PITTSBURGH | Rundown

[DBR96A]

Originally Posted by themaguffin

I agree that Oakland and East should have been a priority, but the Federal money can't be moved to that and this project is NOT a waste. This is a critical first step in north/west rail.



Yep, it's not an exaggeration to say it is the worst. Instead of those assinine DUI zones/Don't tailgae signs, how about real safety, like real ramps and additional lanes? Pathetic.



You won't get any sympathy on the board as all highways are evil.

I have argued this point before that the Mon highway is necessary, but most disagree.

I agree with both of you. I want to see both the Mon-Fayette Expressway and South Beltway built. The optimal city has adequate infrastructure for both public and private transportation, not one at the expense of the other. Unfortunately, Pittsburgh's infrastructure is inadequate for public transportation, and severely inadequate for private transportation.

Right now I'd say it's more important to get the Mon-Fayette Expressway built for the following reasons:

- It'd open up all the Mon Valley's brownfields to future development
- It'd turn, say, a 45-minute drive from McKeesport into Pittsburgh into a 20-minute drive
- It'd alleviate traffic on the obsolete Parkway East, enabling a full overhaul between Churchill and Oakland, complete with extra lanes, extra tunnel portals to fit said extra lanes in, and real on-ramps with no STOP signs

The only legitimate highway right now that heads into Pittsburgh is the Parkway North. The Parkways East and West are a joke.

[Grego43]

Originally Posted by themaguffin

I agree that Oakland and East should have been a priority, but the Federal money can't be moved to that and this project is NOT a waste. This is a critical first step in north/west rail.


Yep, it's not an exaggeration to say it is the worst. Instead of those assinine DUI zones/Don't tailgae signs, how about real safety, like real ramps and additional lanes? Pathetic.



You won't get any sympathy on the board as all highways are evil.

I have argued this point before that the Mon highway is necessary, but most disagree.

I'm all for North/West extensions...but PAT needs to get the damned projects on the boards if they intend to build them. They can't expect to build a transit system piecemeal over 30 years and expect it to be successful. Denver is spending more than $4 billion on their FasTracks program which will anticipate growth in the region and address it beforehand. I have seen no PLANS plans from PAT on North or West expansion...only wish lists and pie-in-the-sky dreams.

I know, and Pittsburgh's lunch continues to get eaten by business communities in Cincinnati, Columbus, and Cleveland because of the pathetic infrastructure.

[B4burgh]

I agree with themaguffin about the megaplexes, but even many of them aren't doing so great. Many people want to just stay home and watch movies on dvd. The area would benefit more with commercial space. But the most crucial thing is the Highland building conversion. It represents a whole glut of unused residential space, and the hotel will bring more people in the area. A lot still has to be done in East Liberty, but look what has happened in the last five.

[Evergrey]

Originally Posted by Grego43

I'm all for North/West extensions...but PAT needs to get the damned projects on the boards if they intend to build them. They can't expect to build a transit system piecemeal over 30 years and expect it to be successful. Denver is spending more than $4 billion on their FasTracks program which will anticipate growth in the region and address it beforehand. I have seen no PLANS plans from PAT on North or West expansion...only wish lists and pie-in-the-sky dreams.

But where is the money going to come from? PAT is proposing to slash over half its bus routes in June due to massive budget shortfalls... much of this is due to legacy spending and the organization's own incompetance... but there is a lack of political will at a state level to secure a permenant and ample source of funding for the state's mass transit agencies. The vast majority of state legislators represent districts where mass transit usage ranges from insignificant to none. There needs to be a massive idealogical shift in state government for mass transit to remain at current levels... let alone our dreams for a comprehensive light rail system in Pittsburgh.

[themaguffin]

That's the thing - the level of funding almost entirely depends on a significant level federal support. Sadly it's gone from bad as the several years of Republican controlled congress has chipped away at this.

Local leaders are at fault for not have defined stages - before the T opend in the mid 80s, the next extensions/directions should have been at a certain phase even if not construction, some level in the process. twenty years later and we have nothing to show for it.

[mercurypa]

This is one of the best Pittsburgh discussions that I have seen on this forum! I would agree that we have our share of infrastructure problems, but this is because they decided not to destroy neighborhoods in favor of large highways in our last "urban un-renewal". They did enough damage with East Liberty and the Hill District by disconnecting them from the surrounding areas.

