PITTSBURGH | Rundown [Archive] - Page 6

Evergrey

08-24-2006, 10:18 PM

Here's the full article on Beaver County's resurgence

http://www.bizjournals.com/pittsburgh/stories/2006/08/21/focus6.html?t=printable

Corridors of Opportunity
Beaver County
Looking to ride Interstate to more development
Pittsburgh Business Times - August 18, 2006by Robert Sandler

For decades, Beaver County was an economic engine for the steel industry, with the Ohio River forming the backbone of its transportation network by providing easy access to the rest of the country.

Despite its economically independent past, the county more and more is becoming part of suburban Pittsburgh.

"I don't think any one part of this region is independent of another," said Jim Palmer, president of the Beaver County Corp. for Economic Development.

Dangerous old industrial sites in Ambridge and Rochester are being turned into condominiums, shops and restaurants. An art gallery is coming to Ambridge, and Rochester is aiming to turn part of its riverfront into a version of Pittsburgh's Strip District.

New residential and retail developments are soaring in Center and Chippewa townships. The BeaveRun MotorSports Complex is expanding, and an Indianapolis developer wants to bring a slots casino to Beaver County.

Even though the Beaver Valley Expressway/state Route 60 was completed more than 15 years ago connecting Pittsburgh to Interstate 80, development largely has stayed away. But the hope for the future is pegged on utilizing land along those highways to attract industrial growth, jobs and residents.

Fifty years after the Pennsylvania Turnpike was built through Beaver County, the land near its interchanges is being used to attract development. Water and sewer lines are being extended, and officials hope they will encourage developers to take a look at the area.

The biggest hope is the redesignation of Route 60 as Interstate 376, giving the road a single number from Monroeville through Pittsburgh, through Beaver County and all the way to I-80. The federal government has approved the new designation, which could take effect as soon as 2008.

The designation should help increase out-of-state developers' interest in coming to Beaver County, said Frank Vescio, a former Center Township supervisor who now is the township's development coordinator.

"Because Route 60 is going to be Interstate 376, it puts us in a pretty good position," Vescio said. "You write about Beaver County, and they don't have a clue where we're at. So putting an interstate name on it like that makes a pretty good difference."

SteelCity15

08-24-2006, 10:29 PM

Ambridge is a sweet little town as well. I'm gonna do a picture tour soon next time I'm down there with my group of old friends. Beaver Valley mall took a lot of money away from Ambridge, but it has still prevailed reguardless. There are still tons of place to eat alone Merchant Street and elsewhere, and the big well known places, like the Police Station Pizza place are still booming.

Evergrey

08-24-2006, 11:07 PM

all this talk about Mt. Lebanon prompted me to do a little research on the Luxury Condo project on Washington Rd. I posted about several months ago. Seems the project is "in limbo" over a TIF application. A TIF is only applicable if an area is declared "blighted". Personally, I think it's a load of BS that the developer is seeking a TIF for a luxury condo project in one of the metro's wealthiest communities.

2 articles...

http://www.thealmanac.net/main.asp?SectionID=5&SubSectionID=12&ArticleID=8053

Tax plan extension delayed
Mt. Lebanon may revisit TIF proposal

by Sara-Summer Wolf
Freelance Reporter

Close to 14 months ago Michael Zamagias Interests LTD's plan for Washington Park, a 1.5 acre, two-building condominium project at the corner of Washington and Bower Hill roads in Mt. Lebanon, was selected over another as the best project for the municipality.

Now, over a year later, the future of the project has a giant question mark hanging over it.

The project, which is proposed for 418-443 Washington Road and 417 Kenmont, would be two buildings, one with 39 units and the other with 28. The sale price of the units would begin at $475,000, or $290 per square foot. Three of the units would sell for $1 million or more. The ground floor of the buildings would contain retail space. There would also be a parking garage incorporated into the slope to Kenmont.

From the beginning, Zamagias has stated the project was only feasible if it was granted a TIF, or tax increment financing.

A TIF is a property tax break on a parcel of land for a specified number of years. To receive a TIF, an area must first be considered "blighted," and all the government agencies involved must approve it. Zamagias initially asked for a $3.5 million TIF from Mt. Lebanon.

Allegheny County has already rejected the request for a TIF, since the luxury condominiums proposed do not meet the county's housing requirements for tax subsidies.

Mt. Lebanon commissioners and school board agreed to take part in a TIF committee to consider the request.

However, in a recent e-mail from Michael Heins, CFO of Zamagias Properties, to a member of the Economic Development Council, the project as planned is being reevaluated by the company.

"In the interests of not wasting the time of any member of the committee, Zamagias Properties has requested that we postpone the TIF meeting scheduled for next week. In addition we are requesting a temporary suspension of the TIF plan review and meeting process. The development as currently proposed is not economically feasible and thus additional time is needed to develop and analyze options to improve the economics," Heins wrote.

Zamagias requested the municipality consent to a 90 day extension of the TIF approval deadline as stated in the agreement of sale dated Dec. 12, 2005. The extension would give Zamagias until Dec. 1 to gain approval for the TIF.

The commissioners were scheduled to vote on this extension at the Aug. 14 meeting, but chose to take no action due to lack of information. There was no representative from Zamagias present at the meeting to answer questions.

Commissioners have therefor requested Mt. Lebanon Municipal Manager Stephen Feller request more information from Zamagias as to what is the reason for the delay.

The TIF committee, made of of county, municipal and school district officials, has met once so far. While the group is not required by law to meet in private, the group has taken the position that case law permits them to meet privately, so they are meeting privately.

The first meeting included introductions and review of the TIF law. A second meeting has yet to be held.

Several years ago Mt. Lebanon considered giving owners of the Galleria a TIF, the municipality approved it, but the school board vetoed the idea.

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06229/713946-55.stm

Mt. Lebanon luxury condo complex plan in limbo
Thursday, August 17, 2006

By Laura Pace, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

The Mt. Lebanon commissioners did not vote Monday on a developer's request to extend a sales contract for land for a 60-unit luxury condominium complex, leaving the project's future uncertain.

Michael Zamagias Interest LTD has asked for an extension to Dec. 1 of a sales contract for four parcels on Washington Road that the group agreed to buy from the Mt. Lebanon Parking Authority.

That contract required the developer to secure tax increment financing by Sept. 1, a deadline that the developer said he was unable to meet.

Mt. Lebanon solicitor James Roberts said at Monday's meeting that he would have to review the sales contract to see if the failure to extend the sales agreement would kill the deal. He would not speculate on it at the meeting.

The contract says: "If TIF financing for the project is not finally approved by the taxing authorities by Sept. 1, then this agreement shall terminate, provided, however, that if the receipt of such final approvals is delayed beyond Sept. 1, the buyer and the seller, with the consent of the municipality, may mutually agree to a later date."

The commission's next voting meeting is Sept. 11.

Tax increment financing is a way governing bodies can offer tax incentives to developers.

Zamagias has applied for a $6.5 million TIF, which calls for about $11.4 million in funds from Mt. Lebanon and its school district over a period of 20 years to help the developer build a two-tower condominium complex on Washington Road at Bower Hill Road.

The project, estimated at $32.5 million, has received preliminary approval from the planning board, but the TIF financing was still in the early stages of being discussed by members of the TIF committee, which includes representatives of local governing bodies.

But commissioners were unclear why the extension was needed, and because no one from Zamagias appeared at the meeting Monday to explain the delay, the board did not propose a motion to extend the agreement.

"I can't support it," Commissioner David Humphreys said of the request to extend the contract. While he said he did agree that TIFs can be useful development tools in some instances, he was concerned about the way the TIF procedure was progressing and the lack of information.

"I have deep concerns at this point as to what is going on here," said Commissioner John Daley, who said he did not support extending the contract because he thought the developer would continue to drag his feet.

Commissioner Barbara Logan agreed.

"I just don't want to see us squander months, and then years, hoping it will happen," she said of the project.

Commissioner Dale Colby was the only one reluctant to let the contract lapse.

"My feelings are, I'd hate to kill this deal, if that's what we're doing here," he said.

Commissioner Keith Mulvihill was absent.

Mr. Humphreys asked municipal Manager Stephen Feller to request a detailed explanation from Zamagias as to why they could not get the TIF financing in order.

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

(Laura Pace can be reached at lpace@post-gazette.com or 412-851-1867. )

SteelCity15

08-25-2006, 02:44 AM

Good news, I will be doing my Ambridge tour tomorrow. Many pics will be taken. woohoo

themaguffin

08-25-2006, 01:27 PM

Yeah I had heard that the Mt Lebanon condo situation was ifey now. I hope it goes through, it can only add to the street traffic in the business district there.

As for Beaver county, there is no resurgence. I would love it to be so, as I believe it's the hardest hit of the metro counties and according to a Beaver County Times article recently, the estimated population is now 173,000 (nearly 10,000 since 2000). The county is old, very fragmented and has a lot of industrial baggage.

The Ambridge project will certainly help, and the few distribution centers that are possible will help, but an aggressive long term plan needs to happen.

Rt 60 northwest of the airport should be a growing corridor, but it's not.Sure Hopewell does ok and Center township has seen some growth, but it's not really a net growth.

And very little business growth is happening. Land should be readied for offices etc along the road. I know that it's frowned upon in these parts, but massive offices are not going to pop up in Ambridge or Conway, or Rochester.

EventHorizon

08-25-2006, 04:24 PM

I hadn't seen that article about the new ramp in McKeesport, thanks for posting it!

I had heard about the city's desire to build a "bridge"/ramp at the location for a couple of months now. There were all sorts of rumors of why they needed it and what would need to happen for it to be built.

Very early on we heard that they wanted to build it to help Echostar (DISH network service center) employee's, for safety and time issues, because of all of the train activity.

We also heard that they were going to demolish the Eat'n Park, and later heard that they wanted the Foodland property as well... as it sits directly across the boulevard from Eat'n Park and sits up on a hill (making it easier for a ramp to start at an already high level)

But it appears from the article that they're both remaining open. I'm glad they came to a compromise! Although I don't shop or eat at those places -- a lot of people do. So that's good for them, and the city.

I agree that the "200 acres opening up for redevelopment" part is interesting!

Lets hope that they make good decisions!

Just to give some perspective of where these things are happening, here's what the waterfront looks like:

http://i87.photobucket.com/albums/k148/MRM80/bg_mckeesport1.jpg

SteelCity15

08-25-2006, 08:46 PM

Paintballer1708

08-26-2006, 02:31 AM

Thanks for posting that article about the condo project in Mt. Lebanon, Evergrey. I sometimes wonder about that when im headed to work. I havent heard anything about it so i figured it got wrapped up. I hope something positive gets done soon.

Evergrey

08-26-2006, 12:25 PM

with all the momentum in downtown right now, I think it would be foolish for Saks to flee to suburbia

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06238/716574-53.stm

Saks wants more space, City fears retailer will go to suburbs
Saturday, August 26, 2006

By Mark Belko, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

After losing two department stores Downtown two years ago, the city is working to ensure that a third, the upscale Saks Fifth Avenue, doesn't slip away.

The O'Connor administration is trying to find ways to provide Saks with more loading dock space and parking at its location at Smithfield Street and Oliver Avenue, across the street from the vacant Lord & Taylor store.

Urban Redevelopment Authority Executive Director Jerome Dettore, Parking Authority Executive Director David Onorato, Public Works Director Guy Costa, a representative of the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership and other officials met Thursday with Dennis Regan, Mayor Bob O'Connor's chief of staff, to discuss strategies.

The meeting came amid some concern that Saks, one of two remaining Downtown department stores, could bolt for the suburbs unless its needs are addressed, particularly now that Nordstrom is moving into Ross Park Mall in the North Hills.

In fact, there is some talk that Simon Property Group Inc., Ross Park's owner, could be pursuing the department store to serve as a co-anchor to Nordstrom, which is scheduled to open in 2008.

Saks is now the sixth-largest anchor in Simon's regional mall portfolio, right behind Nordstrom. Its 20 stores occupy 2.3 million square feet of space in Simon malls.

"Saks is one of those kinds of jewels that every shopping mall would like to have as a destination," said Mike Edwards, president and chief executive officer of the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership.

Mr. Edwards said Saks has given no indication that it intends to move out of its Downtown store, but he noted city and Downtown Partnership officials want to "make sure everything operates so Saks doesn't have a reason to leave."

"They've given us the indication that they like Pittsburgh, that they're looking to have a store in Pittsburgh," he said. He added, however, that Saks wants to "improve how its Downtown store operates."

Mayoral spokesman Dick Skrinjar said Mr. O'Connor initially met with Saks representatives in May to discuss ways to improve the department store's operating conditions Downtown. Thursday's meeting was a follow-up to that, he said.

He said Saks is looking for more docking or storage space for its building and also is interested in improving parking for its customers, particularly on weekends. Saks now has one small loading dock on Oliver Avenue at the rear of the store.

Oddly enough, one possible solution could rest in the old Lazarus-Macy's department store, which closed in 2004, and which is now in the middle of a $59 million transformation into an office, retail and residential complex.

The building, owned by Washington County developer Millcraft Industries Inc., has three relatively new loading docks on Oliver about, 150 to 300 feet from the rear of Saks.

City officials plan to talk to Millcraft about giving some of the space to Saks. Lucas Piatt, Millcraft vice president of real estate, said he already has had discussions with the store about using some of the dock space.

"It's an important neighbor to us and it's important to the city," Mr. Piatt said. "We'll do whatever it takes to help them and make life easier for Saks."

Mr. Onorato said he wasn't sure exactly what parking improvements, if any, Saks was seeking. He said department store officials were supposed to get in touch with him if they had requests but have yet to contact him.

The city, Mr. Skrinjar said, also will be increasing police patrols around the store. It is putting the issues related to Saks "on the fast track" in hopes of getting improvement in time for the holiday shopping season, he said.

"We're doing what is the right thing to do for any business in any one of our neighborhoods," he said. "If a business needs help and some consideration, especially during the peak retail time of the year, we'll roll up our sleeves, pitch in, cut through the red tape and redd up that situation for them."

Saks officials could not be reached for comment.

Mr. Edwards said Nordstrom's commitment to Ross Park Mall has "certainly altered the game" for cities in that it was previously thought that such highly coveted one-of-a-kind stores would locate only in Downtown areas because they were so centrally located.

While Saks has not indicated that it is looking to move, Mr. Edwards said he would not be surprised if malls are courting the retailer.

"I'm sure a store like Saks has options," he said.

Les Morris, a spokesman for Simon Property Group, said the company's policy is not to comment on speculation about stores or discussions it is having with potential retailers.

But he added that with the opening of the Cheesecake Factory at Ross Park Oct. 30 and the anticipated arrival of Nordstrom in 2008, "there's a lot of momentum" going for the mall. "Ross Park is a hot property," he said.

The Lazarus-Macy's and Lord & Taylor stores closed within six months of each other in 2004, dealing a huge blow to former Mayor Tom Murphy's efforts to revitalize the Downtown retail corridor.

Despite millions in public subsidies, Lazarus-Macy's closed in May 2004, five years after opening. Lord & Taylor followed in November. The J.J. Gumberg Co. bought the Lord & Taylor building on Smithfield from the May Co., but has yet to find a tenant.

Besides Saks, the only department store left Downtown is Kaufmann's, which will become a Macy's next month.

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

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

Wheelingman04

08-26-2006, 04:08 PM

What is cool about Mt. Lebanon is that there are many highrise condos in the business district. There are also many affordable apartments in Mt. Lebanon also. I looked at a few before and they were close to the T as well.

Evergrey

08-28-2006, 05:15 AM

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06240/716872-53.stm

Bicycle lanes gain support on long stretch of Liberty Ave.
Monday, August 28, 2006

http://www.post-gazette.com/images4/20060828lf_bikecrop_450.jpg

Lake Fong, Post-Gazette
The city is planning to install signs, adjust traffic patterns, and paint bike lanes on Liberty Avenue in the heart of Bloomfield on part of a bicycle route between Herron Avenue and Baum Boulevard.

By Diana Nelson Jones
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
The city is planning a bicycle-friendly passage through the heart of Bloomfield, with lane striping, new signs and tweaked traffic patterns on Liberty Avenue.

The pilot project awaits federal approval for signs and likely will be completed next year.

The city Planning Department, which consulted with Bike Pittsburgh for a year, presented its design strategy Aug. 19 to a packed house at West Penn Hospital's Wintergarden Auditorium.

It is aimed at giving bicycle commuters a better network for safe travel and making drivers more heedful. A similar strategy has been established in Portland, Ore., Boulder, Colo., Chicago and San Francisco.

Scott Bricker, president of Bike Pittsburgh, said his group began measuring wide streets throughout the city last fall, using city planning's specifications on width and traffic use.

"Liberty Avenue fit all the criteria we needed," he said.

The design comes in two segments: striped bike lanes starting at Herron Avenue, uphill to and downhill from the Bloomfield Bridge; and a "share the road" plan for the flat, more congested business district from the bridge to Baum Boulevard.

Richard Meritzer, coordinator of bicycle route planning, said road-paint symbols and upright signs will line the entire corridor. It will cost the city less than $5,000 and be done by the Department of Public Works, said Planning Director Patrick Ford.

The only "serious" bike lane now is on Beechwood Boulevard in Squirrel Hill, said Dan Sullivan, a cyclist from Oakland. It snakes along the right lane and leaves room for cars to park.

One of cycling's greatest hazards is the sudden opening of a car door, what cyclists call "being doored."

The Beechwood lanes and those in the Liberty proposal are 12 feet wide. A 5-foot-wide car and its 4-foot-wide door leave the cyclist three feet if the car is parked as tightly in as possible. Less than three feet of space is too little for the cyclist to avoid swerving into traffic to avoid an open door.

Mr. Sullivan and other cyclists favor a second stripe, three feet in, in the bike lane going uphill from Herron Avenue to remind parkers to check for a bike before opening their doors.

Coming down from the bridge toward Herron is a different issue, he said, because of the speed a cyclist can muster against the right side of a car. Being doored is still an issue in stretches of the downslope, but because of the risk of a driver making a right turn with a cyclist in his blind spot, he said, "it would make more sense to post a 'share the road' sign."

Mr. Meritzer said an extra stripe will be considered, although parking on that slope is "low density" with little turnover, and that signs will be well posted on the downhill stretch.

Mr. Sullivan said Pittsburgh is coming late to planning for bike traffic "and we're grateful." Planners can study designs in other cities and avoid mistakes, he said.

"In many cities, the lanes are too narrow, sometimes right up against parked cars. When I lived in Philadelphia, I had to keep moving into traffic."

Ben Forman, owner of Joan's Hallmark store and vice president of the Bloomfield Business Association, said the initiative "is a great idea for the whole city. It will encourage young people, which is exactly what we need. And a lot more people are biking to work with fuel costs."

But the association is concerned about the safety of cyclists in the congested segment, with cars continually parking and pulling out, Mr. Forman said.

"We'd urge an alternative" to road sharing, he said.

Mr. Sullivan was less worried about the congested segment "because cars and bikes tie each other up equally through there." He favors share-the-road signs instead of lanes because cyclists are entitled to share the road, and drivers need reminding.

Many drivers remain disrespectful, even hostile to cyclists, tailgating, honking and cursing, he said.

"Cars are more aggressive when you get out of a bike lane, as if you have no right to leave your bike lane," he said. "But if you want to turn left, you have to."

Everyone needs a better education about sharing the road, he said, "because with the high price of gas, there's a big explosion in bicycle commuting."

The city is drafting proposals for foundation support to meet that explosion, said Mr. Meritzer.

The next three routes Bike Pittsburgh recommends are Dallas Avenue through Squirrel Hill, Point Breeze and Homewood; Greenfield Road along Schenley Park; and Beacon Street in Squirrel Hill from Wightman Street to Murray Avenue.

Federal approval is almost certain, said Mr. Meritzer.

"We just never asked," he said. "But the biking community is organized now, and it's an effective voice."

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

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

themaguffin

08-28-2006, 02:17 PM

Plans for Strip District involve residential neighborhood look
Pittsburgh Business Times - August 25, 2006by Tim Schooley

A new residential day is beginning to grow out of the Strip District and its long colorful history as a place where wholesalers, food purveyors and nightclubs have thrived.

Property owners and officials are working to develop a new consensus of how to help the Strip District transform into a fully realized residential neighborhood beyond its traditional roots as a warehouse district.

"Right now, the Strip is going in a direction that is residential," said Becky Rodgers, executive director of Neighbors in the Strip, a community development nonprofit organization. "With the Cork Factory, we're going to double, if not triple, our current population."

Currently, Chicago-based McCaffery Interests Inc. is redeveloping the former Armstrong Cork factory building into 297 riverfront apartments, a project seen by many as a watershed event that will lead to other residential projects.

A few months ago, New Rochelle, N.Y.-based Rugby Realty Co. Inc. bought two centrally located warehouses next to Benkovitz Seafood and is planning a mixed-use project with first-floor retail.

At the same time, Squirrel Hill-based The Buncher Co. has been consulting with Neighbors in the Strip and the city's Urban Redevelopment Authority on how best to develop a key riverfront parcel of 12 to 15 acres behind the URA's Pennsylvania Railroad Fruit Auction building.

Buncher, a Strip District property owner, is also developing a hotel in the District across Smallman Street from the Senator John Heinz Pittsburgh Regional History Center.

"They're thinking a combination of residential and mixed use, but nothing is definite at this time," Rodgers said of Buncher, a firm which typically talks very little to the media. "They're looking to see what is the best use of that property for the neighborhood and for them financially."

Currently, Neighbors in the Strip is considering whether it should pursue a more formal master plan for the neighborhood, something it has never done.

In the last year, the city's MAP Pittsburgh project has seen much of the neighborhood rezoned to an urban industrial designation, Rodgers said. The new zoning broadens the range of acceptable uses in the neighborhood in a way that may make a master plan more necessary than in the past, she said.

Perhaps the closest the Strip District has come to having a full master plan conducted was a student design competition sponsored by the Urban Land Institute in 2004. The winner, a plan put together by students from Arizona State University, suggested much of the Strip be oriented for residents and mixed-use development.

Rodgers said the membership of NITS is undecided whether to pursue a master plan or establish some basic design guidelines and principles to help preserve the neighborhood's historic character.

Jeff Funovits, a principal with Burt Hill, the firm which put together a plan for the Strip a few months ago and is working on other tasks in the neighborhood, believes the timing might be right for Strip District master plan.

"There are a few major land owners in the Strip District," he said. "Each one of those landowners is looking at moving forward in very individual directions."

After convening with the neighborhood's major stakeholders, Aaron Stauber, president of Rugby Realty, one of the newest property owners in the Strip, sees a high level of common ground in how to move the neighborhood forward.

"Everybody agrees that there is tremendous potential for this area and that the Strip District is not currently being used to its highest and best use," Stauber said.

Rodgers wasn't sure how much value there would be for Buncher in turning a large portion of its key riverfront parcel into a public park.

A master planning process would entail input from all the neighborhood's property owners and stakeholders for a fully realized strategy with community backing.

"What the next step would be is get together in a more formal way and say maybe we should put together more of a joint master plan," Stauber said.

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

Evergrey

08-28-2006, 10:03 PM

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06241/717128-85.stm

$24 million from state boosts diverse projects
Aid going to warehouses, cutting-edge technology
Tuesday, August 29, 2006

By Mark Belko, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Projects as diverse as warehouse development and cutting-edge nanotechnology will get a boost from $24 million in state aid delivered by Gov. Ed Rendell yesterday.

http://www.post-gazette.com/images4/20060829aorendell_cmu_450.jpg
Annie O'Neill, Post-Gazette
Gov. Ed Rendell announced a series of economic development investments in the region yesterday at Carnegie Mellon University.

