[themaguffin]

I don't have an issue with covering up storefronts. Hell, malls do it all the time.

Again, I just want the city to shine and hope that it's as little yinzer as possible.

I do think the city is a little too concerned about traffic. People are not going to be in a lot of cars driving to the convention center like a bunch of people who are local drive to a game. People should maintain their same work schedule and - gasp - let a crowded downtown look like a crowded downtown. It sounds like the city wants to empty downtown for this function which is horrible.

[themaguffin]

...and now i was just reading the PBT and it has a feature article on downtown retail/restaurants that plan to close for the G20. Seriously, why not import some tumbleweed too? How’s a crazy thought – stay open, and if business is unusually slow, then close, but since there is no local precedent for this type of event, businesses do not know if business we be poor, average or above average.

[Evergrey]

http://www.bizjournals.com/pittsburgh/stories/2009/08/17/story2.html?b=1250481600^1935881

G-20 expected to be either boom or bust for retail

Downtown restaurants consider closing up shop during summit

Pittsburgh Business Times - by Tim Schooley

Ask Fernando DeCarvalho, owner of Fernando’s Cafe, to compare the potential business to be had from the G-20 Summit next month with the 4,000 fur-bound conventioneers who attended Anthrocon, a meeting of professed “furries,” in June.

He answers in less time than it takes for a wisp of fur to begin to float away.

“Are you kidding?” he said, choosing the furries, to whom he sold 3,000 sandwiches on a Friday when they attended the convention at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center. “All I need is three of those conventions and I can close for the rest of the year.”

For G-20? Not so much.

Despite the fact that his business is a short walk from the convention center, where the economic forum is expected to bring more than 3,000 people from the world’s 20 largest economies, he’s planning to close for the entirety of the event. His restaurant at PPG Place also will be closed because the building’s owner decided to shut down the food court due to security concerns.

“Most of my customers are taking off those days,” he said, unsure there will be enough media and security to make up the difference.

Hospitality professionals, Downtown boosters and restaurant operators all share his concern.

DeCarvalho is not the only one considering closing as restaurant operators balance the prospect of serving an influx of visitors, whether attendees, press, security or protesters, with the possibility that their regular customers won’t be there or will be waylaid by security-induced delays.

Emergency preparations?

Cory Robinson, owner of Cory’s Subs on 10th Street, located within sight of the convention center, saw his concerns grow after receiving a transcript from a panel discussion organized by the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership and the Allegheny Conference.

Robinson, an NRA-certified firearm training instructor, said he gained access to the transcript through his security contacts, though it has not yet been officially released by the PDP and the Allegheny Conference

The discussion, which featured three experts from other cities who have experienced similar events, advised “street level businesses” to make emergency preparations “just like you would in the event of a heavy snowstorm or flash flooding” — not the kind of advice that suggests a record-breaking sales day to Robinson and DeCarvalho.

Robinson, who opened his store two months ago and estimated that 90 percent of his sales come from convention traffic, also plans to close for the G-20 unless he can rent out his small storefront.

“It’s a great honor to do, but it’s not going to be real good for the businesses in Pittsburgh, and for the city it’s going to be a strain,” he said.

Ken Zeff, owner of the local Crazy Mocha Coffee Co. chain, which operates nine shops Downtown, is unsure of what he plans to do for the G-20, but expressed concern for the city, along with his more immediate business challenges.

“The worst thing to do would be to have all these stores closed, because then we’d look like a ghost town,” he said.

‘A great opportunity’

Craig Davis, senior vice president of sales and marketing for VisitPittsburgh, the convention bureau helping coordinate the event, emphasized his organization is working to assist businesses in staying open and expects there will be ample opportunity to do business.

“We want to work with these businesses so that they can operate around these restrictions,” he said. “There are going to be thousands of people Downtown looking for a place to eat.”

Hollie Geitner, a spokeswoman for the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership, whose mission is to promote Downtown and make sure its safe and clean, said the organization is getting plenty of calls from restaurants over the issues.

“There’s going to be challenges. I don’t think that’s going to be any secret,” she said. “It’s a great opportunity for many businesses, but no one knows exactly what it’s going to be like.”

All the specifics of road closings and the building of a fenced-off security perimeter won’t be known until the week of the event, due to security concerns. But Robinson expects most of the nearby garages to be closed, public transportation to be altered and delivery times to be severely constrained.

DeCarvalho said he already has heard from several customers that their companies expect to close those days, whether its due to a lack of access or security concerns. He doubts the hit he’ll take from the 400 sandwiches he sells during a typical business day can be replaced by extra business from protestors and media.

“I don’t think it’s worth it for me to open and just feed the media,” he said, admitting his take is an about-face from what he described as an “ecstatic” reaction upon initially hearing the G-20 was coming.

Despite the wishes of the Allegheny Conference or VisitPittsburgh, which is hoping some establishments will stay open later for the event, food-service businesses often are taking cues from the buildings that they’re in, at times reluctantly.

Kevin Joyce, owner of The Carlton Restaurant, a fine-dining cornerstone on Grant Street, said he’s heard of plenty of law firms and other tenants of One Mellon Center declaring their plans to be closed for the G-20.

While he has yet to book any events from the G-20, Joyce will keep The Carlton open, along with his Edie’s Market, a more casual food service business also in the building, but expects they will struggle during the event.

“If you’re telling people to stay home and you’re closing garages, it’s no longer a positive for the hospitality industry,” he said.

Chad Brooks, who operates two Qdoba restaurants Downtown, as well as two in Oakland, said his landlord for his Grant Street location asked him to close for the event, due to its proximity to the Omni William Penn hotel, where President Obama will stay for the G-20.

He said he’s both a little offended by the request and uninterested in operating out of charity for the G-20. He has yet to make a decision. “I’m cautiously optimistic,” he said. “But I’m more cautious than optimistic, at this point.”

CLOSED FOR G-20
These companies and organizations have already announced plans to shut down around the time of the G-20 conference:
Alpern Rosenthal
Community College of Allegheny County (all campuses closed Sept. 23-25)
Duquesne University
(closed from noon Sept. 23 through Sept. 25)
Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra
rescheduled seasoning-opening concerts of Sept. 25-27 for a later date)
Robert Morris University, Pittsburgh Center and the Bayer Center for Nonprofit Management (closed Sept. 23-27, Moon Township campus will remain open)
Small Business Administration
United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania, Pittsburgh Division (closed Sept. 23-25)

[PGHFan]

Not quite sure why tooluther shouldn't take it personally. I do when my work is being criticized. Seems human to me. I hope that the G20 guests enjoy them. And if not, well, so sad.

[psuhoops123]

I agree! hah i think anyone could do a better job

[Evergrey]

Not quite sure why tooluther shouldn't take it personally. I do when my work is being criticized. Seems human to me. I hope that the G20 guests enjoy them. And if not, well, so sad.

And I'm not sure why people who participate in this forum can't feel free to express their opinions without being accused of "backseat driving". That's what this forum is here for... to express ideas and to engage in debate.

[PGHFan]

I was debating the point that tooluther shouldn't take it personally. There are many kinds of debate and all should be welcome, not just the kind that a particular person or group wants.

[MayDay]

"The fact that nobody raised a red flag at all on those terrible, amateur designs is awful. You guys have the wrong people running the show, and that design team should be embarrassed."

Agreed 100%, and good designers can take criticism of their work. I've been a graphic designer for over 16 years; if everyone is referring to the signage in the following photo - I have to agree. They look really dated (the font choices in "Pittsburgh Green" - are you kidding me?!?), slapped together, and just as an example - it's 2009, there are better ways to portray "green", "eco-friendly" than stock photos of kayakers, bicyclists and the requisite floating recycling logo.

http://post-gazette.com/pg/images/200908/20090813lf_g20_loc_500.jpg

Honestly, when you have the entire globe focusing on your city, those in charge should take the time to choose a design team that will produce quality work.

[deja vu]

Maybe they're not the most brilliantly original pieces of signage ever, but will that even be noticed by those attending the summit? I think it's important to represent the city as best as possible, but honestly, like most other signs, posters, and advertisements, people will only be glancing at these signs for a brief moment before moving on. In that brief moment, they have to capture one's attention and convey an idea quickly, and while some of the symbols/fonts can be argued as the wrong choice, I think the signs do work.

[Burgh15]

Maybe they're not the most brilliantly original pieces of signage ever, but will that even be noticed by those attending the summit? I think it's important to represent the city as best as possible, but honestly, like most other signs, posters, and advertisements, people will only be glancing at these signs for a brief moment before moving on. In that brief moment, they have to capture one's attention and convey an idea quickly, and while some of the symbols/fonts can be argued as the wrong choice, I think the signs do work.

Some of the signs are alright, though the Pittsburgh Green doesn't really represent what it is trying to. I agree with your point though. I would think that most won't even notice the signs and if you are going to base judgement on an entire city based on the signage then you stood no chance to make a good impression from the start.

[Tombstoner]

:previous: I agree. Even though some of the signs are pretty lame ("we feel your envy" is off-the-charts embarrassing), there is some consolation in knowing that they are mostly just bland and probably won't even enter the consciousness of most people. I think tooluther's original idea might have been a good one if the signs actually had intrinsic interest and demonstrated some of the qualities we want associated with Pittsburgh -- really high-end arty, or high-end clever, or high-end technologically sophisticated, or even just thought-provoking and informative. But that didn't happen.

[Evergrey]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090817/ap_on_re_us/us_foundations_saving_pittsburgh_1

Foundations' money sparks Pittsburgh's recovery

By RAMIT PLUSHNICK-MASTI, Associated Press Writer Ramit Plushnick-masti, Associated Press Writer – Mon Aug 17, 2:52 am ET



PITTSBURGH – Barely 25 years ago, peep show women strutted in the 19th-century window arches of downtown Pittsburgh's 803 Liberty Avenue, overlooking gritty bars, triple-X theaters and adult book stores.

Today, the building — renovated to preserve original brick and high ceilings — houses the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust, created and largely funded by local foundations to transform the red-light district into an arts center and catalyst for economic recovery.

The 12-block "cultural district," home to several theaters, is an example of how the vast coffers of the region's many philanthropies have been key to recovery. Many credit it with helping attract $4.8 billion in recent downtown investment.

From the Carnegies to the Mellons and the Heinzes, the families that made Pittsburgh great in the 19th and 20th centuries invested millions after steel collapsed to try to bring the city back to its former glory, setting it apart from other Rust Belt cities recovering more slowly.