While I agree that the highway system here is very primitive, I just don't see how it could be widened until you reach 279/79. Plans are to add one extra lane from that intersection to the 60. There are no huge cliffs or neighborhoods to demolish to do this.

I made the long schlep from Highland Park to Robinson form almost two years, until I recently started working downtown and taking the bus. I don't find it all that bad compared to Los Angeles where I am from, and I enjoy reading and sometimes talking to (gasp) the person next to me. Yes the buses are crowded, but they are in NYC also, and just try to drive there! I would say most of the people who crowd it are students who ride for free, but it makes the city feel more lively and less elderly that way!

One suggestion I would have for PAT is to collect fares first, so they can utilize the back door on the bus in crowded situations!

The choice for me was just to become a part of the city I live in and dump the car. I'm glad I did.

[DBR96A]

Originally Posted by mercurypa

This is one of the best Pittsburgh discussions that I have seen on this forum! I would agree that we have our share of infrastructure problems, but this is because they decided not to destroy neighborhoods in favor of large highways in our last "urban un-renewal". They did enough damage with East Liberty and the Hill District by disconnecting them from the surrounding areas.

While I agree that the highway system here is very primitive, I just don't see how it could be widened until you reach 279/79. Plans are to add one extra lane from that intersection to the 60. There are no huge cliffs or neighborhoods to demolish to do this.

I made the long schlep from Highland Park to Robinson form almost two years, until I recently started working downtown and taking the bus. I don't find it all that bad compared to Los Angeles where I am from, and I enjoy reading and sometimes talking to (gasp) the person next to me. Yes the buses are crowded, but they are in NYC also, and just try to drive there! I would say most of the people who crowd it are students who ride for free, but it makes the city feel more lively and less elderly that way!

One suggestion I would have for PAT is to collect fares first, so they can utilize the back door on the bus in crowded situations!

The choice for me was just to become a part of the city I live in and dump the car. I'm glad I did.

I see plenty of room to expand on the Parkway West. The only potential "pinch" would be near the Green Tree/Mt. Lebanon exit, but even that's not insurmountable. Also, since the highway travels over the Chartiers Valley, the impact to widening the bridge would be minimal. As for the tunnels, is it written in law that highway tunnels may only have two portals? My proposal would widen the Parkway West to four lanes in each direction (plus a fifth climbing lane on both sides of Green Tree Hill, and two new tunnel portals for the new lanes that would complement the existing portals. The Fort Pitt Bridge is four lanes wide as it is, so facilitating a lane expansion shouldn't be so hard. I know that Carson Street has an exit off the bridge southbound, but instead of it being two "EXIT ONLY" lanes, it should be one lane that branches off and doesn't take any lanes off the bridge with it. Also, heading inbound before entering the tunnel, you could mark the left portal as the two lanes you should be in for access to downtown and the North Shore, and the right portal as the two lanes you should be in to continue on I-376 (as of January 2009) toward Monroeville.