The redevelopment assistance capital grants will be used to develop another shovel-ready warehouse and air cargo site near Pittsburgh International Airport, expand the Pittsburgh Technology Center on Second Avenue, help to build a center for nanotechnology at Carnegie Mellon University and aid in the construction of a riverfront park.

Also benefiting will be the Children's Institute, which is renovating its Squirrel Hill facility, and The Children's Home of Pittsburgh, which is building a $20 million facility in Friendship.

The largest grant, $7 million, will go to the Allegheny County Airport Authority to help with the first phase of its North Field development project off Route 60 near Pittsburgh International. The initial 80-acre phase will feature two warehouses and two air cargo facilities involving about 600,000 square feet in all.

The project will add to the portfolio of sites the airport authority and private investors are developing near the airport. With the state grant in hand, Randy Forister, authority economic development director, said officials should be ready to start moving dirt at the North Field site by spring.

He said one national developer has expressed interest in the site, which sits near a new cargo interchange.

"The governor and Dan [Onorato, county chief executive] have expressed a lot of faith in us and we're going to continue to deliver sites to them," he said.

For a project closer to Downtown, the city's Urban Redevelopment Authority will get $4 million for a major expansion of the Pittsburgh Technology Center. The project eventually would add as many as 11 buildings and up to 1 million square feet of space, plus parking garages.

The URA currently is in talks with the Ferchill Group, a Cleveland-based company, about developing a 160,000-square-foot laboratory-ready building at the site.

As part of the expansion, the city is providing $25 million in tax increment financing to build parking garages at the center.

URA officials estimate the project could create as many as 2,500 jobs.

Carnegie Mellon will receive $4 million in state redevelopment assistance to help with construction of a $66 million facility to supplement the Collaborative Innovation Center that opened in 2005 and houses Google, Apple Computers, Intel and Microsoft offices.

The new building would feature the Commercialization Center for Nano-Enabled Technologies, focused on research and development in the burgeoning field of nanotechnology.

Pradeep K. Khosla, dean of the College of Engineering at Carnegie Mellon, said officials hope to have the 180,000-square-foot building under construction sometime next year.

He said it would help put the region "in a very strong position with respect to nanotechnology" and other advanced fields.

"This will have a tremendous impact and we've had a record, for example in cyber security, which is in [the Collaborative Innovation Center], where we've been able to attract all of these tenants, and we will do the same in the nanotechnology area, too," he said.

Nanotechnology involves the creation and manipulation of materials so small that 100,000 of them would be no bigger than the width of a hair. Nanotechnology developed the cotton-like fibers that make up the stain-free slacks that many retailers are marketing and the altered, eternally durable metal used in tennis ace Andy Roddick's racket.

The state has been positioning itself to become a hub for nanotechnology, spending some $54 million since 1999 to try to capitalize on its assets. Officials believe the Carnegie Mellon center could create 350 to 400 direct technology jobs.

Other grants announced yesterday were:

$4.5 million to The Children's Home of Pittsburgh to help build a new $20 million, three-story facility in Friendship that is scheduled to open in the spring. It will allow The Children's Home to consolidate its two facilities in Shadyside and Bloomfield and double its space.

$2.5 million to help with development of the $30 million South Shore riverfront park near the SouthSide Works complex on the South Side. The park will provide river access and a link to the city's trail system.

$2 million toward renovations to the Children's Institute in Squirrel Hill, resulting in an expansion of hospital beds from 39 to 84, the addition of seven classrooms and more services for children with autism.

To secure the state grants, recipients must come up with matching funds.

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

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

PittPenn 03

08-28-2006, 10:41 PM

[QUOTE=Evergrey]with all the momentum in downtown right now, I think it would be foolish for Saks to flee to suburbia

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06238/716574-53.stm

Saks wants more space, City fears retailer will go to suburbs
Saturday, August 26, 2006

With the way Pittsburghers stay to their area, I do not think it would be wise for Saks to move to Ross Park Mall. Maybe as a second location, but not their only one. The North Hills is not the only wealthy area in the metro, and I cannot imagine many people crossing rivers to go from say the South Hills all the way out to the North Hills. Saks would be smart to stay where they are at - if they want more space they could always move into the old Lord & Taylor across the street.

SteelCity15

08-28-2006, 11:54 PM

^^ I agree with that one. Ross Park has plenty of places. People further south would have a much longer drive to get to Saks.

Evergrey

08-29-2006, 05:17 AM

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06241/717041-53.stm

PNC Firstside Park creates connections with labyrinthine landscape
Tuesday, August 29, 2006

http://www.post-gazette.com/images4/20060829ae_pncfirstside_park_450.jpg
Astorino
With 101 trees chosen for fragrance and seasonal interest, PNC Firstside Park will be an urban forest on a Downtown block bounded by Boulevard of the Allies, Grant Street, First Avenue and Ross Street. Construction has begun, and completion is expected in the spring.

By Patricia Lowry, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Pittsburgh's newest park promises to be a green gateway to Downtown, with a meandering, diagonal path leading visitors from the end of the rustic, riverside Eliza Furnace Trail to the bustling intersection of Grant Street and Boulevard of the Allies.

When it's complete next spring, PNC Firstside Park also will feature seven smaller, spiraling paths, some or all of which are expected to lead, in a later phase, to sculptures. The spirals will snake their way through a mounded landscape of trees, ferns, flowering bulbs, ornamental grasses and other perennials.

The design is surprisingly park-like, forested and organic; even the park's perimeter of buff-colored terrazzo sidewalks and gray granite curbs will be rounded at the corners, contributing to a romantic landscape seen as contrast and counterpoint to the orthogonal PNC Firstside Center, opposite the park across First Avenue.

There is a small eating area, seating 24, and benches interspersed throughout, but this is not your standard urban plaza with copious seating and reams of pavement. This is mostly a park for strolling or striding, one that brings welcome new connections and 1.5 acres of green space to a section of Downtown that sorely lacks it.

The privately owned park should be an amenity not only for the banking center's 1,500 employees, but for anyone working or living on the southeast edge of Downtown and anyone willing to make their way to it.

"PNC wanted this to be a destination spot" for trail users, families, office workers and others, said Steven Gillespie, one of the park's two designers.

Gillespie and Rachelle Wolf, both landscape architects at Astorino, collaborated with PNC staffers, including Gary Saulson, director of corporate real estate, and a California artist whom PNC wouldn't identify -- even though the spirals grew out of the artist's idea of how the sculptures would be placed in the park.

"PNC plans to wait until it makes a final decision about what sculpture(s) it may choose and announce the sculpture(s) and artist at the same time," PNC spokeswoman Darcel Kimble wrote in an e-mail. "The decision is close to being finalized."

In announcing the park in 2004, Saulson said PNC, which operates a day-care center for employees at PNC Firstside Center, wanted to "create a child-friendly environment -- someplace kids want to go. I don't want to give away too many ideas, but it will definitely appeal to children."

At the time, Saulson also said the park would interpret some of the history of the site, which in the early 1800s was adjacent to the Scotch Hill Market, burned in the Great Fire of 1845. The Boulevard of the Allies ramp is on the market site now.

In recent years, the park site held the seven-story Public Safety Building, a 1960s expansion of the four-story, former Post-Gazette building. PNC paid $4.2 million for the Public Safety Building in May 2004 and soon began a careful deconstruction, recycling 98 percent of its materials, including some crumbled into gravel and used as fill on the site. PNC declined to reveal the cost of the park.

Some of its spiraling paths will open to other walkways, allowing a different diagonal stroll through the park opposite the main diagonal path. The main diagonal will be paved in buff terrazzo and lined with white birches and pedestrian-scale light poles. The labyrinthine spirals, done in chipped, compacted limestone, could make the park a meditative or playful experience, but much depends on the form and content of the sculptures.

One aspect of the park could encourage a contemplative environment: The back of each of its perforated-metal benches will incorporate a short quotation, about 2 inches tall, from a notable person, including Helen Keller, Martin Luther King and Confucius.

The park also includes a small plaza area, paved in scored, dark gray-tinted concrete, with six silver-colored tables, each with four attached chairs. Like the benches, they will be contemporary in style, taking their aesthetic cues from the design of Astorino's PNC Firstside Center. The park's buff, gray and silver color scheme also was inspired by the center, for which Gillespie and Wolf designed the surrounding landscape, with its cascading fountain along First Avenue and the inlaid compass that terminates the Eliza Furnace Trail.

One of the park's greatest amenities will be its 101 trees, with varieties chosen for fragrance and four-season interest: red maples, lindens, zelkovas, river birches, white birches, redbuds, saucer and sweetbay magnolias, and flowering cherry, crab-apple and callery pear trees.

The park's perimeter sidewalks, interior paths, benches, tables, chairs, trees and sod should be installed by the end of October. Ornamental grasses and flowering perennials and bulbs will be added in the spring.

Asked if the park was a placeholder for a future building, project manager Susan Golomb said it isn't, but added, "you can never predict what will happen in 20 years."

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(Architecture critic Patricia Lowry can be reached at plowry@post-gazette.com or 412-263-1590. )

The fenced-in grassy area on the left is where the park will be. This photo was taken in February.
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the entrance to PNC FirstSide
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chuikov

08-29-2006, 06:06 AM

AaronPGH

08-29-2006, 08:37 AM

I wouldn't worry too much. I have a good feeling that with PNCs history of development (one thats getting better and better), this park won't sit here for too long. I'm thinking it's just filler for now until they finish PNC 3. I think after that you may see them moving on this plot of land. The building that was there before was absolutely hideous and had to go. For now, I'm happy to see this park. It's really close to AIP, and the students can definitely use something like this so close considering it will be sandwiched between the new dorms and the school building.

Evergrey

08-29-2006, 03:12 PM

http://www.popcitymedia.com/developmentnews/26libpk.aspx

August 30, 2006
$14 million Liberty Park to bring 124 new units to East Liberty
Phase one of East Liberty’s 11-acre Liberty Park is expected to be completed during October 2007. The 35,000 square-foot development features 16 buildings and 124 new townhouses and apartments. The project includes market rate and subsidized housing in a variety of buildings and styles.One-, two- and three-bedroom apartments and townhouses will range from 1000 to 2575 square feet.

Located at 6201 Broad Street, Liberty Park’s central hub is a three-story, mixed-use development housing management offices, community space and a fitness center.

Stephen Ponter of Devlin Architecture is project architect and the contractor is Mistick Construction. The developer is McCormack Baron Salazar and landscape architect is LaQuatra Bonci Associates.

Liberty Park is bordered by Broad Street and Larimar and Collins Avenues and involves the revitalization of Station Street, a public street lost during urban renewal.

“The intent is to reinstall the traditional neighborhood fabric. There are sidewalks throughout to maintain a neighborhood feel,” says Stephen Ponter.

“Its uniqueness is that the buildings are not homogeneous. This is something the community wanted,” says Ernie Hogan, director of residential development with East Liberty Development, Inc. (ELDI).

In 2003, UDA created Liberty Park’s initial visioning and master plan. East Liberty’s Coalition of Organized Residents reviewed the plan, selected a developer and attended design charettes.

“We have always wanted to create mixed communities and provide housing opportunities for all East Liberty residents. We are opening this site back up,” says Hogan.

Sixty families have applied to live in Liberty Park. In partnership with S&A Homes, ELDI will develop 70 single-family homes as part of its final phase next year. Phase two begins this fall.

Writer: Jennifer Baron
Sources: Stephen Ponter, Devlin Architecture, and Ernie Hogan, ELDI

Photograph copyright © Jonathan Greene

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themaguffin

08-29-2006, 03:36 PM

AaronPGH

08-29-2006, 04:03 PM

If it were a temp thing, then I would think they would make it a parking lot - it would be cheap to "build," make a few bucks and be less demonized for abolishing for later development.

You really think PNC would do that though? I still think down the road we'll see them using this space for something other than a park.

Evergrey

08-29-2006, 06:02 PM

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06241/717218-100.stm

Pittsburgh invited to compete for US Airways center
Tuesday, August 29, 2006

By Dan Fitzpatrick, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

US Airways wants Pittsburgh, Charlotte and Phoenix to compete for a new $25 million flight operations center employing 400 to 600 people -- a project that would supplant operations currently spread between Pittsburgh and Phoenix.

The Tempe, Ariz.-based airline sent letters to officials in all three cities yesterday, asking that any proposals be submitted by Oct. 15. A decision is expected by February, but the actual move would not occur until late 2008 or early 2009.

US Airways, the product of a merger last year between the old US Airways and America West Airlines, wants a new, single-story building of 60,000-75,00 square feet, with 6 acres of land and room to expand, if needed. The building should be low profile and high security -- befitting its status as the nerve center of the airline, controlling all flights for US Airways aircraft worldwide. The airline also wants to know if "there are tax abatements or other incentives that would make one location preferable to another," including "reduced building and equipment costs" and "operating expenses."

Last fall, a union official briefed by the airline said there was a "90 percent" chance the center would end up in Phoenix, resulting in the closure of the Pittsburgh center, located at RIDC Park West near the airport, and hundreds of local job losses. US Airways already has eliminated more than 9,000 local jobs while struggling through two recent bankruptcies and a severe industry slump since 2001.

But US Airways executive vice president Al Crellin assured employees in a letter issued today that "we have not decided on a site as yet, and any decision that we make will be based on a combination of factors -- these incentives, the best location for employees, and most importantly, the efficient, safe operation of the airline."

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More details in tomorrow's Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

themaguffin

08-29-2006, 06:25 PM

I just saw the USEless Air story... and yeah another chance to get screwed by them.

Evergrey

08-29-2006, 08:19 PM

More info on the SSW hotel...

http://www.popcitymedia.com/developmentnews/26aloft.aspx

August 30, 2006
New concept hotel in development for SouthSide Works
The Soffer Organization is working to bring a new concept hotel to Pittsburgh’s SouthSide Works (SSW). The developer is currently in talks with Concord Hospitality Enterprises about the project, which could become the first hotel at SSW.

Introduced in 2005 by Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide, Inc., the aloft concept is a moderately priced, select-service brand of boutique hotel.

“A hotel is an important part of the environment of SSW. In addition to retail, office and residential development, to have a hotel and amenities such as a riverfront park, really makes it a place," says Christine Fulton with Soffer.

Fulton confirms that Soffer is still identifying the size of the hotel, which will most likely feature 120-150 rooms.

“It will be a new hotel category for our area, and will offer great views of the Mon River Valley right to downtown,” says Fulton.

The new aloft hotel will be located on a riverfront property at SSW, adjacent to South Shore Park, Cheesecake Factory, walking trails and a new Hofbrauhaus.

“With the universities back in session, we see a lot of faculty, staff and students at SSW and we hope to encourage more people to visit and stay,” says Fulton.

A construction start date has not yet been determined.

Writer: Jennifer Baron
Source: Christine Fulton, vice president of external relations, Soffer Organization

Evergrey

08-30-2006, 12:31 AM

I'm against the park. Pittsburgh has plenty of trees.

Instead of hiring consultants to screw things up, they should ask locals how to improve business and increase the density and 'buzz'.

The idea of an open "Gateway to Downtown" is something from failed achitectural ideas from 1960. It's not a gateway - it's a void! It will be a barrier to natural human interaction and commerce.

I agree with every point you made. However, I also don't think this is that big of a deal right now... this is a somewhat forgotten parcel in a slightly underwhelming quadrant on the periphery of downtown. It's not a critical location... and I do suppose the greenspace may be used by Art Insititute students. Now this parcel can become great some day... when the need arises for an exciting new development... this "temporary" park will yield to progress. In the mean time... I would rather have a park with fancy trees than its current barren incarnation... or a parking lot.

Evergrey

08-30-2006, 12:52 AM

Pop City has a triumverate of Strip District features this week. This article contains a good rundown of recent and current residential projects in that neighborhood.

http://www.popcitymedia.com/features/24stripmove.aspx

The Strip District Moving Guide
By: Robert Isenberg

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The Strip Lofts

August 30, 2006

Until recently, very few people ever considered moving to the Strip District. Except for a few scattered row-houses along Penn Avenue, the Strip has appealed more to business owners than residents. But now that this dynamic neighborhood has transformed into a commercial hot spot, more real estate developers are taking interest. And in a way, it’s about time.

Like so many warehouse districts before it (the Garment District in New York, San Francisco’s SoMa), the Strip suffered a major downfall with the collapse of industry, and many of its buildings were abandoned and eventually condemned. The Cork Factory was reduced to a brick-and-steel husk and neglected for decades.

Now the old brick buildings have become a hot commodity for developers interested in creating one of a kind lofts. For city-dwellers of a certain tax bracket, the Strip is rapidly becoming a touchstone of hip urban living, where the ceilings are high, the windows are tall, and luxurious spaces can still be rented for less than cramped, ordinary tenements in larger cities.

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Brake House Lofts

The Brake House

If Frank Lloyd Wright had worked on renovation projects, and he had turned his simple, Modernist attention to loft projects, he might have envisioned something like the Brake House. Formerly the Kerotest Building, the Brake House was named for the air brakes which were invented right here, the former site of the Westinghouse who invented it. Located at 2501 Liberty Avenue, this place is an 18-unit dream, where tenants enjoy exposed original masonry, chic steel beams running along the ceiling, and – most innovative of all – moveable, semi-transparent walls, so residents can enjoy privacy but still receive a generous flood of natural light.

Thanks to a $2.5 million makeover in 2001, the 30,000-sq. ft. building has broken new ground in the Strip – luxury living, and only a couple of blocks from such favorite establishments as Klavon’s Ice Cream, Mullaney’s Harp & Fiddle, and Gene’s Last Chance.

“I was the first guy in,” says Greg Rogers, a retired Federal Agent who is now director of the Intelligence and National Security Program at Duquesne University. “As a matter of fact, when I came in to look at it, they were telling me how it would look.”

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Walking on Penn Avenue

This was a common tour when no wall productions, Inc., first began showing the spaces; they built frames inside the lofts to mark where future walls and dividers would be installed. Rogers, who has lived all over the world – including such exotic locations at Bangkok – had no intention of staying in Pittsburgh. He had only planned to conduct some Agency work in the months after Sept. 11. When he decided to stick around, he perused some loft spaces Downtown. “They were nice. They had these skylights, which are perfect for artists. But it’s not what I was looking for.”

Instead, he settled on a Brake House unit – a room with a view. “It’s really just the third floor, but you can see the whole city skyline,” he says. “I like the open space. My furniture is from all over the world. You put this furniture in an eight-foot-ceiling room, it’s just ridiculous.” And the windows: “There are 14 of them. And they’re big.”

He also enjoys its proximity to local groceries and restaurants. “Wholey’s is great. I like the produce, I like the price.” Rogers enjoys cooking, and the Wholey’s selection, he says, is a great luxury.

The Brake House, where the movie "Flashdance" was filmed, has attracted a range of residents, from attorneys to an erotic dancer (who likes the space because it’s close to her job). As no wall owner Eve Picker said back when it opened, “We’re looking for feisty tenants.”

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Brake House Lofts

The Cork Factory

For locals who have, over the years, passed by the skeletal remains of the Armstrong Cork Factory and wondered what a renovated version would look like, the Cork Factory Lofts have been a long anticipated project. Located on the edge of the river and standing a full seven stories (originally designed by John Osterling, a famous local turn-of-the-century architect), the Cork Factory will boast eight-foot, garage-style windows, balconies, laundry facilities in each open plan unit, stainless steel sinks and peninsula kitchens – all the amenities fit for a true Dwell Magazine enthusiast. Plus there’s the workout facility in the factory’s old engine room, building-wide wireless Internet, an expansive patio, a courtyard and a community garden. A garage is being built across the street.

Some of its more unusual amenities? On-site fax and printer services and a private marina, giving tenants a chance to cruise the rivers.

While the Brake House is located a few blocks from the commercial center, the Cork Factory is a bit closer yet somewhat removed from the main commercial district, looming above the water like a pair of proud maroon monoliths. They stand closest to the Boardwalk, the Strip’s party paradise, but far enough away to feel like a cultural island. The Cork Factory will likely appeal to upscale professionals with an offbeat sensibility – attorneys and doctors with a penchant for collecting fine art. The fine living can be expensive – one-room lofts go for at least $1,170 (the most expensive is $3,520 for a three-bedroom loft that covers 2327 square feet), but compared with larger cities, the spaces are a steal. Akin to its lofty neighbor, the Cork Factory has already begun pre-leasing units, although even with the high demand and a surge of early renters, the building’s 295 units will still take time to fill.

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Cork Factory

The Strip Lofts

Two building projects in the Strip offer condos for those who want to own. In one example, Unit 3E of the Strip Lofts features polished concrete floors, 3,500 square feet of open space, and a panoramic third-story view from the expansive outdoor walkway. The tile-and-stainless-steel bathrooms are prime examples of sleek Modernist perfection. The price: A cool $749,000. The building, located at 2901 Smallman Street, was a former warehouse that has attracted a people who not only love the idea of living in the Strip District, but are willing to bet on a long-term investment. Architect for the project was Dutch MacDonald of edge studio.

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Strip Lofts

Think Pink

Aside from its darling nomenclature, the “Pink Building,” located at 3052 Smallman Street, may soon offer some of the finest living in the city: The nineteenth century schoolhouse, long-abandoned, will offer 14 luxury condos, where lucky owners can stretch their legs beneath the 14-foot-high ceilings or lounge in the commons rooms, gazing through large, vintage windows. Bonn and Art McSorley, co-owners of The Pittsburgh Decorative Center, bought the property in 2000, and the $2 million renovation project is expected to be completed in 2007. While it will require a lot of time and investment, condos will range from 1,200 to 2,600 square feet and will sell for $250,000 and up. The (literally pink-painted) building already houses the offices and studios of a muralist, a film producer, a national artist and a graphic design artist, as well as the headquarters for the Decorative Center.

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Street food vendor

The Pedestrian Life

The Brake House and Cork Factory both boast their own garages; the Cork Factory’s, when complete, will stand on the opposite side of the street and hold up to 427 vehicles. More importantly, the Strip is pedestrian-friendly: Wide sidewalks, slow traffic and flat terrain make for safe and easy promenades. Residents who work Downtown can enjoy an easy stroll down Penn Avenue or Smallman Street. There is also a fleet of Port Authority buses that run through the Strip, including the 54C, the 86A, 86B, 91A, 77D, 77F, 77G, and countless others.

Greg Rogers is a major proponent of walking to work – from the Brake House to Duquesne – in the spring and fall. When the weather dissuades him, he opts for one of several Downtown buses that stop directly outside his building’s front door.

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Pink Building

For residents like Rogers, the Strip has two seemingly contradictory benefits: The neighborhood is a magnet for discriminating shoppers, tourists and history buffs, who arrive from all over the city and, indeed, the world, making the three-mile stretch one of the most cosmopolitan in the city. On the other hand, the pedestrian nature of the Strip offers residents a face-to-face familiarity with locals, so that, over time, the neighborhood can seem like a small-town. Retailers are fond of boasting how well they know their clientele – a familiarity that will grow with the neighborhood’s population.

Whatever residents’ reactions, today is a key moment in the Strip’s evolution – from a warehouse district damaged by industrial fallout to a touchstone of new development. By moving to the Strip, new renters and owners become part of a cultural movement, boldly transforming a commercial sector into an increasingly residential one. A row of once-abandoned warehouses now offers limitless possibilities – spaces like the Otto Milk Property, with its five buildings and thousands of square feet of unused interior, could lend itself to new apartments or multi-use for the Strip’s new lifestyle. As upscale renovations attract newcomers, we can expect that the row houses along Penn Avenue will experience makeovers as well, making the Strip not only more livable, but a magnet for new tenants and ideas.

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The Otto Milk complex definately has a lot of potential... I'm pretty confident we'll see it adapted to an exciting new use as the Strip District continues to evolve.

