reserves from 2004.

Baa ratings are considered "medium-grade" -- not the junk status of a few years ago, but not the highest-quality Aaa ratings either. The agency noted the city is still under two fiscal oversight boards, has high debt and pension obligations and a diminishing tax base.

The city is refinancing $72 million of bonds on Thursday, saving it an estimated $3 million.

...

http://pittsburgh.bizjournals.com/pittsburgh/stories/2008/08/04/daily5.html

Pittsburgh's Union Trust building finally gets major tenant

Pittsburgh Business Times - by Ben Semmes

The Union Trust Building in Downtown Pittsburgh has secured a major office tenant at last.

Siemens Power Generation Inc. will consolidate about 500 local employees on three floors at the nearly 600,000-square-foot, 11-story structure — formerly known as Two Mellon Center. It has been mostly vacant since Mellon Financial Corp. pulled its employees out of the property in May 2006.

The 185,000-square-foot lease, which puts a significant dent in one of Pittsburgh’s largest office vacancies, will run for 10 years at the 501 Grant St. building, according to the Pittsburgh office of CB Richard Ellis Inc., which represented both the building’s owner and Siemens in the deal.

Orlando, Fla.-based Siemens Power Generation’s local operations, known collectively as Siemens Environmental Systems and Services, have employees at three Pittsburgh sites: 441 Smithfield St., Downtown; One Oxford Centre, at 301 Grant St., also Downtown; and 40 24th St., in the Strip District.

Earlier this year the state pledged $2.95 million in grants and tax credits to Downtown Pittsburgh-based Wheelabrator Air Pollution Control Inc., the division of Siemens Power Generation based at 441 Smithfield St., to assist with a $5 million expansion. The company agreed to hire at least 550 employees over three years as part of the expansion.

The company will begin moving into the Union Trust Building later this year with full occupancy set for the fourth quarter of 2008.

A Siemens spokesperson was not immediately available for comment Monday.

Simultaneously, the building’s new owners — California investors led by Los Angeles-based Mika Realty — are conducting an extensive renovation of the property with plans for LEED certification, a new lobby and installation of a lower level parking facility.

Serving as an operations center for Mellon Bank since the mid-1980s, the Union Trust Building was originally constructed between 1915 and 1917 by steel magnate Henry Clay Frick as a shopping arcade.

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

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

...

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/cityregion/s_581060.html

Pittsburgh planners eye four neighborhoods for mass transit investment

By Jeremy Boren
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Monday, August 4, 2008

Pittsburgh planning officials today said they have picked four spots where nearby light-rail and bus corridors might be able to spur economic growth with help from tax breaks and state grants.

Studies of East Liberty, Homewood/North Point Breeze, Beechview and Mt. Washington would determine if special districts in each neighborhood -- called Transit Revitalization Investment Districts -- could begin thriving from expanded mass transit, parking and curbside amenities such as street lights, benches and sidewalks.

Councilman Ricky Burgess plans to introduce the idea to his colleagues Tuesday on behalf of Mayor Luke Ravenstahl's office, said mayoral spokeswoman Joanna Doven.

According to state law, the special transit districts allow Pittsburgh to use additional taxes generated by new businesses in the zones to pay for transportation improvements.

Of the $400,000 earmarked to conduct the studies, 75 percent would come from the state's Land Use Technical Assistance Program through grants that require a 25-percent local contribution.

Four equal $25,000 shares to study the transit districts would come from the Pittsburgh Partnership for Neighborhood Development, East Liberty Development Inc., City Councilman Jim Motznik's neighborhood improvement fund and the city, according to the proposed legislation.

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

associated press tourism piece on the Strip District (http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/cityregion/s_580952.html)

Evergrey

08-05-2008, 08:31 PM

http://pittsburgh.bizjournals.com/pittsburgh/stories/2008/08/04/daily15.html?t=printable

Pittsburgh residents voice concerns about proposed $50M development

Pittsburgh Business Times - by Ben Semmes

A largely supportive crowd at Squirrel Hill’s Jewish Community Center Monday night pressed a group of developers with questions and concerns over a $50 million project proposed for the neighborhood.

The project, which needs special exemptions to permit the construction of a hotel and the use of the off-site parking lots, goes before Pittsburgh’s Zoning Board of Adjustment at 9 a.m. Thursday.

Cambridge Venture Partners, a local development group including Springdale-based R.E. Crawford Construction Co., is planning the project at the intersection of Murray and Forward avenues. The 150,000-square-foot, nine-story building, designed by South Side-based Renaissance 3 Architects PC, would include a 135-room hotel capped by three floors of condominiums. The bottom story would hold a 4,500-square-foot restaurant.

The project’s design, height and parking topped the list of concerns of the residents who spoke at the community meeting.

“We have an opportunity to make an incredible statement,” said resident Eddie Shaw, who likened the building’s design to the hulking eight-story Morrowfield apartments adjacent to the project site.

Squirrel Hill is in Pittsburgh’s East End.

Several other speakers expressed concern about the building’s height and potential traffic impact.

Dan Wiseman, a Squirrel Hill resident and businessman, said he was concerned that traffic problems during construction would be compounded by the ongoing work on the Boulevard of the Allies in the nearby Oakland neighborhood, home to several of Pittsburgh’s universities.

Parking for the Squirrel Hill project is proposed on two existing lots — a 52-space lot on Murray and a 112-space lot on Forward.

The developer is also seeking a variance to allow the area of all floors in the building to total more than four times the area of the parcel of land itself. Current zoning on the site permits a building’s size to be only twice that of the area of the land parcel.

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

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

Evergrey

08-06-2008, 05:31 AM

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08219/902089-53.stm

Strip District's Boardwalk now cruisin' down the river

Wednesday, August 06, 2008
By Daniel Malloy, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/images/200808/20080806ds_donzi_500.jpg

A towboat guides the Boardwalk complex down the Allegheny River yesterday.A home for floating party-goers no more, the Boardwalk set sail down the river this week.

The Strip District complex used to be the home of such hot spots as Donzi's, Tequila Willies and Club Champagne, but it closed in January after River Entertainment Co. filed for bankruptcy in July 2007.

The case was settled in April, according to filings, and as part of the agreement, River Entertainment had to move the barge facility if it didn't find a buyer. It finally was shipped out in two pieces Monday and yesterday.

Its destination is another question.

River Rescue patrols saw it heading down the Ohio River, but when a passing officer asked a worker on the second barge yesterday where the complex was going, the man just shrugged his shoulders.

Russell York of the Buncher Co., which leased the land to River Entertainment, said he didn't know where the barges were headed, and he didn't care.

" was my idea 20 years ago," Mr. York said. "And it outlived its usefulness."
[B]
Mr. York would not disclose if Buncher had any plans for the space.

Developer Tom Jayson, president of River Entertainment, opened the Boardwalk in 1991. The company owed Buncher more than $150,000 in rental payments by the time of its bankruptcy.

A message left for River Entertainment's attorney, Robert O Lampl, was not returned.

Daniel Malloy can be reached at dmalloy@post-gazette.com or 412-263-1731.

Evergrey

08-06-2008, 05:38 AM

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/s_581315.html

$1.3 million deal for Steelers site nears closure

By Jeremy Boren
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Wednesday, August 6, 2008

A controversial deal to turn the hottest property on the North Shore into an entertainment venue owned by the Steelers is close to completion, city officials said.

The city Stadium Authority, owner of the 3.82-acre site near Heinz Field, is scheduled to meet at 5:30 p.m. today to approve or reject the results of 4 1/2 months of tense negotiations with the football team's developer, Continental Real Estate Cos.

Both sides preliminarily agreed to a $1.3 million price for the land known as "Lot 6," said state Rep. Jake Wheatley, an authority board member familiar with the negotiations.

The price has been a point of contention because some real estate experts and members of Pittsburgh City Council believe the land is worth $10 million or more.

Stadium Authority Chairwoman Debbie Lestitian argued for months that the Steelers no longer have the exclusive right to buy Lot 6 or other North Shore properties promised to them in a 2003 land option agreement because Continental did not meet strict deadlines to develop.

When they missed the deadlines, the agreement terminated, she said again last week.

Lestitian could not be reached for comment Tuesday. The authority's executive director, Mary Conturo, declined to comment.

Council President Doug Shields supports putting the valuable land up for bid.

"This is not some backwater area of the city. This is the prime spot," Shields said, adding that he planned to call authority board members to lobby against the deal. "You put that out on the market and see what comes back: It's more than the $6 a square foot they're getting."

Wheatley acknowledged that the Stadium Authority likely would get more money for Lot 6 on the open market, but he called the low price a "tradeoff" that ensures a high-quality entertainment development could be built quickly on what is a surface parking lot.

He said the proposal the authority will consider tomorrow contains financial penalties for missing development deadlines, but he could not provide details.

"If, in fact, we get to another point where they have not met deadlines, I think we'll be able to (impose) penalties," Wheatley said.

Kelley Denny, a spokeswoman for Continental's Chairman Frank Kass, said he would reserve comment until after today's vote.

Mayor Luke Ravenstahl, who has been involved in the negotiations with the Steelers and has the power to appoint and remove members of the Stadium Authority, declined to comment through a spokeswoman.

As part of the proposal, the Steelers must agree to build only an "entertainment venue" on the parcel.

That fits with the team's plans to build a 2,600-seat outdoor entertainment venue modeled on the PromoWest Production's Lifestyles Community Pavilion, known as "The LC," in Columbus, Ohio.

The roughly $10 million to $12 million concert venue will not be built without a $4 million state subsidy, Continental officials said in June.

Former Mayor Sophie Masloff, another authority board member, said she is reviewing the proposed deal, but she favors starting construction on the North Shore quickly to take advantage of the jobs and tax revenue it would create.

"Hopefully, we'll settle it tomorrow," Masloff said yesterday.

Wheatley said the deal could include the sale of 3.53 acres near PNC Park where the Steelers plan to build a $27.5 million Hyatt Place hotel.

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

Evergrey

08-06-2008, 05:40 AM

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/cityregion/s_581317.html

Work begins at church displaced by arena

By Mike Wereschagin
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Wednesday, August 6, 2008

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/photos/2008-08-05/0806prectory-a.jpg

(From left to right) Rev. Carmen D'Amico of Epiphany Catholic Church, architect John Cunzolo, Bishop David Zubik, Rev. Tom Sparacino of Epiphany and PJ Dick-Trumbull Inc. Manager Justin Hough break ground Tuesday on a rectory and offices at the Uptown church.
Justin Merriman/Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

Bishop David Zubik and other clergy broke ground Tuesday on a $3 million rectory and office building beside Epiphany Catholic Church, Uptown.