Today, Pittsburgh has more jobs than when steel peaked in 1979. The environment is cleaner; the economy is diverse; at 7.7 percent, poverty rates are nearly 2 percentage points lower than the nation's and lower than the region's 9.5 percent rate in 1990; construction is booming and it appears the population decline is stabilizing.

The foundations' role in the turnaround — which led President Barack Obama to choose Pittsburgh to host the Group of 20 global economic summit in September — may be one of the area's best-kept secrets.

In Pennsylvania, more than a quarter of the 4,109 foundations and more than a third of their $28.7 billion in assets are in Pittsburgh. Pittsburgh has more philanthropies than some states — including Oklahama, Louisiana and Alabama. The region of seven counties and about 2.4 million people had about $10.9 billion in philanthropic assets in 2006 — nearly $4,600 per capita _far more than other Rust Belt cities, including Detroit, Cleveland and Cincinnati.

"There are few communities across the country that have those resources that Pittsburgh has," said Matthew Nelson, a vice president at the Arlington, Va.-based nonprofit, Council on Foundations.

The foundations push and encourage recipients to reach higher.

The Heinz History Center received $200,000 from the Heinz Endowments to build a "green" addition; the convention center where the G-20 will meet had its $750,000 "green" design competition funded by six foundations.

One of the best-known donations — and one of the largest ever to a school district — is the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center's $100 million, 10-year commitment to the Pittsburgh Promise, a scholarship program for city high school graduates to attend Pennsylvania colleges.

Loyalty is the foundations' hallmark. Several require some or all of their grants go to Pittsburgh.

"Steeler Nation is not just loyalty to the football team," said Grant Oliphant, president and CEO of The Pittsburgh Foundation. "It's sort of emblematic of the loyalty to the place."

The philanthropic trend began in the 19th century when steel baron Andrew Carnegie wanted to give away his millions before dying. He built museums and libraries; the book repositories also had gyms and pools to help keep workers out of the bars.

Carnegie's contemporaries, including oilman Michael Benedum, one of the 100 wealthiest Americans in the 19th century, and ketchup baron H.J. Heinz, held the same convictions, largely rooted in Judeo-Christian thinking that to get to heaven they had to help the less fortunate.

These legacies carried the region through the 1980s, when steel's collapse cost more than 100,000 jobs and the departure of even more people. Unemployment soared to 18 percent — down to 7.8 percent today, well below the national average of 9.7 percent — and the population shrank from 424,000 in 1980 to just over 310,000 in 2007.

"In the 90s, it was a very depressed-looking place and very sad," said Teresa Heinz, chairwoman of the Heinz Endowments and the Heinz Family Philanthropies.

In 1991, about six months after the death of her first husband, Sen. John Heinz, in a plane crash, she arranged a conference for regional philanthropies that resulted in the foundations' collaboration. Heinz said that set Pittsburgh apart from other areas.

Like stern parents, the foundations demand results.

Dissatisfied with city schools' dropping test scores and district infighting, the Heinz Endowments, The Pittsburgh Foundation and the Grable Foundation pulled about $3.5 million from the district in 2002. The money was restored in 2005 after a new superintendent was appointed.

The demands are varied: building green, creating jobs and sparking revitalization.

"We're not ones that effect the change," Bobby Vagt, president of the Heinz Endowments, said. "The community itself effects the change. We provide the wherewithal."

[BG918]

Pittsburgh forumers:

Do you have the names for some of the design and construction firms that are doing most of the new projects around your city? I am in the industry and looking into the possibility of relocating to one of several cities, Pittsburgh being one. I'm mainly interested in the firms that are doing urban and/or sustainable projects within the city; design, construction, or both.

[JakeLiefer]

Pittsburgh forumers:

Do you have the names for some of the design and construction firms that are doing most of the new projects around your city? I am in the industry and looking into the possibility of relocating to one of several cities, Pittsburgh being one. I'm mainly interested in the firms that are doing urban and/or sustainable projects within the city; design, construction, or both.

I have a friend that works at Pfamman + Associates, they do some great stuff and have been getting more and more recognition. Check out their work at http://www.pfaffmann.com

[pj3000]

And I'm not sure why people who participate in this forum can't feel free to express their opinions without being accused of "backseat driving". That's what this forum is here for... to express ideas and to engage in debate.

Hear, hear!


Wow... that "Pittsburgh Green" sign is embarrassingly bad.

[Evergrey]

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/business/s_638724.html

US Airways flights to West Coast replaced by United

By Tom Fontaine, TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Tuesday, August 18, 2009

United Airlines today will begin offering one daily nonstop flight from Pittsburgh International Airport to both Los Angeles and San Francisco, replacing similar service that US Airways scrapped Monday.

In almost simultaneous announcements in April, US Airways said it would stop flying from Pittsburgh to the West Coast in mid-August while United set a Sept. 2 start date for its new flights there, before later moving the date to today.

Local officials "didn't do any begging or pleading" to get United to move up the start date, said Ken Zapinski, a vice president at the Allegheny Conference on Community Development, who heads the Regional Air Service Partnership. He said, however, that officials had been "in discussion for years" with the carrier about establishing West Coast service.

"As US Airways continued to cut their position here, we didn't think it was wise to count on that service forever," Zapinski said.

United spokesman Rahsaan Johnson said the carrier "saw an opportunity to move sooner on the routes as a result of US Airways pulling back service. We think it's a service that will work."

United's flight to San Francisco will leave Pittsburgh at 8:30 a.m. and touch down at 10:58 a.m. PST. The Los Angeles flight will depart at 6 p.m. and arrive at 8:16 p.m. PST.

"These are better flights (than the red-eye flights offered by US Airways). They're at better times, and they're going into United hubs that will have vastly improved connections," said JoAnn Jenny, spokeswoman for the Allegheny County Airport Authority. "This is more than just replacing service."

Zapinski said losing nonstop service to Los Angeles and San Francisco would have been devastating for area business travelers because the cities are Pittsburgh's 11th- and 15th-most popular destinations, respectively.

There isn't any nonstop service to six of Pittsburgh's top 30 business destinations: Providence (12th-most popular), Richmond, Va. (18th), San Diego (22nd), Louisville, Ky. (24th), Indianapolis (25th) and Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (28th), according to a May study by the Regional Air Service Partnership.

Daily flights

Here's how many average daily flights Pittsburgh International Airport's carriers provided in June:

US Airways -- 48

Southwest -- 21

Delta -- 17

United -- 15

Continental -- 15

Northwest -- 13

American -- 11

AirTran -- 7

JetBlue -- 5

Air Canada -- 3

Midwest Express -- 3

Myrtle Beach Direct Air -- 1

USA 3000 -- 1

Source: Allegheny County Airport Authority
About the writer

Tom Fontaine can be reached via e-mail or at 412-320-7847.

[Evergrey]

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09230/991505-53.stm

Pittsburgh kicks off Market Square reconstruction

City decides to close whole square so project can be completed by next summer

Tuesday, August 18, 2009
By Mark Belko, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/images/200908/heller_local_sq_01_500.jpg
John Heller/Post-Gazette
Market Square is closed for a $5 million reconstruction project.

Barriers went up. Trees came down. Lunchtime in Market Square won't be the same for quite some time.

A $5 million reconstruction of the city's oldest public square kicked into gear yesterday, forcing outdoor diners to converse over the din of construction equipment and testing the patience of merchants worried about the impact on their businesses.

The long-awaited renovation began with a last-minute change, as the city scrapped plans to redo each of the square's four quadrants one at a time for an all-at-once approach with a goal to "work as hard and as fast as we can to make the square an even better destination for residents, visitors and families," Mayor Luke Ravenstahl said.

With the start of construction, Forbes Avenue through the square closed, as did the streets on the south side near Primanti Bros. and Starbucks Coffee. Streets on the north side remained open, allowing traffic to get around the square and back onto Forbes.

Fences blocked off the square's quadrants where construction started yesterday.

While pedestrians and diners were pinched for space in some places, all sidewalks and businesses were open and will remain so throughout the project.

"Access to the businesses will not be jeopardized," said Megan Stearman, spokeswoman for the city Urban Redevelopment Authority, which is spearheading the construction.

The revised plan should help "speed up the process" to get the work done by next summer, said Hollie Geitner, spokeswoman for the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership.

But the plan already has forced one change: The Thursday Farmer's Market will move from Market Square to Gateway Plaza between Gateway Two and the Hilton Pittsburgh this week and will remain there through December.

Nick Nicholas, owner of Nicholas Coffee, said the intent of the revised plan is to cause the least amount of disruption for merchants over the shortest period. Still, he knows it won't be easy.

"It's going to be painful, but anything we do is going to be painful," he said.

He has seen business at Primanti's, which he co-owns, double over the past few years but expects that momentum "to be stopped in its tracks" with the work.

"Overall, we're optimistic. Unfortunately, to get from here to there you have to go through this construction," he said.

Sergio Muto, owner of La Gondola Pizzeria and Restaurant, said his lunchtime business yesterday already was slower than usual.

"I'm pretty sure we're going to be slow for a long time. Every time there's construction, it's going to keep people away. But maybe the end result will be positive. We'll just have to wait and see," he said.

However, Mike Geiger, co-owner of Moe's Southwest Grill, one of the square's newer restaurants, said his business was "just as good as any other summer Monday."

While he expects some impact from the construction, he does not think it will be huge. He likes the idea of doing the square all at once.

"From my perspective, it seemed to be the wiser of the alternatives to take the hit at one time and be ready to go next summer," he said.

To lessen the impact, the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership is looking at creating specials and coupons to help businesses during the work. It also plans to provide construction updates in places like Facebook.

The square's trees, which will be replaced in the makeover, were the first thing to go yesterday. Scott Reeves of Bellevue didn't like it.

"They're ruining shade trees that give this place a lot of character," he said. "They're just running roughshod over the whole place."

But another visitor, Wilder Bancroft of the West End, liked the idea of change.

"I think new stuff is always cool," he said. "In Pittsburgh, we fall into the old way is best mentality. For younger people, new stuff is cool."

As part of the renovations, the square will be leveled to give it more of a European piazza feel and to make it more pedestrian friendly. There will be expanded outdoor cafe seating, new landscaping and trees, and new lighting.