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http://i.pbase.com/g3/86/571686/2/56560841.100_4716.jpg

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Pink Building
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example of Strip District rowhouses
http://i.pbase.com/g3/86/571686/2/56560557.100_4710.jpg

Strip Lofts
http://i.pbase.com/g3/86/571686/2/56560837.100_4711.jpg

Click here to see interior shots of the Strip Lofts: http://www.striplofts.com

BANKofMANHATTAN

08-30-2006, 05:36 PM

I've been waiting for someone to do something with Otto Milk. I think it'd be great re-vamped!:yes:

hopefully we'll see that happen...

Wheelingman04

08-30-2006, 10:31 PM

It is great to see the Strip District start to boom. That is one of the coolest areas of the city because it is close to downtown, has a great skyline view, is on the river, near Lawrenceville, has nightlife and lots of food.

Evergrey

08-31-2006, 12:44 AM

the previous article was on residential development in the Strip... this one's on commercial development...

http://www.popcitymedia.com/features/24%20stripinvest.aspx
16th St. Bridge

The Strip District Investment and Business Guide
By: Robert Isenberg

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August 30, 2006
Strolling down Penn Avenue is like walking back in time, to a turn-of-the-century neighborhood where vintage storefronts stand side-by-side, parking lots are located just beyond view, and visitors peruse outdoor stalls and kiosks, haggling over prices or sipping late-afternoon cocktails beneath shading parasols.

For small-business owners, the Strip affords a rare opportunity: To start a shop or eatery where pedestrian traffic is already strong, and discriminating shoppers have congregated for over a century. The Strip is convenient to Downtown (and satellite neighborhoods), a Saturday tradition for thousands of Pittsburghers, and one of the city’s most attractive and lucrative tourist draws. Museums and clubs bring the people in; small, sometimes quirky businesses get them to stay and look around. For people with vision and dreams, the Strip is a place to consider.

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Caffe Intermezzo

“Property values were higher in the dot-com days than they are today,” says Richard Beynon, president of Beynon & Co. “We see a real value today in the Strip. People always ask us about growth areas. The strip is always in the top three.”

Prime retail space is hard to find on Penn Avenue but bargains can be had further up Penn or on Smallman, he says, from a low of $13 a square foot to a high of $20.

Un-Chain My Heart

It says a lot for a neighborhood to host both a Starbucks and a Panera Bread, then watch them both lose business and close for good. Chains can survive in the Strip – the McDonald’s on Penn Avenue has been serving for years – but the Strip’s caché comes from its wealth of original retailers and their fresh, one-of-a-kind stock. While some businesses, particularly nightclubs, have come and gone, savvy entrepreneurs who find a niche can stay in business indefinitely, thriving on a daily rush of discriminating shoppers. You don’t find regulars more committed than Strip-fans.

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Crane Building

And there have never been so many: With the introduction of the Brake House and Cork Factory lofts, the Strip’s population is likely to double in the next few years. Plus there’s the new Hampton Inn and Suites, now under construction, which will offer 143 rooms, at reasonable prices, as early as May, 2007.

Moreover, the neighborhood has experienced a financial renaissance in very recent years, with the construction of renovated loft spaces, the newly expanded History Museum, a $150,000 grant from the Pennsylvania Dept. Of Community & Economic Development (for pre-development activities on a 30,000 square foot market hall in the Pennsylvania Fruit Auction and Safes Building) and Portal Project, an initiative designed to encourage pedestrian flow of traffic between Downtown and the Strip, sponsored by a federal gift of $345,000. Thanks to the interest of Gov. Ed Rendell, U.S. Congressman Mike Doyle, and the tireless advocacy of Neighbors in the Strip, the nation’s largest inland ports is on its way to becoming one of the hippest as well. It’s already the most authentic.

Where Dream-Jobs Come True

A lot of new business owners in the Strip tell the same inspiring tale: Years ago, they had lucrative but static office jobs. They always had a passion for a certain craft. They found a cheap storefront somewhere around Penn Avenue and set up their small business. Now they’ve cornered a niche market, and everybody comes to the Strip to buy their wares.

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Pennsylvania Macaroni Co.

Larry Lagatutta, owner of the hugely popular Enrico Biscotti, spent over a decade working for Lucent Technologies before he decided to entertain his childhood pastime, baking. In 1992, Lagatutta rented a humble space on Penn Avenue. “I got it for a ridiculously small amount of money,” he says. On his first day, he baked 30 pounds of biscotti. His first major customer was La Prima Espresso, the beloved local coffee company, which had just lost its biscotti supplier and was buying out-of-state.

Today, Enrico Biscotti produces 800-900 pounds of biscotti a day – among countless other baked goods – and sends fresh batches to cafés and groceries all over the city. Enrico has become a household name and has gained national recognition, cited by Gourmet Magazine as a must-stop in Pittsburgh. Even now, Lagatutta is personally involved in the baking process – and he even lives in an apartment above Enrico’s – his daily commute to work takes under a minute.

Alexis Shaffer, co-owner of the brand-new Caffe Intermezzo, has a similar story. When Shaffer lived in New Jersey, she worked as a high-profile engineer and supervised a team of what she calls “direct reports” – 30 workers who looked to her for instruction and management.

“I liked my job,” Shaffer says. “But what I liked most of all was interacting with people every day.”

If you slice out the office, the engineering and the state of New Jersey, and replace it with an intimate little coffee shop on Smallman Street, you get a life that has all the benefits and none of the drawbacks: Shaffer still interacts with people everyday, albeit while slinging coffee, tea, pastries, Panini sandwiches and bottles of juice and water. Sharing the counter with her husband, Lucas, Shaffer welcomes customers with a good word and a smile, and since its opening on March 29, Cafe Intermezzo has attracted a small corps of regulars that grows larger every day.

The store began with a fortuitous real estate classified in the Post-Gazette, advertising a small space that was already equipped for a café. “When we came down here,” she says, “and met the owners, it just fit.” Caffe Intermezzo has an on-the-go charm, with tables laid out on the sidewalk in the summer, and a simple take-away policy in the winter.

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Otto Milk

A True Outdoor Market

“I’ve been in the Strip all my life,” says Lagatutta proudly. Back in the day, his father used to unload supply trains, and even as a child, Lagatutta’s mother used to drop him off at DeLuca’s, where he would devour greasy breakfasts and make friends with the DeLuca family. “In this country,” he observes, “there are open markets. But there is nothing like the Strip District. You can talk about South Philadelphia and places in New York, but they don’t look anything at all like the Strip.” Lagatutta credits the ages-old blue-collar tradition for the Strip’s uniqueness. “These guys [local owners and workers] are elitists, purists. These guys are unloading boxcars and pushing dollies. These are working men. And that’s an amazing feature of the Strip. I think the products that you get here show that. We’re not like the earring shop at the mall.”

Most owners seem to agree that it takes patience, a keen sense of quality, and inimitable wares to survive in the Strip. “It’s sometimes tough to be the new kid on the block,” Shaffer says. “It takes a little time to break into it.” But Shaffer welcomes competition from other cafés on nearby Penn Avenue. “If you go to New York, there are a thousand coffee shops, one on every block.” Shaffer serves different coffee, from the Chicago-based Intelligencia, a company that “wants people to understand coffee like they understand wine.”

http://www.popcitymedia.com/galleries/Default/Features/Issue%2026/NABE%20Strip%20District/Invest/leaf_and_bean_300.jpg
Leaf & Bean

The same could be said of Café Richard, a cozy little shop with gold-tinted walls, framed local photography and a reputation for outrageously good sandwiches – such as Jambon & Brie, the Prosciutto and the Muffaletta, plus a wealth of desserts. These places can be small, sometimes teensy, but gourmet fare and balanced pricing allow theme to survive – and accrue a certain level of old-school, word-of-mouth fame. Stores like the Pennsylvania Macaroni Company have thrived for over a century, fed on such good words.

Ah, chocolat

When it comes to quality, no one is more passionate than Amy Rosenfeld. Boasting the quiet intensity of a connoisseur, Rosenfeld’s life is chocolate – and Mon Aimee Chocolat, a large, one-room store filled with displays of nature’s finest goodies, is her tribute. A 15-year veteran of the confectioner’s trade, Rosenfeld established Mon Aimee nearly five years ago. “I knew I wanted to get into the specialty aspects of the business,” Rosenfeld says. “You don’t usually see my kind of store in this country.” Mon Aimee’s European flair is not limited to the decor – vintage signs and an Ecuadorean cocoa bean bag hanging from the walls – but also the craftsmanship of her stock. “Most people are used to local candy-makers making pecan pies,” she says. Mon Aimee seeks the finest and most discriminating flavors, serving them in their traditional boxes, and also as cordials from glass containers, and as cocoa from the Hot Chocolate Bar in the back.

Rosenfeld likes the Strip for its “central location” and “diverse selection of small businesses. For good quality products, it’s the best place in the city.” And with such a strong influx of regulars, “I get to know people.” Such a customer base might imply expansion, but Rosenfeld is dismissive of the idea. “I don’t want a franchise,” she says. “I believe that you can lose touch with your customers. Right now we’re very happy here.”

Railroad & Fruit Auction Sales Building
http://www.popcitymedia.com/galleries/Default/Features/Issue%2026/NABE%20Strip%20District/Invest/auction_house_300.jpg

The Potluck Market

Local merchants will tell you what the neighborhood lacks and that spells opportunity for the entrepreneur. Here’s what’s needed: A standard gas station (the closest is on the tip of Lawrenceville, about a mile away); a general or drugstore to buy day to day necessities and Kaya-caliber restaurants to complement the dance club scene (in a sense, there is an economic siesta between 5 p.m., when the markets close, and 10 p.m., when the clubbin’ starts).

In the past couple of years, interest in the Strip’s real estate – both residential and commercial – has ignited a flair for adventurous entrepreneurs with dependable capital and a long-term plan, as there are new opportunities opening every few months: The Potato & Onion Building, formerly a warehouse space for spuds and scallions at 2200 Smallman Street, is now soliciting businesses to take over its floor-space – from two 1,875-sq. ft. retail spaces to a cluster of office units. The same goes for the Otto Milk Building, which, with a lot of TLC and extensive rehab, could furnish a buyer with five stories and 15,750 sq. ft. of former storage space for dairy products, all on the well-trafficked corner of Smallman and 25th Street. Or there’s space for rent in places like the Crane Building, newly renovated spaces, 15-ft. ceilings, energy-efficient windows, wireless Internet, and free parking – located a stone’s throw (literally) from Pittsburgh’s most ambitious new loft project, the Cork Factory.

Prive
http://www.popcitymedia.com/galleries/Default/Features/Issue%2026/NABE%20Strip%20District/Invest/prive_300.jpg

For now, entrepreneurs who don’t mind eccentric neighbors will find that the Strip is still an affordable inner-city option, and its increasing popularity in coming years is a sure thing. Like the Farmers Market @ the Firehouse that shows weekly in the Strip, the neighborhood has become an amalgam of disparate dreams and imaginations, affording visitors – and proprietors – a range of local flavors, whether it be coffee, chocolate, cheese, antiques, steel sculpture, spices, wholesale seafood or DJ spins.

Pop City also has an interesting Strip District Visitor's Guide here: http://www.popcitymedia.com/features/24stripvis.aspx

Evergrey

08-31-2006, 12:57 AM

more drama from the Penguins saga... I don't trust Fingold at all... hopefully this falls through and Murstein gets a chance to buy

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/cityregion/s_468353.html

Unspecified issues remain in $175M sale of Penguins

By Andrew Conte
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Wednesday, August 30, 2006

A $175 million deal to sell the Penguins hockey team to a Hartford real estate developer appears to be on thin ice.
Sam Fingold, who agreed last month to buy the team, said Tuesday the price is not the problem.

"There is plenty of cash but (there are) a few other issues I can't talk about yet," Fingold told the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review in an e-mail.

"All the equity is in place," he later wrote. "There are some business points that need to be worked out."

A National Hockey League spokesman and a Penguins spokesman declined to comment on the negotiations.

The team announced July 28 that Fingold had entered a period of exclusive negotiations to finalize a purchase. He beat out at least four other bidders.

Two of them -- Massachusetts developer Larry Gottesdiener and New York financier Andrew Murstein -- are believed to have made comparable offers. Neither was available for comment.

Many insiders believed at the time Fingold would close the deal within 30 days.

A possible hurdle could be whether Fingold would be allowed to move the team. He has said he wants to keep the Penguins in Pittsburgh, but talked previously about relocating the team to Kansas City if Pittsburgh does not get a new arena.

The city-county Sports and Exhibition Authority is expected Thursday to release an update on plans to buy 10 properties between Fifth and Centre avenues, Uptown, for an arena. Negotiations are nearing completion, said Allegheny County Chief Executive Dan Onorato.

Fingold did not want to start negotiating a lease for an arena until he completed the sales process, Onorato said, adding he has talked with the real estate developer several times.

"As far as we're concerned, we're negotiating to buy the land for a new arena and we're willing and ready to negotiate a lease," Onorato said.

The state has promised to lend $26.5 million to the sports authority to buy the properties. The state is waiting for the authority to negotiate purchase prices before sending the money, Gov. Ed Rendell said Monday. The loan would be repaid with money from slot machines.

The NHL must approve relocation. League officials have said they prefer to keep the Penguins here as long as the team does not have to keep playing at aging Mellon Arena. NHL Bylaw 36 states that the league has a right to block the relocation of a team as long as it is financially viable, or its owners are taking steps to make it so.

Despite having the NHL's second-worst record last season, the Penguins posted the league's biggest gain in attendance -- averaging 15,944 fans per game, according to Street & Smith's SportsBusiness Journal.

"They know (the arena) is real," Onorato said. "We're going to be able to continue to make a very strong case to keep the franchise here because of what we're doing on a multipurpose arena."

The sports authority wants to get the properties under contract, relocate the tenants by January and break ground in June.

A new arena could open for the 2009 season.

Andrew Conte can be reached at aconte@tribweb.com or (412) 765-2312.

Evergrey

08-31-2006, 01:00 AM

more info on the battle for the US Airways flight operations center

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06242/717406-28.stm

Officials vow fight to bring US Airways jobs here
Flight operations center could be in Pittsburgh, Charlotte or Phoenix
Wednesday, August 30, 2006

By Dan Fitzpatrick and Mark Belko, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Local officials pledged yesterday to compete vigorously for a new $25 million US Airways flight operations center that could be built in either Charlotte, N.C., Phoenix or Pittsburgh, employing as many as 600.

"We are going to try like heck," said Allegheny County Airport Authority executive director Kent George.

US Airways needs only one center to control its flights worldwide but it currently has two, in Pittsburgh and Phoenix, the result of a merger last year between the old US Airways and Tempe, Ariz.-based America West Airlines.

The competition for a new, consolidated structure to be built in 2008 or 2009 officially began Monday, when US Airways sent letters to the three cities asking that any proposals be submitted by Oct. 15.

The fear, of course, is that Pittsburgh could lose more airline jobs as a result of the decision, which is expected in February, and add to the list of almost 10,000 US Airways employees cut from the local ranks since 2001.

The Pittsburgh center employs 450 people at RIDC Park West, an office park near Pittsburgh International Airport. The building -- a longtime nerve center of the airline -- is a holdover from the days when Pittsburgh was US Airways' largest hub, with more than 542 daily flights and 12,700 employees. It now has 164 daily flights and 2,800 local employees.

Allegheny County Chief Executive Dan Onorato said he will not go into the competition with an open checkbook but pledged that local leaders will put together a proposal that "keeps us competitive with other cities" for the work.

US Airways told local officials this week it wants a new, single-story building of 60,000 to 75,000 square feet, with 6 acres of land and room to expand by another 3 acres if needed. The building should be low profile and high security.

US Airways also wants to know if "there are tax abatements or other incentives that would make one location preferable to another" -- including "reduced building and equipment costs" and "operating expenses," the letter said.

Last fall, a union official briefed by the airline said there was a "90 percent" chance the center would end up in Phoenix, resulting in the closure of the Pittsburgh center and hundreds of local job losses.

But US Airways executive vice president Al Crellin assured employees in a letter issued yesterday that "we have not decided on a site as yet, and any decision that we make will be based on a combination of factors -- these incentives, the best location for employees, and most importantly, the efficient, safe operation of the airline."

Pittsburgh's location in the East could help its cause -- flights often begin each day at 5 a.m., which is 2 a.m. in Phoenix, forcing employees out there to wake well before dawn.

"It seems ludicrous to be (putting) this thing on the West Coast when probably 75 percent of the flight activity is literally on the East Coast," said Bill Lauer, a local airline analyst.

Finding the land in Pittsburgh will not be a problem, Mr. George and Mr. Onorato said.

The airport authority owns thousands of acres near the airport and has embarked on a major effort to transform that land into "shovel-ready" sites. It predicts that 300 acres will be available for development within 24 months.

Of course, Charlotte is also along the East Coast, also has lots of suburban land available for development and happens to be US Airways' largest hub.

"It comes down to a very simple dollars and cents issue," said Mr. Lauer, the local airline analyst. "It is going to be, 'Where is the best deal?' "

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

(Dan Fitzpatrick can be reached at dfitzpatrick@post-gazette.com or 412-263-1752. Mark Belko can be reached at mbelko@post-gazette.com or 412-263-1262. )

... one interesting tidbit from the Trib article

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/business/s_468362.html

The airline has been using both the US Airways control center in Moon and the America West Airlines' control center in Phoenix since the carriers merged in September. The Moon center employs 450, while the Phoenix facility has 175 workers.

Evergrey

08-31-2006, 01:07 AM

Here's a profile on one of the central figures in the conversion of the old Terminal Buildings on E. Carson St. into the RiverWalk Corporate Center.

http://www.popcitymedia.com/features/24bibro.aspx

Pop Star: Mark Bibro
By: Abby Mendelson

http://www.popcitymedia.com/galleries/Default/Features/Issue%2026/Mark%20Bibro%20(PS)/bibro_raw_space_02_450.jpg

August 30, 2006
We’re on the top floor of the River Walk Corporate Center, formerly South Side’s Terminal Buildings, and the heavy-metal radio station is shaking the century-old white-washed walls. The space, only slightly smaller than nearby Cupples Stadium, seems permanently uninhabitable, forested with support beams and lined with century-old windows. It may take vision to see it as a haven for start-ups and law offices, communications firms and non-profits, but one person’s disaster is Mark Bibro’s diamond in the rough. “This,” gestures the lanky, athletic Bibro, vp, general manager, and guiding spirit of one of Pittsburgh’s boldest makeovers, “is win-win.”

Win-win? A $20 million remake of one-million square feet of old warehouse? Precisely, Bibro says. “We design the space in collaboration with the tenants. They pick everything – colors, carpet, walls, lighting.” Bibro turns a hand – muted and murky for corporate consultants, bright and breezy for support groups. “We can give them almost any look at almost any budget.” With 82 tenants now and counting, Bibro likes the mix. “We’ve created a community,” Bibro says. “There’s synergy here.”

http://www.popcitymedia.com/galleries/Default/Features/Issue%2026/Mark%20Bibro%20%28PS%29/terminal_way_03_300.jpg

Like Rome, River Walk wasn’t built – or re-built – in a day. It began as the brainchild of George Westinghouse, who wanted a fireproof building with Carson Street, rail, and river access. Some 40 years ago, when the Terminal Buildings seemed like nothing so much as a gargantuan white elephant, it wound up in Bibro family hands. (Today, eight families own it.) When he came to the property in earnest, some four years ago, Bibro set about moving it forward -- replacing 1,200 windows, giving the interiors a good baking-soda blast. What he found was not only the original brick, but also the original mortar – all of it looking brand new.

Going green where possible, he recycled steps, light sconces, bathroom stalls. Placing River Walk on the National Register of Historic Buildings meant both receiving tax credit for renovation and striking a blow for historicity, with Bibro recreating both the building’s original exterior colors and name stencils above the doors.

http://www.popcitymedia.com/galleries/Default/Features/Issue%2026/Mark%20Bibro%20%28PS%29/bibro_outside_300.jpg

As an added wrinkle, he’s signed up some 20 non-profits and start-ups. As the former exec of Northside Common Ministries and Louise Child Care, and the current president of Friends of the Riverfront, Pittsburgh History and Landmarks Foundation, and East End Cooperative Ministries, sure, Bibro practices classic do-gooderism. But, he says, “it’s also good business.

“All non-profits have boards,” he says. “The boards see what we’re doing.” Pretty soon, board members move in. In addition, such tenants as the Coro Center, Pennsylvania Cleanways, Bike Pittsburgh, and Friends of the Riverfront attract hundreds of visitors every year to River Walk. “They also bring productive young people who are enthusiastic about Pittsburgh,” Bibro adds. “They add excitement to our building – and the region.”

As for Bibro himself, he walks, runs, or bikes the adjacent South Side Trail three days a week. He’s got a million square feet to play with and a community to build. “I’ve made a couple hundred new friends,” he smiles. “It’s a great opportunity.”

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

Award-winning writer Abby Mendelson is the author of numerous books, including The Pittsburgh Steelers Official History and Pittsburgh: A Place in Time, a collection of neighborhood profiles available from The Local History Company. His last Pop City piece was on Pop Star Dutch MacDonald.

Here's a few of my photos of the RiverWalk Corporate Center:

http://i.pbase.com/g4/86/571686/2/61055429.100_6187.jpg

http://i.pbase.com/g4/86/571686/2/61055426.100_6186.jpg

bottom left
http://i.pbase.com/g4/86/571686/2/61054159.100_6105.jpg

themaguffin

08-31-2006, 02:51 AM

more drama from the Penguins saga... I don't trust Fingold at all... hopefully this falls through and Murstein gets a chance to buy

I never trusted his intentions and if money (finances) is not an issue, then what is.. hmm... certainly not a committment that would bind him to keep the team here would it...?

I hope it falls apart for that full of shit scammer.

chuikov

08-31-2006, 04:44 AM

I agree with every point you made. However, I also don't think this is that big of a deal right now... this is a somewhat forgotten parcel in a slightly underwhelming quadrant on the periphery of downtown. It's not a critical location... and I do suppose the greenspace may be used by Art Insititute students. Now this parcel can become great some day... when the need arises for an exciting new development... this "temporary" park will yield to progress. In the mean time... I would rather have a park with fancy trees than its current barren incarnation... or a parking lot.

Yeah, it's not a big deal - but I bristle when I read about about plans for 'open space' in an area that already suffers from the perception (or reality) of sterility. It's getting better, and I don't want it to get boned up.

BTW - Nice updates on the redevelopment of the old buildings in the strip - good stuff.

Evergrey

08-31-2006, 05:27 AM

we had talked earlier in this thread about Pittsburgh's evolving nightlife scene and the explosion of the "ultra-lounge" phenomenon... now the P/G does a rundown on the city's ultra-lounges... this doesn't really apply to me as I usually head to places like Nico's, Dee's and Cappy's... but maybe I'll see what all the hype is about some day...

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06243/717565-42.stm

A tour through Pittsburgh's hottest dance clubs
Thursday, August 31, 2006

By Sarah Lolley

Inspired by the popularity of South Beach and Las Vegas VIP dance clubs, where bottle service and velvet ropes separate the A-list guests from the stargazers, local nightclub owners are redefining the term "ultra lounge" for the Pittsburgh palate.

http://www.post-gazette.com/images4/20060831jhDANCE02_450.jpg
John Heller, Post-Gazette
At Diesel, 17th and Carson on the South Side, the music fare is a mix of Top 40 and house music that combines pop-rock and hip-hop beats.