The four-story structure will replace one of the three buildings demolished to make way for a $290 million hockey arena. The church building could be completed as soon as April, said the Rev. Carmen D'Amico, Epiphany's pastor.

"This facility is really going to ... give us state-of-the-art facilities to really have an active parish life Downtown," D'Amico said. "We really believe in the future of Downtown. There's going to be a lot of residential units built, a lot of retail. And we want to be prepared to minister to all that."

Offices will occupy the first floor. A convention hall on the second floor will be connected via a bridge to the front door of the 106-year-old Epiphany Church. Living quarters on the third and fourth floors will be able to house as many as six priests, D'Amico said.

The city-county Sports & Exhibition Authority demolished three church buildings last year: the old rectory, a school and St. Regis Hall, a residence hall built in 1913 for women who moved to the city to find work.

The SEA, which is building the arena and will lease it to the Penguins, bought the rectory and residence hall properties and part of the school property for $3.4 million. The parish plans to use that money to pay for the new building, D'Amico said.

How the arena will be paid for is less certain. Closed-door negotiations between Gov. Ed Rendell, the Penguins, the National Hockey League, city and county leaders, and Pittsburgh casino owner Don Barden resulted last year in a 30-year payment plan for the arena. The arena will replace Mellon Arena, the oldest venue in professional hockey.

Barden pledged to pay $7.5 million a year -- the state will pay the same, followed by $3.8 million from the Penguins -- for the 18,500-seat arena. Barden, of Detroit, has since run out of money and is trying to transfer ownership of the city's as-yet-unbuilt, lone casino to Chicago developer Neil Bluhm.

Though Bluhm has pledged to meet Barden's commitments, the state Gaming Control Board must approve the ownership transfer. Some lawmakers want the board to strip Barden's license and start a new selection process for his successor. That would almost certainly push the casino's opening date past 2009, when the sports authority expects its first $7.5 million in slots profits.

Despite the uncertainty, arena work is proceeding on schedule, said Mary Conturo, the authority's executive director. A groundbreaking ceremony is scheduled for next week, and the Penguins expect the arena to be ready for the 2010-11 season.

Officials are counting on the arena to be the nexus for development of the lower Hill District. A 500-car parking garage will be built where Mellon Arena now stands, and the Penguins have agreed to develop at least 2.8 acres a year in the arena's vicinity.

Mike Wereschagin can be reached at mwereschagin@tribweb.com or 412-320-7900.

Evergrey

08-06-2008, 05:49 AM

the Mexican War Streets win the battle versus the Salvation Army... I really like this building

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/cityregion/s_581286.html

Council grants North Side temple historic status

By Jeremy Boren
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Wednesday, August 6, 2008

Pittsburgh City Council Tuesday sought to end a long-simmering controversy by dubbing the former Malta Temple building in the North Side a historic structure.

The decision will protect the stately brick building on West North Avenue from demolition, but it also could prompt legal action from the Salvation Army, which has owned the former social club since the 1970s.

Salvation Army officials have fought the historic designation because they want to raze the edifice to make way for a larger $5 million facility on the same street. The nonprofit organization runs a social services center in the 81-year-old building, which officials say would be too costly to renovate.

Salvation Army officials last week said they might challenge City Council's decision in court.

"We are very disappointed in the vote," said Maj. Robert J. Reel, the organization's Western Pennsylvania divisional commander. "And we are exploring our options."

Members of the Mexican War Streets Society, a neighborhood group, said they nominated the Malta Temple building for historic status to preserve the neighborhood's historic appeal.

In a final decision, City Council voted 8-1 in favor of the designation, with Councilman Ricky Burgess casting the lone dissenting vote.

Burgess argued historic designation should not be forced upon the building because it serves as a place of religious worship.

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

...

and in Lawrenceville... a Catholic Cemeteries Association wants to destroy a classic, unique structure for cemetery space...

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/s_581323.html

Architect hopes to save former St. Mary's in Lawrenceville

By Jenny Paul
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Wednesday, August 6, 2008

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/photos/2008-08-05/0806pacademy-a.jpg
The former St. Mary's Academy, at 340 46th St. in Lawrenceville, is under consideration for nomination by the Historic Review Commission.
Keith Hodan/Tribune-Review

Pittsburgh's Historic Review Commission will decide today whether a Lawrenceville structure slated for demolition should be recommended for designation as a local historic landmark.

The former St. Mary's Academy was built in the Greek Revival style in 1854 and used as a church and school in the 19th century, according to Lawrenceville architect Keith Cochran, who nominated the building for historic landmark status to prevent its demolition.

Directors of the Catholic Cemeteries Association, which purchased the building and land from Our Lady of the Angels parish in 2005, want to tear down the building to create open land that eventually will be used for burial space as part of St. Mary Cemetery, Executive Director Annabelle McGannon said.

"It's in a state of disrepair," she said. "We have no use for the property, for the building. A cemetery's treasure is in its land, not its building."

If the commission decides the structure is a historic landmark, the nomination will advance to the city's Planning Commission and to City Council for a final vote. Once designated as a local landmark, a building cannot undergo exterior changes, including demolition, without the city's approval.

Cochran said the building should be preserved because it's one of the few of its style in the city. The Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Foundation, the Lawrenceville Historical Society and the Lawrenceville Stakeholders support his bid, he said.

"It's one of the few pre-Civil War buildings in Lawrenceville and in the Greek Revival style," Cochran said. "That makes it rather unique."

Designation as a historic landmark does not force the property owner to do any work on a building. The Catholic Cemeteries Association does not have the money to maintain the building and does not intend to preserve it or provide upkeep, McGannon said. The building has been vacant since 2004.

"We do not intend to maintain it, but it's a liability," McGannon said. "If it's boarded up and secured and allowed to fall down, basically, it's a huge liability for the Catholic Cemeteries Association to have it sitting there empty for many years to come."

Another larger structure on the site was built in 1874 for use as a church and will be preserved. The association plans to convert it into a mausoleum and a chapel where committal services will be held before burials, McGannon said.

If the structure is not designated as a historic landmark, the association will apply for a demolition permit and raze the building within two weeks after the permit is obtained, McGannon said.

Jenny Paul can be reached at jpaul@tribweb.com.

...

maybe the Cemetery association could sell this structure.. there's been many creative adaptive reuses of buildings like this in recent years

edncc1701d

08-06-2008, 02:22 PM

Unfortunately, I think such gripes always tend to be the same from one Pittsburgh neighborhood to another. Ugh.

http://pittsburgh.bizjournals.com/pittsburgh/stories/2008/08/04/daily15.html?t=printable

Pittsburgh residents voice concerns about proposed $50M development
...

The project’s design, height and parking topped the list of concerns of the residents who spoke at the community meeting.

...

Several other speakers expressed concern about the building’s height and potential traffic impact.

Does anyone else remember the stir that the yellow seats in Heinz field caused?

Wiz Khalifa

08-06-2008, 02:47 PM

edncc1701d

08-06-2008, 03:55 PM

I am glad to see things moving with this building; however, the image in the popcity articles scares me a little bit. I hope there are not too many changes made to one of Pittsburgh's most beautiful buildings. That main rotunda doesn't need new decorations and it certainly doesn't need a big sculpture of a tree in the middle.

http://www.popcitymedia.com/developmentnews/untrst0806.aspx
August 6, 2008
Landmark lease for landmark property: Union Trust building secures anchor tenant

http://www.popcitymedia.com/galleries/Default/Dev%20News/Issue%20121/UnionTrust_300.jpg

A Downtown landmark has landed an anchor tenant in one of the largest leases in the Pittsburgh area in 2008.

Siemens has signed a 10-year lease to consolidate its Environmental Engineering Operations within the historic Union Trust building located Downtown at 501 Grant St. By the end of 2008, Siemens—a Fortune Global 25 company specializing in environmental engineering work—will occupy 185,000 square feet, including additional storage and conference space, on four of the building’s ten floors.

“They’re moving from several locations and growing,” says Jack Norris, with CBRE. The 600,000-square-foot building was home to Mellon Bank’s operations center for 20 years. On March 5, Pop City reported that Los Angeles-based MIKA Realty purchased the historic property for $25 million from Teal Rock 501 Grant Street LP, an entity of Philadelphia-based Cigna Corporation. Norris says the building's rentable office space is now 50% leased.

Michael Kamen, with MIKA Realty Group, says that Siemens’ focus on environmental engineering is a natural fit for the LEED-certified historical renovation planned for the landmark office building. Expected to be one of the largest, historical LEED-rated properties in the country, and the region’s largest speculative LEED-rated office development, the project calls for a new lobby and commissioned sculpture, new restrooms and a lower level parking facility, conference center and auditorium upgrades, new street front retail, and exterior lighting improvements.

The project, which involves ongoing renovations over the next 14 months, is being managed by CBRE on behalf of Mika Realty Group. Project architect is Burt Hill. Built for industrialist Henry Clay Frick in 1916, the Union Trust building was designed by prominent Pittsburgh architect Frederick Osterling.

Writer: Jennifer Baron
Sources: Jack Norris, CBRE; Michael Kamen, MIKA Realty Group

Courtesy CB Richard Ellis and Burt Hill

PA Pride

08-06-2008, 06:10 PM

I have a question about the possibility of Pittsburgh merging with Allegheny county next year. Does this mean that the city will get to include the county as part of its population? I don't think it is fair that Pittsburgh keeps dropping down the lists on population when the city itself is actually much bigger than what some ancient and arbitrary border suggests. We have a top 22 MSA.

Yes, if there is a city-county merger the population of Pittsburgh will go to 1.25+ million and take us from 58 to 20-something largest city in the country. Not that that will necessarily change much; Although maybe it will be a bit of psychological victory for civic pride, I'm not sure.

Grego43

08-06-2008, 06:41 PM

I would guess that more federal $$$ would be forthcoming as well. Many allocations, grants, etc. are based on population figures. I'd bet Evergrey could take us all to school on this topic.

Evergrey

08-06-2008, 06:59 PM

actually, the proposed city-county merger is a half-assed proposal... and I'm not sure if it has any precedent elsewhere... local officials keep talking about Louisville... but this proposal is nothing like Louisville since the city of Pittsburgh would not be able to annex any unincorporated land. Essentially, the city would be folded into the county with the 129 suburban municipalities remaining untouched. The city of Pittsburgh would become an "urban services district". I really have no clue how "City of Pittsburgh" population would be calculated in this scenario.

hyperion1110

08-06-2008, 08:21 PM

I actually think the proposed merger is a good intermediate step to folding in the other municipalities. I mean, all these little hamlets (which is really what they are), want to keep everything for themselves. But, under this plan, as the merger city-county flourish, they will flounder...many of them are doing so already.