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

Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09230/991505-53.stm#ixzz0OVVAysM2

[Tombstoner]

:previous: is it just me, or is it strange that so much downtown stuff is being torn up or shut down (e.g., all the businesses, the symphony) prior to the G-20? Let's just hope they don't cover Market Square in colorful posters...:(

[AaronPGH]

Let's just hope they don't cover Market Square in colorful posters...:(

WE HAVE TO HIDE ALL OF OUR PROGRESS! IT'S UGLY!

[Black-n-Gold]

Pittsburgh forumers:

Do you have the names for some of the design and construction firms that are doing most of the new projects around your city? I am in the industry and looking into the possibility of relocating to one of several cities, Pittsburgh being one. I'm mainly interested in the firms that are doing urban and/or sustainable projects within the city; design, construction, or both.

Good luck with that, this is a tough time in the Pittsburgh design world. Our local AIA chapter is a pretty good place to start for an overview of the firms in town:

http://www.aiapgh.org/directory_member_firms.html

Which projects are you interested in that you've seen so far? My sense is that there are quite a number of projects under construction right now, but that there isn't much coming up behind that. A lot of projects on hold, etc.

[hyperion1110]

Hi BG918,

There are those here who know much better than me. But here are a few places you may want to get started at:

Michael Baker Corporation: http://www.mbakercorp.com/

Massaro Corporation: http://massarocorporation.com/

Strada: http://www.stradallc.com/

Renaissance 3: http://www.r3a.com/

And here is the Pittsburgh Chapter of AIA (it might help): http://www.aiapgh.org/home.html

Best of luck to you!

[biscuit]

Good luck with that, this is a tough time in the Pittsburgh design world. Our local AIA chapter is a pretty good place to start for an overview of the firms in town:

http://www.aiapgh.org/directory_member_firms.html

Which projects are you interested in that you've seen so far? My sense is that there are quite a number of projects under construction right now, but that there isn't much coming up behind that. A lot of projects on hold, etc.

Exactly. Most of the projects currently underway have been planned and finanaced months or years ago. The future is very much unknown. Also, many firms in Pittsburgh have been cutting staff and hours. It is not a great time to be in the design industry.

[designer3d712]

I know that there are a lot of Jobs out there to be had, but the competition for those jobs are fierce. A lot of Firms in Pittsburgh have cut back dramatically, and I know for a fact that at least one of them is cutting more soon.

[Black-n-Gold]

I know that there are not a lot of Jobs out there to be had, but the competition for those jobs are fierce. Most Firms in Pittsburgh have cut back dramatically, and I know for a fact that at least one of them is cutting more soon.

There, fixed it for you.

Seriously though, a lot of the other architects and other designers I've talked with have had layoffs at their firms, most of them have had reductions in salary and / or hours. It's a tough, tough time right now.

[designer3d712]

There, fixed it for you.

Seriously though, a lot of the other architects and other designers I've talked with have had layoffs at their firms, most of them have had reductions in salary and / or hours. It's a tough, tough time right now.

Well I will agree on the second fix, but I stand by the first. Maybe it's just the firm that I work for, but there are a lot of jobs that we do go after. Getting them is a different story. Instead of 6-10 going after a job, there's more like 20+. I guess you're just talking about local work? I don't see how any place can survive only relying on local work. Yeah we took a pay cut a few months ago.

I know of some firms that got hit harder than others. Some lost 30-40+. We were kind of lucky to only lose 10 but as I said more should be coming soon.

On another note: has anyone seen the interior of the Casino yet?

[Black-n-Gold]

Well I will agree on the second fix, but I stand by the first. Maybe it's just the firm that I work for, but there are a lot of jobs that we do go after. Getting them is a different story. Instead of 6-10 going after a job, there's more like 20+. I guess you're just talking about local work? I don't see how any place can survive only relying on local work. Yeah we took a pay cut a few months ago.

I know of some firms that got hit harder than others. Some lost 30-40+. We were kind of lucky to only lose 10 but as I said more should be coming soon.

On another note: has anyone seen the interior of the Casino yet?

Sorry, I misunderstood - I thought you were talking about job openings, not potential projects. Yes, there are a lot of potential projects out there, but everyone is chasing them and nobody is getting them.

Between the Meadows and Rivers casinos finishing construction, Dryvit must be taking a big hit these days - they won't see that much work again for a long time!

[Evergrey]

another cornball development along a riverfront

http://www.bizjournals.com/pittsburgh/stories/2009/08/17/daily10.html

Toby Keith restaurant coming to Pittsburgh's SouthSide Works

Pittsburgh Business Times - by Tim Schooley

After years of working to draw a live music venue to the SouthSide Works, The Soffer Organization announced Tuesday morning that it is adding Toby Keith’s I Love This Bar & Grill, a 15,000 square foot restaurant and club expected to open late next year.

Based on a popular song by country music star Toby Keith, I Love This Bar and Grill will open as a franchise operation of Mesa, Ariz.-based Capri Restaurant Group.

I Love This Bar & Grill will offer a mix of live music and Southern cuisine amid the SouthSide Works’ other jumbo-sized restaurants, the 17,000 square-foot Hofbrauhaus, and the Cheesecake Factory.

The new restaurant will feature a guitar-shaped bar, HDTV monitors for watching sports, a stage for live music and an open dance floor, as well as a menu that features Southern staples such as country-fried steak, fried bologna sandwiches and deep-fried Twinkies.

Keith has been busy parlaying his country music celebrity into a cottage industry. The Pittsburgh location for I Love This Bar & Grill should be the sixth, with locations already open in Las Vegas, Oklahoma City and Kansas City, and Capri’s location in Mesa. Locations are also in the works for suburban Minneapolis and suburban Detroit. Keith has made a movie, owns his own record label as well as a clothing line which are sold in the retail stores within his restaurants.

Damian Soffer, president and CEO of The Soffer Organization, hailed the new tenant as a major plus for the SouthSide Works.

“It is a unique restaurant and entertainment locale that is perfect for not only the SouthSide Works, but the City of Pittsburgh,” said Soffer, in a prepared statement.

The announcement further ups the ante on the level of restaurant business the SouthSide Works expects to generate.

The Cheesecake Factory typically generates $1 million a month in sales, chain-wide. Before Cheesecake Factory, few if any restaurants in the region ever reached that level of business. Nick Ellison, a partner in the suburban Cincinnati -based group that invested $4.5 million to build the 17,000 square foot Hofbrauhaus, which opened in March, told the Pittsburgh Business Times in January that it expected to generate between $9.5 million and $10 million in annual revenue. A source for the Minneapolis St. Paul Business Journal said the Toby Keith restaurant there also expected to reach approximately $10 million.

Frank Capri of the Capri Restaurant Group said in a prepared statement that he saw the SouthSide Works as a place “with a significant potential for success.”

tschooley@bizjournals.com

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

[pj3000]

Great... just what we need.

[Evergrey]

a little piece of insanity out of Westmoreland County... historic, legendary hotel to be demolished for strip mall

http://www.thepittsburghchannel.com/news/20445970/detail.html#

Mountain View Inn To Be Demolished To Make Way For Grocery Store

Westmoreland Co. Landmark Has Hosted Presidents, Actors, Dalai Lama

POSTED: 11:55 am EDT August 18, 2009
UPDATED: 3:50 pm EDT August 18, 2009

http://www.thepittsburghchannel.com/2009/0122/18534320_640X480.jpg

UNITY TOWNSHIP, Pa. -- An historic inn in Westmoreland County is slotted to be torn down to make way for a restaurant, bank and a grocery store.

The Mountain View Inn off Route 30 has hosted presidents Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan and John F. Kennedy, actor Harrison Ford and the Dalai Lama in its nearly 90-year history.

Channel 4 Action News' Jennifer Miele reported that to renovate the oldest part of the facility would have cost more than $3 million.

The new owners plan to leave the new section of the building, which is less than 20 years old and has 59 rooms. That portion will be named the Inn at Mount View Village, Miele reported.

The new operators also plan to tear down the former owner's home as part of the redevelopment. The plans call for construction of a restaurant, bank, pharmacy and grocery store.

[PA Pride]

Toby Keith restaurant coming to Pittsburgh's SouthSide Works

http://post-gazette.com/pg/images/200908/20090813lf_g20_loc_500.jpg


Pittsburgh gets Toby Keith bar: We feel your envy, world. Read it and weep.

[Burgh15]

a little piece of insanity out of Westmoreland County... historic, legendary hotel to be demolished for strip mall

http://www.thepittsburghchannel.com/news/20445970/detail.html#

Mountain View Inn To Be Demolished To Make Way For Grocery Store

Westmoreland Co. Landmark Has Hosted Presidents, Actors, Dalai Lama

POSTED: 11:55 am EDT August 18, 2009
UPDATED: 3:50 pm EDT August 18, 2009

http://www.thepittsburghchannel.com/2009/0122/18534320_640X480.jpg

UNITY TOWNSHIP, Pa. -- An historic inn in Westmoreland County is slotted to be torn down to make way for a restaurant, bank and a grocery store.

The Mountain View Inn off Route 30 has hosted presidents Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan and John F. Kennedy, actor Harrison Ford and the Dalai Lama in its nearly 90-year history.

Channel 4 Action News' Jennifer Miele reported that to renovate the oldest part of the facility would have cost more than $3 million.

The new owners plan to leave the new section of the building, which is less than 20 years old and has 59 rooms. That portion will be named the Inn at Mount View Village, Miele reported.

The new operators also plan to tear down the former owner's home as part of the redevelopment. The plans call for construction of a restaurant, bank, pharmacy and grocery store.

That is beyond insanity. Mt. View is a beautiful building and I can't believe they couldn't find a better use than yet another strip mall on Rt. 30. :yuck:

[biscuit]

another cornball development along a riverfront

http://www.bizjournals.com/pittsburgh/stories/2009/08/17/daily10.html

Toby Keith restaurant coming to Pittsburgh's SouthSide Works
I'm going to be disappointed unless there's something that cost a "Buck o'five," on the menu. ;)

I have my own issue with a fried bologna sandwich being described as a "Southern favorite," but at very least these types of destination restaurants are going into a development like SSW instead of the far flung suburbs. It is a start of sorts.

[themaguffin]

I disagree put this none destination somewhere else.

[bradjl2009]

I disagree put this none destination somewhere else.
i have to disagree as coutry is popular in Pittsburgh for a major metro area and a lot of people will go to this. I think while there are other things I'd prefer to go there, I think this will generte good revenues for everyone involved.

