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PITTSBURGH l The Gardens l 17 FLOORS l 242ft

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...r-market-a.jpg

$77 million multi use development overlooking Market Square.
17 floors
242 feet
The Gardens project, which will be designed to be LEED certified, will be comprised of a 175 room limited service hotel, approximately 100,000 SF of Office space, approximately 25,000 SF of first floor Retail, and a 300 car parking garage. It is estimated that this project will be completed in 2013.

This article has some details on the project (along with two other high-rise proposals featured in this forum):

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pitt.../s_784598.html

Quote:

Pittsburgh skyline might be in for an upgrade

By John Conti, FOR THE PITTSBURGH TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Sunday, March 4, 2012

...

• A new 17-story hotel, office and retail complex on Forbes just up the street from Market Square. This is being designed for Millcraft Industries, real estate developers from Washington County, by Arquitectonica, a Miami-based firm that has been doing elegantly modern architecture around the world for the last 35 years.

...

The third building, the "Gardens at Market Square," is the $77 million hotel, condo and retail complex to be built by Millcraft. While "The Gardens" is not as glamorous as what designers Arquitectonica usually produce -- and is in no way a risk-taker -- it is a solid solution to a difficult site. Although part of the building faces and will sort of loom over Market Square, it will be set behind a line of existing buildings that define the edge of the square. The main entrance will be on Forbes.

It's essentially a building made up of three cubes. The cube facing the square will be a Hilton Garden Inn, while two cubes stacked behind it will constitute the office tower and parking. Several features of the design may make it ultimately a winning one for Pittsburghers. The hotel has been intentionally placed facing the square, insuring a lively lit facade in the evenings. And the hotel's public spaces -- meeting rooms and restaurants -- will overlook the square as well. A garden-like courtyard between hotel wings and set about four stories above and overlooking the square could be another attractive feature.

...

architectural drawing:
http://www.joneslanglasalle.com/Medi....12.27%208.pdf

Should be a cool addition to Market Square (or at least the view), I'm looking forward to this one.

Idk how I feel about this one. Nice to see the burgh getting some more highrises though :tup:

I understand why this project is going forward. And why it got the finacing to do so. But I don't understand why "one grandview ave" on mt. washington is finding trouble finding the money to make it happen. I know every investment is a risk. But does anyone really think a building like that on mt. washington with the view to come with it would be risky? There would be line getting in the door. I wish I was rich Because I would invest and live on the top floor.

http://www.bizjournals.com/pittsburg....html?page=all

Quote:

dck to anchor Millcraft's Gardens project

Pittsburgh Business Times by Tim Schooley, Reporter
Date: Tuesday, May 8, 2012, 4:48pm EDT

Millcraft Industries Inc. has landed one of the region’s largest construction firms as both an equity partner and an office anchor for the Gardens at Market Square, the company’s new $86 million, mixed-used development planned for seven city-owned properties downtown.

dck Worldwide LLC will be an equity partner, a builder and a major tenant in the 120,000 square feet of office space proposed for The Gardens, said Lucas Piatt, chief operating officer for Millcraft, based in Washington, Pa.

“It’s really a full-blown partnership,” he said. “We like the concept because everyone has skin in the game; they’re thinking as an owner like we are.”

dck's involvement in the project first came to light in the director’s report and agenda for the Urban Redevelopment Authority meeting scheduled for Thursday, May 8. The agenda includes a proposal for the URA to give a grant of $400,000 to dck for facade and public space improvements for The Gardens, as well as a proposal to accept $100,000 in pro bono work from dck for the project.

...

Goddamn goddamn goddamn...why do they need to take every interesting design and dumb it down to boring bullshit. This is a loss.

Didn't everyone think the copper was ugly? And besides, this rendering looks nice, too, even if it is in a more austere way.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Illithid Dude (Post 5712354)

Didn't everyone think the copper was ugly? And besides, this rendering looks nice, too, even if it is in a more austere way.

I'm sure everyone didn't think that, but I did. I agree that it's more boring now, but on the other hand it's less off-putting as well. The copper color was distinct, but not necessarily in a good way IMO.

All of the random lines make it look like a giant filing cabinet. They need to get rid of those like the upper section in the very first design (not in this thread), and this project will look much better.

Less than a month until demolition begins! At least based on the latest report......

Wow, I have to say I really liked the first rendering when I clicked on this thread. I liked the distinctive copper look and was thinking (hoping) it was a rusty orange like some Corten Steel, not like copper metallic. The new rendering is just meh, I probably would have just passed by this thread with out posting. Color can make a skyline interesting......Pittsburgs skyline is interesting already, this would have added to it nicely.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Biff (Post 5759277)

Agreed. BRING BACK THE COPPER LOOK!

All businesses are closed on the footprint of the new building except the The Exchange which as the previous PG article mentioned, was gven an extension until July 31. It looks like the plan to start demolition in August is right on schedeule.

The Exchange now has a large sign on the front door announcing last day at location is July 27, 2010. Still looking good for August demolition.

Market square was alive and vibrant tonight as usual. There was a little extra activity just down the road at the Exchange. Some of the employees are getting overtime to help move the store to Liberty Ave. Another big block of downtown is about to get demo'd!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gilamonster (Post 5781095)

Another big block of downtown is about to get demo'd!

Yay! Nice to see the crappiest, most unproductive blocks of Downtown meet the wrecking ball... one by one.

Indeed. The buildings about to go here are so nondescript that not even the most hard core preservationists are uttering a peep. The loss of George Aiken's Chicken as a place of business is somewhat of a shame though.

Demolition contract rebid.

I found out the reason for the delay. The demolition contract had been put up for rebidding. I couldn't find a reason as to why, but this doesn't look like too long a delay as the rebid deadline is this Wednesday at 11:00 AM.