As for what our population would be, I think it would consist of the whole county. In that case, we would actually crack the top ten (number 8, I think). That, in and of itself, would be a huge boast to morale and civic pride, and definitely increase Pittsburgh's visibility. As it stands right now, places like Omaha and Memphis are considered our peers. And, no disrespect to those cities (which are amazing in their own rights), Pittsburgh is a much larger and more distinctive city than such as those.

Even with a merger, there is one important thing that has to take place: Allegheny County, and thus Pittsburgh, need to be upgraded from second class status. As it stands right now, the city and county have much less power than Philadelphia, which is class one. Given that the populations of Philly and Allegheny are not that far off from each other, I don't see the reason for the continued distinction. Granting us that status would enable us to realign much of our tax structure, which would thus promote the revitalization of the county's urban centers. For example, Pittsburgh needs a version of Philly's Sterling Act, which allows the city to tax up to 3 percent of the wages for those who work in the city, but live outside of it. I've long been an advocate of such measures, since taxing a wage is really taxing a job, not a person. Thus, the revenue should go to the municipality which provides the job. The neglect of laws such as this, I believe, has been one of the major factors contributing to the city's budget woes. As compared to the surrounding areas, Pittsburgh keeps on producing jobs...but most of those are being taken up by people who chose to live in the suburbs. The end result? Pittsburgh grows and innovates, and everyone reaps the rewards but the city.

I don't mean for any of this to be an us vs. them thing. But the city needs to be able to profit from the jobs it creates. I mean, correct me if I am wrong, but Downtown and Oakland aloan have a combined 300,000 jobs. That almost one job, in those two NEIGHBORHOODS for every man, woman, child, and retiree in the city. And we have money/population problems? WTF?

PA Pride

08-06-2008, 09:12 PM

You raise some good point hyperion.

I think that might be a good intermediate step. And yes, there's too many good jobs in Pgh for the city to not have enough money.

Evergrey

08-07-2008, 12:46 AM

Nordenburg's proposal has been heavy on rhetoric and light on details so far.

PittPanther

08-07-2008, 05:20 AM

Pens to break out the shovels

http://www.timesonline.com/articles/2008/08/05/sports/penguins/doc48991815b361d436673166.txt

By The Associated Press
Published: Tuesday, August 5, 2008 11:50 PM EDT
PITTSBURGH — The Penguins will break ground on their new $290 million arena next Thursday at 11 a.m.

Gov. Ed Rendell and Penguins owner Mario Lemieux will be among the dignitaries in attendance.

The new arena will be built across the street from 47-year-old Mellon Arena, the oldest and one of the smallest arenas in the NHL.

The Penguins hope the arena will be complete by the start of the 2010-2011 season.

The owner of the city’s planned slot machine casino is expected to contribute $7.5 million a year for 30 years toward the cost of the arena.

The groundbreaking ceremony will be open to the public. Those attending should enter the site via the gate located along Washington Place. Footwear that is appropriate for a construction site – such as hard-soled, close-toed shoes or boots – is required.

PittPanther

08-07-2008, 05:21 AM

Nothing new but something I am really excited for anyway

P.S. I am new here and can anybody tell me how I put a picture next to my name

PA Pride

08-07-2008, 01:47 PM

Nothing new but something I am really excited for anyway

P.S. I am new here and can anybody tell me how I put a picture next to my name

Welcome.
CLick "User CP" at the top left hand of the website; Then click "edit avatar". Then type in the web address or browse your computer for a picture.

Where in Beaver County are you? I live in Hopewell.

Evergrey

08-07-2008, 03:27 PM

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08220/902255-34.stm

Cork Factory to host chic Cioppino

Thursday, August 07, 2008
By Marlene Parrish, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/images/200808/20080807rr_alauzen_500.jpg
Robin Rombach/Post-Gazette
Greg Alauzen will be the chef at the new restaurant, Cioppino in The Cork Factory, Strip District.

Beginning a new restaurant is a lot like getting married again. There are personalities to mesh and new digs to arrange.

New china, flatware and glassware to choose. And there are high hopes all around that one's partner will be there for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, and hopefully for better and richer.

Chef Greg Alauzen and his partners David and Joe Lamatrice have tied the knot. The latter also are involved in the Clark Bar & Grill on the North Side and Caffe Amante, Downtown. Cioppino, a seafood and chophouse, is the new venture and, fingers crossed, will open Aug. 15.

The site of the eatery is new to most people. Traveling on Smallman Street, turn toward the Allegheny River at 23rd Street. The big brick building is the urban chic Cork Factory. Go to the railroad tracks and brake. That's the place, on the far corner of the building: Cioppino, with its front door a few feet from the railroad tracks.

Chef Alauzen's star shone bright in Pittsburgh at the Steelhead Brasserie and Wine Bar and at Eleven, but we've missed him the past few years while he was in residence at Nevillewood Country Club and tending his 65-acre farm in Eighty Four. After 26 years in the business, he still cuts a handsome figure, and his hair is still fashionably moussed and spiked, although it now shows streaks of gray.

A few weeks ago, he led a hard-hat tour of the 160-seat space. "Cioppino won't have one of those 'open kitchens,'" he says with a laugh. "We'll be back here working hard to handle the four main rooms. The private dining room will handle about 20 guests; the main dining room will hold 60 with a corner wine area. The bar features cork panels designed to keep the connection to the original Armstrong Cork factory.

"The cigar bar is bound to be popular. There's a separate entry to the room, which features a huge humidor and 13-foot doors. This is where you can sit in a high-back leather chair with a drink and a smoke and order up a huge steak or one of our small plates.

"The bar is on the corner of 23rd at the tracks, looking southwest. It will have its own entrance and a small plates menu. Isn't it great? Bet you never saw Pittsburgh's Downtown skyline from this angle."

True. Photographers, take note.

The restaurant will also operate Il Mercato, a specialty market that will include an espresso bar and eat-in deli. "Our market will offer prepared foods, our own breads, groceries, chickens and deli goods," says Chef Alauzen.

"Our next-door neighbors on Railroad Street live in the lofts and condos here, and it should be a great convenience for them. And down the line, a marina will be built, so we can expect boaters to come from the rivers."

The menu is Tuscan-inspired American cuisine -- basically, a "seafood and chophouse," says Chef Alauzen. "We'll have four to six steak options with the same for fish, along with a few pastas, lamb and pork dishes. The house specialty, of course, will be cioppino."

Which raises the question, so what is a "cioppino" anyway?

See the accompanying story.

Marlene Parrish can be reached at mparrish@post-gazette.com or 412-481-1620.

Evergrey

08-07-2008, 04:16 PM

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08220/902369-55.stm

Stalled 'transit village' concept in Castle Shannon may get funding

Thursday, August 07, 2008
By Erin Gibson Allen

Shannon Station, a "transit village" project talked about for more than a decade, may soon have new life.

Officials in Castle Shannon and the developer, JRA Development Group Inc., of Lawrenceville, said this week that they are optimistic that government financing for a crucial piece of the project will be announced soon.

The long-talked-about project would be a mixed residential and retail development, located at the Castle Shannon light rail transit stop, near Castle Shannon Boulevard.

Back in 2006, it had been estimated to cost between $30 million and $32 million, with about $10 million in public money needed.

Planning has been on and off for about 10 years. In 2006, the idea was lauded because of the site's proximity to public transit in a time of rising fuel prices.

While current plans have not been revealed, past ideas discussed for the site include a four-story apartment building with 96 rental units.

Under earlier plans, residents would have had access to 40,000 square feet of retail stores located at the site.

To preserve the existing park-n-ride Port Authority parking spaces at the location, JRA has proposed building a deck that would support the apartment and shops.

JRA principal James Aiello, of Mt. Lebanon, said that the cost of the deck would be about $10 million. Because there is no return on this investment, he said, building the structure requires outside funding.

Lynn Colosi, of Clearview Strategies in Lawrenceville, has been a consultant with JRA Development on the project since 1999.

"Some long-standing issues of resources are about to be resolved," Ms. Colosi said.

Through the years, funding had been sought from various sources, she said, including state and county agencies.

"I am, for the first time in a long time, optimistic that this project is going to be completed," she said.

She declined to identify the funding sources, but said that an announcement could be expected soon.

Borough Manager Tom Hartswick confirmed that an announcement is expected soon on public funding for the station. "We are optimistic about it," he said, adding that he had not seen any recent plans for the site, with updated costs.

Despite the many years of delay, Mr. Hartswick supports the project.

"A development like this is in line with a new form of urban revitalization for more mature urban communities like Castle Shannon," he said.

Councilman Michael Warhold said the station might be an important first step in revitalizing the borough business district, which has been in decline.

"It upsets me to see so many vacant buildings," Mr. Warhold said.

At a council meeting last month, he reviewed a plan to replace parking meters in front of businesses on Willow Avenue and Castle Shannon Boulevard with a strictly enforced two-hour parking limit.

The move, he said, would be part of a long-term plan to revitalize the community's business district.

Mr. Warhold said that he visited business owners to solicit their feedback on the parking change. They were overwhelmingly in favor of the change, he said.

Mayor Donald Baumgarten agreed that the Shannon Station is an important first step in stimulating the business district. He said that he does not support removal of the parking meters before Shannon Station becomes a reality.

Council is expected to discuss the issue of the parking meters at its next meeting on Monday.
Erin Gibson Allen is a freelance writer.

Evergrey

08-07-2008, 04:34 PM

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08220/902515-53.stm

Lawmakers are cool to the idea of city-county merger at this point

Thursday, August 07, 2008
By Mark Belko, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Local state lawmakers aren't in any hurry to back a referendum on the proposed Pittsburgh-Allegheny County merger.

After a private meeting at Point Park University yesterday, state Rep. Dan Frankel, D-Squirrel Hill, said members of the county legislative delegation aren't ready to support enabling legislation that would allow residents to vote on the proposed merger.

Mr. Frankel said there was no consensus for such legislation, in part because of questions, concerns and skepticism about a full-fledged merger.

"This is not something that this group is prepared to offer at this point," he said.