[Evergrey]

another one on the giant redneck bar... but this one has some additional interesting details about future SSW development

Country star Toby Keith brings eatery to Pittsburgh's South Side

Wednesday, August 19, 2009
By Mark Belko, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Forget the Steelers. Toby Keith is headed for SouthSide Works.

The country singer is bringing his popular restaurant chain to the South Side entertainment complex. Toby Keith's I Love This Bar and Grill is expected to open on the riverfront near Hofbrauhaus in late 2010, the Soffer Organization announced yesterday.

The restaurant is the latest coup for Soffer, which has brought the American Eagle Outfitters headquarters to SouthSide Works along with popular restaurants like the Cheesecake Factory and Hofbrauhaus, a German-style beer hall patterned after the original in Munich.

"It's a big one. It's one of a kind for Pittsburgh," said Damian Soffer, president and chief executive officer of Soffer.

At one time, Continental Real Estate Cos. had talked to Mr. Keith, a lifelong Steelers fan, about opening one of his restaurants near Heinz Field to complement the team's proposed $12 million year-round entertainment complex. No deal was reached.

Frank Kass, Continental chairman, said the restaurant was "not a fit for us" on the North Shore.

"It would have been a duplicative effort. We just could not work out a transaction that made sense to us, the North Shore partners," he said. "But we know it's a good operation. They're doing well elsewhere and we think it's great that they're coming to Pittsburgh."

Mr. Soffer said representatives for Mr. Keith scouted a variety of locations in Pittsburgh before settling on SouthSide Works. He said they liked being on the waterfront near Hofbrauhaus and the other amenities the complex offered.

"They just thought this fit their image," he said.

The 15,000-square-foot restaurant, named after the singer's hit song, "I Love This Bar," will feature live music, HDTV monitors, and Southern-style cooking, including fried bologna sandwiches and deep-fried Twinkies. There also will be a guitar-shaped bar, a stage and a dance floor, and VIP rooms available for rental. Mr. Keith also will sell a recently launched clothing line at a retail store.

The restaurant will be located just west of Hofbrauhaus near the SouthSide Works riverfront park, which could end up as a venue for some I Love This Bar concerts if the performer is a big enough draw, Mr. Soffer said.

Mr. Keith also has I Love This Bar restaurants in Las Vegas; Oklahoma City; Kansas City, Mo.; Mesa, Ariz.; and Tulsa, Okla. Mr. Keith chose Pittsburgh because it's "a great location. There are a lot of fans up there who enjoy country music and who enjoy getting together and having a beer," said Steve Wright, spokesman for the Capri Restaurant Group, a partner in the venture.

After a rocky first quarter, which saw the loss of three retailers and the collapse of a $48 million condominium and hotel development, SouthSide Works has rebounded with the Toby Keith announcement and several new stores, including Via, a women's clothing boutique, and Buon Sapore, which sells imports from Italy.

The $48 million hotel/condo project fell through when developer DOC-Economou couldn't secure financing. Mr. Soffer now has plans for a hotel with about 125 rooms just east of Hofbrauhaus.

He also wants to build about 130 more apartments behind the REI store. Don't expect to see condos, though. "Condos aren't even in my vocabulary," he said.

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

Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09231/991707-28.stm#ixzz0OdPc0wHw

[Evergrey]

i have to disagree as country is popular in Pittsburgh for a major metro area

sadly... that's probably somehow related to the fact that Pittsburgh was the only major metro to not vote more Democratic in the 2008 presidential election versus the 2004 election... I'd like to at least keep the hoards of redneck-yinzers away from the city proper


(though I have no problem with traditional old-time country and alt-country... but I loathe jackass country... which Toby Keith epitomizes)

[hyperion1110]

sadly... that's probably somehow related to the fact that Pittsburgh was the only major metro to not vote more Democratic in the 2008 presidential election versus the 2004 election... I'd like to at least keep the hoards of redneck-yinzers away from the city proper


(though I have no problem with traditional old-time country and alt-country... but I loathe jackass country... which Toby Keith epitomizes)

I don't know if it's possible for Pittsburgh to have voted more Democratic. Too many yinzers vote that way without thinking, either because Ma and Pa did, or the union boss told them Republicans would take away their jobs and eat their babies :)

About Toby Keith and country in general...there just aren't words to express how much that $hit bothers me! Country is Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash, and Patsy Cline. That crap that Toby Keith and his minions pawn off on the masses is absolute garbage... EVERY ONE OF THEIR SONGS SOUNDS THE SAME!!!

I don't care if their tractors are sexy. Country is anathema to the city, by definition. Let's keep it that way!

[Evergrey]

I don't know if it's possible for Pittsburgh to have voted more Democratic. Too many yinzers vote that way without thinking, either because Ma and Pa did, or the union boss told them Republicans would take away their jobs and eat their babies :)

About Toby Keith and country in general...there just aren't words to express how much that $hit bothers me! Country is Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash, and Patsy Cline. That crap that Toby Keith and his minions pawn off on the masses is absolute garbage... EVERY ONE OF THEIR SONGS SOUNDS THE SAME!!!

I don't care if their tractors are sexy. Country is anathema to the city, by definition. Let's keep it that way!

It's certainly possibly for METRO Pittsburgh to vote more Democratic... the city proper can't get much more so... but Allegheny County is only moderately Democratic compared to peer major counties... and the other metro counties have trended strongly Republican... Allegheny was the only metro county that voted Democratic in the 2008 presidential election... if you tally the votes... the other metro counties neutralized Allegheny's Democratic advantage for an almost perfect 50-50 split

I think it was the NY Times that had a map of U.S. counties following the 2008 election... we discussed it extensively somewhere else on SSP... essentially the only areas of the country to vote more Republican in 2008 than in 2004 were the extremely impoverished and uneducated regions of Deep Appalachia (West Virginia, eastern Kentucky, Tennessee)... the extremely right-wing evangelical lands of Oklahoma and Arkansas......... and.... Metro Pittsburgh... this region went in the opposite direction of the rest of the country... which remains deeply troubling to me.

And promoting that type of camo-wearing, confederate-flag-waving, boot-in-your-ass jackassery with I Love This Bars in the heart of the city is deeply troubling to me.

It also reinforces Michael Belkin's (the Cleveland-based jackass in charge of the Cleveland-Pittsburgh merged LiveNation district) view that Pittsburgh is a "country market" and doesn't deserve the cool, eclectic touring acts that Cleveland gets

[PittPenn 03]

I don't know if it's possible for Pittsburgh to have voted more Democratic. Too many yinzers vote that way without thinking, either because Ma and Pa did, or the union boss told them Republicans would take away their jobs and eat their babies :)

About Toby Keith and country in general...there just aren't words to express how much that $hit bothers me! Country is Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash, and Patsy Cline. That crap that Toby Keith and his minions pawn off on the masses is absolute garbage... EVERY ONE OF THEIR SONGS SOUNDS THE SAME!!!

I don't care if their tractors are sexy. Country is anathema to the city, by definition. Let's keep it that way!

I guess the bright side could be that the city and county could collect some taxes from these people that otherwise would have ended up in the coffers of Walmart or donations to the NRA.

[AaronPGH]

And promoting that type of camo-wearing, confederate-flag-waving, boot-in-your-ass jackassery with I Love This Bars in the heart of the city is deeply troubling to me.

Completely agree. This is a really strange fit at SSW. I think it may do more harm than good, as a lot of the clientele that Soffer has been trying to develop down there are bound to be turned off by this thing (and the people that will be frequenting it).

The Waterfront would have been a much better place for it.

[bradjl2009]

I don't know if it's possible for Pittsburgh to have voted more Democratic. Too many yinzers vote that way without thinking, either because Ma and Pa did, or the union boss told them Republicans would take away their jobs and eat their babies :)

About Toby Keith and country in general...there just aren't words to express how much that $hit bothers me! Country is Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash, and Patsy Cline. That crap that Toby Keith and his minions pawn off on the masses is absolute garbage... EVERY ONE OF THEIR SONGS SOUNDS THE SAME!!!

I don't care if their tractors are sexy. Country is anathema to the city, by definition. Let's keep it that way!
Can we stop with the yinzer hating? I take some offense to it as a blue collar rooted Pittsburgh. Don't forget Obama's change and plans aren't things that many Pittsbrughers who are used to being on their own and not having someone to look after to. Many Pittsburghers don't want to live in a nanny state that may happen because of Obama. Not that I like Toby Keith or will go in there on my own desire.

[ColDayMan]

Well, at least, I'm sure, it'll have good Texas toast!

[Evergrey]

Can we stop with the yinzer hating? I take some offense to it as a blue collar rooted Pittsburgh. Don't forget Obama's change and plans aren't things that many Pittsbrughers who are used to being on their own and not having someone to look after to. Many Pittsburghers don't want to live in a nanny state that may happen because of Obama. Not that I like Toby Keith or will go in there on my own desire.

This is exactly the type of stereotyping Pittsburgh is up against... the reactionary Redneck Metropolis.

[AaronPGH]

Can we stop with the yinzer hating?

Pot meet kettle. How many times have you posted pretty negative things about the increasing diversity in Pittsburgh? Not necessarily over here, but your track record on City Data is pretty frightening.

BTW for those that haven't noticed yet this is AaronClark. Username change. Austin was stalking me so I'm trying to cover up my e-trail. :P

[PA Pride]

BTW for those that haven't noticed yet this is AaronClark. Username change. Austin was stalking me so I'm trying to cover up my e-trail. :P

As long as you don't find the webcam i have hidden in your shower. :frog:

[Evergrey]

Not necessarily over here, but your track record on City Data is pretty frightening.


You will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy.

[DBR96A]

another cornball development along a riverfront

http://www.bizjournals.com/pittsburgh/stories/2009/08/17/daily10.html

Toby Keith restaurant coming to Pittsburgh's SouthSide Works

Pittsburgh Business Times - by Tim Schooley

After years of working to draw a live music venue to the SouthSide Works, The Soffer Organization announced Tuesday morning that it is adding Toby Keith’s I Love This Bar & Grill, a 15,000 square foot restaurant and club expected to open late next year.

Based on a popular song by country music star Toby Keith, I Love This Bar and Grill will open as a franchise operation of Mesa, Ariz.-based Capri Restaurant Group.