This summer has seen the advent of clubs bearing names of ultra lounges found in South Beach and Las Vegas, such as the Strip District's Prive and Pure. Others, including Diesel and Elixir Ultra Lounge, are reinventing the concept for the bar crawlers of the South Side. The average VIP treatment starts at $100, depending on the price of the bottle of champagne or spirits, and gains you entrance to a roped-off couch, bed or balcony right off the club's room. The music is a mix of Top 40, hip-hop, house and popular dance beats. As an attempt to attract a better-behaved clientele, dress codes usually exclude T-shirts and tennis shoes. The rule of thumb, however, is not what you are wearing, but how you wear it. Women can wear expensive jeans and men can wear designer T-shirts.

The term "ultra lounge" originated in high-end restaurants and lounges located within large hotels in SoBe and Vegas. It was coined to attract the sophisticated patron who wanted a more laid-back and exclusive experience rather than a raucous dance club. Instead of blinking club lights and crowded dance floors, the setting is more relaxed and personable.

Clubs with VIP couches and roped-off balconies separated from the dance floor are a sign that Pittsburgh's nightlife is maturing to meet the needs of a growing number of jet-setting, loft-living urbanites that want to feel the pulse of a city on the verge of trendy.

In the past month, National Geographic Adventure Magazine, Expansion Management and The New York Times have written articles highlighting Pittsburgh's recreation, business and investment opportunities. Coinciding with this latest national attention, a new cycle has evolved in the renovations of clubs and other venues in the Strip and South Side.

Here is a guide to the action in Pittsburgh's hottest clubs:

THE STRIP

In the past, before the Waterfront and Station Square were developed, the Strip was the destination for night-life seekers. People now have more choices. This summer recent shootings in Strip District clubs Touch and near H2O have become another contributing factor for the decline in club attendance.

However, the Strip is not dead yet.

THE FIREHOUSE LOUNGE

Tucked away on Penn Avenue, before the street parking gets scarce, The Firehouse Lounge has emerged as a favorite hot spot for any flavor of turntable music fans and local promoters looking for a little extra space to sip martinis, eat tapas or dance to rare grooves. Up the stairs past the first-floor VIP party window room, the walls become deeply textured with video projections, abstract forest impressions, red neon lights and sculpted tree trunks. The main room is lined with built-in couches, and the deck offers movable sectional pieces. Saturday night attracts the popular house music recipe of DJ 7up.

2216 Penn Ave., 412-434-1230, www.firehouse-lounge.com.

PRIVE

Taking its name from the French word for private and the South Beach lounge bearing the same name, Prive boasts a beautiful glowing martini bar and plush couches. The proprietors, who also own H2O, transformed the old Rosebud venue into a stylish lounge with attention to bottle service, creative food and a comfortable setting. Patrons can enjoy the breeze from the open-walled entrance. The emphasis is on scenery and not on music, but this Sunday, Baltimore DJ Charles Feelgood will change the laid-back pace with his varied house-influenced set.

1650 Smallman St., 412-253-7330, www.prive-ultralounge.com.

DEJAVU LOUNGE

Meeting the demands of a fluctuating club terrain, the DejaVu Lounge that recently celebrated four years in the business has revamped the main lounge room with a wine bar. Friday nights are called "House of Three," after its three rooms of various music and services. Although the emphasis on champagne specials and more VIP service will attract a more narrow market than the average night-life seeker, promoter Moe has booked popular local DJs Hank D., Nugget and Nate da Phat for the dance-floor room. The owners also opened the Downtown upscale restaurant 9-over-9th.

2106 Penn Ave., 412-434-1144, www.dejavuloungepa.com.

PURE

Taking its name from the lounge inside Caesar's Palace in Vegas, Pure opened two weeks ago in the building that hosted the defunct clubs Chemistry and Millennium. The first floor is an Italian restaurant called Isoldi's, named for owners Vincent and Carla Isoldi, who also own Club Erotica. An elevator takes patrons up to the white-clad lounge. Although the room is not as austere as the Vegas version, the white bar, chandeliers and dainty waitresses wearing white mini-skirts carry the theme. These handmaidens serve the VIP cabanas that have been built off the old club's entrance. The music isn't innovative, but the dance floor above the restaurant is distinctive: It's made of glass, so female patrons be wary -- there are audiences in all directions.

The club opens to VIP patrons at 9 p.m. and to the public at 10 p.m. Isoldi's is open for lunch and dinner seven days a week.

108-114 19th Street, 412-434-1310 or 412-434-7873, www.purepgh.com.

LEVEL CLUB LOUNGE

The first club to tout South Beach influence was the Level Club Lounge, which opened two years ago in the Boardwalk complex. A club membership allows you to avoid waiting in lines and provides access to VIP promotional parties. The club itself features lounge areas with giant white beds and tables fashioned for bottle service. Owned by club entrepreneur Thomas Jayson, who has recently installed a metal detector as at his nearby nightclub, Touch, Level sits above the shorts and flip-flop-wearing revelers of Panama Jacks. Set to further diversify his portfolio of nightclubs, he is opening a more decadent club, tentatively called Kro Bar and not to be confused with CroBar in South Beach. General manager Drew McLaughlin says the new club will be above Sports Rock Cafe and will feature an ice bar, champagne and bottle service along with patio fire pits. The music is yet to be determined.

1501 Smallman St., 412-281-3677, www.pghnightlife.com.

THE ALTAR

Once a church, then a club, and then another club, Sanctuary has been revamped into The Altar. The stage has been set to allow more live entertainment while the main draw is the flat screen and laser lights for its club nights. "On Inferno Saturdays" the lower-level lounge attracts the most attention, with its house-infused beat with rotating local DJs.

1620 Penn Ave., 412-263-2877, www.altarbar.com.

THE SOUTH SIDE

The South Side resembles a neighborhood-wide block party. The sidewalks are shoulder-to-shoulder and the streets are bumper-to-bumper. Despite the inconveniences of little valet parking, the classic concept of the dance club remains popular at Station Square's Matrix, Saddle Ridge, Margarita Mama's and The Town Tavern, a new inductee to the South Side Flats.

DIESEL

Nick's Fat City was redecorated into Diesel with metal beading, architectural lighting and a VIP balcony with glass tables that peer above the downstairs bar. Instead of bottle service, the management offers "table service" from an attentive waitress staff. The music fare is a mix of Top 40 and house music that combines pop-rock and hip-hop beats. Marketing director Renee Sroka also has brought that extra element to the club: celebrities. During the All-Star Game festivities, Derek Jeter, Barry Bonds and actress Alyssa Milano made appearances during Run-DMC's surprise performance.

The removable stage allows versatility for live performances. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, Diesel features performances by local and regional artists.

1601 E. Carson St., 412-431-8800, www.dieselpgh.com.

ELIXIR ULTRA LOUNGE

Located in what once was a Greek pastry shop, the Elixir Ultra Lounge offers a more personable version of a club atmosphere. The owners also created the Strip's Bash and Mynt, club names that can be found in South Beach. Through the glass facade, street traffic can see the creatively coffered blue sky ceiling and beaded glistening walls. DJ Zimmie spins his rock 'n' roll-infused house on Saturdays to packed crowds. The VIP beds lack velvet ropes and are open to patrons if not already reserved.

1500 E. Carson St., 412-481-1811.

THE TOWN TAVERN

New Yorkers Aidan Kiernan and Sean Barrett were inspired by the growing community of the South Side and opened The Town Tavern in a building that once was a fast food chain. The original version of The Town Tavern is located in Greenwich Village. Both are modeled from the owners' vision of a club-pub. You can eat, drink, dance and occasionally dress up like a Smurf on Theme Night Thursdays. On Fridays and Saturdays it offers VIP bottle service, but instead of a couch you get a dimly lit wooden booth on the balcony. The venue has become popular with the merry youngsters of the college community and those young at heart. On Sept. 13 MTV Jams DJ Skribble will perform.

2009 E. Carson St., 412-325-8696, www.towntavernpittsburgh.com.

STATION SQUARE

Despite all the new clubs and bars, Station Square is still the destination hotspot Thursday through Saturday for the young and sophisticated looking for various forms of mega-club entertainment. Margarita Mamas offers a VIP area roped off from the packed dance floor. Meanwhile, the line for the multi-roomed Matrix wraps down the entrance ramp, and Saddle Ridge, the country element of the club complex, is popular with older and younger country fans who enjoy riding bull, line dancing or dancing on the bar.

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

(Sarah Lolly is a freelance writer. )

Evergrey

08-31-2006, 05:29 AM

Now for the Anti-Lounges... Brillobox and Shadow Lounge are at the top of my list to visit... my friend says Shadow Lounge is "tre chic".

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06243/717566-42.stm

The Anti-Lounges
Thursday, August 31, 2006

As the ultra lounge becomes the trendy, there are what can be called anti-lounges that offer smaller dance floors, affordable drinks, a creative atmosphere and an expansive musical menu. Where the focus in large clubs is on setting and VIP service, these clubs are exclusive to the musically minded.

In the South Side, the Z Lounge (2108 E. Carson St.) has remained a popular destination on Ambition Fridays, hosted by Inner Child. Many of the larger club DJs spin their B-side records in an intimate setting. On Saturday nights Hkan Hookah Bar and Lounge (2210 E. Carson St.) hosts DJs in the upper-level room. If you have energy past closing time the Beehive coffeehouse (1327 E. Carson St.) hosts a strictly music and coffee party with rotating deejays until 4 a.m.

The Shadow Lounge in East Liberty (5972 Baum Blvd.) has recently opened Ava Bar and Lounge, which caters to the artsy club aficionado open to experimental forms of dance music. Not far away in Shadyside, Havana (5744 Ellsworth Ave.) rescheduled its popular Thursday deep house nights to Saturday, hosted by Brother Mike. On this night the tables and chairs are pushed aside to make room for the serious dancers.

Garfield's The Brillobox (4104 Penn Ave.) injects New York City's East Village into its upper-level room with dance parties themed after influential rare grooves from hip-hop to New Wave eras. On every second Thursday, Pandemic nights experiment with spinning some Balkan reggaeton and gypsy brass into the set. Meanwhile, Oakland's Upstage (3609 Forbes Ave.) is still popular with all forms of retro and the influences of the '80s.

-- Sarah Lolley

chuikov

08-31-2006, 06:21 AM

PittPenn 03

08-31-2006, 01:35 PM

I'm glad to hear that Pittsburgh is continuing to expand the nightlife attractions. If it takes a little schtick, well, more power to em.

But Dee's and Cappy's are more my style too. Chiefs was always my favorite by far and I go every time I'm in town.

And Mardi Gras in Shadyside - is that place still there?
It's like stepping into a time warp.

They tore the old Mardi Gras down for a J. Crew I believe. It still exists in another location, but it could not ever be the same (I have not been in the new one). I loved the booths, the Mafia ambiance, the owner's dogs, and that awesome waitress that always knew your drinks. -One of my all time favorite bars, quite possibly my favorite.

Wheelingman04

09-01-2006, 03:22 AM

[QUOTE=Evergrey]more drama from the Penguins saga... I don't trust Fingold at all... hopefully this falls through and Murstein gets a chance to buy

I don't trust him either. I really hope Murstein gets to buy the team.

Evergrey

09-01-2006, 05:17 AM

well, we're supposed to have a new arena in 2009... with the way construction costs are escalating... I really doubt this will be able to be completed with a mere $290 million

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06244/718217-53.stm

Sports agency buying Uptown properties to clear way for new arena
Friday, September 01, 2006

By Mark Belko, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

The Pittsburgh-Allegheny County Sports & Exhibition Authority will spend $10.85 million to acquire properties from eight owners in the Uptown area to clear the way for the construction of a new arena.

The authority board yesterday voted unanimously to approve the purchases, which involve properties on Fifth Avenue, Colwell Street and Washington Place.

With the action, authority Executive Director Mary Conturo said, the agency has agreements with eight of the 10 property owners it had targeted earlier this summer to acquire land needed for the proposed arena.

Ms. Conturo said the authority also has a verbal agreement with another property owner, Mark Bertenthal, which should be finalized today.

The lone holdout is the Laborers District Council of Western Pennsylvania, whose offices are on Fifth Avenue.

The union, she said, is agreeable to a sale but may not be able to get the approvals it needs fast enough to suit the authority.

As a result, the board authorized Ms. Conturo to take the property through eminent domain, if needed. Ms. Conturo said, however, she expects to be able to reach an amicable agreement with the union and that negotiations would continue.

"They have no objections to us filing for eminent domain while we continue to negotiate," she said. "We fully expect to be able to reach an agreement."

The board also gave Ms. Conturo authorization to file for eminent domain on two parcels owned by Mr. Bertenthal. The filings could come as early as today to avoid a change in state law that takes effect this weekend and makes it more difficult for government to take property for private development.

Ms. Conturo said the authority also wants to avoid a situation in which a holdout could affect its ability to clear the land it needs for the arena.

"We don't want to be signing any sales agreements until we know we can acquire all the properties. We want to be comfortable we can get control of the whole site," she said.

The sports authority's preferred site for an arena is the same as that proposed by the Penguins. It borders Fifth Avenue, Washington Place and Centre Avenue. The Penguins already own the former St. Francis Central Hospital on Centre, which would be part of the site.

Ms. Conturo said the authority hopes to close on the acquisitions by Oct. 15. It has notified property owners and occupants that they need to vacate by Jan. 1 so demolition can start. It hopes to begin construction by June or July, with completion planned for 2009.

The state is advancing $26.5 million from anticipated gambling revenues to help the authority acquire properties and begin site preparation work. The authority board also authorized a line of credit with PNC Bank yesterday to help with the acquisitions in the event the state advances aren't available for the closings.

Of the $10.85 million in spending approved by the board, $631,000 is for relocation costs.

The largest purchase price approved yesterday was $3.99 million for a parking lot owned by Parkway Partnership of Pittsburgh. It has an assessed value of $1.4 million and was purchased for $1.5 million in 1999, according to the county's real estate Web site.

The second largest purchase was $3.4 million for all or a portion of eight parcels owned by Epiphany Church. The assessed value of six of the parcels is $2.5 million; values for the two others could not be determined.

County and city officials are working quickly to acquire the land and to move on arena construction to make sure the Penguins stay in Pittsburgh.

Hartford, Conn., real estate developer Sam Fingold has signed a letter of intent to buy the team for an estimated $175 million. In recent days, however, it appeared his bid could be in jeopardy because of sticking points, including financial problems.

Mr. Fingold has said he would try to keep the Penguins in town. He also has ties, however, to a group hoping to bring professional hockey to Kansas City. The National Hockey League probably would be reluctant to move a team if a viable plan is in place for a new arena.

Isle of Capri Casinos Inc. has pledged $290 million toward an arena as part of its bid for the Pittsburgh slot machine casino license.

Gov. Ed Rendell and local politicians also have come up with an alternative plan that relies on pledges from the two other casino bidders -- Forest City Enterprises and PITG Gaming LLC -- to provide $7.5 million a year for 30 years toward the facility, plus $7 million a year from other slots revenues and $4.1 million a year in team contributions.

Also yesterday, the authority board approved up to $10,000 in payments to Smith Sports International for consulting services to help in drafting a new lease for a new Penguins owner. Ms. Conturo said Smith also has done lease work involving Heinz Field and PNC Park.

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

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

http://www.post-gazette.com/images4/20060901sea_properties.gif

Evergrey

09-01-2006, 05:25 AM

the news on Mayor O'Connor becomes increasingly grim :(

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06244/718231-53.stm

http://www.post-gazette.com/images4/oconnor-bob(4)_135.jpg

http://www.post-gazette.com/images4/20060901ds_ravenstahl_brk_580.jpg

While Mayor Bob O'Connor's battle with brain cancer continued at UPMC Shadyside, city government officials today were braced for the worst.

Several of those officials spent a late night last night waiting for updates. City Council President Luke Ravenstahl, who would succeed Mr. O'Connor as mayor, remained in the City-County Building awaiting reports from the hospital. Throughout the night, city officials came and went.

City staff members were on call, in case word came that a late-night swearing in ceremony would be necessary.

About 10:30 last night, mayoral spokesman Dick Skrinjar told reporters at the City-County Building that Mr. O'Connor's condition was deteriorating.

"The mayor has gone from day-to-day to hour-by-hour," Mr. Skrinjar said. He added that Mr. O'Connor was surrounded by family members and friends and that he was not on any life support.

Later, a little after 11 p.m., Mr. Ravenstahl and City Councilman Jim Motznik, who had been awaiting updates on the mayor's condition at the City-County Building, went home for the night.

There were no additional updates through 8:45 a.m. today.

Earlier yesterday, before the news from the hospital had darkened, city officials forged ahead with major projects and initiatives.

Public Works Director Guy Costa led a representative of contracting firm R.G. Friday Masonry through the shell of the City-County Building to review the condition of the facade. Then he accepted the company's winning $374,000 bid to fix ornate-but-crumbling stonework that has long been covered with a shroud-like debris net.

That was just one example of efforts to follow the path set by the mayor, even as his condition worsened.

"It's difficult," said City Councilman William Peduto, "but it doesn't stop the city from moving forward."

Deputy Mayor Yarone Zober worked on legislation to fix a glitch in the city's car towing law. Right now, if a car is stolen and then abandoned and towed for parking illegally, the owner is a victim twice -- first at the hands of the thief, and then at the hands of the city when they're hit with towing and storage charges.

Now, the scores of people who suffer that fate face a month-long court battle to get those charges waived. Mr. Zober's proposal would allow them to go before a designated city official for a prompt hearing and a waiver of the storage charges, and possibly the towing fee.

"That goes along with the legislative agenda we're following of providing better customer service and a cleaner, safer city," said Mr. Zober, echoing the mayor's mantra.

He also was putting the finishing touches on a new Green Government Task Force that will be charged with scouring the $427.5 million-a-year operation for opportunities to save energy, spare resources, and incorporate environmentally friendly building techniques. "Important to the mayor and us is cost reduction," he said.

That's especially crucial in light of the impending Sept. 21 deadline for submission of a 2007 budget. "We want to make sure that the budget reflects Mayor O'Connor's priorities," Mr. Zober said.

Those priorities include better public service and further advancement of the "redd up" campaign through more demolition of abandoned buildings and better rodent control, he said.

While the city may not be able to plunge money into more and better mousetraps, it can do things like work with the Allegheny County Health Department to train existing workers to distribute rat bait, he said.

"We're all focused on balancing the budget and trying to put aside money for a rainy day," he said.

That's as it should be, said Mr. Peduto. "There shouldn't be any delay in presenting a budget," he said. Nor should there be any slackening in city services or pause in legislative efforts.

Instead there was all that yesterday, and one thing more. "We're just all continuing to pray and hope for a miracle," he said.

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

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

http://www.post-gazette.com/images4/20060901jh_Mayor1_450.jpg
City Clerk Linda Johnson Wasler and her husband, Philip, speak with mayoral spokesman Dick Skrinjar, right, last night.

http://www.post-gazette.com/images4/20060901jh_MAYOR02_450.jpg
City Council President Luke Ravenstahl, who would succeed Bob O'Connor as mayor, leaves the City-County Building last night.

......

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/cityregion/s_468747.html

Spokesman: Pittsburgh mayor 'hour-to-hour'

By David Conti
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Friday, September 1, 2006

Pittsburghers went to work this morning searching for updates on Mayor Bob O'Connor's condition and remained hopeful for some signs of recovery.
"I put on the radio right away this morning to hear," said Farris Hisle, 61, a taxi driver who grew up in the West End. "I -- like everyone else -- hoped there would be a change, but it doesn't look that way."

Mayoral spokesman Dick Skrinjar said there were no updates on O'Connor, as the top aide arrived at the City-County Building, Downtown shortly after 8 a.m.

"Here's still resting comfortably," Skrinjar said. "The mayor's on his own schedule, as always."

O'Connor, 61, of Squirrel Hill, who has been battling brain cancer at UPMC Shadyside, was not on life-support and was resting peacefully, Skrinjar said.

O'Connor's condition quickly deteriorated late Sunday. On Monday, his doctors said he was fighting an infection and experiencing seizures.

"We've gone from day-to-day to hour-to-hour," Skrinjar said last night, as his family and friends kept a vigil at his bedside.

Millicent Harvey, 39, of Homewood, this morning said losing O'Connor would be a "tragedy."

"He's been a good mayor, especially for the black community," Harvey said as she headed to the county courthouse. "When there was a shooting out in our neighborhood, he came out. He shows up to hear a community's voice, unlike others. He always showed up."

Hisle said some in the city already appear to be in mourning.

"It's hit everyone," he said, as he sat in his cab outside the Westin William Penn Hotel. "I'm 61, just like him, so it's scary. He wasn't sick, he thought he just had a cold when he went to the hospital."

Karen Stewart, of West Mifflin, said she was just going to keep on praying.

"There's always a chance for a miracle," Stewart said as she walked to work at a CVS pharmacy.

Andrew Gans, 24, of Mt. Lebanon said he thinks the city will stay on track if O'Connor dies.

"The city will be fine, but I still hope he gets better," said Gans, who processes investments at Mellon Financial.

Last night, recognizing the end is near, city officials prepared legal documents required for Council President Luke Ravenstahl to take over as Pittsburgh's 55th mayor.

Ravenstahl, 26, of the North Side, said any official announcement would come today.

Brown said Ravenstal's young age gives hope for the city's future.

"Maybe that's what the city needs, some young spirit," she said.

David Conti can be reached at dconti@tribweb.com or (412) 391-0927.

themaguffin

09-01-2006, 04:07 PM

The mayor's condition is indeed very grim.

While my expectations of his leadership were not very high - his campaign rhetoric in previous races seemed so generic and phoned in, that I doubted his sincerity.

However, in the early months, though not much time at all really, he seemed to be moving in the right direction. It is very sad that he a long time dream of his is cut short.

I can only hope (aside for the best for him and his family) with regard to the city, that there is a greater good that can come from this. Perhaps his early efforts will be carried on with an invigorated staff and new mayor. Perhaps the interim, young mayor will provide the desperately needed "younger" point of view, and hopefully not more old school Pittsburgh political machine (or at least help use it for the benefit of the city - those things don't change overnight).

That might be wishful thinking, but despite the mediocre leadership that we have had, we have had a few great leaders. Ironically, the last one died before his time.

Wheelingman04

09-01-2006, 09:25 PM

I have to say that I did want Peduto to win, but O'Connor has done a great job since he has been in office. I really hope he survives, but it doesn't look good at all now.:(

Paintballer1708

09-01-2006, 09:47 PM

It is horrible what is happening with the mayor. I hate how the news makes it seem like there is a really good chance for him to live. He has done so much good for the city of Pittsburgh. I really hope that he can pull through. He is at an amazing hospital. UPMC is really a top of the line hospital. If he doesnt pull through i know there are other people that are determined to make this city a better place to live.

Wheelingman04

09-01-2006, 11:06 PM

^ The latest news is that he will definately die very soon, possibly within hours. The cancer has taken over his whole entire brain. There is nothing more the doctors can do. He has been taken off life support. I hope he goes without any pain and suffering. I wish his family and supporters good luck too.:(

Wheelingman04

09-02-2006, 02:25 AM

He just died at about 8:55 PM. My condolences go to his family, friends and supporters. He was a great person and great mayor. RIP.:(

Wheelingman04

09-02-2006, 03:22 AM

Mayor O'Connor dies at 61
Friday, September 01, 2006

By Rich Lord, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Pittsburgh Mayor Bob O'Connor died at 8:55 p.m. tonight at UPMC Shadyside Hospital, where he was being treated for brain cancer.

Bob Donaldson, Post-Gazette

City Council President Luke Ravenstahl was to be sworn in as mayor at 10:30 p.m., said Dick Skrinjar, the mayor's communications director.

Mr. O'Connor's family was at his side when he passed away, Mr. Skrinjar said.

Robert E. O'Connor Jr., 61, was called "Bob" by everyone until Jan. 3, 2006, when he became "Mayor," a title he sought for 12 years but held for only eight months. His election came on his third attempt to win the job.