The lack of enthusiasm could scuttle the bid by Mayor Luke Ravenstahl and county Chief Executive Dan Onorato to get a voter referendum regarding the merger of the city into the county on the ballot in November 2009. Mr. Frankel said he doesn't see any enabling legislation being offered before the end of the year.

"We want to take a thoughtful approach without feeling that we're pressed to act with some sense of urgency," he said.

State Rep. Chelsa Wagner, D-Beechview, said there has been no attempt so far to gather input from her constituents or other municipalities about the proposed merger. That, she said, "was a big concern."

"We feel like a lot of this we received in the 11th hour and we're asked to put forth enabling legislation. We owe it to our constituents to make sure that, whether it's the municipal government or city residents, they're actually informed," she said.

She and some of the other legislators who attended the meeting said they believed there were lots of steps short of a merger, such as consolidating services, that needed to be explored first.

Mr. Frankel said that he would like to see more regional cooperation on economic development, adding, "Do we need two economic development agencies? Do we need all of these different planning authorities?"

Toward that end, the delegation will form an ad hoc committee that will look at what the city and county have done so far in terms of shared services, what more can be done, what resources or legislation might be needed to further that, and other potential merger models beyond that proposed by the committee headed by University of Pittsburgh Chancellor Mark Nordenberg.

"I think that clearly around the table here there are a wide range of views beyond that one expressed and recommended in the Nordenberg report," Mr. Frankel said.

State Rep. John Maher, R-Upper St. Clair, said the model touted by the mayor and county executive -- the merger of Louisville, Ky., and Jefferson County in 2000 -- began first with cooperation on shared services and a compact framing the terms of a consolidation.

He said the city and county should start doing the same.

Mr. Ravenstahl could not be reached for comment, but spokeswoman Joanna Doven said the city and the county have been working to eliminate duplicative services.

She said a joint telecommunications contract will save the two governments $6 million over three years. The city, county, Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium, Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority, and Sports & Exhibition Authority will save a combined $1.4 million over two years by joining to purchase electricity, she said.

Kevin Evanto, Mr. Onorato's spokesman, said the county also has taken over bulk purchasing and fingerprinting operations from the city and has reduced the number of 911 centers from six to one. The latter, he said, saves municipalities $3.5 million each year.

The city and county will continue to look for ways to eliminate duplicative service, but Mr. Onorato "believes a full consolidation of city and county government is the best choice for residents," he said.

Mr. Onorato, he added, was not disappointed that the enabling legislation was unlikely this year.

"We knew that November 2009 was an aggressive timetable, but that is not going to deter us from the ultimate goal, which is to get this before voters," he said.
Mark Belko can be reached at mbelko@post-gazette.com or 412-263-1262.

Black-n-Gold

08-07-2008, 04:47 PM

... Pittsburgh needs a version of Philly's Sterling Act, which allows the city to tax up to 3 percent of the wages for those who work in the city, but live outside of it...

That would be fine as long as I could then vote for Mayor and City Council members so I would have some say in how it is spent.

Seriously though, I think this idea would have a lot of unintended consequences - for example somebody who lives in Cranberry would effectively get a 3% raise if they switched jobs to a company located in a suburban office park. I think people would start to vote with their feet . . .

Evergrey

08-07-2008, 05:21 PM

Steelers get their sweetheart deal

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08220/902487-53.stm

North Shore land deal is approved

Thursday, August 07, 2008
By Mark Belko, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

In a tense two-hour meeting, the city's Stadium Authority board pushed through two controversial North Shore land deals over the objections of its chairwoman and a group that has been trying to extract concessions from the developer.

Board members voted 3-1 to sell one parcel of land and portions of three others to Continental Real Estate for $1.32 million for a proposed Hyatt Place Hotel. In the same vote, members also authorized Continental to continue as exclusive developer of the land between Heinz Field and PNC Park.

In a separate vote, also by 3-1, the board approved the sale of a prime riverfront parcel near Heinz Field to the Pittsburgh Steelers and Continental for $1.37 million. The four-acre site would be used for a proposed year-round $10 million entertainment venue.

The price for the land is about $300,000 more than was suggested in an unrelated court settlement last year. The disclosure at the time drew fire from city Councilman William Peduto, who saw it as a sweetheart deal and estimated that the land was worth eight times that much.

Both approvals came over the protests of board Chairwoman Debbie Lestitian, who argued that the option agreement giving Continental development rights had expired because the company failed to meet a timetable for developing the land. She also said the sales price was not a good deal for taxpayers.

Ms. Lestitian pushed for a delay in the vote, but could not muster a second to her motion.

She also voted against the sale of the entertainment site, saying the board had a fiduciary responsibility to taxpayers to get the best price for the land, which she called the "crown jewel" of the North Shore.

"Pittsburgh's a distressed city and we're giving away our prime riverfront property," she said, adding that the sales price amounted to $8 a square foot.

An appraiser hired by the Stadium Authority estimated the value of the land, given its intended use and expected revenues, at $1.1 million, slightly less than the sales price. He said the highest and best use of the property, one that would fetch the most money, would be for parking.

Frank Kass, Continental Real Estate chairman, also disputed the notion that the developer's option agreement on the land had expired. He said it was forced to delay intended development in part because of the North Shore Connector project.

The approvals also came over the protests of Northside United, a consortium of labor, environmental and community groups that has been trying to get Continental to agree to a community benefits agreement.

Michael Glass, chairman of Northside United, told the board the only way to guarantee that North Side residents would share in the success of the developments would be through a community benefits agreement that guaranteed good wages, preference in hiring and help in improving housing stock, among other demands.

But his arguments failed to win over board members.

Another board member, state Rep. Jake Wheatley, said he did not see yesterday's vote as an end to discussion about a community benefits agreement.

The authority will receive an estimated $815,000 in "unearned" development fund money that accrued to the Steelers and Pirates to pay debt service on an existing garage and will not be required to build a second garage on the North Shore unless studies showed it could support itself.

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

Burgh15

08-07-2008, 06:17 PM

Steelers get their sweetheart deal

Do you know any of the details of the project that the Steelers are doing other than what is going to be constructed?

hyperion1110

08-07-2008, 07:36 PM

That would be fine as long as I could then vote for Mayor and City Council members so I would have some say in how it is spent.

Seriously though, I think this idea would have a lot of unintended consequences - for example somebody who lives in Cranberry would effectively get a 3% raise if they switched jobs to a company located in a suburban office park. I think people would start to vote with their feet . . .

Why would you be able to vote? Pittsburgh is the one who would have provided you with the job. You'd certainly be welcome to move into the city to save money on taxes.

The city needs to benefit from the jobs it creates, period. Personally, I think that all municipalities should be able to tax the income of those who work within their borders, not that live there. This would shift the economic advantage away from the small, residential communities to larger, economically vital ones.

I don't think I'll ever understand why people everywhere don't realize that the future of this entire region, is intrinsically linked to the vitality of the city. Folks, if it goes down, so do you! Why is that so hard to understand???

Black-n-Gold

08-07-2008, 09:15 PM

Why would you be able to vote? Pittsburgh is the one who would have provided you with the job. You'd certainly be welcome to move into the city to save money on taxes.

The city needs to benefit from the jobs it creates, period. Personally, I think that all municipalities should be able to tax the income of those who work within their borders, not that live there. This would shift the economic advantage away from the small, residential communities to larger, economically vital ones.

I don't think I'll ever understand why people everywhere don't realize that the future of this entire region, is intrinsically linked to the vitality of the city. Folks, if it goes down, so do you! Why is that so hard to understand???
First of all, Pittsburgh did not "provide me with a job" - the architecture firm I work for happens to be located downtown. It could also be located in Cranberry or the South Hills and my job would be more or less the same. In fact, a lot of my co-workers would be happy not to have to pay for parking like you do downtown (I take the bus).

I was thinking I should be able to vote because otherwise it would be taxation without representation!

It seems to me that the City benefits enormously from all of the people who commute to work here each day - increased property values on office buildings, tax revenue from restaurants where people eat lunch or shop during the work day, business travelers using hotels and restaurants, etc. And all of this comes at very little cost to the City - commuters need little to no fire service, police, or social services and they don't add any more kids to the school district (at more than $10,000 each to educate per year).

On the flip side, one could point to a number of services where the City is effectively subsidized by the surrounding County. One example is the county jail. The majority of its costs are paid for by County residents (about 78%), however, the population of the Jail is mostly city residents (about 50%).

Finally, the main reason that people have been historically taxed where they live is that the vast majority of local taxes (75% in my case) go to pay for the school district which is much more expensive than municipal services. Obviously where you choose to live is more closely related to a given school district then where you work.

hyperion1110

08-07-2008, 09:45 PM

I was thinking I should be able to vote because otherwise it would be taxation without representation!

It seems to me that the City benefits enormously from all of the people who commute to work here each day - increased property values on office buildings, tax revenue from restaurants where people eat lunch or shop during the work day, business travelers using hotels and restaurants, etc. And all of this comes at very little cost to the City - commuters need little to no fire service, police, or social services and they don't add any more kids to the school district (at more than $10,000 each to educate per year).

On the flip side, one could point to a number of services where the City is effectively subsidized by the surrounding County. One example is the county jail. The majority of its costs are paid for by County residents (about 78%), however, the population of the Jail is mostly city residents (about 50%).

I'm not entirely sure those points about the benefits of commuters is entirely valid. While I will admit that commuters add to the city economy while at work, there is nothing about them being commuters qua commuters that is inherently beneficial. The benefit exists by virtue of the job, irrespective of where they are commuters or not. In that respect, the commuter adds nothing that a city resident in the same position would not offer, and, in truth, the commuter adds substantially less. Also, it's naive to assume that the effective doubling of Pittsburgh's population during business hours adds no strain on its resources. Pittsburgh police, fire, and EMS are just as responsible for commuters as they are for city residents.

As for the county jail, I believe some of your figures may be somewhat inaccurate. Assuming you claim 78% of the funding derives from the county (which is inlikely, as these systems are heavily subsidized by the state), your figures remain a tad bit off. As the city is roughly 1/4 the county population lives within the city, then the percentage of cost subsidized by the non-city county population is really on the order of 58.5%. Assuming again that you are correct, and 50% of the county jail population are city residents (which is also very unlikely), then the cost to the rest of the county is relatively in line with the amount they kick in to fund it. Again, I am very much suspect of your numbers, especially because the county does not release resident information in its annual reports (which can be found with an easy Google search).

There is a reason the government classifies regions into metropolitan areas. The surrounding municipalities are dependent on the city to survive (which should be obvious, given that the term "metropolitan" derives from the Greek metros, or "mother", and polis, meaning "city" or "state").