I Love This Bar & Grill will offer a mix of live music and Southern cuisine amid the SouthSide Works’ other jumbo-sized restaurants, the 17,000 square-foot Hofbrauhaus, and the Cheesecake Factory.

The new restaurant will feature a guitar-shaped bar, HDTV monitors for watching sports, a stage for live music and an open dance floor, as well as a menu that features Southern staples such as country-fried steak, fried bologna sandwiches and deep-fried Twinkies.

Keith has been busy parlaying his country music celebrity into a cottage industry. The Pittsburgh location for I Love This Bar & Grill should be the sixth, with locations already open in Las Vegas, Oklahoma City and Kansas City, and Capri’s location in Mesa. Locations are also in the works for suburban Minneapolis and suburban Detroit. Keith has made a movie, owns his own record label as well as a clothing line which are sold in the retail stores within his restaurants.

Damian Soffer, president and CEO of The Soffer Organization, hailed the new tenant as a major plus for the SouthSide Works.

“It is a unique restaurant and entertainment locale that is perfect for not only the SouthSide Works, but the City of Pittsburgh,” said Soffer, in a prepared statement.

The announcement further ups the ante on the level of restaurant business the SouthSide Works expects to generate.

The Cheesecake Factory typically generates $1 million a month in sales, chain-wide. Before Cheesecake Factory, few if any restaurants in the region ever reached that level of business. Nick Ellison, a partner in the suburban Cincinnati -based group that invested $4.5 million to build the 17,000 square foot Hofbrauhaus, which opened in March, told the Pittsburgh Business Times in January that it expected to generate between $9.5 million and $10 million in annual revenue. A source for the Minneapolis St. Paul Business Journal said the Toby Keith restaurant there also expected to reach approximately $10 million.

Frank Capri of the Capri Restaurant Group said in a prepared statement that he saw the SouthSide Works as a place “with a significant potential for success.”

tschooley@bizjournals.com

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

Las Vegas, Minneapolis and Detroit: metropolitan areas that are chock full of rednecks.

Hey, I'm just using the prevailing logic on this one. :shrug:

[pj3000]

Can we stop with the yinzer hating? I take some offense to it as a blue collar rooted Pittsburgh. Don't forget Obama's change and plans aren't things that many Pittsbrughers who are used to being on their own and not having someone to look after to. Many Pittsburghers don't want to live in a nanny state that may happen because of Obama. Not that I like Toby Keith or will go in there on my own desire.

First of all, "Yinzer", by no stretch of the imagination equals "blue-collar". Just because someone may be employed in a blue-collar job, it does not mean that they are a yinzer. So, as a "blue collar rooted Pittsburgh" (whatever the hell that means), you need not take offense to someone using the term "yinzer" to describe the backward-thinking fools that unfortunately comprise a dwindling but annoyingly vocal percentage of the region's population. That is unless that description fits you... which after reading the rest of your mainly unintelligible post about Pittsburghers and Obama, it obviously does.

[UrbaniDesDev]

Can we stop with the yinzer hating? I take some offense to it as a blue collar rooted Pittsburgh. Don't forget Obama's change and plans aren't things that many Pittsbrughers who are used to being on their own and not having someone to look after to. Many Pittsburghers don't want to live in a nanny state that may happen because of Obama. Not that I like Toby Keith or will go in there on my own desire.

I believe the battle for basic workers rights against big corporations started in Pittsburgh. The Homestead Strike, Great Railroad Strike of 1877.

That is our heritage.

What you call a "nanny system", I call basic human rights.
As far as Pittsburghers used to being on their own, it was Pittsburgh where the unions basically begain, to defend the workers.

Then it was the greed of big steel...
now it is big Pharma, insurers and the basic greed of the medical profession.

[Grego43]

If anyone doubts the depths to which SSW is sinking on this, just take a look at the menu.

http://www.harrahslasvegas.com/image...042009menu.pdf (http://www.harrahslasvegas.com/images/non_image_assets/LAS_042009menu.pdf)

The most expensive thing, by far, on the menu is a t-bone for $26.99. The majority of entrees fall between $10.99 and $15.99. Of course, you can't judge a restaurant by prices alone, but in an upscale dining and shopping area this is just another typically boring, mass-market, craptacularly-themed chain restaurant menu.

mmm, "World Famous" Fried Bologna Sandwich...Bon Appetit, yinz. ;)

[UrbaniDesDev]

This is from the Daily Kos talking about the Netroots Nation gathering here

http://kos.dailykos.com/

Pittsburgh coda
by kos
Mon Aug 17, 2009 at 04:30:04 PM PDT
So my favorite moment of the conference --

I'm at the Daily Kos party, introducing the comedy segment of the evening, and I ask, "Be honest, how many of you thought Pittsburgh was a shithole before you came here?" And just about everyone raised their hands. I assume those who didn't were mostly locals. Then I asked, "So what do you think now?" And everyone cheered wildly.

So congrats to Pittsburgh for 1) being such a great host city for the conference, and 2) to the conference attendees for recognizing that the Pittsburgh of perception has no basis in reality.

Thanks to Jen Bruenjes (Scout Finch) and Will Rockafellow (my business manager) for putting together our party, and thanks to Netroots Nation for finding the rocking venue (not to mention putting together the best NN convention yet). Thanks to our live entertainment -- Spiritual Rez -- for bringing down the house. They were insanely great.

I did have a moment of heartache: Thanks to a logistical snafu on my part, David Cross wasn't able to make the party as planned. I screwed up big. Yet Sam Seder took charge of the situation and spent Saturday afternoon with Andy Cobb putting together a riotous hate mail video compilation, which we'll soon have available for posting. Cross participated remotely, and we had some unexpected and brilliant cameos by John Amato, mcjoan, and Jim Dean. You'll die when you see the video. Thanks to all those guys, especially Sam and Andy, for bailing me out of my own incompetence. Finally, comedians Katie Halper and Lee Camp truly brought their "A" games to the party.

I'm already making plans for next year's Daily Kos bash at Netroots Nation in Las Vegas, and Cross has already promised to attend. I'll have more competent people handling the logistics this time around.

[Evergrey]

some video updates:

the exciting strip mall plans for the soon-to-be-demolished Mountain View Inn site in Westmoreland Co.! Who cares about history... this strip mall if projected to DOUBLE the property's tax revenue!!!!!!!!! a bank! a gas station! a new chapter will open! what a shmuck

http://kdka.com/video/?id=61473@kdka.dayport.com

...

Group pushes for a biodegradable G-20 summit

http://kdka.com/video/?id=61527@kdka.dayport.com

...

and finally

q85rPq1u9sc

[PA Pride]

To anyone who is curious about Beaver County, Allegheny's industrial friend to the northwest please check out me and Evergrey's new joint photo thread:

http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?t=172746

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v284/austindaniel/Beaver%20County%20tour/P1030583.jpg

[UrbaniDesDev]

It's too bad they could not find a way to integrate the original structure into their plans on such a huge tract of land. They instead are keeping that ugly addition. I never understood why that added that.

[Evergrey]

[QUOTE=Evergrey;4414773]some video updates:

the exciting strip mall plans for the soon-to-be-demolished Mountain View Inn site in Westmoreland Co.! Who cares about history... this strip mall if projected to DOUBLE the property's tax revenue!!!!!!!!! a bank! a gas station! a new chapter will open! what a shmuck

http://kdka.com/video/?id=61473@kdka.dayport.com

It's too bad they could not find a way to integrate the original structure into their plans on such a huge tract of land. They instead are keeping that ugly addition. I never understood why that added that.

it's small-minded, short-term economic thinking... some may argue that this is the property owner trying to create the most value from their property... that the renovation costs make the hotel prohibitively expensive... but the strip mall will lose its luster in the blink of an eye... and become an eyesore with underperforming businesses... one of a hundred soulless strip malls along that awful stretch of highway... an innovative developer would find the way to finance the renovation of the Mountain View... to preserve its integrity while developing an exciting new business concept to enhance the hotel's long-term revenue potential... to create value for the community be marketing the hotel as an asset as opposed to a liability... but instead we're stuck with a shmuck in a yellow shirt

[Gilamonster]

Wow, I didn't realize that the addition of one restaurant to our city could change the entire culture, demographics, and public perception of Pittsburgh. My bad.

[Evergrey]

Wow, I didn't realize that the addition of one restaurant to our city could change the entire culture, demographics, and public perception of Pittsburgh. My bad.

You thought wrong. Developments and neighborhoods are all about "tipping points". My fear is that Toby Keith's "I Love This Bar" bar is the tipping point that will transform SSW from a semi-chic mixed-use development that meshes in fairly well structurally and economically with the surrounding long-established neighborhood... to one dominated by cornball stand-alone cartoon mega-restaurants and confused nightclubs... keep in mind a "spring break" interpretation of a Mexican chain restaurant is coming to SSW as well.

I'll admit... Toby Keith just really really annoys me... and is basically the archetype for the ignorant redneck "boot-in-your-ass" caveman. While I wouldn't be excited... Tim McGraw's bar or Keith Urban's bar wouldn't generate the same visceral reaction.


...

random images of I Love This Bar bars in other cities

http://phoenix.metromix.com/content_image/full/1168749/560/370

http://www.reviewjournal.com/lvrj_home/2005/Jul-13-Wed-2005/photos/1appet.jpg

http://phoenix.metromix.com/content_image/full/1168698/560/370

http://www.delawareonline.com/blogs/uploaded_images/toby-793712.jpg

http://www.ianlan.com/images/tobykeithian.jpg

[UrbaniDesDev]

I think the problem is the effect it is going to have on the South Side. Instead of creating a community they've created a theme park. It is not the direction I would have liked to see it go. I don't think it's going to attract people to live in the area. These big riverside lots for all these restaurants could have been apartment buildings.

What a waste.

Lowest common denominator!

[Black-n-Gold]

I think the problem is the effect it is going to have on the South Side. Instead of creating a community they've created a theme park. It is not the direction I would have liked to see it go. I don't think it's going to attract people to live in the area. These big riverside lots for all these restaurants could have been apartment buildings.

What a waste.

Lowest common denominator!

SSW has always been a theme park, its just a matter of the degree. It is a developer-created retail destination designed to re-create a sense of urbanism and scale on the site of a former steel mill. Ironically, it sits at the end of a commercial corridor that has maintained that same sense of of urbanism and scale since its beginnings (Carson Street).

