PITTSBURGH | Development Rundown II

[MarkMyWords]

The regulations to prevent urban sprawl taking over green space, rural areas, farms, etc.,is probably one of the biggest factors, the more I think about it. Urban density is not a bad thing, if managed (and designed for) correctly.

[BrianTH]

It would be nice if, say, Allegheny County could mostly make its own development, housing, and transportation policies (including controlling most of the relevant tax policies and revenues).

Oh well.

[BrianTH]

Spirit is launching flights to seven destinations out of PIT, including LA:

http://www.post-gazette.com/business...s/201702210143

As noted in the article, some of the flights would seem to be competing with their own flights out of Latrobe.

[BrianTH]

The State has overruled the City and authorized the Environmental Charter School to expand:

http://www.post-gazette.com/local/ci...s/201702210159

ECS now operates a K-8 school in two buildings, a lower school for grades K-3 in the former Park Place School and an upper school for grades 4-8 in the former Regent Square School. It has proposed opening another K-8 school at the district’s now-closed Fort Pitt building in Garfield and a 9-12 school in the former Letsche School in the Lower Hill District.

There are a many debates you could have about this from an education policy standpoint. But from a development standpoint, that would be a nice re-use of two cool old school buildings, both on the NRHP.

The former Fort Pitt Elementary school in Garfield we have looked at before. It was built in 1905:



The former Letsche Elementary School is right next to the Energy Innovation Center (former Connelley Tech), just outside the Lower Hill development zone. The original building on Cliff Street is also from 1905:



On the Bedford side it has a cool Art Deco addition from 1941:

[mikebarbaro]

I was jogging in the nice, warm weather this evening past the Amtrak Station (Penn Station). You'd think with train passenger traffic up in recent times there would be some improvements. Is there any even mentioned plans to upgrade that facility? It's an eye sore.

[Gilamonster]

I'd say 350 Oliver is about to go vertical in a couple of weeks at the latest. The tower crane base is already embedded as someone mentioned a few pages back and now today the cab of a big mobile crane was brought in. The site is already at ground level so looks like they just need to finish building the mobile crane which will then help build the tower crane and then boom there we go....

[photoLith]

I was taking photos for Walnut Capitol today at the Foundry in Lville. They let me go up on the roof, pretty sick views up there. The apartment will open in May I believe, its about 130 units.

AF5_6336 by photolitherland, on Flickr

AF5_6380 by photolitherland, on Flickr

AF5_6386 by photolitherland, on Flickr

AF5_6397 by photolitherland, on Flickr

[hammersklavier]

Originally Posted by mikebarbaro

I was jogging in the nice, warm weather this evening past the Amtrak Station (Penn Station). You'd think with train passenger traffic up in recent times there would be some improvements. Is there any even mentioned plans to upgrade that facility? It's an eye sore.

I for one think Pittsburgh would be a great hub for corridor service -- adding more west-of-Harrisburg Keystone trains, as well as running trains up to Buffalo, Erie, and Cleveland, over to Columbus, and down to Morgantown.

But that would require substantial local and state desire for it ... even for the bits that are mostly or entirely in PA.

[TBone7281]

When I was wandering around Lawrenceville last week I noticed that there was a pretty good sized crane up somewhere between where I was and the Cathedral of Learning. Any idea what project that is for? I was probably near Children's Hospital/Allegheny Cemetery at the time and the crane was almost right in line with my view of the CoL. Maybe slightly to the right.

Here-ish.

[AaronPGH]

Originally Posted by TBone7281

When I was wandering around Lawrenceville last week I noticed that there was a pretty good sized crane up somewhere between where I was and the Cathedral of Learning. Any idea what project that is for? I was probably near Children's Hospital/Allegheny Cemetery at the time and the crane was almost right in line with my view of the CoL. Maybe slightly to the right.

Here-ish.

My guess would be The Empire?

http://www.nextpittsburgh.com/city-d...north-oakland/

[eschaton]

My wife's firm has been working on The Foundry. Whenever I ask her what's going in on the other side she basically says "I could tell you, but I'd have to kill you."

Last time I was in her office though I got a glance at some confidential drawings - mostly having to do with the replacement units for Allegheny Dwellings in the North Side. It's a big, big step up from what's there now from a design standpoint.