All I'm trying to say is that the city needs to be given its chance, and with the current tax structure, it's not.

Gilamonster

08-07-2008, 10:53 PM

I have read the little war of words between Hyperion and Black-n-gold. They both make valid and good points. Hyperion finished with the opinion that "The surrounding municipalities are dependent on the city to survive". While I wouldn't say the 'burbs "ability to survive" is affected , I do think that the health of the downtown and urban core are essential for the overall quality of life of the greater metropolitan area. Sadly, I suspect that many suburbanites think the opposite, if they care to think about this issue at all. It is this attitude, along with the short sighted and self serving mentality of 70 + year old borough managers and 67 year old police chiefs of all the local dinky communities, that will keep our metropolitan area fragmented for the forseeable future.

Evergrey

08-08-2008, 02:03 AM

WTAE video on the Squirrel Hill mixed-use proposal... features rendering!

http://www.thepittsburghchannel.com/video/17124641/index.html

...

WTAE video on the South Side Works... featuring models of three high-rises to be constructed along the riverfront

http://www.thepittsburghchannel.com/video/17125021/index.html

...

http://www.thepittsburghchannel.com/entertainment/17124279/detail.html

South Side Adding High-Rises, German Bar, River Shows

Expansion Project Ready To Go At South Side Works

POSTED: 4:50 pm EDT August 7, 2008
UPDATED: 6:26 pm EDT August 7, 2008

PITTSBURGH -- The South Side is ready for a building boom worth millions of dollars -- and WTAE Channel 4 Action News reporter Janelle Hall got a preview tour on Thursday.

Condominiums on top of high-rises, new bars and restaurants, a Gateway Clipper stop and concerts are all part of the project, which is laid out in a three-dimensional model of the South Side Works.

"We had this built for marketing before there was a shovel in the ground," said developer Damian Soffer, president of the Soffer Organization.

The Works, a village of shops and restaurants, will overlook a new $11 million riverfront park, complete with a stage for concerts on the water.

"If you had a boat, you'd be able to come here, tie up your boat and go to (a restaurant), go to the movies and truly do what they're doing in other cities," Soffer said.

Over the next year or two, "we will have a marina with a private, independent operator that you can come and rent boat slips," he said.

Watch for two high-rise condos to be popping up, as well as the Hofbrauhaus, a German and Bavarian restaurant and bar with two outdoor beer gardens overlooking the Monongahela River.

All of the new developments should be finished by the summer of 2010.

"This is just a model," Soffer said. "I like seeing, when I look out the window, children playing in the fountain and people riding the trails, that it's reality that this is a place that exists in Pittsburgh."

Burgh15

08-08-2008, 03:37 AM

That Southside project looks like something else!

PA Pride

08-08-2008, 03:56 AM

Thanks for the links evergrey. Here are the screenshots.

9 story mixed use building in Squirrel Hill:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v284/austindaniel/squirrelhill9story.jpg

3 towers at Southside Works:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v284/austindaniel/SSworkstowers.jpg

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

AaronPGH

08-08-2008, 04:04 AM

Holy shit! Those towers look phenomenal now that I see the models. Man I hope that pans out!

Evergrey

08-08-2008, 06:13 AM

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/business/s_581738.html

Parking, traffic issues stall Squirrel Hill project

By Sam Spatter
FOR THE TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Friday, August 8, 2008

It may be months before the Pittsburgh Zoning Board of Adjustment reaches a decision on granting zoning variances for a proposed $50 million development at Murray and Forward avenues in Squirrel Hill.

Developer Cambridge Venture Partners has proposed a hotel, restaurant, condominium and retail complex for the site -- described by residents as the gateway to the community. It would include a nine-story building with a restaurant, 135 hotel rooms and 20 condominiums.

The site includes the closed Poli's Restaurant, several commercial establishments and the Squirrel Hill Theatre, which would be closed.

The zoning board asked an attorney for the developers to submit a brief based on testimony at Thursday's public hearing that included concerns raised by several residents and by employees of the Tango Cafe, a restaurant on the site, about parking and traffic congestion.

Attorney William R. Sittig Jr. said he will await a transcript, expected within 30 days, before submitting the brief. It may take the three-member board up to another month to reach a decision.

"Often, it is a traffic nightmare to attempt to cross the street from Forward to Murray. And unless there is a plan by the developers to improve the intersection with traffic signals and turning lanes, the project will only add to the problem," said Anne Robertson, who lives in the 2700 block of Beechwood Boulevard. She said students from nearby Allderdice High School and pedestrians find the site difficult to cross.

Lisa Mellay, a waitress at the Tango Cafe, agreed that traffic problems make the intersection "difficult" for pedestrians.

Robertson also raised concerns about parking for retail customers.

The project would include a 52-space parking lot on Murray, opposite the Poli site, plus a 112-car lot on Forward, toward the Parkway East, said Bob Murray of Renaissance 3 Architects PC. There would be 20 parking spaces for the condominiums.

Cynthia Jampole, a consultant who conducted a parking study for the developers, said she did not include any traffic considerations but plans to follow up on that question. Regarding parking, she said the project will have 184 spaces, while only 121 are required by zoning.

Rabbi Daniel Wasserman of Shaare Torah Congregation on Murray, who supports the project, said he has been waiting about 20 years for improvement of the site. He cited the need for a hotel in Squirrel Hill and "a fresh new look" for that corner.

Cambridge Venture Partners is seeking a special exception for the hotel and restaurant and for the two off-site parking lots, and a variance for the height-to-floor-area ratio, which zoning permits as 2-to-1 while 4.55-to-1 is requested because of the nine-story building.

Investors in Cambridge Venture Partners are R.E. Crawford, president of R.E. Crawford Construction of Springdale; Russell Mills of Mills & Henry law firm; and Steve Davis of Pennsylvania Commercial Real Estate. Also involved is Alderson-Forward Properties LLC, an out-of-town investment group that owns the properties along Forward.

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

Evergrey

08-08-2008, 06:16 AM

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/business/s_581742.html

CMU, hotel developer closer to agreement

By Sam Spatter
FOR THE TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Friday, August 8, 2008

A dispute that for six months delayed construction of the 11-story, 225-room Museum Park Hotel in Oakland, adjacent to the Carnegie Mellon University campus, may be close to a resolution.

Officials from CMU, which filed a lawsuit to protest variances granted for the hotel by the Pittsburgh Zoning Board of Adjustment, and from Museum Park Hotel LP, the developer, said they may be close to reaching a compromise on the project.

"We have had an amicable relationship and good experience (with CMU) that has been productive and which should lead to a resolution acceptable for all parties," said attorney Russell Mills, of Mills & Henry, Downtown, who represents the developer.

He expects an agreement to be reached within 45 to 90 days to settle the lawsuit filed by CMU.

CMU spokeswoman Teresa Thomas said, "We raised concerns over how the hotel fits into the campus, since it will be at the gateway to the university, although located on private property."

CMU's concerns were over the hotel's architectural design, height and size, and which hotel chain will operate it.

Allegheny County Common Pleas Judge Joseph James encouraged the parties to reach a solution, Mills said.

The developers include Brint Motheral of Brint Motheral Real Estate Inc. and Cambridge Venture Partners LLC. Mills is a partner in Cambridge, which includes R.E. Crawford, CEO of R.E. Crawford Construction in Springdale, and Steve Davis, president of Pennsylvania Commercial Real Estate, Downtown.

The hotel would be built on a former gasoline station property at 4655 Forbes Ave., adjacent to CMU properties at 4620, 4622 and 5000 Forbes Ave. The university occupies the Graphic Arts Building, which bounds the property on the west.

In its lawsuit filed in March shortly after the zoning board's action, the university claimed the board failed to consider the residential compatibility standards for the new building.

CMU said the maximum height permitted under existing zoning is 60 feet, which can be extended to 85 feet, but that the zoning board approved a height of 135 feet. The existing zoning would permit 108,320 square feet of space for the project, not the larger size approved.

The developer's original plan was to build an H-shaped, 13-story, 315-room hotel. But after a series of meetings with local community groups, business group Craig Street Merchants, CMU and the Carnegie Museum, parties agreed on an L-shaped configuration for an 11-story, 225-room hotel.

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

Brandon716

08-08-2008, 12:42 PM

Wow, that's a pretty big change for South Side, looks fantastic.

PA Pride

08-08-2008, 01:14 PM

Brandon, you in the burgh now?!? Where you stayin?

themaguffin

08-08-2008, 02:26 PM

The county jail is just that - a county jail. The number of residents who "reside" in the jail from the city is irrelevant. Pittsburgh is part of Allegheny County.

The fact is that without growing borders, cities are bound to neighborhoods which mature and as a result the tax base shrinks. When your borders are less than 60 square miles moving to more space was and is appealing to people. Let's not lose sight of how crowded 670,000 plus people were in the city's borders back during WW2.

Sorry but eating lunch downtown can't pay to run the city.

hyperion1110

08-08-2008, 03:28 PM

Wiz Khalifa

08-08-2008, 03:59 PM

WTAE video on the South Side Works... featuring models of three high-rises to be constructed along the riverfront

http://www.thepittsburghchannel.com/video/17125021/index.html

...

http://www.thepittsburghchannel.com/entertainment/17124279/detail.html

South Side Adding High-Rises, German Bar, River Shows

Expansion Project Ready To Go At South Side Works

POSTED: 4:50 pm EDT August 7, 2008
UPDATED: 6:26 pm EDT August 7, 2008

PITTSBURGH -- The South Side is ready for a building boom worth millions of dollars -- and WTAE Channel 4 Action News reporter Janelle Hall got a preview tour on Thursday.

Condominiums on top of high-rises, new bars and restaurants, a Gateway Clipper stop and concerts are all part of the project, which is laid out in a three-dimensional model of the South Side Works.

"We had this built for marketing before there was a shovel in the ground," said developer Damian Soffer, president of the Soffer Organization.

The Works, a village of shops and restaurants, will overlook a new $11 million riverfront park, complete with a stage for concerts on the water.

"If you had a boat, you'd be able to come here, tie up your boat and go to (a restaurant), go to the movies and truly do what they're doing in other cities," Soffer said.

Over the next year or two, "we will have a marina with a private, independent operator that you can come and rent boat slips," he said.

Watch for two high-rise condos to be popping up, as well as the Hofbrauhaus, a German and Bavarian restaurant and bar with two outdoor beer gardens overlooking the Monongahela River.