By and large, the stores and restaurants there are the same ones you would find in upscale indoor malls in other parts of the country. The outdoor, retail destination development is just today's version of a shopping mall. Let's not get all nostalgic about the development of SSW or think that one restaurant could bring the whole thing down. I mean, have you been in the Cheescake Factory or Hofbrauhaus? Talk about lowest common denominator cheesy experiences!

[Zach6668]

... Hofbrauhaus? Talk about lowest common denominator cheesy experiences!

YOU TAKE THAT BACK!

[UrbaniDesDev]

If I want German food I will go to Max's Allegheny Tavern!
They don't use cheese whiz and call it "Bier Cheese"

http://www.maxsalleghenytavern.com/

[biscuit]

SSW has always been a theme park, its just a matter of the degree. It is a developer-created retail destination designed to re-create a sense of urbanism and scale on the site of a former steel mill. Ironically, it sits at the end of a commercial corridor that has maintained that same sense of of urbanism and scale since its beginnings (Carson Street).

By and large, the stores and restaurants there are the same ones you would find in upscale indoor malls in other parts of the country. The outdoor, retail destination development is just today's version of a shopping mall. Let's not get all nostalgic about the development of SSW or think that one restaurant could bring the whole thing down. I mean, have you been in the Cheescake Factory or Hofbrauhaus? Talk about lowest common denominator cheesy experiences!

Winner, winner, chicken (fried steak) dinner!
Sorry, couldn't help it.

Currently, biggest draw at SSW is an architectural cartoon with paper napkin service, and ads in the menu, that people wait over an hour to get into, so I fail to see how I Love This Bar and Grill is jumping the shark. These objections are a matter of personal taste.

[themaguffin]

Many Pittsburghers don't want to live in a nanny state that may happen because of Obama

Spare us the bullshit. You won't find a bigger nannystate than the GOP.


And yinzer not = to blue collar.

I can't wait for toby Keith's restaurant to have a for rent sign on it.

[cdc]

[QUOTE=UrbaniDesDev;4414903]an innovative developer would find the way to finance the renovation of the Mountain View... to preserve its integrity while developing an exciting new business concept to enhance the hotel's long-term revenue potential... to create value for the community be marketing the hotel as an asset as opposed to a liability... but instead we're stuck with a shmuck in a yellow shirt

I've never been to the Mountain View Inn... in fact, I've never even
heard of it before. Just judging from the picture posted here from
the www.thepittsburghchannel.com web site (see below), it looks dumpy.
If there is some value to the structure, they should use a better
picture...


http://www.thepittsburghchannel.com/2009/0122/18534320_640X480.jpg

[themaguffin]

I'll admit... Toby Keith just really really annoys me... and is basically the archetype for the ignorant redneck "boot-in-your-ass" caveman. While I wouldn't be excited... Tim McGraw's bar or Keith Urban's bar wouldn't generate the same visceral reaction.

As a music fan and someone interested in smart cohesive development for the city and region as well as the region’s image. I find the pseudo pop country of today to be horrible. It’s pop music twanged up to be red neck enough which makes for both bad pop and bad country music. As mentioned, you’ll find true country fans all over the country. Norah Jones sings country in trendy Manhattan clubs as do many others.

It’s frustrating enough that rock is in such a sad state as well as pop, which along with the popularity of rap, has made this form of country to fill a void. Add to that the local dynamic of Clear Channel pushing country down Pittsburgh and it’s just awful.

[Evergrey]

I think the problem is the effect it is going to have on the South Side. Instead of creating a community they've created a theme park. It is not the direction I would have liked to see it go. I don't think it's going to attract people to live in the area. These big riverside lots for all these restaurants could have been apartment buildings.

What a waste.

Lowest common denominator!

Well said... "theme park" instead of "community"... I was impressed with SSW because it seemed to be part of the "community"... especially compared to earlier brownfield redevelopments like the wretched Waterfront... Cheesecake Factory's faux-arabian monstrosity was the one concession toward "theme park"... today it seems like Soffer is jumping the shark... scrapping residential components and erecting cartoon mega-restaurants with rather dorky themes

the sedate, sophisticated, urbane SSW is morphing into something obscene

[Eric1776]

Hey everyone,

I used to live in Pittsburgh (Allegheny Center) a few years ago and instantly fell in love with how beautiful the city is and everything it has to offer. Ever since moving back to York I've been lurking on here keeping close tabs on all of the new developments.

Anyways, my girlfriend and I swung by Pittsburgh on Tuesday to check out the casino (more like take advantage of the free parking and drinks) and take a walk around the city.

I agree with what most people say about the casino and that is... blah! The parking garage is hideous and even the casino part of the complex is just so plain and cookie cutter looking. With a location like that, I was really dissapointed with overall design of everything.

On another note: has anyone seen the interior of the Casino yet?

If you hate the exterior.. don't get excited. I've only been to this casino and the Hollywood Casino above Harrisburg so I don't have a lot of "casino experience" to form an opinion with but I figured.. Pittsburgh>Harrisburg, so Rivers>Hollywood.. nope.. not even close.

Hollywood has a ton of plasma screens bending and curving in all directions, fake (but real looking) trees, fences, statues, and other kinds of "themeing". Pittsburgh's is 3000 slot machines thrown down in a concrete box with plushy carpet. It did have a cool fountain (my gf and I love fountains..) and nice bathrooms (we love them too), but nothing sets this place apart, outside OR inside. Still, I'm sure there are worse places out there.

I did notice another strange thing. In Harrisburg, the penny slot machines are EASILY the biggest draw there. They are few and far between here and randomly scattered around. Also, for a Tuesday afternoon when Hollywood would be packed with retired folks, this place was very very empty.

I made a lot of observations while making a quick bathroom break, grabbing a drink, and dropping twenty bucks.. I also took a few pictures from around town. Enjoy!

http://inlinethumb22.webshots.com/42005/2171040030068273321S600x600Q85.jpg (http://travel.webshots.com/photo/2171040030068273321twvgvc)

http://inlinethumb41.webshots.com/44904/2743818500068273321S600x600Q85.jpg (http://travel.webshots.com/photo/2743818500068273321PzcGZC)

http://inlinethumb05.webshots.com/44676/2572422950068273321S600x600Q85.jpg (http://travel.webshots.com/photo/2572422950068273321LAfPgU)

http://inlinethumb35.webshots.com/42594/2587583540068273321S600x600Q85.jpg (http://travel.webshots.com/photo/2587583540068273321KKqrHl)

Market Square with no trees..:( Love the new PNC building though :)

http://inlinethumb25.webshots.com/44184/2369212810068273321S600x600Q85.jpg (http://travel.webshots.com/photo/2369212810068273321klDQlw)

http://inlinethumb54.webshots.com/44021/2008301080068273321S600x600Q85.jpg (http://travel.webshots.com/photo/2008301080068273321dmqAfu)

http://inlinethumb30.webshots.com/15389/2063479220068273321S600x600Q85.jpg (http://travel.webshots.com/photo/2063479220068273321TZYRrg)

[Tombstoner]

Toby Keith's place is abominable, but then as others have said, 'been to a Cheesecake Factory lately?'. I really don't see how this is any worse than Station Square--a real embarrassment IMHO. It's all about the homogenization of America...interchangeable spaces and appealing to the lowest common denominator. It's a slow progression/regression to Atlanta, I'm afraid. I'm moving back to PGH in the next few months and will just have to content myself with Lawrenceville, Oakland and parts of Squirrel Hill...

[bradjl2009]

First of all, "Yinzer", by no stretch of the imagination equals "blue-collar". Just because someone may be employed in a blue-collar job, it does not mean that they are a yinzer. So, as a "blue collar rooted Pittsburgh" (whatever the hell that means), you need not take offense to someone using the term "yinzer" to describe the backward-thinking fools that unfortunately comprise a dwindling but annoyingly vocal percentage of the region's population. That is unless that description fits you... which after reading the rest of your mainly unintelligible post about Pittsburghers and Obama, it obviously does.

First I supported Obama and I support what he has done so far even though many people I know haven't. And what I mean by blue collar roots is that I'm not blue collar but I do have parents who are. Also, when I hear "yinzer" I think of a rude term for blue collar people. But I hate those people who are trying to hold new development back also and don't you dare insult me in such a way.

[bradjl2009]

Spare us the bullshit. You won't find a bigger nannystate than the GOP.


And yinzer not = to blue collar.

I can't wait for toby Keith's restaurant to have a for rent sign on it.
For the record I would have voted Obama if I could have, but I wasn't able to vote. I also don't like the war mongering, pro big business feelings the GOP has had in the past decade. I think Toby Keith doesn't fit the SSW and there is definitely a better more non-homogeneous use for that space.

[bradjl2009]

Pot meet kettle. How many times have you posted pretty negative things about the increasing diversity in Pittsburgh? Not necessarily over here, but your track record on City Data is pretty frightening.

BTW for those that haven't noticed yet this is AaronClark. Username change. Austin was stalking me so I'm trying to cover up my e-trail. :P

On the diversity thing I don't care about it because I don't feel that it's my problem who wants to live here or not. If people want to come welcome to Pittsburgh I hope they love it here but I'm not going to complain that there aren't enough minorities in this general area. And to who called me a red neck: f^&* off of me.

[Gilamonster]

R.I.P. Pittsburgh. The end is near. A country music themed restaurant is coming to town.
By the way....I hate country music.

[Burgh15]

[QUOTE=Evergrey;4414933]

I've never been to the Mountain View Inn... in fact, I've never even
heard of it before. Just judging from the picture posted here from
the www.thepittsburghchannel.com web site (see below), it looks dumpy.
If there is some value to the structure, they should use a better
picture...

It is not the best image. Mountain View is a very nice looking structure and is pretty beautiful inside, very old-fashion. There was a very good restaurant in there as well. Tearing it down is a complete waste and another strip mall is the last thing Route 30 needs.

[Johnland]

Toby Keith's place is abominable, but then as others have said, 'been to a Cheesecake Factory lately?'. I really don't see how this is any worse than Station Square--a real embarrassment IMHO. It's all about the homogenization of America...interchangeable spaces and appealing to the lowest common denominator. It's a slow progression/regression to Atlanta, I'm afraid. I'm moving back to PGH in the next few months and will just have to content myself with Lawrenceville, Oakland and parts of Squirrel Hill...