The Parkway East would be a bigger challenge considering there are residential neighborhoods that are pretty close to the highway east of the Wilkinsburg exit. Aside from that, though, there's plenty of room to widen between the Grant Street and Edgewood/Swissvale exits. There'd be no disruption of neighborhoods immediately east of downtown, and no need to cut into the cliff either since there's plenty of room to expand on the other side of the highway. The Panther Hollow area needn't be affected either since there's nothing in the hollow to the north of the current highway alignment. You'd have to cut into the hillsides on both sides of the hollow, but it's worth it if it means leaving the neighborhood to the south of the highway alone. The Squirrel Hill/Homestead exit is a giant clusterfuck, and needs to be completely redesigned. The challenge would be doing it without impacting Beechwood Boulevard. I think it can be done, though. Highway expansion here should be on the north side of its current alignment since there's nothing there except for a PennDOT maintenance area (which should be relocated pretty easily). The inbound exit design should stay the same; there's no problem with it. However, as the inbound exit ramp makes the left turn over the highway, it should just lead straight to a five-point traffic signal where Beechwood Boulevard and Murray Avenue (?) intersect. No more having to merge with outbound exit traffic in order to access Beechwood Boulevard. As for the outbound ramps, if nothing else is realistic, then get rid of that ridiculous on-ramp at the very least. I'd rather the exit be marked "NO REENTRY EASTBOUND FROM THIS EXIT" than have that stupid, ridiculous, dangerous on-ramp where you have to STOP at the end, and then floor the accelerator in order to avoid being rear-ended as you merge into the fucking "EXIT ONLY" lane that ends in 500 feet! Bore two extra portals for extra lanes in the Squirrel Hill Tunnel. The Edgewood/Swissvale exit should be redesigned as a "single-point diamond" with longer on- and off-ramps. The overpass just east of that exit should be replaced with adequate space under it for eight lanes. East of there, construct sound barriers on each side of the highway so the noise doesn't impact the nearby neighborhoods, and build a fifth climbing lane outbound starting after the new overpass, and ending as an "EXIT ONLY" lane at Greensburg Pike. The Forest Hills/Wilkinsburg exit can be given some minor changes. Between there and the Churchill exit is where it gets tricky. There are residential developments on both sides of the highway. It may be necessary to relocate a few people near the Greensburg Pike exit, and near the Churchill exit as well. I'd eliminate the part of McCrady Road closest to the Churchill exit so the lanes can be expanded on the north side of the highway's current alignment, and so a right-lane exit could be built inbound. Doing that would allow the outbound lanes to be moved to where the left-lane inbound exit currently is, and away from the neighborhood to the south of the current highway alignment. I'd also build a fifth climbing lane outbound between the William Penn Highway and Churchill exits. The William Penn Highway exit should also be expanded to a full interchange, with inbound access to William Penn Highway eastbound, and westbound William Penn Highway access to the highway outbound. Penn Hills would remain a partial interchange. East of William Penn Highway, the road is much easier to work with. It's already three lanes in each direction, and with adequate space between the inner lanes and the median barrier. All that'd need to be done between William Penn Highway and the Pennsylvania Turnpike is the addition of an extra lane in each direction. There should be enough space on one (or both) side(s) of the highway at that point to allow for an expansion of lanes (and possible realignment) without impacting any neighborhoods or subdivisions.

[Evergrey]

I disagree about the need for expansion of the Parkways. Despite the incessant complaints about traffic by suburban Pittsburghers (and what don't suburban Pittsburghers complain about?), Metro Pittsburgh has one of the shortest average commute times of any major metro. I am aware that the bridges and tunnels can result in unique traffic inconveniences, but most examples of excessive lane expansion throughout the country have proven that this strategy does not relieve traffic congestion in the long term. Now you can make an argument about Metro Pittsburgh's lack of a beltway... which has often been cited as a major factor in our economic malaise in the truck-distribution economy of recent decades.

Looking at things from a macro scale... with Earth reaching global oil production peak... the automobile transportation monoculture will become increasingly economically unsound. Its imperative that the Pittsburgh Region formulate a progressive strategy for sustainable development as opposed to the government-subsidized sprawl orgy that this country has embarked on for the past 60 years. Our limited resources need to be put to use designing and implementing transportation and development systems that will have a future. I know this probably all sounds like kooky mumbo-jumbo... with no real relevance to the soccer mom in the Jeep Grand Cherokee commuting from Hempfield Township... or the politicians whose constituencies consist of these people... but this region has lacked vision and leadership when it comes to transportation and sustainable development. Regions like Portland, OR have sprinted past us in this department. We're still excited when we get mediocre development like The Waterfront and Robinson Towne Centre... we call that progress. The era of destroying existing communities with highways to open up land for new development is over. And this is why I find it so infuriating that PAT has to resort to drastically reducing its service. At this critical moment in history, the Pittsburgh Region is taking a giant step backwards while most of the rest of the country is taking steps forward concerning their mass transit infrastructure.

[Evergrey]

an update on the Hope VI developments in the Lower Hill

http://www.popcitymedia.com/developm...edfrdhill.aspx

January 31, 2007
Phase one of Bedford Hill homes nears completion, additional rental units on the way
Construction is nearing completion on the first eight of twenty-nine houses in the Hill District. Part of Bedford Hill, the 1,400 square-foot homes are bounded by Roberts, Webster, Devillers, Davenport and Erin Streets. The $7 million HOPE VI project will offer single-family homes for $135-$150,000.

“Interest has been fairly strong--we are very happy about it,” says Dave Howe, with the Pittsburgh Housing Development Corporation, developer for the homes. “We have a nice list of people who are eligible and we should see these sell in a short period of time.”

The homes offer two different floor plans and options for adding a third floor master suite, and feature three bedrooms, 1 ½ bathrooms and basements. Homes also feature yards, secured parking and views of downtown. Southside-based Hanson Design Group, Ltd. is project architect; contractor is Steve Catranel Construction.