He hit the ground running with an agenda aimed at cleaning up the city he loved, putting heat under long-dormant Downtown development plans and reducing the number of blighted buildings marring neighborhoods.

His "redd up" campaign, named after the local colloquialism for tidying up, was organized to coincide with Major League Baseball's All-Star Game on July 11.

But instead of leading the festivities, Mr. O'Connor that day underwent his first chemotherapy treatment for primary central nervous system T-cell lymphoma, a very rare variant of an unusual cancer of the brain and spinal cord.

The mayor initially was hospitalized on July 6 for what were described as flu-like symptoms. He went home for two days but, after tests uncovered the cancer, he returned to Shadyside .

A month later, just before undergoing emergency surgery to drain fluid from his brain, Mr. O'Connor turned over the official day-to-day reins of city government by appointing Yarone Zober, who had been policy director, as deputy mayor.

A child of Greenfield, Mr. O'Connor was born Dec. 9, 1944, to Bob Sr. and Mary Anne Dever O'Connor.

He attended St. Philomena's grade school, Central Catholic High School, briefly, and graduated in 1962 from Taylor Allderdice High.

Then he went to work, first at Jones & Laughlin's steel mills.

In 1964, he and Judy Klemp, a Squirrel Hill native and fellow Allderdice graduate, eloped to West Virginia.

From 1972 on, they lived in the Squirrel Hill home in which she grew up. They raised three children, Heidy Garth , now of Swissvale and a marketing research manager; Terrence O'Connor, a law school graduate who went on to become a Catholic priest at St. Alphonsus Parish in Pine; and Corey O'Connor, varsity golf coach at Central Catholic High School.

After five years in the mills, Mr. O'Connor took a pay cut - not his last - to join his wife's uncles in a restaurant business. The company was later sold to Beaver County businessman Lou Pappan.

Mr. Pappan, the owner at various times of many Pappans, Roy Rogers and Wendy's restaurants, took a shine to the young, friendly-but-serious Mr. O'Connor. Recognizing management material, he put his young protege through leadership training, and eventually made him an executive vice president in charge of 1,000 employees in 36 locations.

Eventually Mr. O'Connor decided to run for office. He was 45 and the rules for electing City Council members had just been changed so members were elected by district, rather than citywide.

Mr. O'Connor beat three better-known Democrats, thanks in part to an enthusiastic, hyper-loyal troupe of volunteers and gigantic popularity in Greenfield and Hazelwood.

After the election, he did something that, along with his always-perfect silver hair and his cookie cruise fund-raisers, would become a trademark: He stood on a busy street corner with a sign that said, simply, "Thanks."

Mr. O'Connor's early City Council years set the tone for his career. He was all about beat cops, clean streets, fixed playgrounds, and raw ambition.

In January 1994, with two years on council under his belt, he made a bid for that body's presidency. Just-elected Mayor Tom Murphy, though, exerted his influence and placed Jim Ferlo, now a state senator, in the presidency.

In 1997, he challenged Mr. Murphy in the Democratic mayoral primary. He campaigned not so much on a platform as on a series of criticisms of the incumbent. He opposed public financing of new stadiums for the Pirates and Steelers, which Mr. Murphy supported. He said Mr. Murphy was shortsighted in selling the city water system, trading a steady source of revenue for short-term cash. He predicted financial implosion.

He was badly outspent and undermanned. Nonetheless, he pulled in 42 percent of the vote, which was 12 points percentage points behind Mr. Murphy in a three-candidate field.

In 1998, Mr. O'Connor won the council presidency on the second ballot, in part through brilliant parliamentary moves by Mr. Ferlo. That would mark the beginning of an odd political pairing - two Democrats, one conservative and the other liberal, one rooted in business and the other in activism, united by mutual respect and deep suspicion of Mr. Murphy.

Mr. O'Connor presided over council for four years, during which he and Mr. Ferlo helped defeat Mr. Murphy's plan to raze and rebuild Downtown's retail core, and rewrote the city's property tax system so land and buildings now are taxed at the same rate.

That led into a tough 2001 mayor's race that some of Mr. O'Connor's backers still maintain was stolen. In its closing weeks, Mr. Murphy agreed to the outlines of a generous contract with the city's firefighters, who promptly endorsed him. Mr. Murphy won by 699 votes - fewer than the number of city firefighters at the time - and Mr. O'Connor conceded only after weeks of scouring the tally for errors.

Mr. O'Connor considered a 2002 run for lieutenant governor, but instead left city government in 2003 for an appointed post, running Gov. Ed Rendell's southwestern Pennsylvania office.

In 2005, he ran for mayor again. He beat city Councilman William Peduto and county Prothonotary Michael Lamb in the primary, and he easily beat Republican Joe Weinroth in the general election.

On Jan. 3, 2006, he was sworn in as mayor in front of the City-County Building.

Then, on the 185th day of his administration and five days before the All-Star Game, he was admitted to UPMC Shadyside for mounting fatigue, nausea, and head and neck pain. He was diagnosed first with a duodenal ulcer, and later with the extremely rare T-cell type of the uncommon primary central nervous system lymphoma.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Copyright © PG Publishing Co., Inc. All Rights Reserved.

themaguffin

09-02-2006, 03:42 AM

It's very sad, but certainly a horrible situation...
RIP Mayor.

I know that local media has this well covered, but here's a link to CNN...

http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/09/01/obit.oconnor.ap/index.html

EventHorizon

09-02-2006, 04:31 AM

Wheelingman04

09-02-2006, 04:52 AM

I am depressed.:(

Evergrey

09-02-2006, 05:26 AM

I echo the sadness of his passing.

He reignited the fire of momentum in the city -- and he will be remembered as a key figure in what is becoming Pittsburgh's resurgence!

A great Mayor indeed!
Bless him and his family.

I agree completely. I am very impressed with what Bob was able to do in his brief time as mayor. He gave the city a new energy and enthusiasm. Ane he really made an effort to make his presence manifest in some of the city's more forgotten neighborhoods. He was the quintessential Pittsburgher.

RIP Mayor O'Connor

Evergrey

09-02-2006, 05:27 AM

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06245/718451-53.stm

Manchester receives funds to revive brownfield
26 new homes slated on old industrial site
Saturday, September 02, 2006

By Diana Nelson Jones, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

The Manchester Citizens Corp. yesterday received a $275,000 state grant toward redeveloping a vacant 4.3-acre lot in the North Side neighborhood.

Twenty-six new homes are proposed for what is now a massive field of weeds and cracked concrete. The site served several factories over many decades, including an electric manufacturer and a steel operation.

The grant from the Growing Greener fund will pay for remediation of heavy metals, said Tom Hardy, executive director of Manchester Citizens.

On the site yesterday, Betty Ralph, president of the board of Manchester Citizens and an activist in the neighborhood for more than 50 years, told a crowd of about 25, "I can't believe I lived to see Steel City Electric belonging to the Manchester Citizens Corporation."

Kathleen McGinty, secretary of the state Department of Environmental Protection, presented the corporation with a ceremonial check as funders, developers, residents and city, county and other state officials looked on.

One was county Chief Executive Dan Onorato, who grew up on Sheffield Street. Another was developer Mark Schneider, who in 1980 became the first director of the Northside Leadership Conference.

Mr. Hardy said: "It's time to reconnect this land to the neighborhood. I'm particularly happy to have a private developer" as a partner.

Fourth River Development and the citizens council will share the project 50-50, said Mr. Schneider, who formed Fourth River with two partners this spring.

The managing partner, Mr. Schneider, was last president of The Rubinoff Co., which developed Summerset at Frick Park, on another brownfield, and Washington's Landing on Herr's Island.

He described the look of the proposed North Side housing as "like Summerset at Frick Park but with a Manchester vernacular."

Manchester, a Victorian-era community, is the only neighborhood that has been deemed entirely historic by the city.

He estimated the homes will be priced around $250,000, but the total price tag of the development has not been determined.

The site is separated from the North Side's main postal facility by railroad tracks. It is bounded by Sedgwick, Juniata and Fulton streets and Columbus Avenue. Juniata, now a dead end halfway on its way toward Fulton, will be opened back up. That will require that a baseball field be reconfigured, said Earl Coleman, a resident of Adams Street and member of the citizens group.

"I used to live at the end of Juniata Street," said Mr. Coleman, "and I remember as a kid hearing the stamping plates at the steel factory on this site. It's exciting to think it'll be something good again, and that I could live there."

The city's Urban Redevelopment Authority and the Northside Community Development Fund, a partner of National City Bank, loaned Manchester Citizens $400,000 and $200,000 respectively to buy the land and pay for architectural plans.

Mr. Onorato said the county is due to get between $105 million and $110 million in Growing Greener money this fiscal year, much of it within the purview of the Department of Environmental Protection.

"We probably have more brownfields than any county in the state," he said, calling the site in Manchester "one of the biggest eyesores, but one of the biggest assets."

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

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

.....

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/cityregion/s_468850.html

State cuts check to clean Manchester lot

By Allison M. Heinrichs
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Saturday, September 2, 2006

For two years, Loretta Fredley's front porch has overlooked a 6-acre abandoned lot overrun by weeds and glittering with broken glass.
On Friday she learned the lot in Manchester would soon be home to 26 single-family houses, complete with green yards and plenty of trees.

"We're so glad they're doing something with it," Fredley said. "It's about time -- hey, the value of my house will go up."

Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection Secretary Kathleen McGinty presented the Manchester Citizens Corp. a $275,000 check to clean up the lot, which had been contaminated by heavy metals from a variety of electroplating operations to create lighting fixtures.

The money will cover environmental remediation so that Fourth River Development LLC can fill the block with detached two- to three-bedroom homes worth $7 million to $8 million. The development company also plans to improve the surrounding streets.

If everything goes according to plan, families should be able to move in by fall 2007, said Mark Schneider, managing partner of the North Side-based development company.

"This was Manchester's biggest eyesore, but it's turning into its biggest asset," said Allegheny County Chief Executive Dan Onorato, who grew up in the neighborhood.

Betty Jane Ralph, president of the Manchester Citizens Corp.'s board of directors, has been trying for a half-century to have the lot changed from an industrial area to a residential one.

"I never thought it would happen," said Ralph. "I can't hardly believe that I would live to see this happen."

Allison M. Heinrichs can be reached at aheinrichs@tribweb.com or (412) 380-5607.

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/photos/2006-09-02/0902pDownwithbro-a.jpg
Loretta Fredley, who has lived in one of the homes along Juniata Street (rear) for 38 years, stands in the vacant lot and shows a photograph of the old factory that was demolished on that site two years ago. A press conference announcing a residential development on the Manchester lot was held Friday.

Evergrey

09-02-2006, 05:28 AM

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06245/718437-53.stm

SEA acquires Uptown property for arena
Officials go to court to purchase another
Saturday, September 02, 2006

By Mark Belko, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

The Pittsburgh-Allegheny County Sports & Exhibition Authority moved yesterday to gain control over the remaining ground it needs for a new arena, settling with one property owner and petitioning to take the land of another.

The SEA reached agreement with Mark Bertenthal, owner of Burton Signs and Specialities, to purchase two properties on Fifth Avenue in Uptown to be used for the facility, considered the key to keeping the Penguins in Pittsburgh.

But it did not have a final deal by the end of the day with the Laborers District Council of Western Pennsylvania, prompting a court filing to take the union's land by eminent domain.

SEA Executive Director Mary Conturo said she still expects to work out an amicable settlement with the union for its properties on Fifth Avenue. The SEA filed yesterday to avoid a change in state law taking effect this weekend that makes it more difficult for government to take land for private development.

Ms. Conturo has said the union is willing to sell, but needs time to get the required approvals within its hierarchy. The union declined comment yesterday.

"We expect to get it resolved within a week or two," Ms. Conturo said. "We expect to conclude our negotiations in that time."

The SEA board on Thursday approved property purchases from eight owners totaling $10.85 million as part of the effort to assemble land on Fifth, Colwell Street and Washington Place for the arena. The prices for Mr. Bertenthal's properties, at 1015 and 1021 Fifth, were not disclosed.

Ms. Conturo said that with the addition of Mr. Bertenthal's properties and those owned by the Laborers, the SEA would have all the land it needs for the facility, which would be built across Centre Avenue from Mellon Arena. One large property, the former St. Francis Central Hospital, already is owned by the Penguins.

The SEA hopes to close on the properties by Oct. 15 and begin demolition after Jan. 1, with the arena construction scheduled to start in June or July. The money for the acquisitions and site preparation will come from the state, which had pledged to advance $26.5 million in future gambling revenues.

City and county officials are moving quickly to secure the land and get the construction started in an effort to keep the Penguins, which are for sale, in Pittsburgh. Without a new arena, the team could be in jeopardy of moving.

"It is my understanding that the new arena is key to keeping the team here," Ms. Conturo said. "[The property acquisitions are] an important step in helping to make that happen."

Hartford, Conn., real estate developer Sam Fingold has signed a letter of intent to buy the team for an estimated $175 million. While he has said he would try to keep the team here, he also has ties to a group seeking to bring a hockey team to Kansas City. In recent days, it has appeared that Mr. Fingold's bid could be in trouble, in part because of financial problems.

Mr. Bertenthal said he didn't like having to sell his building and parking lot on Fifth Avenue. But he added he didn't think he had a choice because of the threat of eminent domain.

"I hate it because we've been here 33 years. We're within walking distance of town. We have a lot of customers Downtown," he said.

He called the real estate brokers hired by the SEA to negotiate sales "very overbearing," adding that they "kept threatening eminent domain" if he didn't agree to a sale. He said he is looking in the Strip District and the South Side for a new location. Relocation costs are included in his deal with the SEA.

"Finding a building with a parking lot that's reasonably priced is not easy," he said.

Still, he said he was happy to see the Uptown area finally get some attention from the city, charging that it has been ignored in the past.

"I've always been embarrassed by the Fifth and Forbes corridor from Oakland to town," he said.

There are two proposals on the table for building a new arena.

Isle of Capri Casinos Inc., in partnership with the Penguins, has pledged $290 million toward construction as part of its bid for the Pittsburgh slot machine casino.

Gov. Ed Rendell and local politicians also have come up with a back-up plan that relies on pledges from the other two casino bidders -- Forest City Enterprises and PITG Gaming LLC -- to provide $7.5 million a year for 30 years toward the facility, plus $7 million a year from other slots revenues and $4.1 million a year in team contributions.

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

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

Juicedog1313

09-02-2006, 12:27 PM

Rest in Peace, Mayor.

chuikov

09-03-2006, 12:05 AM

They tore the old Mardi Gras down for a J. Crew I believe. It still exists in another location, but it could not ever be the same (I have not been in the new one). I loved the booths, the Mafia ambiance, the owner's dogs, and that awesome waitress that always knew your drinks. -One of my all time favorite bars, quite possibly my favorite.

Thanks, but I'm sorry to hear the answer. That place is irreplaceable. The portrait of the owner smoking the stogie is standing out in my memory.

Also very sorry to hear about the mayor.

SteelCity15

09-03-2006, 07:34 PM

It was a pretty sweet place.

Seems like it all went down hill when Mayor O'Conner went into treatment...wow. It's amazing how everything can all of a sudden go downhill.

Paintballer1708

09-04-2006, 03:53 AM

I was in Chicago when i heard the news. I couldnt believe it. I have satellite radio in the car so i was listening to Pittsburgh traffic reports, and i heard that mayor O'Connor had passed away. I hope that he passed on without any pain. He was, IMO, the greatest mayor in Pittsburgh history. He has helped this city get back on track. I hope that his family is doing alright. I remember watching channel 11 news just about two weeks ago and his wife seemed so optimistic that he would be ok. I wonder how she is doing now? I hope she is ok. My condolences go out to his family.

themaguffin

09-04-2006, 02:07 PM

ABC's This Week, has a nice feature called "IN MEMORIAM." Click on the link to the program's homepage and you'll see a video link on the right for this segment...

http://abcnews.go.com/ThisWeek/

themaguffin

09-04-2006, 02:13 PM

Mitsubishi ramps up one of largest site searches in region
Division needs admin, manufacturing space
Pittsburgh Business Times - September 1, 2006by Dan Reynolds

A Warrendale-based division of Japanese electronics giant Mitsubishi Electric Corp. is seeking to build or lease as much as 300,000 square feet of administrative and manufacturing space.

Mitsubishi Electric Power Products Inc., a division of Tokyo-based Mitsubishi Electric, expanded by 80 employees between 2005 and 2006 and is expecting additional future growth, according to Bruce Hampton, the division's senior vice president and chief financial officer.

The company engineers and manufactures ozone water purification systems, mechanical circuit breakers and propulsion systems for commuter railways.

Since locating at the Thorn Hill Industrial Park in 1989, Mitsubishi Electric Power Products has invested $12 million in capital improvements for its local campus, which was initially constructed for the manufacture of high-voltage circuit breakers. In 1993, the company tripled its local operations, and in 1998 it purchased an adjacent plot of land, warehouse and office space to increase the size of its campus to 13 acres.

Hampton said the company is looking for between 200,000 and 300,000 square feet for its next expansion but hasn't yet settled on a location.

Mitsubishi Electric Power Products president Jack Greaf said the company is in the preliminary stages of its site search and might be in a position to make a decision on a location by the end of the year.

"At this point, I think we don't have enough information," Greaf said.

He said world economic conditions will determine whether the company will be able to maintain its current growth rate.

In addition to the Warrendale headquarters and manufacturing facility, Greaf said the company has offices near Los Angeles, Houston, Orlando and New York City.

Kevin Ortiz, a spokesman for the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development, said the state is working with Mitsubishi Electric Power to find more space, but could not provide further details.

Frank Horrigan, who heads the Western Pennsylvania office of the Governor's Action Team, a DCED branch that works with companies to assist them in securing site selection deals, said he is scheduled to meet this month with executives from Mitsubishi, but declined to provide further details.

Mitsubishi Electric Power Products began as a joint venture between Mitsubishi and the Westinghouse Electric Co. in 1985. In 1989, Westinghouse sold 50 percent of the business back to Mitsubishi, Greaf said.

In its most recent fiscal quarter ending June 30, Mitsubishi Electric reported $1 billion in net income on sales of $41 billion.

In February, Tokyo-based Toshiba Corp. finalized the purchase of Westinghouse for $5.8 billion from British Nuclear Fuels, outbidding Mitsubishi and General Electric Co.

--

themaguffin

09-04-2006, 07:51 PM

$2.5 million awarded to URA for South Shore Riverfront Park
The Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) has received a $2.5 million Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program grant from the state to create a large public park from a 123-acre brownfield along the Monongahela River, adjacent to SouthSide Works.

When completed, the $30 million South Shore Riverfront Park will provide access to the Monongahela waterfront, including boat docking, six acres of green space, and a link to the ten-mile Three Rivers Park Trail.

“The goal is to get pedestrians down to the river. It is an opportunity to reclaim industrial sites along the water,” says Jerry Dettore, director of the URA. “The end benefit is enormous.”

Governor Rendell secured the funds in order to support new leisure opportunities for the area, improve quality of life for the community, and meet the recreational needs of the South Side’s residents and employees.

The downtown-based firm Environmental Planning and Design is designing the park in phases. “The design is trying to incorporate some of the remnants of the industrial mills, the old relics and parts of the walls,” says Dettore. The project is close to reaching seventy percent of its funding goal.

Writer: Jennifer Baron
Source: Jerry Dettore, executive director, URA

Yet another enhancement to the Southside and taking back or riverfront land.

Evergrey

09-05-2006, 12:29 AM

http://www.popcitymedia.com/developmentnews/274035lib.aspx

September 6, 2006
New condos and office space coming to Bloomfield
A 47,000 square-foot property located at 4035 Liberty Avenue in Bloomfield is currently being developed as new condominium and office space. Formerly a Roth Carpet showroom, the building will feature a two-story, 16,000 square-feet office property and a four-story, 26,000 square-foot space for up to 15 new condos. The building will be full accessible and feature indoor parking.

“We will do a green building, and it will have roofs, gardens and patios,” says Light, who adds that they are working with Pittsburgh-based Artemis for green building products and they are considering LEED certification.

Developer/contractor Harvey Light envisions medical tenants for the leased space, an addition he feels will complement UPMC’s recent expansion into the Bloomfield area.

“Children’s Hospital is here and that is really driving the neighborhood,” adds Light, a Squirrel Hill resident, who also owns the Drake-Liberty Building and property in Oakland.

“As much as two million dollars could be invested in Bloomfield, primarily by UMPC,” says Randy Strothman of the Bloomfield Business Association. “We have sixteen projects, some in the recent past, some present and some in the future. This is an epicenter of change,” he adds.

Writer: Jennifer Baron
Sources: Harvey Light, developer and Randy Strothman, Bloomfield Business Association

http://www.popcitymedia.com/galleries/Default/Dev%20News/Issue%2027/roth_300.jpg

Evergrey

09-05-2006, 08:29 PM

http://www.popcitymedia.com/developmentnews/27tchctr.aspx

September 6, 2006
First phase of Pittsburgh Technology Center expansion receives $4 million from state
The Pittsburgh Technology Center, located along Second Avenue and the Monongahela River, will soon undergo an expansion with the support of a $4 million state grant awarded to The Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA).

Funds will be used to create one million square feet of new space for research and development operations, light industrial work, parking and retail.

“Pittsburgh’s future lies with high-tech companies growing out of the universities. We need to have a place for these companies to incubate and grow,” says Jerry Dettore, executive director of the URA. “Google is here for a reason. Companies like this need to be near each other. There is a certain camaraderie, and they grow from that. They also want to be close to universities.”

Future plans for the Center’s expansion include adding new amenities and support businesses, such as a coffee shop and hotel. “We have changed the zoning to allow mixed use. It will be more of an urban activity center, with parking garages and more dense development,” says Dettore.

The expansion is part of a $12 million, four-phase development plan expected to create 2,500 jobs once the entire project is complete.

“This is the first phase; it will continue up to the old Hazelwood Coke Works. There are 150-200 acres that can be developed to support the region,” says Dettore.

Writer: Jennifer Baron
Source: Jerry Dettore, executive director, URA

Evergrey

09-05-2006, 11:26 PM

http://www.popcitymedia.com/developmentnews/27nthfld.aspx

$7 million from state for 80-acre development at Airport
The 80-acre North Field Development Project has received a $7 million
Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program (RACP) grant from the state to
build flex warehouse space on prime land near Pittsburgh International
Airport.

Located in Findlay Township, the site is part of a larger 400-acre
development. Phase one will construct two flex warehouse sites and two air
cargo facilities. The entire project is expected to help draw $25 million in private sector investments that will create 600,000 square feet of building space employ 300 to 600 people.

"This site is strategically located next to one of Southwestern
Pennsylvania's best assets," says Dennis Davin, director of the Allegheny
Country Department of Economic Development. "This gives us an address, and is very important for developers. We can now compete with sites throughout the Northeast."

"This opens up the first phase for this site as a cargo, warehouse or
distribution center," says Davin. "What helped this take off for developers
is the proximity to the airport. This is one of our region's most dynamic
sites."

The state's investment is part of $24 million in capital funds released last
week by Governor Rendell. Parsons Brinkerhoff has created a recommended development plan for the site.

"Money from the Governor is critical. The cost of site preparation is very
high. We cannot do this without state support," adds Davin.

Writer: Jennifer Baron
Source: Dennis Davin, executive director, Allegheny County Department of
Economic Development

http://www.popcitymedia.com/galleries/Default/Dev%20News/Issue%2027/north_field_map_300.jpg

Evergrey

09-06-2006, 03:38 AM

more on Schenley Plaza

http://www.popcitymedia.com/features/25schenleypark.aspx

A Park for the People
By: John Altdorfer

http://www.popcitymedia.com/galleries/Default/Features/Issue%2027/Schenley%20Park/carousel_02_450.jpg

September 6, 2006

Somewhere, Mary Schenley is smiling.