Yes (sigh), I agree. Theme restaurants, to me, are sooooo boring. As you said, it's a sad watering-down of Pittsburgh's local character. Why the hell does everything have try so damn hard to be special? It's just like here in Tampa, all the new development tries so achingly hard to be a Disneyesque type place. In the end, it's all just fake crap.

[MattofSloppyVariety]

I thought they were suppose to put that god-forsakened restaurant on the North Shore? What better place to put, couldn't they have hid it behind that parking garage?

The restaurant i am waiting for to open is the Walnut Grove they are moving to Waterworks, yum.

[hyperion1110]

Here is a selected discography for Toby Keith:

Shock'n Y'all (2003)
Honkytonk University (2005)
White Trash with Money (2006)
Big Dog Daddy (2007)

My personal favorite is White Trash with Money. Perhaps this album is autobiographical?

When did America go from being the vanguard of innovation, discovery, and freedom to a society that exults in the ideals of intellectual, cultural, social, and religious narrow mindedness?!

I weep for the future.

[designer3d712]

I have a good Idea.. Don't go! :)

[PGHFan]

I have moved on. I have decided that the Toby Keith restaurant will no longer ruin my life. I even took medication.

[PA Pride]

I have moved on. I have decided that the Toby Keith restaurant will no longer ruin my life. I even took medication.

Could you put me in touch with your therapist? I'm still having cold sweats and night terrors.

[AaronPGH]

This sounds incredible for both the Pittsburgh economy and the nation! Did this come out of the blue? Or was there ever news before about this?


UPMC gives details on proposed vaccine production facility
Says plant could be shot in the arm for local economy
Friday, August 21, 2009
By David Templeton, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

University of Pittsburgh Medical Center today provided details on a proposed facility in Allegheny County to produce vaccines against biological threats of the future.

It would need the U.S. government's agreement to fund the project, then win the bidding process before any such facility could be constructed.

During a hearing today at the federal courthouse, Downtown, UPMC officials were expected to call for the federal government to spend $580 million on a local facility, with UPMC contributing up to $250 million.

Known as "21CB," the 21st Century Bio-Defense facility would generate 1,000 high-tech jobs. Its construction would create another 2,000 jobs, with 6,000 additional jobs expected to be generated indirectly.

All 21CB jobs would be high-paying, said Bob Cindrich, UPMC senior vice president and senior legal officer, noting that even the cleaning staff would have to be technically certified.

"This could result in a new industry for Pittsburgh -- vaccine manufacturing," Mr. Cindrich said. "I think we're ready to do this."

U.S. Sen. Arlen Specter, chairman of today's hearing, said there was a "national urgency" to have such a facility available.

Based on the UPMC plan, the center and the U.S. government would form a public-private partnership to build and operate a facility with eight vaccine-producing suites. Each suite would be equipped with resources and staff to work quickly to create new vaccines or medical solutions to counter immediate health crises that threaten the nation.

Each suite could produce a different vaccine, and production could be stopped and redirected should another pandemic or act of bioterrorism occur.

The 21CB facility could produce vaccines for anthrax, smallpox, the plague, ricin contamination, ebola virus, and 10 to 12 other infections that could crop up and produce human health threats.
More details in tomorrow's Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
First published on August 21, 2009 at 10:37 am

Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09233/992386-100.stm?cmpid=news.xml#ixzz0OrhbRBSJ

[themaguffin]

That news sounds significant and the potential for related industry growth sounds promising too.

[Wiz Khalifa]

Yes (sigh), I agree. Theme restaurants, to me, are sooooo boring. As you said, it's a sad watering-down of Pittsburgh's local character. Why the hell does everything have try so damn hard to be special? It's just like here in Tampa, all the new development tries so achingly hard to be a Disneyesque type place. In the end, it's all just fake crap.

I though restaurants like these were supposed to be confined to Robinson, Cranberry, and Monroeville-like areas. However, they are spreading toward and infecting the city like a virus. :yuck: Tell the feds we want the vaccination facilities here so we can also work on a corny chain restaurant vaccine for cities. The southside has the potention to be a perfect hood, but stuff like this makes me really shake my head.

[Burgh15]

This sounds incredible for both the Pittsburgh economy and the nation! Did this come out of the blue? Or was there ever news before about this?

Yesterday was the first that I saw it. That would be amazing for Pittsburgh. I hope it happens.

[ks2006]

Here is a selected discography for Toby Keith:

Shock'n Y'all (2003)
Honkytonk University (2005)
White Trash with Money (2006)
Big Dog Daddy (2007)

My personal favorite is White Trash with Money. Perhaps this album is autobiographical?

When did America go from being the vanguard of innovation, discovery, and freedom to a society that exults in the ideals of intellectual, cultural, social, and religious narrow mindedness?!

I weep for the future.


I'm not a Toby Keith or country music fan, but it's not only country that is crap these days. Groups like the black-eyed peas being constant chart toppers, or the general blah rerun hip hop that has been dominating over the past 5 years shows just how bad music has become in America. I think it's a generational thing and started in the late 90s with the rise of the boy bands.

I realize this is getting fairly off topic so I'll end the rant here... :tantrum: :tantrum:

[Johnland]

This sounds incredible for both the Pittsburgh economy and the nation! Did this come out of the blue? Or was there ever news before about this?


UPMC gives details on proposed vaccine production facility
Says plant could be shot in the arm for local economy
Friday, August 21, 2009
By David Templeton, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

University of Pittsburgh Medical Center today provided details on a proposed facility in Allegheny County to produce vaccines against biological threats of the future.

It would need the U.S. government's agreement to fund the project, then win the bidding process before any such facility could be constructed.

During a hearing today at the federal courthouse, Downtown, UPMC officials were expected to call for the federal government to spend $580 million on a local facility, with UPMC contributing up to $250 million.

Known as "21CB," the 21st Century Bio-Defense facility would generate 1,000 high-tech jobs. Its construction would create another 2,000 jobs, with 6,000 additional jobs expected to be generated indirectly.

More details in tomorrow's Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
First published on August 21, 2009 at 10:37 am

Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09233/992386-100.stm?cmpid=news.xml#ixzz0OrhbRBSJ

If this does happen, it would be great if UPMC sought out its roots in Oakland as the site for new construction. Oakland could use a really tall, well designed building or complex. I think it should go right in 'downtown' Oakland, preferrably along Forbes Ave around McKee Pl. With the number of jobs they mentioned, it could hopefully spur some new residential construction in Central Oakland and get that area moving up and onward.

[Tombstoner]

:previous: That would be (very) nice from an economic perspective, but I doubt that enough land in Oakland could be amassed to provide the space necessary for such high-security (biosafety level 4) laboratories. I live about a mile from the CDC here in Atlanta and their entire campus is fairly isolated--in terms of getting in and out--from the surrounding community, including from Emory University. The level 4 lab is deep within the complex.
I read somewhere that they were thinking about the old airport as a site; that seems more feasible from a security standpoint. It might be possible to site it as close as the Pittsburgh Technology Center, but even that's a tight squeeze. As an aside, I think there are only 4-5 sites in the world that have such sophisticated labs (it used to be just London, Atlanta and Moscow) so this would be a huge coup.

[Black-n-Gold]

If this does happen, it would be great if UPMC sought out its roots in Oakland as the site for new construction. Oakland could use a really tall, well designed building or complex. I think it should go right in 'downtown' Oakland, preferrably along Forbes Ave around McKee Pl. With the number of jobs they mentioned, it could hopefully spur some new residential construction in Central Oakland and get that area moving up and onward.

One of the articles says that it would most likely end up out near the airport to be close to that as a distribution hub as well as the military bases out that way.

[themaguffin]

Yeah this is not the type of facility that is a highrise or in a densely populated neighorhood. I think that Oakland needs to be reinvisioned as a highrise city center, but this building wouldn't fit that.

[PA Pride]

I think that Oakland needs to be reinvisioned as a highrise city center, but this building wouldn't fit that.

Totally agree. North Oakland is already the most dense residential neighborhood in the whole metro with a density of over 20,000 psm. And the business & medical district are probably the 2nd most dense office district in the metro after downtown. So clearly Oakland needs to make the best use of their space by going denser and taller.

[Evergrey]

This is right next to the scuttled $250 million development at the site of the former Don Allen auto dealership at Baum and Liberty... a huge corridor of abandoned dealerships in the heart of the East End....

ihttp://www.bizjournals.com/pittsburgh/stories/2009/08/24/story3.html?b=1251086400^1973691

Friday, August 21, 2009 | Modified: Monday, August 24, 2009, 6:00am EDT

Day’s Baum-Centre properties up for sale

Pittsburgh Business Times - by Tim Schooley

The properties of the recently closed Day’s Baum Boulevard Dodge dealership in Bloomfield are officially hitting the market this week, bringing a substantial 170,000-square-foot chunk of real estate up for sale in the Baum-Centre Corridor.

The properties, which are now fully vacant, are listed for $4.5 million. The sale includes: the 95,424-square-foot dealership building itself, a smaller service station lot across the street and a 58,000-square-foot office building.

“We are going after any real estate developers, any typical landlord as well as end-users,” said Pat Sentner, a principal with North Side-based NAI Pittsburgh, who is marketing the property.

Mark Minnerly, the director of real estate development for The Mosites Co., which developed the Whole Foods-anchored East Side project and is working to develop a Target store, said he sees the need and opportunity for the city to look at the Baum-Centre corridor, which he described as one of the most economically vibrant in the region, as a larger whole.

“There’s a growing portfolio of significantly scaled assets that are available for redevelopment right now that when you put them together you could develop a tenanting story for the whole district,” he said.

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

[bradjl2009]

^^^^ What a fast change for the Baum corridor; that used to be one of the best places to go car shopping in the city. I hope that someone would develop a master plan for the entire corridor or a big developer will come up with some extravagant way to use both of the abandoned dealerships in the area.

