PITTSBURGH | Development Rundown II

[BrianTH]

Originally Posted by TBone7281

The replacement for the TGIF has been announced as a new Local, this one called Local Craft. (To go along with Local Bar + Kitchen (South Side) and Local Brewhouse (North Shore)).

They also opened up a Steel Cactus on 11/2 in the center food court.

(Both are owned by AMPD Group, who also is responsible for Ten Penny, Social, and Diesel.)

Works for me.

[BrianTH]

Originally Posted by TBone7281

Try this:
https://outline.com/JhmaM7

The bottom line seems to be that the administration sides with the local residents for various reasons and there is enough opposition that they'll be revisiting the plan, without going in to any detail as to what that might mean.

Thanks! I can understand the concerns about financial and regulatory viability. But for the record, this is backwards:

[Oakland Planning and Development Executive Director Wanda Wilson] added that many people also oppose the garage plan, which goes against the neighborhood's goals of encouraging more use of public transit into the densely developed Oakland neighborhood, reducing carbon emissions under the mayor’s climate action plan, as well as promoting a complete streets approach to the neighborhood’s roads that would make a priority of pedestrians and cyclists as well as car commuters.

Right now those same commuters-by-car are driving into and through and around Oakland looking for parking. Giving them a huge parking garage at the exit and then allowing them to walk, bike, take public transit, or use private shuttles from there would be great for all those goals.

To provide a better alternative you'd have to give all those car commuters a better transit option from their point of origin, which for Oakland is all over the metro. We should be doing that where appropriate, but anything viable is only going to chip away, not eliminate, this issue in the foreseeable future.

[qwho]

Originally Posted by TBone7281

The replacement for the TGIF has been announced as a new Local, this one called Local Craft.

I might have to adjust my flights I normally take so that I can try that out without drinking beer at 6:30am on a Monday...

[BrianTH]

Interesting feature article on the new CSX multi-mode terminal which opened in September in McKees Rocks:

http://www.post-gazette.com/business...s/201710030001

As pointed out in the article, due to automation and such, this facility on its own is not a huge jobs-generator. But it might (might) help attract some other facilities to the surrounding area.

[TBone7281]

Originally Posted by qwho

I might have to adjust my flights I normally take so that I can try that out without drinking beer at 6:30am on a Monday...

Got some slightly inside information - opening is January 2.

[Steel City Scotty]

Well, this news should certainly help make BrianTH's Monday...

http://pittsburghpa.gov/press-releas...s.html?id=1159

[BrianTH]

Originally Posted by Steel City Scotty

Well, this news should certainly help make BrianTH's Monday...

http://pittsburghpa.gov/press-releas...s.html?id=1159

Actually if I understand the deal correctly, it is a huge disappointment to me.

As I understand it, they have eliminated the land-forfeiture provision in return for what may be a meaningless financial concession. They are giving up one parcel, but the public has to build a parking garage on it, which is actually a concession to them.

More than anything else, I wanted to start taking back control of this site from the Penguins, as the old deal allowed us to do. Instead we have taken them off the hook once again, and in fact I don't trust future politicians to hold them to this deal either.

[Austinlee]

Originally Posted by BrianTH

Actually if I understand the deal correctly...

What part of "forgo receiving the $15 million which was a credit under the original Option Agreement to be deducted as payment for land value – with any net amount payable by the public to the Penguins at the end of the option agreement; eliminate the land valuation procedures and revise the internal development deadlines to match current development deals " don't you get man?!? It couldn't be any simpler.

[BrianTH]

Originally Posted by Austinlee

What part of "forgo receiving the $15 million which was a credit under the original Option Agreement to be deducted as payment for land value – with any net amount payable by the public to the Penguins at the end of the option agreement; eliminate the land valuation procedures and revise the internal development deadlines to match current development deals " don't you get man?!? It couldn't be any simpler.

You nailed the part I am particularly interested in. They are selling this as a return of the $15 million. But if they are eliminating the land valuation procedures, what, if anything, are the Penguins going to be paying for the parcels that they develop? At least one interpretation of this is that they basically just decided to give the land to the Penguins straight up, rather than going through the sham procedure of giving them the money to buy the land.