Nestled in the heart of central Oakland, a 4.5-acre green oasis bears the name of the 19th-century Pittsburgh heiress who shocked the world and stoked the ire of Queen Victoria by eloping at the age of 15 with a British army captain nearly 30 years her senior. But on a recent, late-summer afternoon, the newly transformed Schenley Plaza — for decades a barren 240-space parking lot — provided the perfect calming antidote to the bustling commotion of one of the city’s busiest neighborhoods. A stunning transformation, for certain. Mary would be pleased.

http://www.popcitymedia.com/galleries/Default/Features/Issue%2027/Schenley%20Park/park_garden_300.jpg

Almost literally in the shadow of the Cathedral of Learning, pre-school youngsters laugh as they ride lions, horses and even an eagle round and round on an old-fashion carousel. Under a towering inverted-funnel-shaped tent, a singer entertains a lunchtime crowd with pop standards by Nat King Cole and Frank Sinatra. On the sprawling lawn, sunbathers soak up the rays and tossed Frisbees. Across from the Hillman Library, hungry office workers order sushi, bubble tea, pizza, bagels and other delectables at a quartet of food kiosks. And among the tall grasses, black-eye Susans, cannas and elephant ears in the “urban living rooms” along Forbes Avenue, college students flip the lids of their laptops to go online thanks to a free wireless Internet connection. Since opening this past June, Schenley Plaza. modeled after New York's Bryant Park, immediately established itself as Oakland’s village green. You could say it’s the people’s park.

http://www.popcitymedia.com/galleries/Default/Features/Issue%2027/Schenley%20Park/kiosks_02_300.jpg

A park that works

“The plaza has really succeeded in transforming how Oakland looks and the way that people react to the space,” says Meg Cheever, president of the Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy, which oversees the space. “In the planning process, one of the things we heard time and again is that if the plaza was done properly, it would become the melting pot of Oakland. People seemed to understand that from the minute it opened.”

Indeed, during its four-day inaugural weekend, more than 50,000 curious visitors strolled through the plaza to enjoy the antics of the Zany Umbrella Circus, music from marching bands, a book or two during the Carnegie Library’s Summer Reading Extravaganza and other attractions. Since its debut, the plaza has hosted a regularly scheduled National Geographic film series, puppet shows, docent-led walks and other activities. Despite the steady flow of people into the space, the main goal of the $10-million makeover was to restore the plaza as the grand entrance to Schenley Park.

“The plaza was and always has been the gateway to the broader expanse of the park,” says Alistair McIntosh, a principal in Sasaki Associates, the Boston firm that designed the plaza. “We wanted to re-establish it as the crucial link in the emerald necklace of green spaces in Oakland.”

http://www.popcitymedia.com/galleries/Default/Features/Issue%2027/Schenley%20Park/tent_02_300.jpg

Certainly a treasured jewel, the plaza, according to McIntosh, enhances the quality of life in the neighborhood by providing students, workers, visitors and residents with an outdoor living room. In addition, he says that open public spaces such as the plaza can help keep graduating college students in the region and attract new businesses and employees to the area.

While the park’s simplicity initially raised some eyebrows among the planning committee, the less-is-more approach allows the plaza to evolve as more people use it.

The next step

“What I find most intriguing,” says McIntosh, “is not what we’ve done, but what comes next. Now that the plaza is finished, it’s time to work on other renovations in the park, such as the Schenley Fountain in front of the Frick Fine Arts Building and the Magee Memorial Fountain near the library. The best thing we did was to provide the motivation for all other things to happen in the future.”

Among the coming attractions is a full-service Atria’s Restaurant, which will add a Tavern-on-the-Green flavor to the plaza’s food offerings. This fall, the Pittsburgh Irish and Classical Theater, which stages plays in the Stephen Foster Memorial Theatre across the street, will hold post-production receptions in the park. Whatever purposes the plaza serves in years to come, adds McIntosh, is up to the people who use it.

http://www.popcitymedia.com/galleries/Default/Features/Issue%2027/Schenley%20Park/student_300.jpg

For now, says Cheever, people don’t need any help on how to enjoy themselves in the plaza. “It amazing how comfortable people of all ages are when they visit the plaza,” she says. “We didn’t need to tell anyone that this park was here for them. They understand the space offers something for everyone — families, workers, residents, students and visitors.”

That shared awareness also pleases Sasaki landscape architect Susanna Ross. “For me it’s so exciting to see the idea that there was a desire and a need for the plaza,” says Ross. “It was filled with people from the start. It wasn’t a place that anyone imposed on the site. It was a place that was meant to be.”

Just ask Mary Schenley.

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

John Altdorfer is a freelance writer enjoying life in Pittsburgh.

PittPenn 03

09-06-2006, 01:37 PM

EventHorizon

09-06-2006, 05:08 PM

Anyone know the story behind that top floor? That would be one narrow flat!

http://www.popcitymedia.com/galleries/Default/Dev%20News/Issue%2027/roth_300.jpg

BANKofMANHATTAN

09-06-2006, 11:02 PM

Anyone know the story behind that top floor? That would be one narrow flat!

http://www.popcitymedia.com/galleries/Default/Dev%20News/Issue%2027/roth_300.jpg

Graffiti probably. :haha:

Evergrey

09-07-2006, 05:23 AM

Winchester Thurston is a prestigious private school located in Shadyside. My freshman year roommate at Penn State went there.

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/cityregion/s_469380.html

Winchester Thurston opens Upper School

By Bill Zlatos
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Thursday, September 7, 2006

Winchester Thurston School opened its $9.5 million Upper School building Wednesday, affirming its commitment to its 240 high school students and the city.

Kilted bagpipers and the school mascot, WT Bear, led a procession of students carrying books to the new library, in keeping with a tradition set in 1963. That's when the school moved from Fifth Avenue to Morewood Avenue in Shadyside.

"It demonstrates our commitment to education in the city," said Gary J. Niels, head of the school. He noted that many independent private schools have moved to the suburbs and become country day schools.

Secondly, he said, "This enables us to give the Upper School its own venue to demonstrate its excellence."

Student Council President Pete Lambrou, 17, of Mt. Washington, likes being in the first class of seniors to use the new building, which houses students in grades nine through 12.

"It's nice to leave on a good note, something new, and to be able to be the first class to experience the new school," he said.

The three-story building features a library, technology and science labs, a college guidance suite and a 270-seat theater. The facility was designed by MacLachlan Cornelius & Filoni, a Downtown firm.

The building is the centerpiece of a $13.5 million capital campaign that raised money for the endowment, a student center at the North Hills campus, artificial turf for athletic fields and the reconfiguring of classrooms in the Lower and Middle School Building, which houses students in preschool through eighth grade.

So far, $12 million has been raised.

The 119-year-old school serves about 600 students from preschool to grade 12. The other campus in the North Hills is for students in pre-kindergarten through fifth grade. Formerly a college prep school for girls, Winchester Thurston went coed in 1991.

"We may well reach our highest enrollment ever," Niels said. "Families are beginning to recognize what an excellent school we have, and this building is bringing us a lot of attention now that we didn't have before."

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

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/photos/2006-09-06/0907plibrary-a.jpg
Librarian Eric Schatzman receives books Wednesday as students ceremonially carry them from the old school library to the new building at Winchester Thurston School in Shadyside. Winchester Thurston opened its $9.5 million Upper School building yesterday. Kilted bagpipers and the school mascot, WT Bear, led a procession of students carrying books to the new library, in keeping with a tradition set in 1963. That's when the school moved from Fifth Avenue to Morewood Avenue in Shadyside. The three-story building features a library, technology and science labs, a college guidance suite and a 270-seat theater.
Steven Adams/Tribune-Review

themaguffin

09-08-2006, 10:21 PM

Feds give funding go-ahead for N. Side light rail tunnels
Friday, September 08, 2006

By Tim McDonough, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Port Authority of Allegheny County has received the federal green light for construction of a light-rail extension to the North Side.

The Federal Transit Administration informed the Port Authority yesterday that a 60-day comment period had expired without congressional objections to using federal funds for the project. That cleared the way for the "full-funding agreement," meaning the FTA will provide 80 percent of the funds for the project.

Twin tunnels under the Allegheny River will link Gateway Center to the stadium area of the North Side.

Port Authority's Judi McNeil said site surveys and traffic studies will begin soon, with construction to begin as early as November on the North Side.

The current price tag is $435 million. The state is responsible for 16 2/3 percent of the total, and the county is responsible for 3 1/3 percent.

----------

Evergrey

09-11-2006, 12:37 AM

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06252/720443-85.stm

City vies for US Airways operations center
Will compete against Charlotte, Phoenix
Saturday, September 09, 2006

By Mark Belko, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

State and local officials are competing with two other cities, Charlotte and Phoenix, for a new $25 million flight operations center for US Airways that could result in 600 jobs. Allegheny County Airport Authority officials vowed yesterday to compete aggressively for the new center, which would allow the region to retain 450 jobs at the airline's current operations hub at RIDC Park West near Pittsburgh International Airport and add as many as 150 more.

US Airways has invited Pittsburgh, Charlotte and Phoenix to compete for the new facility, which would be built in 2008 or 2009. Proposals are to be submitted by Oct. 15.

The airline now has two centers, one in Pittsburgh and one in Phoenix, as a result of last year's merger between US Airways and Tempe, Ariz.-based America West Airlines. It needs only one.

A team headed by county Chief Executive Dan Onorato and made up of airport authority and county economic development officials has been put together to prepare a bid for the center. Officials from the governor's office and the Allegheny Conference on Community Development are providing assistance.

Kent George, Airport Authority executive director, said that at least four sites are under consideration near the airport, and the state and region "will be offering [US Airways] a lot of things" in an effort to win the bid. Mr. George would not be more specific.

"We're going to do everything we can to make it work," he said.

But given the US Airways retrenchment in the region since 2001, resulting in the loss of nearly 10,000 jobs, Mr. George isn't sugar-coating the region's chances of retaining and expanding the center.

"I believe we have to go into this as we are the underdog because of the past things that have happened, with US Airways moving facilities and people out of here," he said.

Airport authority and local economic development officials will travel to Phoenix on Thursday for what a US Airways spokeswoman described as a "joint pre-bid conference" for a presentation and tour of the operations center in Phoenix.

Also attending will be representatives from Phoenix and Charlotte. US Airways asked the three bidders to submit any questions they had in writing in advance of the meeting and will share the answers with everyone on Thursday, company spokeswoman Andrea Rader said.

US Airways, she added, has a "very, very strong desire that each of these cities be treated equally.

"We're going into this with an open mind. Every city has certain benefits and we want to make the right decision for our company and our employees," she said.

US Airways has said it wants a new, single-story building of 60,000 to 70,000 square feet, with six acres and room to expand by another three acres if needed.

In a letter to the three cities announcing the competition, it also asked whether "there are tax abatements or other incentives that would make one location preferable to another," including "reduced building and equipment costs" and "operating expenses."

The airline expects to announce its decision in January or February.

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

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

Evergrey

09-11-2006, 12:48 AM

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06252/720415-28.stm

New byword for the city focuses on the imagination
'Pittsburgh. Imagine what you can do here'
Saturday, September 09, 2006

By Patricia Sabatini, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

http://www.post-gazette.com/images4/20060909tt_mayor0908d_230.jpg
Tony Tye, Post-Gazette
Allegheny County Chief Executive Dan Onorato, left, speaks with Mayor Luke Ravenstahl during Mr. Ravenstahl's first public appearance as the new mayor of Pittsburgh at an Allegheny Conference presentation of a new marketing campaign for Pittsburgh and the region.

http://www.post-gazette.com/images4/pghimagine_logo_230.jpg
Logo for the new effort aimed at reminding local residents of the region's strengths as well as revising outdated notions of Western Pennsylvania outside the area. Click image to campaign website.

Declaring the Pittsburgh region sorely under-appreciated by outsiders and residents alike, local business and political leaders yesterday unveiled a three-year, $3 million marketing effort aimed at showcasing the area's beauty and accomplishments and bolstering the region's image, economy and civic pride.

"Pittsburgh. Imagine what you can do here" is the tagline for the campaign, which will kick off next month locally with print and online ads followed by a national rollout in December. The campaign will be the cornerstone for events leading up to the commemoration of the city's 250th birthday in 2008.

"As we approach our 250th anniversary, we have an opportunity to celebrate our heritage and highlight the assets that make our region one of the best places in the world to live, work, visit and invest," said James Rohr, chairman of PNC Financial Services Group, the Allegheny Conference on Community Development and the Pittsburgh 250 Commission, which is planning the birthday celebration.

The Allegheny Conference expects to announce details about 250th anniversary events at its meeting in November.

The new branding campaign, which has been in the works since the beginning of the year, will promote the region's heritage of innovation -- from the Salk polio vaccine to the invention of the Ferris wheel. It also will highlight the city's current strengths, from its leadership roll in robotics and organ transplants, to the cultural amenities, professional sports teams and biking and jogging trails.

Officials said the campaign was as much about galvanizing local pride as attracting new businesses, residents and visitors.

Research showed "people outside of Pittsburgh think of us more highly than we do ourselves," Mr. Rohr said.

"We should feel really good about what we have," he said during an interview prior to yesterday's news conference at the Senator John Heinz Pittsburgh Regional History Center, citing Pittsburgh's low crime rate, affordable living, relatively short commute time and the roughly $1 billion slated to be spent on Downtown development over the next 31/2 years.

"This is a fabulous place," he said. "We have more building blocks than anybody, yet we don't market them."

He said the commission wanted a message with longevity so it could be used beyond 2008.

"It has legs. We'll be able to use it for years," Mr. Rohr said of the campaign, which was created by South Side-based Red House Communications.

Local businesses will be invited to incorporate the tagline and theme into their own advertising, Mr. Rohr said.

Besides local and national print ads, the effort will include direct marketing and a Web site, www.imaginepittsburgh.com, which showcases the campaign and will promote plans for the 250th birthday bash. There will be no radio or TV spots for now, but they could come depending on funding, officials said.

Mr. Rohr said he expects the initial $3 million budget, funded by the Allegheny Conference and the Pennsylvania Department of Community Development, will grow "significantly" through corporate, foundation and government contributions.

A number of efforts to come up with a marketable image for Pittsburgh have failed in the past, including a branding effort in 2003 by the Image Gap Committee that relied on a 12-word "core theme" and 16-word "brand promise."

Officials said they believe the new campaign will succeed in part because it involves the cooperation of so many public and private organizations.

"This is the first time there has been such a collaborative, integrated marketing effort," said Michele Fabrizi, chief executive officer of Marc USA and the Allegheny Conference board member who spearheaded strategic development of the campaign.

She said the timing of the campaign was perfect because Pittsburgh was basking in the national spotlight following the Steelers' Super Bowl victory and the All-Star Game at PNC Park, and next year the U.S. Open pro golf tournament comes to the Oakmont Country Club.

Mr. Rohr said yesterday he had delayed the unveiling of the campaign because of the failing health of the late Mayor Bob O'Connor, who had been a big part of the Pittsburgh 250 initiative.

"The last thing the mayor would want us to do is to stop [efforts to revitalize the city]. And it's the last thing we should do," Mr. Rohr said explaining the timing of the news conference a day after Mr. O'Connor's funeral.

Mr. O'Connor's successor, Mayor Luke Ravenstahl, yesterday said the campaign gave the city an opportunity to put its best foot forward.

"I pledge to you today my support in any way I can make that happen," he said in a brief turn at the podium, noting that he was making his first official public appearance since Mr. O'Connor's death last week "with a heavy heart."

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

(Patricia Sabatini can be reached at psabatini@post-gazette.com or 412-263-3066. )

EventHorizon

09-11-2006, 01:33 AM

I would use the logo in my sig, but we're not allowed to use images.

I like this new initiative! I can't wait to see what is being planned for the city and region!

My ancestors (McMunns) have been in Western PA since the time of Fort Pitt -- and before, in other parts of WPA... so these celebrations mean something kinda special to me. :)

AaronPGH

09-11-2006, 01:56 AM

I like your sig idea....hope you don't mind if I copy it. :cool:

EventHorizon

09-11-2006, 02:49 AM

^won't bother me one bit :)

Evergrey

09-11-2006, 05:28 AM

Seems like retailers are also complaining about parking downtown... yet nobody ever offers a solution. I suppose the addition of several thousand housing units downtown over the next few years will alleviate the perceived parking problem somewhat.

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06254/720787-314.stm

Loyal customers, service keep small group of Downtown men's stores alive
Monday, September 11, 2006

http://www.post-gazette.com/images4/20060911lforlandomenswear_450.jpg
Lake Fong, Post-Gazette
Family members involved at Joseph Orlando menswear store, Downtown, are, from left, Christi Orlando Marchi, Joseph Orlando Sr. and Joseph Orlando Jr.

By Lamont Jones, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Seventy-three-year-old Joseph Orlando Sr. remembers when nearly a dozen independent men's specialty stores thrived Downtown.

That was in the '70s. Now, as the men's store he founded celebrates its 25th year, the number has dwindled to less than a half dozen. Fewer are exclusively men's: Kountz & Ryder, Montaj Custom Clothier and N.J. Richetti in One Oxford Centre, Lydell's in Fifth Avenue Place and Joseph Orlando on Liberty Avenue.

The rise of more casual dressing has affected the niche market, along with population shifts, the convenience of suburban malls and a struggling economy. Downtowns are hurting across America, especially in medium-size and small cities. And in Pittsburgh, the upheaval of constant construction, plus the perception of insufficient, inconvenient and overpriced parking, have affected all retail, including men's stores.

Were it not for loyal customers, Joseph Orlando might not be around to celebrate its silver anniversary later this month, said Joe Orlando Jr., 49, who runs day-to-day operations.

"There are guys [who] just religiously shop here," the younger Orlando said. "That's probably the most rewarding thing of all the 25 years. Without them, with all the obstacles we face Downtown, certainly we may have had a similar fate to some of the other stores that have been in this area."

Like other men's stores of its time, Joseph Orlando was almost entirely suits -- along with blazers, dress shirts, neckties and other sartorial accoutrements -- when it opened in 1981. A key to survival has been diversifying merchandise to meet changing consumer tastes. Jeans have become part of the everyday mix, for example, as well as sportswear and shoes.

The store's primary clientele has always been men ages 35 to 60, which presents another challenge, Mr. Orlando Jr., said.

"How do you get the 25-year-old guy to come to your store? You have to find creative ways of drawing them. They're as conscious of their appearance as [men were] 25 years ago. It's just that what they wear isn't quite the uniform that we were selling 25 years ago."

Mr. Orlando Jr. described the evolution this way: Three decades ago, the average guy walked into a men's store to buy a suit and may have picked up a pair of jeans or sweater as a secondary purchase. Today, the jeans or sweater is the main draw and the buyer might also notice and buy a suit.

Filling a niche, carrying exclusive brands and providing exceptional service are the keys to survival for men's specialty stores and other local independent retailers, said Daniel Butler, vice president of merchandising and operations for the Retail Advertising and Marketing Association, a division of the National Retail Federation.

"The key is to be distinctive. And customer service is a great asset. After 9/11, small stores did much better than others because they had a connection and relationships with local customers. That's hard to replicate in mass retailing."

And rather than remaining tied to the same location, Mr. Butler said, independent stores should be sensitive to population shifts and move with them if necessary to survive.

Larrimor's is a case study of what to do right. With a reputation for superior merchandise and service, the store opened Downtown in 1939 and added a second location a decade ago at the Galleria in Mt. Lebanon. The Downtown store began offering careerwear for women in the 1970s and eventually phased it out. In response to a demand for sophisticated corporate and lifestyle womenswear, the Downtown store added Larrimor's for Her two years ago and installed a boutique in the Galleria store last year.

Mr. Orlando Jr. said he's considering adding a women's section to its two-level, 5,000-square-feet space. But he acknowledged that doing so would be more than a notion. "Knowing men's clothing certainly doesn't qualify you to know women's clothing," he said. "It's a different ball game."

Carl Slesinger, whose father Harry Slesinger opened Larrimor's in 1939, said adjusting to market transitions and making Larrimor's a destination store has been a matter of survival.

On the heels of recent parking tax and rate increases Downtown, he called on the city to "step up and address the parking issues. If there's one critical thing to what's going on Downtown, the parking issue would be the one thing. It has deteriorated far faster than Downtown has deteriorated."

Even though 70 percent of Joe Orlando customers work Downtown, the high parking rates and difficulty in finding spaces negatively impacts the ability to draw other customers to the city to shop, said Mr. Orlando Jr..

Michael E. Edwards, president and chief executive officer of Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership, a nonprofit advocacy group that tries to keep Downtown safe, clean, fun and accessible, agreed that the parking crunch has worsened.

But to offset the parking challenges, Mr. Edwards said, stores should make sure that they are welcoming, offer excellent service, address customers' needs and have "accessible" prices.

"If the value of being Downtown is high enough, the price of parking is less of an issue," he said. "More retail Downtown would help us get a balance,"

Bringing more developers to the district is fine, Mr. Slesinger said, but he'd like to see more focus on solving parking problems.

"I've tried to offer parking to customers who come into the city," he said, "but I've had nothing but challenges in working to make that happen. They can throw a lot of money at a lot of different things, such as Lord & Taylor and Lazarus, and watch it disappear. But they have not addressed the main thing: Making Downtown accessible to people who want to shop here."

Nevertheless, Mr. Orlando Jr. feels optimistic about Downtown when he considers the success of revitalization efforts such as The Waterfront and South Side Works and the recent demolition of buildings to make way for improvements a stone's throw from his store.

"If you can see the light at the end of the tunnel," he said, "I think Downtown's going to be the next hot spot in town -- as well it should be."

And that, he hopes, will help him achieve a personal goal.

"My father was a fashion icon in Pittsburgh," he said. "Right now, the young guys [who] are 30, just getting out of school, starting a job, the name Joe Orlando means nothing to them. My job over the next 25 years is to be able to convey that name."

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

(Post-Gazette fashion editor LaMont Jones can be reached at ljones@post-gazette.com or 412-263-1469. )

Evergrey

09-11-2006, 05:30 AM

http://www.popcitymedia.com/developmentnews/28nanotech.aspx

September 13, 2006

Nanotechnology Center receives $4 million from state
Governor Rendell has released $4 million to support a new Commercialization Center for Nano-Enabled Technologies at Carnegie Mellon University (CMU).

The 180,000-square-foot facility will support pioneering nanotechnology work, a rapidly burgeoning field that involves structures at the atomic, molecular or macromolecular levels, and that has applications in the computing, clothing, steel and plastics industries.

A developer and architect have not been selected yet. Construction is expected to begin within one year.

The $66 million project will bring industry leaders together to create new business opportunities and up to 400 direct technology jobs.
CMU implemented a similar model with its Collaborative Innovation Center (CIC), which successfully attracted Apple, Intel, Google and Microsoft to the region. Google, who currently employs 30 people, may expand its operations into the new center.

“It is a key goal for the region and universities to continue to bring high-tech companies into Pittsburgh,” says Mark Kamlet, provost at CMU. “The center will link to our Nanotech activities and will house new companies. It is amazing that CIC has been as successful as it has been; this is the logical next step.”

Kamlet and others are working with Pradeep Khosla, Dean of CMU’s College of Engineering, on the new center. Khosla, a founding director of CyLab, was recently named managing director-technology of the iNetworks BioOpportunity Fund.

“Our goal is to establish a presence along Craig Street, to extend campus to the Software Engineering and Mellon Institutes,” says Kamlet.

Writer: Jennifer Baron
Source: Mark Kamlet, provost, CMU

Evergrey

09-11-2006, 11:49 PM

nice to see the new mayor quickly taking some action on the future of Market Sq. ...