[Evergrey]

There is a master plan for Baum-Centre... designed as a so-called "community based" master plan back in 2003 under the direction of Peduto...

http://www.city.pittsburgh.pa.us/baumcentre/assets/05_BaumCentreTemplate_FinalDraft2.2.pdf

One of the elements of the plan is to "concentrate taller, high density development" at several key intersections... including Baum-Liberty (Don Allen site). Ironically, when a developer wanted to put a "taller, high density development" on that very site last year... the "community" unleashed their fury against a very urban development and Peduto acquiesced to their wishes... as politicians do... so much for plans of high-quality high-density urban corridors where desolation and ugliness exist now

[Wiz Khalifa]

There is a master plan for Baum-Centre... designed as a so-called "community based" master plan back in 2003 under the direction of Peduto...

http://www.city.pittsburgh.pa.us/baumcentre/assets/05_BaumCentreTemplate_FinalDraft2.2.pdf

One of the elements of the plan is to "concentrate taller, high density development" at several key intersections... including Baum-Liberty (Don Allen site). Ironically, when a developer wanted to put a "taller, high density development" on that very site last year... the "community" unleashed their fury against a very urban development and Peduto acquiesced to their wishes... as politicians do... so much for plans of high-quality high-density urban corridors where desolation and ugliness exist now

The "community" is a joke then. Why even live in the city if you are going to shoot down all high density city-like developments that are proposed near you? It seems like people want some unattainable compromise of living in the city and yet having similar traffic levels and blandness of the suburbs. I just can't bring myself to understand this ridiculous way of thinking. :koko:

[bradjl2009]

The "community" is a joke then. Why even live in the city if you are going to shoot down all high density city-like developments that are proposed near you? It seems like people want some unattainable compromise of living in the city and yet having similar traffic levels and blandness of the suburbs. I just can't bring myself to understand this ridiculous way of thinking. :koko:
It's because you get some neighborhoods that have a lot more of the "whaaa i live in the city...........i hate the city.............i want to live with the "better" people in the suburbs" IMO. On the Baum-Centre corridor it would have been really great if the development plan of last year was built.

[Tombstoner]

:previous: Hmm. I don't know about that. It's probably cheaper living in the burbs than in the city (Pgh taxes still shock me). So this may not be a case of burb-envy.

[themaguffin]

It's not "I hate the city" it's just typical selfish NIMBYism at its finest.

Seriously there are occasional gripes that are legitimate, but as I commented before about a project, developers simply need to tell the city a mich higher number so that the lowered size is original one that the developer really wanted. The city has several areas in need of higher denser development and I bet all would face this bullshit.

[bradjl2009]

:previous: Hmm. I don't know about that. It's probably cheaper living in the burbs than in the city (Pgh taxes still shock me). So this may not be a case of burb-envy.
It wasn't really the burb envy as much as the some groups wanting a more suburban feel in the city sadly. I never really understood why those people had such a problem with the Baum-Centre proposal. :shrug: :koko:

[Evergrey]

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/business/s_640068.html

Pittsburgh again ranks No. 1 nationwide for apartment occupancy

By Sam Spatter, FOR THE TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Last updated: 10:36 am

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/photos/2009-08-25/0826aparts1-a.jpg
Tom Bianco of The Strip sits with his dog, Sadie, in the living room of his one-bedroom apartment at the Cork Factory on Tuesday, August 25, 2009. With occupancy in the 90 percent range and rental units costing $1,000 on average, more people are living in the Golden Triangle.
Aaron Rosenblatt/Tribune-Review

A year ago, many Pittsburgh apartment landlords put up a "no vacancy" sign.

That's when the city was ranked No. 1 for the highest occupancy rate in apartments nationwide by M/PF Research, a Texas firm that tracks rental markets.

The signs are not as common today, but apartment owners still have few vacancies. And Pittsburgh, for the second year, was ranked No. 1 with the highest rental occupancy rate among big cities nationwide as of June 30.

The city's apartment buildings have an occupancy rate of 96.6 percent, a full percentage point below its top position in mid-2008, but still the best by a fairly sizable margin, said Greg Willett, M/PF vice president, research and analysis.

"Pittsburgh simply is losing fewer jobs than most other metro areas, so the housing market is holding up better. Furthermore, Pittsburgh is one of just a handful of markets nationally where rents are still increasing," Willett said. "Rents went up 1.3 percent during the year that ended June 30, reaching an average of $860 per month."

Broken down by type, average rents are $535 for efficiency units, $779 for one-bedroom units, $907 for two-bedroom units and $1,181 for three-bedroom units, Willett said.

Downtown and neighborhoods in the fringe area of the Golden Triangle are prime examples.

At least 12 apartment buildings Downtown — with more than 1,000 units combined — have mid- to high- 90 percent occupancy levels, owners said. Some are at 100 percent, with the average monthly rent in the $1,200-plus range, with few exceptions.

One is Century-on-7th, the former Century Building, which Trek Development Inc. has converted into 60 apartments. The rental rate at Century-on-7th is below the average of other buildings, with some units renting in the $500- to $600-range, while the remainder range from $800 to $1,500.

Century-on-7th is one of two recent new apartment projects — the other being the Market Square Lofts at Market Square Place — being built by Millcraft Industries Inc. of Washington, Pa.

When they open, both should be at 100 percent occupancy, owners said. Trek Development received enough applications to fill the 60 units at Century-on-7th. Millcraft received applications from 700 people for the 46 units at Market Square Place, which will open in November.

"We are doing credit and criminal checks and plan to have enough tenants to fill up the 46 apartments," said Lucas Piatt, Millcraft's vice president for development.

He said the success of the Market Square Lofts, as well as local economic conditions, will dictate the future of his company's other Downtown projects. One is the State Office Building, which Millcraft is purchasing for $4.6 million and plans to convert to apartments or condominiums. Millcraft expects to complete the purchase next year.

Typical of today's apartment dweller is Tom Bianco, 33, who sold his house in McCandless and recently moved with his 100-pound dog, Sadie, into the Cork Factory apartments in the Strip District.

"The Cork Factory is like a paradise spot in the city because it is pet-friendly and, for me, convenient to my office in Fox Chapel, which has cut my commute time," said Bianco, an insurance agent.

The 297-unit Cork Factory is nearly full — at 99 percent occupancy — like other smaller buildings in the Downtown area.

Among them are the 20 units at 930 Penn Ave., the six-unit building at 945 Liberty Ave. and the three units at 947 Liberty. The 151-unit Encore-on-7th is at 97 percent and the 117-unit Penn Garrison on Penn Avenue is 98 percent. The 242-unit Pennsylvanian reports 95 percent occupancy.

About 369 of the 1,000 Downtown units are in three buildings developed using federal funds and traditionally have high occupancy levels and lower rentals. They are the Roosevelt Arms (former Roosevelt Hotel) with 191 units; Midtown Towers (former Keenan Office Building) with 90 units; and May Building, with 88 units.

The high occupancy rates attracted out-of-town investors this year, when both the 241-unit Penn Towers in Wilkins and the 291-unit Westpointe Apartments in Robinson were sold.

"Out-of-town investors still are interested in local apartment buildings, but they are now getting more competition from local buyers," said Cynthia Kamin, senior vice president, CB Richard Ellis/Pittsburgh, a Downtown commercial real estate company.

In the past, 70 percent of the buyers were from out of town. Today, they constitute 50 percent, she said.

Patty Burk, vice president of housing and economic development for the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership, tracks residential activity Downtown and its fringe area. She said there are 2,200 housing units Downtown and 3,897 in fringe areas, including rentals, condominiums, student housing and other private homes and other housing types.

[PA Pride]

^That's great news.

[Brandon716]

http://post-gazette.com/pg/09083/957914-100.stm

Developer buys State Office Building for $4.6 million

Tuesday, March 24, 2009
By Mark Belko, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
The state has reached a deal to sell the State Office Building, Downtown, for $4.6 million.

The buyer is River Vue Associates LP of Canonsburg, the only bidder to meet the state's minimum $4.5 million asking price for the building in a second round of proposals received earlier this month. Another proposal was rejected because the bid was too low.

River Vue is affiliated with Millcraft Industries, which also is renovating the former Lazarus department store into condos and office space known as Piatt Place. Some of the state employees will move from the State Office Building to Piatt Place.

The developer is expected to convert the building into apartments and possibly a hotel, state officials said.

In a release, General Services Secretary James P. Creedon said state will save $14 million by selling the 16-story building overlooking the Point and moving more than 800 employees into leased office space. He said almost $65 million needed to be spent to renovate the building if it were to continue to be used for state offices.

"After reviewing all of our options, it is more cost-effective for us to avoid making extensive capital improvements and ongoing maintenance by selling the building," he said.

State Auditor General Jack Wagner has questioned the savings. He has argued that the state may end up losing money by having to lease space elsewhere Downtown. He urged the state to ditch the idea of a sale until the economy improved, describing a $4.5 million price as a fire sale.

In addition to Piatt Place, the state will move employees to the Chamber of Commerce building and 11 Stanwix Street, starting this fall.

More details in tomorrow's Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

First published on March 24, 2009 at 1:04 pm


The building:
http://glasssteelandstone.com/Images/US/PA/Pittsburgh/200801/PittsburghStateOfficeBuilding-Jul08-016a.jpg
Source: http://glasssteelandstone.com/Images/US/PA/Pittsburgh/200801/PittsburghStateOfficeBuilding-Jul08-016a.jpg
More photos of the building here: http://www.glasssteelandstone.com/BuildingDetail/3322.php

And now this news, which makes sense. I didn't think it was wise to sell the building when first announced. Its actually a good looking structure for a 50's building.


http://kdka.com/local/State.Office.Building.2.1147772.html

Aug 27, 2009 4:23 pm US/Eastern
Audit: PA Office Building Sale Bad For State

Auditor General Jack Wagner is calling on the state to stop the sale of the 52-year-old State Office Building in Downtown Pittsburgh.

Wagner announced in March that he was launching an investigation into the sale of the building to a private developer for $4.6 million.

Today Wagner released the results of that investigation at a news conference. The 82-page report concludes that the state and taxpayers are getting a very bad deal.

Estimating the potential loss at over $54 million, Wagner contends that the state's rush to sell the building during an economic recession is a fire sale.

"The cost of this building was $8 million, 52-years ago," Wagner added. "We are selling this building today for less than it cost to build it -- $4.6 million. Is there any economic common sense related to that sales price? I do not think so."

After deducting other costs, the auditor general said taxpayers would only get $1.5 million for the building; but he says the actual cost is much higher because it would be cheaper to renovate the current building than to lease out space in multiple other buildings for state services.

Wagner accused the Rendell administration – through the General Services Department – of lying. "It's unfortunate that the Department of General Services never told the truth about the transaction and truly what the public will be getting in terms of the sale of this building."

The state's General Services Department has already signed off on the deal; but Wagner is calling for the contract's cancellation.

"This building should not be sold and should remain the focal point for state government services for Western Pennsylvania," said Wagner.