All of the new developments should be finished by the summer of 2010.

"This is just a model," Soffer said. "I like seeing, when I look out the window, children playing in the fountain and people riding the trails, that it's reality that this is a place that exists in Pittsburgh."[/QUOTE]

^HOLY CRAP!!! The South Side is AMAZING!!! :notacrook:

edncc1701d

08-08-2008, 04:20 PM

Looks like a good project and this area of town could certainly benefit from more residential units. My only concern is that from the renderings on the website, it looks like the developers are going to cover the facade of a great old building. I like everything else they are doing, but they should retain the street face facade. It would probably save them money anyway.

http://www.thehardwarelofts.com/index.html
http://www.bizjournals.com/pittsburgh/stories/2008/08/11/story8.html

More Strip lofts in the works

In a once forgotten corner of the Strip District, a young development company is taking on an old building for a new condo project.

Luke Katich, his Fox Chapel high school friend Mauricio Czonstkowsky and a third partner, Corey Cumiskey, have started KCC Partners. They have an agreement of sale to buy the eight-story American Equipment Co. building in the 1200 block of Penn Avenue in the Strip District and are working to redevelop the property into the Hardware Lofts.

KCC plans to redevelop the 80-year-old property and two adjoining parcels into 28 to 32 residential units, complete with balconies, polished concrete floors and expansive city views.

Katich and Czonstkowsky are both 24 years old, and Cumiskey is 26. The partners expect to target their first development project to young people like themselves, pricing the units around $200,000.

PA Pride

08-08-2008, 06:03 PM

^Wow; How are 3 20 something year olds taking on an 8 story condo building?? I would love to do that myself but it seems impossible at this age. Any guess on how they're swinging that?

edncc1701d

08-08-2008, 07:33 PM

^Wow; How are 3 20 something year olds taking on an 8 story condo building?? I would love to do that myself but it seems impossible at this age. Any guess on how they're swinging that?

Well, the article mentioned something about the three being high school buddies from Fox Chapel; but, I'm not sure how that would affect anything. :hmmm:

Brandon716

08-08-2008, 09:29 PM

Brandon, you in the burgh now?!? Where you stayin?

I'm not there right now, looking for housing... Which is hard to do from 500 miles away.

PA Pride

08-09-2008, 01:43 AM

I'm not there right now, looking for housing... Which is hard to do from 500 miles away.

You should sleep on AaronClark's front doorstep, like I do.

AaronPGH

08-09-2008, 06:12 AM

You should sleep on AaronClark's front doorstep, like I do.

come on in Austin, my bed's warm! ;)

Brandon716

08-09-2008, 08:31 AM

Theoretically speaking we could all crawl in your bed.

Tombstoner

08-09-2008, 10:46 AM

:previous: Hmm...this seems to be evolving into a different kind of forum...

Did anyone else seem to think that Soffer was completely unengaged with Ms. Hall's questions/comments? Her questions were innocent enough, but he seemed to think she was speaking Uzbek...

PA Pride

08-09-2008, 01:24 PM

^I didn't really get that impression.

Aaron: Thanks for the tempting offer.

Edncc: So rich 20 something year olds can renovate an 8 story building? They must have a ton of money or connection or something. Either way I'm jealous.

Brandon716

08-09-2008, 10:53 PM

Hmm, where did they get their capital from? Get lucky in the lotto? LOL

Evergrey

08-09-2008, 10:54 PM

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/cityregion/s_581988.html

City takes step toward beginning Beechview revitalization

By Jeremy Boren
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Saturday, August 9, 2008

Without the Foodland, hair salon and tavern, the only signs of life on Beechview's main drag are 14,000 light-rail passengers who rumble through the ghost neighborhood each day.

Few people linger on the sidewalks at midday. Many visit just long enough to buy groceries and leave. It's easy to see why: Padlocks and Columbia Gas shut-off notices are fixed to a dozen decaying edifices that once housed a bank, video store and other shops on Broadway Avenue.

Locks on four shuttered businesses came off Friday in an important, albeit ceremonial, step toward revitalizing properties that once were mired in foreclosure proceedings against would-be developer Bernardo Katz.

"This community has been held hostage, so to speak," said Mayor Luke Ravenstahl. "The good news is that's behind us now."

Last year, Katz, 49, stopped repaying $750,000 in loans the Urban Redevelopment Authority gave him to renovate the properties. The concert cellist has returned to his native Brazil and could not be reached for comment.

City Controller Michael Lamb is scrutinizing the loans the URA granted to Katz because some Beechview residents believe the city gave Katz preferential treatment. Several other Katz properties in Beechview and Downtown remain snarled in foreclosure actions started by S&T Bank.

The URA is seeking proposals for developing 1600, 1601, 1602 and 1619 Broadway Ave., which the authority acquired through a sheriff's sale, said Rob Stephany, acting executive director.

The incentives for business owners to move to Beechview are the high number of people who pass through each day on the T and the proximity to the lone grocery store.

"We're glad the Foodland is here. Without it, we'd be dead in the water," said Don Bell, president of Community Leaders United for Beechview, an umbrella group for 16 churches, schools, businesses and others.

Bell said he's happy Ravenstahl visited to "unlock" four former Katz properties, but he believes the URA should front money for renovations before business owners agree to invest in Beechview.

"All of these buildings are in terrible condition," Bell said. "We're left to wonder if the URA is going to remediate any of the damage done under their watch."

State Sen. Wayne Fontana, D-Brookline, said his office has about $200,000 available to help with renovations from the state's Regional Capital Assistance Program.

Bell said he isn't sure that's enough to cover the needs of the four 3,000-square-foot buildings, but it's a start. He said his group is working with an architect to submit a development proposal to the URA.

The application has been downloaded 30 times from the URA's Web site so far, Ravenstahl said.

No one is certain what types of businesses or residential development might open in Beechview, but there's plenty of room for improvement, said Pete Wagner, 63, brother of state Auditor General Jack Wagner and father of state Rep. Chelsa Wagner, D-Beechview.

Wagner owns Huddle, a Broadway Avenue restaurant just beyond the central business district.

"All you have to do is take a look and see there is nothing here," said Wagner, who is critical of the URA for giving so many loans to Katz. "Hopefully, they have learned a lesson."

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

PA Pride

08-10-2008, 12:34 AM

edit

PA Pride

08-10-2008, 12:38 AM

Hmm, where did they get their capital from? Get lucky in the lotto? LOL

Lucky sperm lotto.

I was born in Beaver County. I must've been a serial killer in my previous lifetime for this karma. When I was born in the early 80s unemployment was 28% in BC!

near bottom of article: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08188/895131-28.stm

PittPanther

08-10-2008, 05:03 AM

Hey things in Beaver County are doing great right know. An enormous senior citizen population, strip malls, and housing plans popping up everywhere. Suburban development at it's absolute finest

Smoker

08-10-2008, 08:02 AM

Hmm, where did they get their capital from? Get lucky in the lotto? LOL

Rich folks often have rich relatives/come from wealthy families. These young guys can possibly go through life inheiriting money everytime someone dies and never really have to work. This investment might be a hobby that interests them and they are putting their chump-change into it. They're old enough to know it would look good to their parents and other living relatives if it seemed like they were making an effort at working instead of spending their days golfing at the Field Club or living it up much worse.

PA Pride

08-10-2008, 04:19 PM

Hey things in Beaver County are doing great right know. An enormous senior citizen population, strip malls, and housing plans popping up everywhere. Suburban development at it's absolute finest

Don't forget the two staples of our aging population's retail scene: Dollar stores & Pharmacys!

Evergrey

08-10-2008, 04:21 PM

Don't forget Ambridge, which is undergoing a huge downtown redevelopment boom

...

btw
http://i531.photobucket.com/albums/dd360/pittsburghrules/namu/DSC04789.jpg

dugdogmaster

08-10-2008, 11:34 PM

Ooh, I can't wait until 3 PNC is complete! I'm like a giddy little schoolboy waiting in anticipation.

Brandon716

08-11-2008, 02:12 AM

Lucky sperm lotto.

I was born in Beaver County. I must've been a serial killer in my previous lifetime for this karma. When I was born in the early 80s unemployment was 28% in BC!

near bottom of article: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08188/895131-28.stm

28% is depression level despair. I've said it before, I'll say it again... People in this nation have no appreciation for what happened in the rust belt during America's de-industrialization.

I feel like I know this nation in an out since I seem to have lived on every corner of it... Its so easy to understand how things work. When you have no jobs to begin with (i.e. old rural south) and service jobs get started from nothing, that's why growth is such a high percent.

But when you have a total economic collapse of and old sector of the economy in an established city like Pittsburgh, it takes 2 jobs to both replace and then grow the economy whenever 1 old economy job is shedded.

To think that Pittsburgh in 2008 has not only unemployment below the national average, but has net job creation.... while primarily sunbelt cities from SoCal to Texas to Florida have been shedding a lot is a testament to the "new economy" taking a beating.

The national economy of the United States has shedded hundreds of thousands of jobs since January 2008 and Pittsburgh has increased its jobs level. Pittsburgh, in less than 25 years, has shedded a few hundred thousand industrial jobs and created an entirely new economy within its metropolitan boundaries. That's within my little lifetime.

If that isn't a turnaround, I don't know what is.

PA Pride

08-11-2008, 07:35 PM

^You'll make evergrey proud with such talk.

But you're right. Pittsburgh is in good shape and I am very bullish about the future of this region's economic strength.

Gilamonster

08-12-2008, 12:07 AM

Well put Brandon. I think there is clear progress in the 'Burgh in national economic numbers, but things look even brighter when compared to other "rust belt" cities.

Brandon716

08-12-2008, 02:20 AM

I say this in the hopes of not offending fellow forumers from Buffalo who may read this, but as many times as I've travelled through Buffalo going/coming to Toronto on vacations, through Detroit, and to compare that with the time I spend in Pittsburgh, to me Pittsburgh is on an entirely new level.

Buffalo never has recovered economically, and Detroit is in the middle of its decline IMO. Detroit's auto industry remained strong throughout most the 1980's and 1990's when other rustbelters had more problems.

You're right, even within the rustbelt there are different dynamics at work. Detroit is in the middle of a massive jobs loss and an old industry that is slowly dying.

Pittsburgh's saving grace might have been that steel's sudden collapse was sharp and precise, it didn't happen over 50 years, it happened within 15 years. It went from being a growth industry to a bust industry to being totally replaced within a very short time frame in economic cycles.

