PITTSBURGH | Development Rundown II

[Austinlee]

Interesting story on the front page of BBC.com for the last couple of days of:

The World's Most Beautiful House
By Jonathan Glancey
16 June 2017
http://www.bbc.com/culture/story/201...eautiful-house

[guyFROMtheBURGH]

Pittsburgh made the list at #6 on the top 25 cities where Millennials are moving. While I'm not a fan of rankings, it was useful to see the numbers:

Pittsburgh showed a 6.6% growth from 2010 to 2015, which equates to a net increase of 4,177. That's going in the right direction!

Link:
http://time.com/4797956/cities-millennials-moving/

[Austinlee]

Originally Posted by guyFROMtheBURGH

Pittsburgh made the list at #6 on the top 25 cities where Millennials are moving. While I'm not a fan of rankings, it was useful to see the numbers:

Pittsburgh showed a 6.6% growth from 2010 to 2015, which equates to a net increase of 4,177. That's going in the right direction!

Link:
http://time.com/4797956/cities-millennials-moving/

I DO believe that when the ongoing trend of a higher death rate than birth rate plateaus and begins to recede, Pittsburgh will "overnight" become one of the youngest and most dynamic cities in the country.
It is inevitable. Our "lost generation" of baby boomers and their children due to out migration has a flip side which is that when that trend reverses we will be one of the youngest and most dynamic cities in the US and all of the youthful dynamism that that implies.

I would say that may happen in 15-20 years as the baby boomer generation goes extinct and we are left with young idealists, hopefully an increase in highly educated immigrants creating the breeding grounds for a dramatic increase in innovation, start-ups and new ideas.

[BrianTH]

Originally Posted by Austinlee

I DO believe that when the ongoing trend of a higher death rate than birth rate plateaus and begins to recede, Pittsburgh will "overnight" become one of the youngest and most dynamic cities in the country.
It is inevitable. Our "lost generation" of baby boomers and their children due to out migration has a flip side which is that when that trend reverses we will be one of the youngest and most dynamic cities in the US and all of the youthful dynamism that that implies.

I would say that may happen in 15-20 years as the baby boomer generation goes extinct and we are left with young idealists, hopefully an increase in highly educated immigrants creating the breeding grounds for a dramatic increase in innovation, start-ups and new ideas.

In a way it is already happening--it is just obscured in the top-line population numbers. Our growing population of young people is very well-educated--right at the top of the charts. Our immigration base is relatively low but finally growing, and it is also well-educated and entrepreneurial. And so on.

That said, I agree once this Tale of Two Cities thing we have going on (with an older, far less educated on average, population declining and offsetting the booming young population) finally unwinds, the crystallized remainder will surpass even the current buzz about Pittsburgh by a wide margin.

Edit: I think this may already have been posted, but it goes along with this Millennial report to paint a strong picture of what has been happening to change the population mix even as it is not growing on a net basis:

http://www.newamericaneconomy.org/wp...rgh-Region.pdf

[BrianTH]

Port Authority is now having public meetings to discuss station location and design for the proposed BRT system. This is actually pretty important from a development perspective as those stations will likely help anchor related development activities:

http://www.post-gazette.com/local/ci...s/201706150224

This is a little older, but it is an interesting review of their financial numbers:

http://www.post-gazette.com/news/tra...s/201705290004

Legacy health care costs is a big issue, but Pittsburgh also just has challenging topography, which makes it harder on vehicles, harder to concentrate ridership per route, extends non-service mileage, and so on. Therefore assuming every system is trying to be efficient, Pittsburgh is likely to continue to rank poorly in these peer comparisons (although I do think we could be more creative in solving certain issues--but now is not a good political climate for creativity).

[BrianTH]

The "moat road" around Allegheny Center should be reconfigured within the next two construction season (either in two phases or all at once next season):

http://www.post-gazette.com/local/ci...s/201706190017

After that they will look to reconnect Ohio Street.

[eschaton]

Originally Posted by BrianTH

The "moat road" around Allegheny Center should be reconfigured within the next two construction season (either in two phases or all at once next season):

http://www.post-gazette.com/local/ci...s/201706190017

After that they will look to reconnect Ohio Street.

Interesting to see they are putting the bike lanes on the inside instead of the outside. I've thought for awhile it's a better configuration, as it stops the risk of being "doored." Of course, it could be dangerous for other reasons on high-traffic roads, but it's probably a minimal issue on Penn Circle.