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06254/720971-100.stm

Mayor announces Market Square workshop Tuesday
Monday, September 11, 2006

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Mayor Luke Ravenstahl is inviting citizens to brainstorm about revitalizing Market Square at a workshop tomorrow.

The Market Square Place Making Workshop is scheduled for 4:30 to 8:30 p.m. in the first floor retail space of Two PPG Place, Downtown. It is free and open to the public, but space is limited to 100 participants and registration is required.

Representatives of Project for Pubic Space, a nonprofit specializing in public spaces, will lead the workshop. It will make use of the Fifth and Market District Strategic Development Plan (which can be found at www.city.pittsburgh.pa.us/mayor), which was produced by Urban Design Associates. That plan focuses on design guidelines, transit issues and programming for Market Square.

"This is the community's opportunity to set the direction and change the course of Market Square," said Mayor Ravenstahl in a release.

To register, call 412-255-2201.

...

the city website has also updated the Mayor's page with Luke Ravenstahl's info
http://www.city.pittsburgh.pa.us/mayor/photos_ravenstahl/luke_portrait.jpg

http://www.city.pittsburgh.pa.us/mayor/photos_ravenstahl/luker_standing.jpg

SteelCity15

09-12-2006, 01:19 AM

those pictures make him look much older...wow

Evergrey

09-12-2006, 05:59 AM

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06255/721017-85.stm

US Airways center could locate here
Tuesday, September 12, 2006

By Mark Belko, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Nearly two years ago, Allegheny County lost a battle with Winston-Salem, N.C., for a US Airways reservations call center, even though county Chief Executive Dan Onorato believed the region offered the better deal.

At the time, an angry Mr. Onorato complained that the airline never had any intention of relocating the North Carolina reservations work to Pittsburgh and that competing was a "waste of our time and effort."

Now Pittsburgh is competing again -- this time against Charlotte, N.C., and Phoenix to build a $25 million flight operations center for US Airways, one that would allow the region to retain 450 jobs and add up to 150.

Despite the loss of the reservations work, Mr. Onorato believes Pittsburgh will get a fair shake in its bid to build the operations center.

During a news conference yesterday, he said the loss of the 785 reservations jobs and 45 more at a baggage call center came under the old US Airways, before its merger with America West Airlines.

This time, "I think the timing's different, [US Airways Chief Executive Officer Doug] Parker's different, and we have to assume that we have a new management team and go in with an open mind that it's a fair process," he said.

That said, Mr. Onorato vowed to compete aggressively to get the operations center. It would replace two centers: one in Phoenix that employs 150 and one at RIDC Park West, near Pittsburgh International Airport, with 450 jobs.

Mr. Onorato toured the local center yesterday, and later said he assured employees that the county and state would do everything they can to win the competition.

"We will put together an aggressive proposal, a very aggressive proposal," he said. "The governor will be very much involved with me in putting this proposal together. We're going to do everything we can to convince US Airways that this is where they should stay."

County and state economic development officials and airport authority officials will travel to Phoenix Thursday for an information gathering session with US Airways and to tour the flight center there. Mr. Onorato isn't scheduled to go, but is prepared to change his plans if he is needed.

Mr. Onorato said one of the advantages the county has is the number of flight center workers now located in Pittsburgh. Relocation and retraining costs could be "critical" in the decision-making, he said.

Proposals are to be submitted to US Airways by Oct. 15. The airline hopes to make a decision by January or February.

The county has at least four sites near the airport under consideration for the center. Local and state officials also are considering a variety of grant, low-interest loan and other economic development incentive programs in preparing their package.

US Airways has said it is looking for a single-story building, with 60,000 to 70,000 square feet, on a six-acre site, with room to expand by another three acres if needed. It also has asked about tax abatements or other incentives, including reduced building and equipment costs and operating expenses, that would make one location preferable to another.

Allegheny County Airport Authority Executive Director Kent George said last week he sees the county as the underdog in the competition because of retrenchment by US Airways in the region, where it has cut close to 10,000 jobs since 2001.

Mr. Onorato sees it differently.

"I think we go into this with an open mind that we have a one in [three] chance. There's three bidders. They're telling us that they have no pre-determined decision and they really want to see what's available out there," he said.

"I think we have to approach it that way, that we have as good of a chance as anyone -- not a better chance, not a worse chance, just a one-third chance."

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

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

themaguffin

09-12-2006, 02:20 PM

I'm so tired of USElessAirway's BS. Of course Pittsburgh can gain some or lose the most. Nah, you would think that they would simply add the jobs in Pittsburgh, but Pittsburgh just hasn't given that airline enough.

Grego43

09-12-2006, 05:42 PM

Yes, themagmuffin, a normal corp. would simply add the positions to the center that makes the most sense. This outfit wants to pit one city against the other to get a big fat corporate welfare program.

USAirways screwed PIT royally, with the help of the county airport authority. Check out http://www.airliners.net/discussions/general_aviation/ its a shame to read all the posters on that site that believe the hub will be re-instated...never will.

Evergrey

09-12-2006, 06:05 PM

http://www.popcitymedia.com/developmentnews/28hzlet.aspx

September 13, 2006
$2 million New Hazlett Theatre celebrates grand reopening
http://www.popcitymedia.com/galleries/Default/Dev%20News/Issue%2028/hazlett_300.jpg

The New Hazlett Theater, at 6 Allegheny Square East on Pittsburgh's
Northside, celebrates its grand reopening September 15-17 following a
renovation.

Built in 1889, the 24,000 square-foot theater has been resurrected by a unique coalition of cultural and community-based organizations in an effort to revitalize the neighborhood.

Oversight will be provided by the Children's Museum of Pittsburgh, The Andy Warhol Museum, the Northside Leadership Conference (NLC), Prime Stage Theatre, and Attack Theatre.

"This is another piece of the puzzle in making the Northside vital," says Jane Werner, executive director of the Children's Museum. "I cannot say enough about how all of the entities came together on this."

Theater goers will impact economic development in the area, says executive director Sarah Radelet. "There is a need for a venue of this size," she adds. The theater can be adapted to seat from 270 to 450.

The revival began in 2002 when the NLC and Dewey and Kaye commissioned a study and convened focus groups. "The Warhol and Children's Museum stepped up to provide vision and leadership-- that was the linchpin that made it happen," says Radelet.

Renovations included restoring the 2,000 sf lobby to more closely resemble its
original scale. To highlight the grand entrance and increase ceiling height by ten feet, a dividing wall was removed. Architects Dutch MacDonald and Matt Fineout of EDGE studio designed the renovation. The contractor is Turner Construction.

Chandeliers were created by glass artists Kathleen Mulcahy and Ron Desmett.

Writer: Jennifer Baron
Sources: Sara Radelet, executive director, Hazlett Theater and Jane Werner,
executive director, Pittsburgh Children's Museum

Photograph copyright © Jonathan Greene

Evergrey

09-12-2006, 06:06 PM

http://www.popcitymedia.com/developmentnews/284765lib.aspx

September 13, 2006
Renovations nearing completion at 4765 Liberty Avenue

http://www.popcitymedia.com/galleries/Default/Dev%20News/Issue%2028/bloomfield_apts_300.jpg

Developer Marcia Deaktor is completing renovations of the upper floors at 4765 Liberty Avenue. Located in Bloomfield’s central business district, the three-story, mixed-use development is the former home of a movie house, dancehall and the Immaculate Conception School.

Now available for lease, the building’s second and third floors each have 5,600 square-feet of open flexible space. The 16,800 square-foot property contains a roomy lobby designed as advertising space for second and third floor tenants. Building features include an original marble staircase, concrete floors and windowsills, and ample use of day lighting.

Pittsburgh-based architect George Simons is working with developer Marcia Deaktor to complete the project.

“As a business person, I can see a lot of things here. It lends itself very well to office space and is good for a variety of endeavors,” says Deaktor, who would love to see a bookstore occupy one of the floors.

On average, Liberty Avenue draws more than 10,000 cars through Bloomfield daily. “There is a lot of activity in Bloomfield, and continuous traffic back and forth. This is a place that won’t get lost in the shuffle,” says Deaktor, who purchased the building in 2003.

Starbucks and W.g. Grinders occupy the property’s first floor space, and the basement--once a bowling alley—houses Botanical Designs by Leon.

Writer: Jennifer Baron
Sources: Marcia Deaktor, developer and Randy Strothman, Bloomfield Business Association

Photograph copyright © Jonathan Greene

Evergrey

09-12-2006, 06:07 PM

http://www.popcitymedia.com/developmentnews/28acanth.aspx

September 13, 2006
The Acanthus plans fine dining on the The Northside

http://www.popcitymedia.com/galleries/Default/Dev%20News/Issue%2028/acanthus_300.jpg

The Northside will soon welcome an upscale restaurant to the neighborhood.
Located at 604 West North Avenue on the edge of the Mexican War Streets, the Acanthus is scheduled to open this fall.

Owners Jeffrey Stasko and Karl Kargle are finishing a complete renovation of
the 4,000 square foot property that was once the R.H. Boggs Mansion's
carriage house. The restaurant, in the 1888 structure, will provide a
complementary amenity to the pair's Inn on the Mexican War Streets,
purchased in 1998.

With seating planned for 40, the Acanthus will operate as an elegant,
turn-of-the-century dining experience. Butlers and scullery maids will serve
patrons four-course meals with signature martinis from an ornately decorated
martini bar. The goal, says Stasko, is for patrons to feel as if they are
invited guests to the Boggs Mansion.

Architect John Collins and contractor Sue Larkin are overseeing the
renovation. The interior designer is Bobby Ann Everett.

Menu highlights will include farmstand corn and crab cakes with avocado
aioli, heirloom tomato salad and key lime tart.

Writer: Jennifer Baron
Source: Jeffrey Stasko, The Acanthus

Image courtesy of The Acanthus

Evergrey

09-12-2006, 06:08 PM

http://www.popcitymedia.com/developmentnews/28wifi.aspx

September 13, 2006
WiFi Downtown Pittsburgh launches September 13
Pittsburgh has become the only U.S. city of its size to offer free wireless in a central business district.

Today at noon, Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership (PDP) president and CEO Michael Edwards is activating the service, marking the culmination of a partnership between the PDP, local foundations and City of Pittsburgh officials.

“The biggest opportunity is for progressive coffee shops, restaurants and taverns to bring business out onto the streets and increase pedestrian amenities. We hope that entrepreneurs will expand their footprint to make downtown more fun to visit and live in,” says Edwards.

Downtown WiFi provides users with two free hours of wireless Internet access within the city’s central business district/Golden Triangle, North Shore and Lower Hill District, at a higher bandwidth than cities like San Francisco.

The service is powered by US Wireless Online, a national owner and operator of wireless Internet broadband networks.

The project also provides municipal benefits and a partnership with Wireless Neighborhoods. “The new mayor embraces higher efficiency in local government and this will help with that,” says Edwards, who hopes to see free wireless become ubiquitous downtown.

USWO will also offer usage at a higher bandwidth for a fee of $7.99 per day, $14.95 per month or $119.99 per year.

Writer: Jennifer Baron
Source: Mike Edwards, PDP

...

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06256/721477-100.stm

Free Downtown Wi-Fi starts today
Wednesday, September 13, 2006

By Rich Lord, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Starting today, anyone in Downtown Pittsburgh, plus parts of the Hill District and North Shore, can fire up a suitably equipped laptop and use the Internet while outside or in a lower floor of most buildings.

The city's new Wi-Fi network is unique in the nation in that it covers a large area (90 blocks), provides free access for two hours a day, and allows users to surf the Internet at speeds comparable to a DSL modem, according to the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership, which made the system possible.

"This really puts Pittsburgh on the cutting edge of technology," said Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahl at a noon roll-out of the system. "We have some Wi-Fi Pittsburgh shirts that we're going to take with us tomorrow to New York, to show that Pittsburgh has something that that great city, and Manhattan, does not."

Mr. Ravenstahl is appearing on the Late Show with David Letterman, which tapes in New York, tomorrow.

To log in, anyone with a wireless modem needs only click on the wireless icon, then on "Viewable Wireless Networks," and then on "WiFi Pittsburgh" and "Connect." Users will go through a registration process and then use the system for as long as two hours, free of charge.

For more time, higher speeds, and better security, subscribers can pay $7.99 a day, $14.99 a month, or $119.99 a year. The operator, US Wireless Online, makes money on subscriptions and advertising.

Evergrey

09-12-2006, 06:09 PM

http://www.popcitymedia.com/developmentnews/28wyepgreen.aspx

September 13, 2006
WYEP’s new $2.7 million studio spotlighted during green building tour
On September 15 at 3:30 p.m., the Green Building Alliance presents a public tour of WYEP’s new radio studio located at 67 Bedford Square.

Designed for maximum performance, the innovative restoration project includes mechanical systems that utilize recycled and renewable materials.

“We all came to the realization, our board and staff, that building green was not a debate, it was what we had to do. The decision was unanimous and fit our mission,” says WYEP’s general manager Lee Ferraro.

WYEP worked with dggp Architects and Sota Construction Services to create the green studios. Completed in 2006, the 19,084 square-foot site received a LEED-NC Silver rating.

“We also wanted to do this for Pittsburgh, not just for us. We recognized that it was good for the city,” says Ferraro.

The studio features fiber-optic and high-speed cable, enclosed printers, studio furniture constructed from wheat board and recycled doors and windows. Natural light fills ninety percent of the building.

“Feedback has been great. Whenever I give a tour, particularly with younger people, they are very excited to learn that blue jeans and milk jugs were recycled to create the ceilings and floors,” adds Ferraro.

Ferraro, who says that the building will pay for itself over time, has surprised some in the business community when talking about the facility’s significant reduction in energy costs.

“In conventional spaces you walk into a cubicle. Here you feel connected to the world around you,” says Ferraro, who loves opening windows at work. “When you look at health issues, it is full of common sense. These are things you want in your home.”

Writer: Jennifer Baron
Source: Lee Ferraro, WYEP

AaronPGH

09-12-2006, 08:06 PM

Great stuff, evergrey. Thanks for posting. I'd love to see that theatre. I bet it's stunning.

Evergrey

09-13-2006, 01:22 AM

more on Imagine: Pittsburgh

http://www.popcitymedia.com/features/27imaginepgh.aspx

A New Theme for Pittsburgh
By: Tracy Certo

http://www.popcitymedia.com/galleries/Default/Features/Issue%2028/Imagine%20Pgh/onorato_and_rohr_450.jpg
Dan Onorato and Jim Rohr

September 13, 2006
So there we all were on a recent Thursday night, thousands of Pittsburghers watching the Steelers charge to victory over those Dolphins in the first football game of the year. Millions of others were watching nationwide in yet another limelight moment for Pittsburgh which was shining in all its telegenic glory. Too bad the filming of the iconic Primanti sandwich was blocked by a sponsor logo but the night shots of illuminated bridges and the glowing three rivers looked beautiful. Then, sure enough, a steelmaking image appeared on the screen, all roaring fire and molten metal, and the announcer said, in that indisputably authoritative announcer voice: “Pittsburgh, the Steel City.”

What th’?!

Many of us wondered the same thing: Where did they get that shot? And where did they get their information? It’s not that we don’t revere our history of steelmaking. We do. But it’s just that—history. We gave up the Steel City rep decades ago so it’s frustrating to watch this outdated image projected nationwide. The networks did the same thing during the All-Star game, the Super Bowl, and every playoff game the past year. Blast that furnace! Where’s the image of robots? Cutting edge medicine? The Pittsburgh of today and not decades ago?

What do we do to replace the old image with another more accurate and updated one?

http://www.popcitymedia.com/galleries/Default/Features/Issue%2028/Imagine%20Pgh/imagine_presentation_300.jpg
Imagine Pittsburgh presentation

Interestingly, the next day the first ever integrated marketing campaign for the Pittsburgh region was unveiled at the Heinz History Center by a group led by the Allegheny Conference. Chairman Jim Rohr, CEO of PNC, was joined by Dan Onorato, Mayor Luke Ravenstahl in his first public appearance, and a team of others as they rolled out the campaign that delivers a new message of an innovative city reinvented.

http://www.popcitymedia.com/galleries/Default/Features/Issue%2028/Imagine%20Pgh/ad_03_300.jpg
Print ad detail

Imagine…

”There’s a little bit of Pittsburgh in Antarctica,” reads one print ad that touts Pittsburgh as the robotics industry leader of the world. “A robot developed by the Robotics Institute at Carnegie Mellon in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, recently roved across the terrain of Antarctica, searching for meteorites—and pushing technological boundaries…”

In another print ad, a close-up of a face-painted Steeler fan is juxtaposed with a shot of a busty opera singer (complete with flashy gold brassiere cups) and sports the heading, “Get in touch with your passionate side.” The copy reads: “Whether you’re an avid sports fan or an arts aficionado, there’s plenty to get revved up about in Pittsburgh….”

The idea is to juxtapose an image of Pittsburgh that’s familiar—in this case, that would be the Steeler fan—with an image that’s surprising.

In other ads, the tagline of “Imagine what you can do here” rings out in various sub-themes: Imagine discovering the cure. Imagine breaking new ground. Imagine changing the world. One image after another of the new, vibrant Pittsburgh--excelling in medicine, education, science and culture--that is not well known to the rest of the country. And not a steel photo in the bunch.

http://www.popcitymedia.com/galleries/Default/Features/Issue%2028/Imagine%20Pgh/ad_02_300.jpg
print ad detail

Created as a key component for the upcoming birthday celebration of Pittsburgh 250, the intent of the multi-year campaign “is to create a strong strategic platform, the first for our region,” says Rohr. Within weeks, local print ads will appear with national ads—in the New York Times, Wall St. Journal and Business Week—to follow.

The goal is to drive economic development in Southwest PA, attracting business and talent while changing the image and perception of Pittsburgh to one that more accurately reflects our modern city today. To attract tourists, visitors to the accompanying web site, www.imaginepittsburgh.com, will be directed to the VisitPittsburgh link.

Brand New

As anyone can tell you, it’s difficult to brand a city or create a campaign to succinctly capture the spirit of a place. To get it right, the Imagine Pittsburgh campaign, created by the Southside-based Red House Communications, was based on a study of the region which examined perceptions of Pittsburgh both inside and outside the area.

“The study found that Pittsburghers have a less favorable impression of their city than outsiders who know the city, ” says Gloria Blint, CEO and president of Red House. Sometimes It’s easier for a visitor to see a place for what it is, especially in a city like Pittsburgh which has undergone such dramatic change the past few decades. That could be the case in Pittsburgh--in testing the campaign, enthused respondents said they learned things about the city they didn’t know.

Blint explains that they created the campaign based on the brand strategy done by a collaborative group headed by Fabrizi. The message to convey: Pittsburgh as changemaker to the world.

http://www.popcitymedia.com/galleries/Default/Features/Issue%2028/Imagine%20Pgh/ravenstahl_300.jpg
Mayor Luke Ravenstahl

Seed funding for the campaign was provided by the Pittsburgh 250 Commission, a group that includes more than 80 regional leaders.The group hopes other Pittsburgh businesses and foundations will subsidize funding as well as utilize the tagline and tool kit available for all on the web site. “The Allegheny Conference did a lot of thinking into how this is going to dovetail with other efforts across the city,” says Blint. The objective is to deliver a unified message.

With any luck, the T.V. networks will finally get clued in. Picture this: a nationally televised event in Pittsburgh—say the U.S.Open which is scheduled for 2007—where a steelmaking image appears on the screen. The announcer, in an indisputably authoritative voice, proclaims: “Pittsburgh. Once the Steel City, is known today for robotics and cutting-edge Meds ‘n Eds.”

Imagine that.

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

Tracy Certo is editor of Pop City.

Evergrey

09-13-2006, 01:44 AM

Pop City continues with its neighborhood profiles... this time beautiful Friendship (though it also includes the burgeoning Penn Ave. corridor which is shared by Garfield, Bloomfield, Friendship and Lawrenceville).

http://www.popcitymedia.com/features/investfriendship.aspx

The Business and Investment Guide to Friendship
By: Kelli McIlhenny

http://www.popcitymedia.com/galleries/Default/Features/Issue%2028/NABE%20Penn%20Friendship/loysen_kreuthmeier_450.jpg
Loysen + Kreuthmeier Architects

September 13, 2006

Like many up-and-coming East End neighborhoods in Pittsburgh, Friendship wasn’t on the radar screen of most developers just a decade ago. But today it’s well on its way to becoming one of Pittsburgh’s most creative, multi-cultural destinations.

These days, the neighborhood’s northern border of Penn Avenue – its main commercial district – is dotted with galleries featuring the work of a variety of artisans. It may not yet have ripened to its full potential, but a joint effort between the community development organizations in Friendship and Bloomfield and Garfield has sparked a turnaround in what was once a struggling corridor.

http://www.popcitymedia.com/galleries/Default/Features/Issue%2028/NABE%20Penn%20Friendship/image_box_kitchen_300.jpg
Image Box conference room kitchen

“Through the implementation of a strong development strategy, Friendship has grown into a vivacious, thriving community,” notes Friendship Development Associates' Becky Mingo, now a real estate development specialist who until recently served as executive director.

“Penn Avenue was something we saw that really needed help,” says Marc Mondor, an architect who is a member of the FDA board. The idea, he says, was to give it its own identity and in the process make it safe.

As the group developed a community plan, it was clear that the street should be the focus for their efforts. In 1988, The Penn Avenue Arts Initiative, a joint project of the FDA and the Bloomfield-Garfield Corporation, was initiatied to navigate the area’s revitalization through the arts.

The FDA, which has been the primary engine for much of the neighborhood’s economic development to this point, has been responsible for constructing 29,135 square feet of commercial space with several more projects in the works that will dramatically increase the square footage available for commercial ventures. In fact, the FDA’s wide array of contributions to the neighborhood’s renewal reads like an overly ambitious to-do list

“FDA has built quality affordable housing, built new locations for businesses, helped artists find homes, studios and business locations, fundamentally changed the Friendship housing market, supported the growth of some of the best arts organizations in the City, saved buildings from demolition, completed community plans, and closed nuisance bars,” Mingo says.

http://www.popcitymedia.com/galleries/Default/Features/Issue%2028/NABE%20Penn%20Friendship/fairmount_apts_03_300.jpg
Fairmount Apartments

Most of the businesses that have been drawn in by the neighborhood’s energy and potential thus far have skewed to the creative side of the scale. That was the strategy from the start, to see how the arts could transform a neighborhood. To that end, the PAAI has converted over 136,000 square feet of vacant property into artist live/work space and nearly $8 million has gone into private arts-related investment on the Avenue. 16 artist owners and 43 artist renters make their home on Penn Avenue, which amounts to over 300 artists living and working on Penn Avenue each day.

Laura Jean McLaughlin, owner of the Clay Penn where she makes and sells her ceramic artwork, met FDA's recently appointed Executive Director Jeffrey Dorsey at a 2002 panel discussion on arts-related jobs; shortly after, he found a building that was a perfect fit for her needs.

The building she bought had an empty lot next door, which would allow her to create a mural on the side, she says. “I had been working in a basement studio, so the first floor of the building seemed to be perfect for a studio and a gallery space, and the price was right.”

http://www.popcitymedia.com/galleries/Default/Features/Issue%2028/NABE%20Penn%20Friendship/clay_penn_01_300.jpg
Laura Jean McLaughlin at Clay Penn

McLaughlin is also one of the many artists who have received assistance from the PAAI Artist Loan and Grant program, which offers low-interest loans to artists for improvements to interior space and matching grants for façade renovations.

“The PAAI artist loan program came to my rescue a couple of times,” says McLaughlin, noting that she received funding to pay for the building’s windows and final renovations that allowed tenants to move into the second and third stories, as well as money to create the building’s unique mosaic external décor, which was completed in part by attendees of the PAAI’s monthly showcase event, Unblurred.