Buffalo, Detroit, and even Cleveland had different dynamics at work. Cleveland is probably the closest to Detroit of any other great lakes US city in that Cleveland never had the sharp declines of Pittsburgh-like job losses, and Cleveland has significant US auto industry jobs.

So like Detroit, Cleveland is seeing hard times today, and it was hit among the hardest in the subprime lending crisis, unlike Pittsburgh which fared relatively well.

IMO Pittsburgh has moved into the post-industrial economy almost entirely now, if Pittsburgh sees job losses going forward from today its going to be related to the national economy at large and not because of industry's demise.

Unfortunately, virtually the entire rest of the so-called rustbelt really hasn't moved into a post-industrial economy save for Chicago.

Evergrey

08-12-2008, 04:34 AM

on pause since June 30
http://i531.photobucket.com/albums/dd360/pittsburghrules/namu/DSC04792.jpg

Evergrey

08-12-2008, 06:09 AM

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08225/903577-52.stm

Bicycle czar will try to tame city streets

Mayor creates post to improve cycling

Tuesday, August 12, 2008
By Rich Lord, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Stephen Patchen prefers urban cycling to pedaling through the countryside because it's "more exciting, for obvious reasons."

The new Pittsburgh bike-pedestrian coordinator's job, though, is to make pedaling or walking the city's 89 neighborhoods, car-choked pinch-points and steep slopes a little less of a thrill ride.

Mr. Patchen, 32, of the South Side Flats, started work Aug. 4 and yesterday he got his marching orders from Mayor Luke Ravenstahl, Councilman Patrick Dowd and cycling enthusiasts who crowded Enrico's Tazza D'Oro, a Highland Park coffee shop.

There he heard cyclists talk about buses that steam past them only to jerk to a stop, tensions between cars and two-wheeled travelers, and gaps in the city's network of bike trails and lanes. Address that, they said, and Pittsburgh could join cities that are using their bike cultures to boost quality of life and lure development.

"I've always been a bike rider and have always had my ears and eyes on cycling concerns in the city," said Mr. Patchen. He added that he'll "do everything in my power to make this city as bikeable as it can be."

"It's such a great day for cycling in Pittsburgh," said Scott Bricker, executive director of Bike Pittsburgh.

Mr. Ravenstahl noted that when it comes to cycling, "we're no Amsterdam," referring to the city in the Netherlands where bikes zoom down well-marked lanes along nearly every street.

Over the next two years, though, Mr. Ravenstahl and Mr. Dowd want to see tax credits and zoning preferences for businesses that accommodate cyclists, better bike route signs, more bike racks, local and national pedal-power events, and volunteer bike registration, among other things. They'd like to find money to repair city steps, with Mr. Dowd suggesting that the focus be on staircases that lead to transit.

"Twenty years ago, this would have been a laughable effort," said David Hoffman, founder of Bike Pittsburgh, who is now director of planning for the Marin County [Calif.] Bicycling Coalition and was not at yesterday's meeting.

"Pittsburgh has a long way to go, but we're making good progress," he said of the improving network of trails and lanes.

The mayor and councilman said they'll improve tracking of car-on-bike and car-on-pedestrian accidents, and make police more aware of cyclists' rights.

"There's clearly some work we need to do in our Police Bureau" to better enforce laws that protect cyclists using bike lanes along streets, said Mr. Ravenstahl.

Car-versus-bike hostilities are a problem here, said Mr. Hoffman, who got to know cyclists in many cities when he headed a national coalition of advocacy groups.

He said it's "easy to get aggressive" on Pittsburgh's narrow streets.

"Although attitudes are changing in Pittsburgh, it's still not as friendly as it could be," he said.

He said cyclists could do themselves a favor by respecting traffic laws.

Mr. Patchen's $45,000-a-year salary will be paid for the first two years by the Richard King Mellon Foundation, and then will become part of the city budget.

A Connellsville native and California University of Pennsylvania graduate, Mr. Patchen boomeranged back to the area after a stint as an urban planner in Tulare County, Calif. Once back in Pittsburgh, he worked for Downtown-based Environmental Planning and Design, a landscape architecture firm, developing greenways plans for Fayette and Indiana counties, among other projects.

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

Brandon716

08-12-2008, 06:14 AM

If anyone wants to know how to tame a bicycle unfriendly area, go to Portland. The Portland-Salem region knows how to create bike friendly streets and bike friendly trails.

Evergrey

08-12-2008, 06:14 AM

where exactly was the old Giant Eagle on Forbes in Oakland?

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08225/903550-52.stm

Oakland grocery store to open Friday

Tuesday, August 12, 2008
By Diana Nelson Jones, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

An IGA-affiliated market will open Friday in a 4,000-square-foot second story in the heart of Oakland, the first supermarket in that area since a Giant Eagle closed on Forbes Avenue about a decade ago.

The IGA (Independent Grocers Alliance) Market in the Strand Building at 3609 Forbes Ave. will open at 11 a.m., with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 3 p.m.

Georgia Petropoulos of the Oakland Business Improvement District said that, compared to suburban stores, this one makes a small footprint, smaller even than the Whole Foods Market in East Liberty, "but the square footage is deceiving, because there is so much packed into the store. There is no inefficient use of space. It's spectacular. We are now finally getting supermarkets back in the city."

The market will offer a full range of items, frozen prepared foods and a deli of freshly prepared rotisserie chicken, salads, wraps and sandwiches.

The Strand Building has been home to various clubs, including Club Laga, the Attic and the Upstage. Ron Levick bought it three years ago and converted the upper stories to apartments.

He rents to 60 residential tenants, all of whom have had to travel at least three miles for a store that offers a full range of grocery options, he said. More than 100,000 people either live or work in the immediate area, so "a grocery store was a good fit."

"I liked IGA because I'll be totally independent. I can do anything that I want," he said.

Because of space limitations, he said, instead of stocking 50 kinds of salad dressing, he might have 10, starting with the top five in popularity. "And in every category, I do have an organic" offering.

The store will be open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday and from noon to 5 p.m. on weekends.

"The entire community is very excited to have the grocery store," said Pam Eichenbaum, coordinator of the Oakland Community Council. "It will give the student body and the rest of the community a chance to stay local."

She said she does not think the IGA store will take business away from the many "great small grocers in Oakland." Most of them have niche businesses, focused on specific ethnic groups, notably from India, Italy and Latin America. "A larger store will supplement what they don't have."

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

Evergrey

08-12-2008, 06:27 AM

first the Steelers get a sweetheart deal on this prime riverfront property... now they ask for another huge public subsidy... apparently the Steelers broke the bank with that blockbuster Roethlisberger contract...

Steelers, developer ask state to help subsidize amphitheater

Want $4 million for North Shore project

Tuesday, August 12, 2008
By Mark Belko, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

The Steelers and a Columbus, Ohio, developer are seeking a $4 million public subsidy to help with the construction of a $12 million entertainment complex on the North Shore that was the subject of a controversial land deal last week.

Frank Kass, chairman of Continental Real Estate Cos., said yesterday the state grant is needed to make the economics of the proposed project work.

Mr. Kass said the subsidy would replace a state grant of the same amount that the Steelers received four years ago to build a 5,600-seat amphitheater at the same spot.

That project never came to fruition and the Steelers ended up giving up the grant so it could be used to fund construction of a North Shore parking garage to replace parking lots lost to development.

"When the project was conceptualized, it was conceptualized with a subsidy," Mr. Kass said, referring to the amphitheater project. "Nothing has changed."

The indoor and outdoor entertainment venue would be built on a 3.9-acre tract next to Heinz Field.

Stadium Authority board members voted 3-1 last week to sell the land to the Steelers for $1.37 million, or $8 a square foot, over the protests of board Chairwoman Debbie Lestitian, who argued that the city wasn't getting the best price for the land, which she described as the "crown jewel" of the North Shore.

Some opponents of the deal have said the land is worth eight to 10 times the amount the Steelers are paying for it. But an appraiser hired by the Stadium Authority said the real estate, based on its use as an entertainment complex, was worth $1.1 million. He said its highest and best use would be for parking.

Mr. Kass said that without state help, Continental and the Steelers probably wouldn't be able to spend more than $8 million to build the complex, based on expected revenues.

"You can't do any of this stuff without a subsidy. None of it makes sense," he said.

But city Councilman William Peduto, who labeled the land sale a "sweetheart deal," also criticized a potential public subsidy for the entertainment project, particularly given that taxpayers footed much of the bill for the construction of PNC Park and Heinz Field.

"There was a commitment when Steve Leeper was the Sports & Exhibition Authority director that there would be no additional taxpayer money used in the development between the stadiums. Somebody has decided to change that rule. That's not surprising given everything that's happened in the past year on this land," he said.

If state redevelopment assistance money is involved, City Council, he said, may have to authorize the application.

Asked if he would vote in favor of such a request, he replied: "Given that they were able to purchase the land at one-fifteenth of its value, at some point we have to question why all the benefits are being given to one developer for one piece of land."

But Mr. Kass said that when completed, the entire North Shore development -- offices, condominiums, restaurants, the entertainment complex -- will be valued at $150 million, with only $4 million of that coming from taxpayers.

He added that the entertainment complex itself will be a source of income, property and sales tax revenues for the city, county and state that will far exceed the $4 million state investment.

"Right now the land is sitting there. It is generating zero revenue except parking revenue for the [Sports & Exhibition Authority]. The Steelers will buy the land at a value determined six years ago. They will put up an entertainment facility that will pay sales tax back to the state, liquor taxes back to the state, real estate taxes back to the city, county and school district, and income taxes back to the city and the state," he said. "The sum total of that will be an excellent return back to the state."

Under a term sheet approved last week as part of the Stadium Authority vote, Continental and the Steelers must have the entertainment complex, to be done in conjunction with PromoWest Productions of Columbus, under construction by Dec. 1 and completed by Dec. 1, 2010.

Mr. Kass said the group should be able to hit the timetable if the various public bodies "approve our plans on time." He said Continental and the Steelers hope to have the venue up and running within a year.

Continental was selected by the Steelers and the Pirates to develop the land between the two stadiums.

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

Evergrey

08-12-2008, 06:47 AM

I agree with the editorial that the Kuhn's proposal would be better for the Hill District. While Sav-A-Lot would provide a basic amenity... it would also reinforce the perception of the Hill as "downmarket". I'm sure Kuhn's, while not a "discounter", would still offer plenty of basic items at affordable prices. A nice, full-service grocer like Kuhn's... along with the associated development... could be a catalyst in the renaissance of the Hill District.