[TBone7281]

Originally Posted by AaronPGH

My guess would be The Empire?

http://www.nextpittsburgh.com/city-d...north-oakland/

That has to be it, thanks. I didn't realize The Empire was going to be that substantial. 723 units/12ish floors is nothing to sneeze at, especially for Oakland.

[eschaton]

Originally Posted by TBone7281

That has to be it, thanks. I didn't realize The Empire was going to be that substantial. 723 units/12ish floors is nothing to sneeze at, especially for Oakland.

732 beds, not units. The number of units is 329. The building is essentially being built as a private dorm similar to SkyVue, so there are a lot of two (and even some three) bedroom apartments.

[TBone7281]

Originally Posted by eschaton

732 beds, not units. The number of units is 329. The building is essentially being built as a private dorm similar to SkyVue, so there are a lot of two (and even some three) bedroom apartments.

Ah, the linked article said "723 apartments". God damn fake news again.

[Private Dick]

That Empire apartment building is going to dramatically change the surroundings in North Oakland. Bringing 700+ more students and young professionals (I imagine) to that intersection will be an interesting experiment.

I'm still not entirely sure about the "luxury college apartment" boom that has been happening across the nation... indicative of many other factors, I guess.

[eschaton]

Originally Posted by Private Dick

That Empire apartment building is going to dramatically change the surroundings in North Oakland. Bringing 700+ more students and young professionals (I imagine) to that intersection will be an interesting experiment.

I'm still not entirely sure about the "luxury college apartment" boom that has been happening across the nation... indicative of many other factors, I guess.

This apartment boom was explicitly part of the "Oakland 2020" plan. Get more multifamily built in Oakland to cater to students. In turn have code enforcement crack down on slumlords in Oakland, hopefully turning more of Oakland's housing stock back into owner-occupied housing available for households of all ages.

I mean, realistically speaking, Oakland should be one of the nicest neighborhoods in the city, considering the amenity mix and walkability. But it's the worst urban student slum I've seen outside of Boston.

[Private Dick]

Originally Posted by eschaton

This apartment boom was explicitly part of the "Oakland 2020" plan. Get more multifamily built in Oakland to cater to students. In turn have code enforcement crack down on slumlords in Oakland, hopefully turning more of Oakland's housing stock back into owner-occupied housing available for households of all ages.

I mean, realistically speaking, Oakland should be one of the nicest neighborhoods in the city, considering the amenity mix and walkability. But it's the worst urban student slum I've seen outside of Boston.

Yeah, I get it. I agree. It's been long overdue in Oakland (and in Pittsburgh in general). The city must have one of the nastiest collections of rental properties in the nation (particularly those geared to students/20-somethings).

The thing with Oakland is that it was an industrial, working class neighborhood along with (and before) being the city's educational/cultural center. South Oakland, by and large, was built for the working class, not students and Pittsburgh's elite.

It's just an interesting trend nationwide to see student apartments going up with amenities (and price points) formerly reserved for people with money in their pockets. It says something about the wealth of students attending US universities, loan debt, housing expectations, the competitive college marketplace, etc.

[eschaton]

Originally Posted by Private Dick

The thing with Oakland is that it was an industrial, working class neighborhood along with (and before) being the city's educational/cultural center. South Oakland, by and large, was built for the working class, not students and Pittsburgh's elite.

There really were no purpose-built student neighborhoods in cities 100 years ago, because college enrollment was much lower and virtually all students lived on campus. Plus purpose-built working class neighborhoods like South Side and Lawrenceville have gentrified. And honestly if you look past the remuddling, Oakland started out with better housing stock than either one of those neighborhood.

[GeneW]

Argo AI/Ford is moving into the Strip District although they don't say where specifically. It's interesting how the suburbs almost never even come up in the conversation about where these new companies will locate.

Edit: Looks like the Crane Building:

According to real estate sources, Argo will be leasing space in the Crane Building at 40 24th Street, along the Allegheny River. Argo is believed to be taking 12,000 to 14,000 square feet in the building under a short-term sublease.

[eschaton]

Originally Posted by GeneW

Argo AI/Ford is moving into the Strip District although they don't say where specifically. It's interesting how the suburbs almost never even come up in the conversation about where these new companies will locate.

There's still lots of available space between the four office buildings at 3 Crossings right? I would think the space would have to be in one of them.