[eschaton]

Originally Posted by Austinlee

I couldn't help but wonder which one is your wife either when I clicked on "People". (You don't have to say if you prefer privacy) lol

I'm not big regarding online privacy, but my wife is.

I will say though that we don't share a last name, so even if you knew mine it wouldn't help with my wife.

[photoLith]

Originally Posted by BrianTH

The "moat road" around Allegheny Center should be reconfigured within the next two construction season (either in two phases or all at once next season):

http://www.post-gazette.com/local/ci...s/201706190017

After that they will look to reconnect Ohio Street.

Can you post a brief summer of these post gazette articles? I can't view them.

[BrianTH]

Originally Posted by photoLith

Can you post a brief summer of these post gazette articles? I can't view them.

Sure:

Changes to the traffic circle around the former Allegheny Center on Pittsburgh’s North Side, derisively known as the “moat road,” could be coming by the end of summer. Pittsburgh officials will meet with the neighborhood on Thursday to discuss whether to begin part of the $1.4 million project with bike lanes this year. The other option is to wait until next year for all of the work, which will include changing from four counter-clockwise lanes of traffic to one lane in each direction with bike lanes on the inner part of the circle and parking on the edge. The project also will replace most traffic lights with stop signs and extend sidewalks with bumpouts at intersections to make it easier for pedestrians to cross the street. . . . The long-range plan calls for reinstituting the connection between East and West Ohio streets with the street running through the plaza at Nova Place and in front of the Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh and the New Hazlett Theater. The city already owns the rights of way for most of that project.

[themaguffin]

Can you post a brief summer of these post gazette articles? I can't view them.

Yes you can.

#PrivateWindow

[eschaton]

Man oh man, I wish I could view this. The city is updating its permitting and approval process.

I've personally had to go to the zoning counter before, and it's a surreal experience - like it's from 30 years ago. Most of the zoning records still aren't digitized, and they use something analogous to a library card catalog to look things up.

[bmust71]

Originally Posted by eschaton

Man oh man, I wish I could view this. The city is updating its permitting and approval process.

I've personally had to go to the zoning counter before, and it's a surreal experience - like it's from 30 years ago. Most of the zoning records aren't digitized still, and they use something which looks like a library card catalog to look things up.

Can confirm. Had to go to the zoning office last summer as part of my internship to view permit records for different city addresses for approved variances. Imagine every single variance granted for every property in the city from 1900 on in one file cabinet. Talk about a headache

[Austinlee]

Originally Posted by eschaton

I'm not big regarding online privacy, but my wife is.

I will say though that we don't share a last name, so even if you knew mine it wouldn't help with my wife.

No problem. When I'm a wealthy developer I will PM you to inquire about her design services. Probably a couple decades away from that.

[speagles84]

Originally Posted by photoLith

Can you post a brief summer of these post gazette articles? I can't view them.

What about viewing it incognito?

[Austinlee]

Does anybody here actually pay for a yearly subscription for either the Post Gazette and/or The Pittsburgh Biz Journal?

They are both around $100 a year each. As soon as I feel I have some extra money for it I plan to subscribe to both. That way I can copy and paste relevant information on this forum as needed.

[Austinlee]

Originally Posted by speagles84

What about viewing it incognito?

I donned my fanciest fedora and still could not see anything.

[eschaton]

Originally Posted by Austinlee

I donned my fanciest fedora and still could not see anything.

Incognito always works for the Post-Gazette, but doesn't work for things behind the new paywall at the Pittsburgh Business Times.

[eschaton]

Another Business Times article I wish I could read. Seems to be more "inside baseball" stuff about how slow the approval process currently is in the city.

Anything Peduto can do to streamline the process will certainly help, and unlike dealing directly with zoning changes (which NIMBYs could interfere in) will likely be relatively politically painless.

[eschaton]

First zoning report for July has landed. Pretty small, but a few interesting things.

1. Someone is challenging the 5th Avenue Shadyside mini-townhouse complex which is supposed to replace this.
2. An old warehouse in North Oakland which apparently currently has two legal residential units could be expanded to 14 units.
3. Construction of a new three-story community home in the Hill District.
4. Restoration and expansion of three historic rowhouses in Manchester. This has already been covered in either the last HRC presentation or the one before, IIRC.
5. 408-410 East Ohio Street will have a rear expansion and their second and third floors converted into four residential units (currently the second is part of the bar/restaurant, and the third is vacant).