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08225/903526-192.stm

Market district: The Hill needs a good market and more retail

Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Pittsburgh's Hill District has been without a supermarket for years. Now, with aid from the community benefits agreement courtesy of the new hockey arena, two grocery chains have submitted competing bids to build a market in the neighborhood.

Both are attractive options and the city's Urban Redevelopment Authority board, which will award one of the plans $2 million in public subsidies, has a tough call to make.

The competitors are Save-A-Lot, a St. Louis-based chain that specializes in grocery stores in low-income communities, and Kuhn's, the local company with eight supermarkets in and around Pittsburgh.

The Save-a-Lot store, with a price tag of $6 million, would be smaller, basic and without the frills of a modern, full-line supermarket. With 1,190 stores in 40 states, the chain still considers itself a "full-product" merchant with the kind of discount pricing that enables it to succeed in underserved neighborhoods.

The Kuhn's store would be not only larger but also part of a new $24 million plaza called Centre City Square. A coalition of Hill District groups favors this plan, which would require other support from tax credits and a private lender. They say the added expense will pay off because the Hill will get a supermarket plus a pharmacy, restaurants and other retail space.

The Save-A-Lot store is less ambitious but, at least initially, more of a sure thing. It could founder later, though, if Hill District residents don't find it appealing.

That's why the Kuhn's package may be better in the long run for the neighborhood. It will need greater financial backing and take longer to launch, but it will be closer to the kind of supermarket that residents have been demanding. If they turn out and become loyal customers, the store will be a success and the plaza could be a catalyst for additional development.

Now that would be a community benefit, in addition to a good supermarket.

GeneW

08-12-2008, 12:17 PM

where exactly was the old Giant Eagle on Forbes in Oakland?

Near the corner of Forbes and McKee, there's a CVS there now.

PittPenn 03

08-12-2008, 02:49 PM

This is great news to me! I thought it was outrageous when GE closed their Oakland store. It was always packed to a point where you could not move, so it wasn't like it was not getting business. -Though I have heard that the shoplifting going on in there might have been part of its downfall. Anyway, having a grocery store in Oakland really made it a whole self sufficient neigborhood. When I went to college in the late 80's early 90's and lived in Oakland I would go at least weeks if not months without ever leaving Oakland because you did not have to. Now I see kids packing up the 61 buses to go to Sq Hill or the Waterfront for groceries. Hopefully this will make the 61's a little less miserable to ride and the Sq Hill Giant Eagle a little less miserable to shop in.

where exactly was the old Giant Eagle on Forbes in Oakland?

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08225/903550-52.stm

Oakland grocery store to open Friday

Tuesday, August 12, 2008
By Diana Nelson Jones, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

An IGA-affiliated market will open Friday in a 4,000-square-foot second story in the heart of Oakland, the first supermarket in that area since a Giant Eagle closed on Forbes Avenue about a decade ago.

The IGA (Independent Grocers Alliance) Market in the Strand Building at 3609 Forbes Ave. will open at 11 a.m., with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 3 p.m.

Georgia Petropoulos of the Oakland Business Improvement District said that, compared to suburban stores, this one makes a small footprint, smaller even than the Whole Foods Market in East Liberty, "but the square footage is deceiving, because there is so much packed into the store. There is no inefficient use of space. It's spectacular. We are now finally getting supermarkets back in the city."

The market will offer a full range of items, frozen prepared foods and a deli of freshly prepared rotisserie chicken, salads, wraps and sandwiches.

The Strand Building has been home to various clubs, including Club Laga, the Attic and the Upstage. Ron Levick bought it three years ago and converted the upper stories to apartments.

He rents to 60 residential tenants, all of whom have had to travel at least three miles for a store that offers a full range of grocery options, he said. More than 100,000 people either live or work in the immediate area, so "a grocery store was a good fit."

"I liked IGA because I'll be totally independent. I can do anything that I want," he said.

Because of space limitations, he said, instead of stocking 50 kinds of salad dressing, he might have 10, starting with the top five in popularity. "And in every category, I do have an organic" offering.

The store will be open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday and from noon to 5 p.m. on weekends.

"The entire community is very excited to have the grocery store," said Pam Eichenbaum, coordinator of the Oakland Community Council. "It will give the student body and the rest of the community a chance to stay local."

She said she does not think the IGA store will take business away from the many "great small grocers in Oakland." Most of them have niche businesses, focused on specific ethnic groups, notably from India, Italy and Latin America. "A larger store will supplement what they don't have."

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

themaguffin

08-12-2008, 07:13 PM

Community looks for ways to keep UPMC from leaving So. Side

Margaret Smyka 12.AUG.08

While the president of UPMC South Side says the decision to close the hospital is final, local residents and elected officials at a recent public meeting made it clear they have just begun to fight to keep it open.

UPMC’s plan is to close the facility within five years as it consolidates with UPMC Mercy with a goal of providing the best possible patient care.

Upgrades, expansions, and additions — such as a larger emergency department and more operating rooms — are planned at UPMC Mercy to handle the extra patients.

At a July 15 meeting of the South Side Planning Forum, UPMC South Side president Nancy Magee said the decision to proceed with the consolidation is final.

But on August 6, about 125 residents gathered at the Market House in South Side to express their displeasure with the potential loss of a cherished community asset, citing the negative impact on seniors, additional two-mile ride in ambulances, parking situation at UPMC Mercy, the traffic gridlock on the bridges, unsafe neighborhood surrounding UPMC Mercy, and more.

Besides hearing neighbors echoing fears similar to their own, attendees learned they have support from elected officials.

The meeting was called by city Councilman Bruce Kraus to solicit input from the community, and discuss a strategy to try to keep UPMC South Side open.

"This is an ongoing battle we’re going to fight," said Mr. Kraus.

A first step is for residents, business owners, and community groups — in South Side and surrounding areas — to write letters of support, which Mr. Kraus will present to UPMC President and Chief Executive Officer Jeffrey Romoff at a future meeting.

Letters should be sent to Mr. Kraus’s office: City-County Building, Suite 510/Floor 5, 414 Grant St., Pittsburgh, PA 15219.

Letters may be as short as a sentence, or as long as a few paragraphs. Handwritten ones are most effective, he said.

Signed petitions should also be sent to his office.

Other elected officials in attendance included state Rep. Harry Readshaw, Councilman Bill Peduto, state Sen. Jay Costa, state Rep. Jake Wheatley, Jr., and state Sen. Wayne Fontana. Representatives of U.S. Rep. Mike Doyle and state Rep. Chelsa Wagner were also present.

Calling UPMC South Side "an anchor of the community," Mr. Peduto said "there’s a lot of things that the hospital provides" in addition to quality health care, such as jobs, a more livable neighborhood, peace of mind for families, walking-distance convenience for seniors, and more.

"They need to understand the importance they have on the South Side," he said of UPMC officials.

As the giant non-profit must come before council for permits, variances, and such, the city has some leverage in UPMC’s actions, he said.

"Obviously we have a big problem here," said Mr. Readshaw, who expressed concerns about St. Clair and Jefferson hospitals being the only hospitals south of the river if UPMC South Side closes.

"We have to find out what we can do on the local, city, and state levels," said Mr. Costa.

Besides losing a quality-care institution in the center of the neighborhood, Mr. Kraus said the closing "will create a huge vacuum" as 700 to 800 employees will be misplaced.

While UPMC officials have said no loss of jobs is expected as employees will be absorbed into the UPMC system, Mr. Kraus said the loss of 700 potential customers will have a ripple effect on South Side businesses such as restaurants, taverns, shops and more.

A doctor at UPMC South Side said the hospital needs to remain open for the health and well-being of the community.

"You are the only one who is important," he said.

Among the residents who spoke was a woman who said her handicapped mother and brother rely on UPMC South Side.

Another resident recalled that there were once two hospitals in the area.

"Why do they want to take the heart of South Side?" she said.

To a question of whether the sales contract addresses potential closings, Mr. Kraus said he is trying to obtain a copy of the agreement in which South Side Hospital became UPMC South Side.

To a question of whether a traffic study of the bridges was done, Mr. Kraus said the city will do one.

He also said that, as chair of public safety, he is worried that if a catastrophic event takes out the bridges, there would not be enough capacity in the south to care for all the patients.

Other suggestions included studies on the number of hospital beds per population being served, and on emergency room waiting times.

A resident commented that beside the employees, other displaced persons would include UPMC South Side’s large volunteer base, and seniors who travel there for meals in the cafeteria

A realtor commented that property values will drop if the hospital closes.

A senior Belzhoover woman said when she heard that the decision to close UPMC South Side was final, her "heart sank."

But recalling her marching during the civil rights struggle, "this is nothing" she said of the challenges the community faces to keep the hospital open.

The consolidation is scheduled to begin next summer when inpatient services are moved to UPMC Mercy or other UPMC hospitals.

Then, when the UPMC South Side emergency department closes, an urgent care center will be set up on the site that will be open about 16 hours a day.

That center, ambulatory services, imaging, and more will move within three to five years.

cdc

08-12-2008, 07:16 PM

About that new hotel near the CMU...

I understand the their concern about the height. But 1) the closest hotel to CMU is actually on Pitt's campus (Holiday Inn - University Center); 2) Oakland is STARVED for hotel space (I've had to put people up on the South Side for conferences in Oakland!); and 3) it's a freakin old gad station right now. Coupled with the fact that CMU's "entrance" along Forbes is borderline blight, I don't really understand why they're worried enough for a lawsuit.

Pitt has no less than 12 10+ story buildings only a few blocks away. Oakland is going vertical, as it has for years and as well it should. It's borderline irrational for the University to protest.

Methinks they wanted the land for their own purpose, got outbid, and now they're pissy. But that is just speculation.

My take is that CMU sees the value of a hotel nearer to campus than
the other Oakland ones and that they just wanted to get the design
tweaked and the easiest way to do that was through the legal process.

The new SCS Building (Gates/Hillman) and the proposed CIC2 building
should keep CMU busy building for a while. The Gates building has
really started to take shape (e.g. going vertical). The construction
crew has been getting daily shipments of steel beams... I've been
walking past trucks of it parked on Forbes (waiting to be unloaded) on
the way to work.

On a related note, it looks like the blue building at 4626 Forbes with
the vitage clothes store and Italian place has been cleaned out (both
stores are now closed). I wonder if it is going to get torn down when
they do the buildings next to it?

picture link from county web site: http://tinyurl.com/2y4gxt

I think the CIC2 is supposed to be set back off Forbes(?), so I wonder
what they are going to do with that space?