“I cannot rave enough about the support that they have provided and continue to provide,” McLaughlin adds.

In addition to the numerous artists who have set up shop on Penn Avenue, Friendship features what is probably the densest concentration of architects in Pittsburgh outside of the Golden Triangle, with established firms like EDGE Studio, Loysen and Kreuthmeier and evolve, along with one-person shops set up in home offices or smaller studio space.

A healthy mix of businesses is a must for any neighborhood to thrive, and there are more than enough opportunities along Penn Avenue for aspiring retailers, service providers and restaurateurs.

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Doug and Liza Cruze in their new renovation project on Penn Ave

Architect Doug Cruze and his wife Liza bought a building on the eastern end of Penn Avenue which, when completed, will feature all of the development opportunities that Friendship has to offer, both commercial and residential, in one place. The Cruzes put together a luxury apartment in the building with the intention of living there, then decided to stay put in their South Graham Street home, but they were still able to rent to an L.A. transplant who found the place a bargain. They plan to rent out two other lofts in the building as well. At street level, Cruze will use one side as his office and find a retail tenant for the other.

Cruze doesn’t believe that new businesses will have any problem finding customers.

“People are pretty adamant about supporting the businesses in the neighborhood,” he said. “To have the commercial district as part of the neighborhood is really a plus.”

McLaughlin has experienced her neighbors’ encouragement as well. “When I pull a tent outside and bring some art supplies out, people always seem to be curious and want to sit down and help in whatever project is at hand. I love how open-minded everyone has been,” she said.

Once the construction of the Children’s Home and the new Children’s Hospital, both on Penn Avenue, is complete, more foot traffic is expected as an influx of employees help to sustain new businesses.

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Loft apartment on Penn Ave (above Image Box)

“Things that are going to draw people to the business district will be successful,” Mondor says. Like Quiet Storm coffee house. Only a few years removed from its previous life as a nuisance bar, the Quiet Storm was wholly embraced by the community and became a draw for folks outside of the neighborhood looking for a unique Sunday brunch spot.

Mondor, Cruze and McLaughlin all mention the need for additional restaurants in a neighborhood that has ethnic flare, but limited offerings. Other retail possibilities include an art supply store, a bowling alley, a small grocery or market and a bookstore.

There are plenty of spaces in which those new businesses can be grown. Penn Avenue has a fair amount of empty storefronts and existing buildings that can be leased or purchased for a low cost, and much of the neighborhood’s new construction, like the senior housing project going up at Penn and Fairmount, has dedicated retail space as well.

“Progress has been slow, but it’s been somewhat steady,” Mondor says encouragingly. “We do have something that wasn’t here 10 years ago. I think it’s a good time to get in.”

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Evergrey

09-13-2006, 01:54 AM

http://www.popcitymedia.com/features/movetofriendship.aspx

The Moving Guide to Friendship
By: Kelli McElhinny

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<c> space gallery

September 13, 2006
Pittsburgh’s East End neighborhood of Friendship emerged as one of the nation’s first upper-middle class suburbs in the early 20th century, thanks to a convenient location at the end of the streetcar line that let the era’s industrial managers easily scoot downtown to get to work.

Now, a full century later, Friendship has come full circle after a period of neglect. Once again, it is attracting young professionals and their families, along with students, artists and a range of other residents drawn by an extensive assortment of affordable real estate. The beautiful, historic Victorian and Colonial Revival homes that are the hallmark of the neighborhood’s housing stock offer a great deal of space at a relatively low cost.

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Doug and Liza Cruze in front of their renovated Friendship house

Architect Doug Cruze saw the neighborhood’s potential a decade ago when he and his wife Liza chose to buy one of those big Victorians on South Graham Street, after they had rented a Shadyside apartment for a year.

Due to a zoning change in the 1950s, many of the once-beautiful old builidngs were chopped up into multi-units and were in great need of renovation. The Cruzes' home, for instance, had been converted into three apartments, but the couple chose to restore it to its original form, claiming the bottom two floors as their living space, and renting out the third floor – once the servant quarters – to a tenant. They found a different tenant for the property’s carriage house.

While new zoning in the 1990s pushed to restore the neighborhood back to single family units, many of Friendship’s homes still offer the opportunity for owners to generate income through rent to help offset mortgage and renovation costs. “You can end up having a much bigger place than you could [otherwise] afford to have,” Cruze says. And when owners are also landlords, the rental property is assured of staying in optimal condition.

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Clarendon Place

The bottom line

While the affordable housing in Friendship runs the gamut, buyers can scoop up a small house for $129,000 or find a 12 or 13-room gem (or diamond in the rough) for $280,000. While that might seem high in this comeback neighb, the houses are quite large and architecturally noteworthy--and they would cost considerably more in upscale neighborhoods closeby. In addition to the beautiful housing stock, many of the homes feature parking pads in the back--another draw to househunters tired of street parking.

As Shadyside becomes more saturated, Howard Hanna's Orlando "Scats" Scatana expects more people to flock to Friendship and the value of housing to rise accordingly. The realtor says he sells to a lot of doctors, lawyers, college professors and other professionals, and that they tend to be younger transplants from other, bigger metropolitan areas.

Not ready to buy but looking to rent? Rates for studios and one-bedroom apartments go for $500 to $600 while a two-bedroom apartment goes for $600 and up. A three-bedroom/two bath unit was just rented for $725 a month.
More housing choices

Friendship Development Associates (FDA), responsible for the lion’s share of neighborhood development, has done a number of impressive renovations on properties throughout the neighborhood, such as the national award-winning Clarendon Place project.

Brand new townhouses will soon appear at the corner of Penn Avenue and Gross Street. Another new project is the Penn Fairmont Apartments which feature 60 units of senior housing and 7,500 square feet of retail space. Phase II of the project, the Corner Building at Penn and Fairmount, consists of 15 loft condominiums, 8,270 square feet of retail or restaurant space as well as artist studios. In another much smaller project, the FDA renovated three apartments behind the Quiet Storm coffee shop at Penn and Graham.

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Atticus Adams in his loft in the Showroom Building

You have to be an artist to live there but lofts are being built in the same building as the FDA and Dance Alloy. With a bevy of reasonably priced housing options and a burgeoning arts district, Friendship is quickly becoming a top destination for the city’s most creative residents.

J. Atticus Adams, a sculptor who moved to Pittsburgh from Charleston, S.C., last November, selected a loft in the neighborhood for that very reason. “I wanted to live closer to where more artists were living,” he says, noting that other neighborhoods that had been recommended to him, such as Shadyside and Squirrel Hill, can be too expensive for many artists.

One big attraction for him is Unblurred, which provides monthly opportunities for artists like him to show their art close to home, or in Adams’ case, his loft.

After talking with the former Arts District Manager and now FDA Executive Director, Jeffrey Dorsey, Adams decided to open up his Penn Avenue loft to Unblurred attendees to see his uniquely beautiful sculptures created from white thread and aluminum screens – the kind that Grandma had in the door when you were a kid.

The inside track to househunting

Because of the area’s increasing popularity, the demand for real estate in the neighborhood is high. “If you want a house in Friendship, you need to act fast,” Cruze suggests. “If you just look in the Sunday paper, you’re not going to find it.”

Architect Marc Mondor, principal of the firm evolve and Friendship resident, understands the attraction. In fact, he says, “I don’t see why this wouldn’t be as desirable a place to be in as Squirrel Hill or Shadyside."

The neighborhood’s allure goes beyond its housing. Friendship’s convenient location four miles from downtown makes for a quick commute, one that can easily be made by bicycle, or, for the particularly hearty, on foot.

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Mark Mondor at his 'evolve' architectural office

“Gas prices can go up to five dollars a gallon, and it’s not going to impact us too much,” says Mondor, whose family’s South Evaline Street home is only blocks away from his office on Penn Avenue.

Play time, school time

While the neighborhood isn’t home to one of the city’s larger parks, it does feature a pleasant outdoor setting in Baum Grove, the community green space at 400 Roup Avenue. Baum Grove recently received a face-lift with tree-pruning, improvements to the flowerbeds and the addition of a beautiful community herb garden. Bike racks were also installed at the park, thanks to the Elm Street Program through the Friendship Development Associates. The PlayPark at Pittsburgh Montessori, built by the Friendship Preservation Group and the Friendship Development Associates and funded through grants, offers a recreational outlet for the neighborhood’s children.

Those children now have two quality schools to attend thanks to a couple of Friendship’s latest additions. The Waldorf School relocated from its South Side location to Victoria Hall, one of the neighborhood’s oldest buildings and a former convent, in the fall of 2003.

This September will mark the opening of the Pittsburgh Montessori School in the former Friendship Academy building, which was scheduled to be shuttered in the Pittsburgh Public Schools reorganization plan. Friendship residents, a formidable bunch, were able to lure the Montessori school, which is one of Pittsburgh’s magnet schools, to a prime spot on Friendship Avenue.

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Baum Grove

You’ve got to have friends

The legend that the neighborhood was named for the friendship between founder Joseph Conrad Winebiddle and the family of William Penn may be a myth, but the neighborhood's tradition of welcoming newcomers is not. The people in Friendship, living up to their name, are a major component of Friendship’s magnetism.

Friendship’s sister organizations, the Friendship Development Associates (FDA) and the Friendship Preservation Group (FPG) both grew out of a mobilization against seizure of a parcel of land by a car dealership in 1989. They won; that land is now the beloved Baum Grove which became a catalyst for other neighborhood efforts. Today, the Friendship Preservation Group serves as the neighborhood’s main outlet for its residents’ involvement, coordinating a number of annual events, including the Friendship Flower and Folk Festival, National Night Out, the Friendship Yard Sale and a neighborhood progressive dinner.

Both the FDA and the FPG have played a large role in making the neighborhood safer, a remarkable change appreciated by residents.

“When we bought our house 10 years ago, Friendship was a lot rougher,” Cruze says.

Neighborhood block watches have engaged area residents in taking ownership of creating a safe neighborhood, although many outsiders still operate under the misconception that Friendship, particularly the area closest to Penn Avenue, is not safe.

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Montessori School in Friendship

“I’ve had people ask me, ‘Do you feel safe?’ They associate this area with crime. I’ve never had a problem,” Adams says.

With its stretch of Penn Avenue still in its infancy as a commercial corridor, Friendship does not have a traditional business district within its borders. Yet there are enough amenities within walking distance to nearby communities--such as Bloomfield's main street on the west border of Friendship, Shadyside's Walnut St. a mile away, and East Liberty’s new Eastside development and Whole Foods to the east--to provide plenty of options for residents waiting for businesses to fill in the spaces available closer to home.

“I like how I can walk to everything,” Adams says, comparing his neighborhood to that of downtown Boston.

As Penn Avenue’s development takes off, some are hoping that out-of-control gentrification (and the surging real estate costs that often go hand-in-hand with it), doesn’t bully its way into the neighborhood and change its character.

“In some ways….the area’s interesting because it is in transition,” Adams says. “It’s not so gentrified, so expensive that artists get pushed out.” Part of the mission of the The Penn Avenue Arts Initiative’s mission is in fact to help artists gain an equity stake as development is increasing values.

Mondor, for one, would be surprised if that ever happened in Friendship. “There will always be affordable housing here. There’s not going to be that [gentrification] kind of upheaval,” he says.

Think that Friendship might be your ideal spot for a home? Get a sneak preview at the neighborhood’s House Tour, scheduled for Sunday, September 24.

Evergrey

09-13-2006, 02:04 AM

http://www.popcitymedia.com/features/guidefriendship.aspx

The Visitor's Guide to Friendship
By: Kelli McElhinny

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Pittsburgh Glass Center

September 13, 2006
If you haven’t been to Friendship’s northern border of Penn Avenue lately, you’re in for a sweet surprise. The transformation, from a blighted area to a vibrant arts district, is well underway, courtesy of the Penn Avenue Arts Initiative (PAAI), a strategic partnership between the Friendship Development Associates and Bloomfield-Garfield Corporation. Today, many of Pittsburgh's best-kept secrets, from art to architecture, can be found in Friendship.

The gutsy transformation has been driven by the PAAI, a formidable group which helps artists buy and renovate properties, provides technical assistance to artists, and promotes them as well as the neighborhood. The group even connects artists to local youth and their families through fun events and workshops that benefit all involved.

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Band performing during Unblurred

The liveliest time to visit this vibrant neighborhood is the first Friday of each month, for the PAAI showcase, Unblurred, when the area’s galleries and businesses throw open their doors to host a variety of events, from openings to art workshops. Despite gloomy weather and the threat of rain at the September event, music filled the air and hundreds of people jammed the galleries in the festive gathering on Penn Ave.

Mural Mural on the Wall

As you work your way down the street (Penn Ave, that is) keep on eye on the building walls of Friendship where some of the neighborhood’s most intriguing public art –such as the well-known The Bride Mural—can be found.

The landmark Bridal Mural, designed and created by the late Judy Penzer and Jill Watson, fools the eye by depicting a continuation of the row of buildings next to it. In 2001, “The Gateway," mural was created by local artists at 5149 and 5150 Penn Avenue to represent the mission of PAAI – bringing the arts on both sides of Penn Avenue together via the street itself. Another notable mural is at 4908 Penn Avenue. Titled "Today’s Heroic Paragon," it was created by Kevin Fung in 2003 in memory of a resident.

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The Bride Mural by Judy Penzer

Many of the murals are the product of the Sprout Fund, a much-admired foundation located in Friendship that funds arts and other area projects that enliven the city as well as stimulate economic development by making the region attractive to young people.

The Art of Dance. And Foursquare.

The eastern end of Penn Avenue in Friendship is home to Attack Theater, one of Pittsburgh’s most innovative performing arts groups. In studio space at the corner of Penn and Mathilda, the dance troupe holds occasional informal performances in addition to offering modern dance classes to the community on Tuesdays. Unblurred attendees wanting to nurture their inner child can stop by for Game Night, to play foursquare, 3D tic-tac-toe, and Connect Four, and enjoy intermittent performances.

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Modern Formations

Further along Penn Avenue, you’ll find a group of modest galleries where hipsters – with a few adventurous suburbanites mixed in – spill out onto the sidewalk. Visitors to Modern Formations can settle into one of the comfy couches to enjoy a performance by local musicians, or peruse the pieces by Pittsburgh artists that grace the gallery’s purple walls.

Next up is Garfield Artworks, which shows local, regional and national artists, features a 100-foot-deep floor plan that lends itself to a multitude of uses, from performances to poetry readings to private parties.

At this point in the trip down Penn, a quick detour down Winebiddle Street is worthwhile to see the Waldorf School of Pittsburgh, located in one of the neighborhood’s oldest and most beautiful buildings. Originally a private residence that was converted into a convent for sisters of the Ursuline order, the building now houses the private K-8 school that moved to Friendship from the South Side in 2003. This historic landmark still hosts private events, in addition to its everyday function.

Back on Penn Avenue, head for the Clay Penn, with its storefront graced with thousands of mosaic tiles, many designed by Unblurred participants in a workshop. Owner and artist Laura Jean McLaughlin showcases her own work in the first-floor space, along with exhibitions by other artists. Soon, community classes and workshops will be offered here, too.

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Image Box Gallery and Design Studio

Next stop? Studio 5013 where, at any time, you can view a window display of one of many local artists since it’s illuminated for nighttime browsing. Behind the gallery curtain, artist Laura Shaffalo has done a tremendous job restoring the building’s splendor in creating her own live/work space, refinishing the building’s original pine floors and preserving architectural features such as the French doors.

There's still room for improvement but The Penn Avenue Arts District continues to blossom and grow with each passing month. Since July, Penn Avenue has seen the opening of four additional galleries: IMAGEBOX at 4933 Penn Avenue, < c > space at 4823 Penn, ON Gallery at 5005 Penn and 5151 Penn Gallery.

At < c > space, a live band entertained a throng of visitors during its opening event September 1st. Guests were treated to art and music on the first floor, along with an appetizing spread of food and drinks, while upstairs the hip, renovated living quarters were open for viewing.

Tomorrow night, September 18th, ON Gallery plays host to noted author, Mary Gaitskill, in a Pittsburgh Arts & Letters event.

Wine and dine

Hungry? You’re in a great spot for some of the city’s best offerings in ethnic fare. Although the selection is small, the cuisine is top-notch. The locals swear by the curry at People’s Indian Restaurant, and Pho Minh is one of Pittsburgh’s few spots for authentic Vietnamese. Those with less exotic tastes can grab a slice with just the right amount of grease without parting with too much dough at Vince’s Pizza or Calabria’s.

A little farther up the street, past two institutions found in nearly every urban neighborhood – the dollar store and the funeral home – lies one of Penn Avenue’s most eclectic spots, the Quiet Storm. Complete with a vegan-friendly menu, an abundance of toys for folks under 10 (and ample space in which to play with them), and a magazine selection that puts the corner newsstand to shame, this nuisance bar-turned-coffeehouse draws in a mélange of characters from all over the city, whether a family stopping in for Sunday brunch or a doctoral student hunkering down to work on his thesis. The menu alone makes the Quiet Storm a must to visit, but those who need extra motivation might find it in the live performances hosted by the coffeehouse on Friday and Saturday nights.

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People's Indian Restaurant

Another option within walking distance is Silky’s Pub, a cozy Liberty Avenue bar that gives patrons the opportunity to brush up on their shuffleboard skills while sipping a beverage. At the end of Friendship Avenue, the popular Sharp Edge features such an extensive collection of Belgian beers that the owner has been knighted in Belgium.

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The Quiet Storm

Across the street from the Quiet Storm is the highly regarded EDGE studio, a cutting-edge architecture firm that regularly brings artists of international stature regularly into their gallery.

Reaching the eastern end of Penn Avenue, you’ll find one of the nation’s best glass facilities, and possibly in a class by itself, the Pittsburgh Glass Center. Housing large studios in space that formerly served as a car showroom, PGC is known across the country for the quality of art it produces--American Style magazine recently noted that it put Pittsburgh on the map for glass-- and the community is encouraged to participate in the process. The facilities are impressive: eight glory-holes, a flame-working and a cold-working studio, natural gas and propane hand-torches and a roomy gallery to display the stunning glass work creations. A variety of classes you won't find elsewhere are offered by masters in their art form, from glassblowing to bead making, and participants of all skill levels can find a course that fits their experience.

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Dance Alloy

More classes of a different variety can be found just down the street from the PGC. The Neighborhood Dance Center, home to Dance Alloy Theater, provides space for one of the region’s most comprehensive community dance and fitness programs as well as their own professional modern dance company. Courses grouped by age allow a range of participants from toddlers to grandmas to enjoy activities from ballet to tango to Pilates. There’s no better place in Pittsburgh to get moving – and meet new friends. The company performs on a biannual home season with smaller showings throughout the year.

How to get there

What's the best way is to get to this evolving neighborhood? Public transportation choices are plentiful. Eight PAT routes travel through one of Friendship’s main thoroughfares. If you choose to come by car, street parking is almost always available as well, if not on Penn, then no more than two blocks away on one of the cross streets.

While the first Friday of the month is when Friendship is showcased at its finest, anytime is a good time to visit this up and coming neighborhood.

themaguffin

09-13-2006, 04:49 PM

I'm thinking that we need to start a non development thread....

EventHorizon

09-13-2006, 06:36 PM

Point State Park renovations to begin next month

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06256/721441-100.stm

Wednesday, September 13, 2006
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

State Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Secretary Michael DiBerardinis today announced that renovations at Point State Park should begin in mid- to late October now that contracts have been awarded.

Contracts have been awarded to: S.E.T. Inc. of Lowellville, Ohio, $4.49 million for general contract work; Lone Pine Construction of Bentleyville, $137,750 for plumbing; and Power Contracting Co. of Carnegie, $2.5 million for electrical work.

The upgrades to the park in Downtown Pittsburgh will include a new lawn on the city side of the park; new irrigation, drainage and electrical systems; pathways, landscaping, benches and lighting; vendor hookups; a new stage pad; renovations to the reflecting pool mechanical systems; trail signs; and wireless Internet.

The work is expected to be completed by the end of 2007.

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Evergrey

09-14-2006, 12:08 AM

thanks for the update on Point State Park, EventHorizon! I think tha's the first rendering I've seen of it... I think the Point has a lot of untapped potential

Evergrey

09-14-2006, 12:10 AM

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/business/s_470187.html

Financing plan for land near airport accepted

By Sam Spatter
FOR THE TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Wednesday, September 13, 2006

Allegheny County on Tuesday took a first step toward launching $336 million in development on about 4,500 acres adjacent to Pittsburgh International Airport.
The county's Redevelopment Authority accepted the Potato Garden Run Tax Increment Financing plan, which now awaits approval from County Council, Findlay Township and the West Allegheny School District.

"County council will probably hold a public hearing on the special financing plan in about 30 days. If council approves, it must wait three weeks before setting up the financing district," said Gary Klingman, Findlay Township manager.

The special financing will supply $2.8 million obtained from the state for the $7.5 million cost of installing water and sewer lines. Repayment of the state funds will come from user and tap-in fees, Klingman said.

The project will make the land attractive to developers, said Michael P. Pehur, project manager for Allegheny County Department of Economic Development.

"We estimate once the entire site is developed, it could mean 7,500 permanent jobs, 1,400 construction jobs, plus an additional 1,000 in direct jobs, and $105 million in materials," he said.

"It is encouraging to us that developers -- not just governmental officials -- are coming in and buying property near the airport," said Dennis Davin, the authority's director.

The project gets its name because the land is located in the Potato Garden watershed basin, which includes a stream by that name.

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

Evergrey

09-14-2006, 12:21 AM

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06256/721323-53.stm

City won't let temporary casino structure take root
Wednesday, September 13, 2006

By Mark Belko, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

The city is taking steps to ensure that any temporary slot machine casino built in Pittsburgh to get the cash rolling in as quickly as possible doesn't become permanent.

It won't allow the winner of the Pittsburgh slot machine license to open a temporary casino until construction is moving along on the permanent one.

"There will be substantial construction under way before we will give them a permit to occupy the temporary casino," city Zoning Administrator Jeremy Smith said.

His comments came during a planning commission public hearing yesterday on a master plan offered by Isle of Capri Casinos Inc. as part of its proposed casino development in Uptown and the lower Hill District.

Isle of Capri and PITG Gaming LLC, another of the bidders for the Pittsburgh slots license, want to open and operate temporary casinos while their permanent gambling halls are being built.

The third bidder, Forest City Enterprises, hasn't proposed a temporary casino.

As part of the master plan under consideration by the planning commission, Isle of Capri wants to build its temporary casino in the parking lot above Mellon Arena, near Crawford Square.

The Pittsburgh Gaming Task Force and several planning commission members expressed concerns yesterday about the temporary facility with 1,500 slot machines and an adjacent 350-space parking lot. They are trying to avoid a repeat of what happened in Detroit, where temporary casinos stayed in operation for years before construction started on permanent ones.

Mr. Smith described a temporary casino as a "tent" and said the city won't issue an occupancy permit for the one to be erected by Isle of Capri or any other casino operator until at least the foundation and perhaps more of the permanent gambling house has been completed.

Isle of Capri officials assured the commission that their intent is to complete the permanent casino as quickly as possible.

Yesterday's hearing covered familiar ground, with the casino operator presenting its plans for a $1 billion-plus development in Uptown and the lower Hill that would include a casino starting with 3,000 machines and expanding to 5,000, a new arena and a mixed-use commercial and residential development on the Mellon Arena site.

Over the past several months, Isle has tweaked its plan to try to create better connections between Centre and Fifth avenues and has added more ground-level retail and upper-floor residential on Fifth Avenue to create a better link to Downtown.

The commission is expected to vote on the plan in two weeks.

The two other applicants for the license also must submit master plans for approval before they can begin their proposed developments, contingent on winning the license.

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

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