PITTSBURGH | Development Rundown II

[highlander206]

Originally Posted by BrianTH

Just keep in mind the numbers and the trends are on the side of larger urbanized areas. Gerrymandering, the Electoral College, and so on can delay the outcome, but it can't prevent it forever.

I hope it's not too late by then. I'm not sure how true this is, but I have read claims that another issue with Democrats winning at the moment is they tend to concentrate in areas that already vote heavily Republican which doesn't allow them to flip many seats.

[Johnland]

Originally Posted by photoLith

Well, now the world knows about Pittsburgh, hopefully they don't think we're a bunch of Trumptards.

I don't think they think of Pittsburgh at all. It's a really small city. The only reason you we have trump is because he actually won. It's too bad shrillary was such a bad campaigner. With zero ideas and personality, it was hard to counter the open and obvious tax cheat, foreign corrupt practices act violator that she is. I mean you have to laugh, after all the help she had, what with the wikileaks revelation that the DNC colluded to f** over Bernie for delagates, getting debate questions in advance, 24/7 media propaganda assist, billions flowing tax free into the slush fund called a charity of which 94% was spent on themselves and booked to 'other expenses', oh what's the point. I could filled pages with her shitty crimes. She's a shit bag and she lost.

[BrianTH]

The Wilkinsburg Train Station project has its own Facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/WilkinsburgTrainStation

The coolest thing on it right now is a nice video overview of the history of the station, current condition, and plans. But serious construction should begin this summer, and hopefully there will be photo updates along the way.

[hammersklavier]

I don't care what's happening in the wider world,

NO POLITICS

Further infractors will be disciplined in kind.

Capisce?

[Nitwit]

Not a lot of concrete information, but this could end up being notable. Really hope SOMETHING happens there.

http://www.post-gazette.com/business...s/201706050126

[GeneW]

Originally Posted by Nitwit

Not a lot of concrete information, but this could end up being notable. Really hope SOMETHING happens there.

http://www.post-gazette.com/business...s/201706050126

That's always seemed like such a bizarre waste of space on Grant Street.

[eschaton]

Originally Posted by GeneW

That's always seemed like such a bizarre waste of space on Grant Street.

Looking at the old aerials, there was something fairly tall in 1939 at the corner of Grant and Fourth. Obviously nothing as incredible as the now-destroyed Farmers Bank building, but maybe only a few stories shorter than the Law & Finance building.

[GeneW]

Originally Posted by eschaton

Looking at the old aerials, there was something fairly tall in 1939 at the corner of Grant and Fourth. Obviously nothing as incredible as the now-destroyed Farmers Bank building, but maybe only a few stories shorter than the Law & Finance building.

Here's a shot of that corner from 1935:

[contellus]

If I recall correctly, that lot was intended to be a taller twin to One Oxford Center in the early/mid 1980's, but it appears that they weren't able to find an anchor tenant and the project never got off the ground.

Here's a link I found on One Oxford Center's wiki page: https://news.google.com/newspapers?i...2062%2C6661481

[BrianTH]

Originally Posted by Nitwit

Not a lot of concrete information, but this could end up being notable. Really hope SOMETHING happens there.

http://www.post-gazette.com/business...s/201706050126

That's awesome! Of course I wouldn't be able to cut through that parking lot every day, but it would be a small price to pay . . . plus, the politicians would finally have the ideal place to put up their mistresses and manstresses!

[themaguffin]

That's awesome! Of course I wouldn't be able to cut through that parking lot every day, but it would be a small price to pay

That's a great location that I have felt if it were to be developed, it should be something worthwhile.

[eschaton]

By my reckoning, if that lot ends up under development, there are really only two remaining surface lots in the "core" of downtown (e.g., the area bounded by Grant, Boulevard of the Allies, and Liberty) the ugly surface lot associated with the Salvation Army/new Distrikt Hotel, and a small one between Third and Fourth used by the Carlyle for parking. When you add in that many of the surface lots in the Cultural District are finally seeing some development interest, all we need is a few announced projects in the First Side area and we might yet live to see a downtown with zero surface parking lots.

[BrianTH]

Originally Posted by themaguffin

That's a great location that I have felt if it were to be developed, it should be something worthwhile.

Obviously a big question will be scale. I'd love to see a new tower comparable to the Oxford Centre, but I could settle for a bit less if it was nicely-done.

[BrianTH]

Originally Posted by eschaton

By my reckoning, if that lot ends up under development, there are really only two remaining surface lots in the "core" of downtown (e.g., the area bounded by Grant, Boulevard of the Allies, and Liberty - the ugly surface lot associated with the Salvation Army/new Distrikt Hotel, and a small one between Third and Fourth used by the Carlyle for parking. When you add in that many of the surface lots in the Cultural District are finally seeing some development interest, all we need is a few announced projects in the First Side area and we might yet live to see a downtown with zero surface parking lots.

And then we start going after the lots with just parking garages . . . .

By the way, just random commentary, but another lot that really bothers me is the one next to the former Post-Gazette building.

[eschaton]

Originally Posted by BrianTH

And then we start going after the lots with just parking garages . . . .

I'm still of the belief that self-driving cars are ultimately going to kill downtown garages. Indeed, I think on the 40-year horizon things like podium parking will look like horrendous mistakes - impossible to re-purpose as the need for parking shrinks, and can't be removed without wrecking the building above.

Originally Posted by BrianTH

By the way, just random commentary, but another lot that really bothers me is the one next to the former Post-Gazette building.

That doesn't bother me so much, because the urban fabric west of Stanwix sucks downtown anyway due to the legacy of urban renewal. Sure a tower there eventually would be nice (and have an amazing view) but it wouldn't do much to bring downtown together as a cohesive area or improve street-level interaction.

[BrianTH]

Originally Posted by eschaton

I'm still of the belief that self-driving cars are ultimately going to kill downtown garages. Indeed, I think on the 40-year horizon things like podium parking will look like horrendous mistakes - impossible to re-purpose as the need for parking shrinks, and can't be removed without wrecking the building above.

I certainly think it is a large enough risk that anything built these days, at least above ground, should be designed with possible conversion in mind.

That doesn't bother me so much, because the urban fabric west of Stanwix sucks downtown anyway due to the legacy of urban renewal. Sure a tower there eventually would be nice (and have an amazing view) but it wouldn't do much to bring downtown together as a cohesive area or improve street-level interaction.

I agree with that, but I think the waste of land value alone is a bad thing. Plus I think you could be much more ambitious with that section of the Park. The Flag Bastion could be a really cool amenity, and I would like to see some sort of playground in that area too. You could combine all that with getting rid of some or all of the public parking lot there (substituting as necessarily with public parking in a structure).

[Urbana]

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[PITairport]

That Oxford 'twin' would have looked great.

Originally Posted by Urbana

Anyone know of any others? I seem to remember, at one point, seeing a rendering of a building with a large spire on or near Grant Street that would have been the tallest in the city, but cant seem to find anything about it. I think it might have been called "City Center" and had some sort of mall at the base.

Here ya go:



IIRC the shortest of the 4 towers or one of the two intermediate ones was to be a Ritz-Carlton.

[hammersklavier]

I've already handed out two suspensions, so as a reminder

NO POLITICS

... or you get put in time out for a week.

Period.

[wpipkins2]

The CNG Tower / EQT Tower had an identical twin proposed in the 90's. It would have filled the lot across from the Benedum Center.

Theater Square should have had a tower atop the garage