Edit:

Looks like that is right:

http://www.post-gazette.com/business...s/201711060152

Under the new deal, the credits will be used essentially to pay for the land that the Penguins will develop, estimated at a net of 17 to 18 acres, excluding open space and the proposed parking garage to be built at the site, according to Travis Williams, the team’s chief operating officer.

Mr. Peduto said the new agreement, reached after weeks of negotiation, takes the city off the hook for potentially owing the Penguins millions of dollars in credits when their development rights expire. As long as the credits were in place, it served as a disincentive to development, he argued. “If you think about it, if you have this [old] deal, it was like being handed an ATM. Every single day, 2,400 cars pulling in, and you’re getting all that money. Every night and every event — you’re getting all that money,” he said. “And on top of that, if you do absolutely nothing, the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow in 2028 is $15 million. That is a conflicting interest [instead of] pursuing the development of the site. It was always something that would be in the back of anybody’s mind. Now that has been taken off the table.”

Mr. Peduto said the credits also created problems in trying to get the land appraised for purchase by the Penguins, as the old deal required. The city tried to maximize the value to force the team to exhaust its credits, while the team’s incentive “was to drive it down,” said Kevin Acklin, the mayor's chief of staff. “We got into mortal combat fights about land valuation,” he said.

The Penguins have now officially bought these land development rights for nothing, rather than having to try to prove they were only worth the $15 million credit we gave them.

I'd rather have the old deal.

[BrianTH]

Pretty cool article about what brought some different people to Pittsburgh:

https://www.nextpittsburgh.com/featu...t-first-sight/

Needless to say, it pretty much always involves housing affordability, but then other things that appeal to specific people.

[BenM]

From the press release.

The Penguins also are working on destination entertainment development and have worked with internationally-renowned BIG on an open-space plan.

Past tense. Is that plan still active?

[BrianTH]

Originally Posted by BenM

Past tense. Is that plan still active?

Doesn't sound good. The BIG plan was about much more than open space, so reading between the lines my guess is they have pretty much tossed it out.

[BrianTH]

OK, so the new local tenant list at PIT now includes Gaby Et Jules, Steel Cactus, Local Craft, and Penn Brewery:

https://www.bizjournals.com/pittsbur...t-airport.html

Definitely a nice step up from TGIF.

[Evergrey]

Originally Posted by BrianTH

OK, so the new local tenant list at PIT now includes Gaby Et Jules, Steel Cactus, Local Craft, and Penn Brewery:

https://www.bizjournals.com/pittsbur...t-airport.html

Definitely a nice step up from TGIF.

Hopefully the owner of Gaby Et Jules avoids deportation in April 2018.

Visa rejection puts immigration status of Gaby et Jules pastry chef in jeopardy in Pittsburgh

[BrianTH]

PIT is holding some public meetings about its modernization plans:

https://www.bizjournals.com/pittsbur...-terminal.html

Since they are so flush with cash, maybe they will offer some cool swag.

[TBone7281]

Originally Posted by BrianTH

PIT is holding some public meetings about its modernization plans:

https://www.bizjournals.com/pittsbur...-terminal.html

Since they are so flush with cash, maybe they will offer some cool swag.

My neighbor ran for County Council but one of his key points was questioning the need for the Airport project. So I voted against him.

[TBone7281]

Started going through my phone to free up some space. I'll post any pics I have as I come across them. I wish it wasn't such a PITA.

I'm going through chronologically, so here are a few from last year that I don't think I ever posted.

8/15/2016 - Some of the Three Crossing development from Troy Hill. The Yards on the left. The crane is for the assembly of the parking garage (The Hub). And Riverfront East is under construction.




The Hub being assembled.




10/27/2016 - this was posted right by my office for a few weeks. It kind of made me laugh.




11/7/2016 - Riverfront East under construction.

[TBone7281]

Stuff from this year.


Buncher's Riverfront Landing (behind Produce Terminal)

6/12/2017




6/22/2017




6/29/2017

[TBone7281]

8/17/2017




10/10/2017




10/26/2017

[TBone7281]

Oxford's (Three Crossings) Riverfront West

10/10/2017







10/26/2017