Bedford Hill also features 147 rental units, which were completed last summer and are now at 100% occupancy. The project’s second and third phases will bring an additional 204 new rental units to the area in 2007. The URA contributed $750,000 toward the $17.6 million cost of the project’s first phase. McCormack Baron Salazar is developing the rental units.


Writer: Jennifer Baron
Sources: Jessica Smith Perry; Dave Howe

Image courtesy of the Pittsburgh Housing Development Corporation

[Evergrey]

speaking of affordable housing downtown....

http://www.popcitymedia.com/developm...46gcmurph.aspx

January 31, 2007

Work to begin downtown on mixed-use GC Murphy project
Plans to renovate downtown’s G.C. Murphy building are starting with an environmental engineering assessment of the property. Canonsburg-based Millcraft Industries is working with Strada to finalize designs for the project’s 45,000 square feet of rental apartments and 60,000 square feet of retail. Construction will begin during the fourth quarter of 2007; the project is expected to take 12-15 months.

The $31 million development will feature 42 new apartments ranging in size from 700 to 1,300 square feet. “They’ll be selling the location,” says Ed Shriver with Strada. “They’ll be funky loft apartments bigger than your average loft, with very large windows.” The building’s first and second floors will house retail tenants, such as restaurants, a grocery store and a bookstore. “Having good floor plans for national tenants is critical to our plan,” says Brian Walker with Millcraft.

The Murphy building's basement will be converted into a parking facility.The project will involve rebuilding roofs, creating a garden courtyard and unifying a complex of five buildings via a series of corridors and stairs. “It’ll be an urban oasis—you'll be able to look up at PPG and PNC,” says Shriver.
“Rents will be below most everything else new downtown.”

Writer: Jennifer Baron
Source: Ed Shriver; Brian Walker

Image courtesy of Strada

[themaguffin]

It's not just about commute times.


Pittsburgh's highways are unsafe. There are at least 3 interchanges on the Parkway West that are horrible, Greentree, Carnegie and Robinson.

There is virtually no on ramp and people exit as people are trying to get on - this is dangerous and unacceptable. This also slows traffic and with only ONE onther lane to avoid this madness, the one lane becomes the only alternative to the endless "ramp" right lane. This is INSANE.

All of these interchanges should be destroyed, and redone with additional lanes. I think that I79 to Carnegie could work with 1 additional lane (6 total) and then ascending Greentree hill would expand to 8 lanes. As the Parkway descends towards the tunnels, two lanes flyover the Parkway and become an Interstate alternative to the tunnels (via the West End bridge).

This is the absolutely necessary upgrading (to safer current Interstate standards) of existing highways. Again, it is unacceptable for a region this large and with this much traffic to squeeze into a secondary road in the guise of an Interstate.

We can talk about great light rail and I would love access far beyond Allegheny County with rail, but take a look at Portland's busy Interstates... they are wider than Pittsburgh's and have actual ramps.

But then again so do most small metros.

This is a separate issue from the Mon Fayette Highway of which - again is needed to create access to the Mon Valley.

[Evergrey]

I have to admit... I've always found Ambridge to be one of the more generic early 20th century factory towns in the region (Economy Village being an exception)... which is why I'm so suprised at their bold attempts at revitalization... though I'm still confused as to how an Australian winery owner got involved in this... but good for Ambridge... our urban river corridors that radiate from the city are a critical asset for the region

http://www.popcitymedia.com/developm.../46ambrdg.aspx

January 31, 2007

Ambridge spearheading main street projects, brownfield redevelopment
A number of critical economic development initiatives are helping to revitalize the Beaver County town of Ambridge. The town's Merchant St. corridor—a National Historic District--begins a $1.2 million main street initiative in April. The project includes installing new facades, wayfinding systems, streetlamps and sidewalks. Pittsburgh-based Klavon Design is project architect and landscape designer. "We’re trying to make Ambridge a destination so you can spend the entire day here,” says borough manager Kristen Denne. “We also have Old Economy Village--on the national registry.”

A major brownfield redevelopment, a project of the New Economy Business Park, also starts in April. Following a demolition and remediation of the derelict H.H. Robertson plant on 14th St., developers plan to bring new retail, housing, a brewery, and a food processing company to the ten-acre site. Spearheaded by Australian developer/businessman, Rob Moltoni, who runs Windshaker Ridge winery and a scrap metal business, the $15 million project has received $3.5 million in state funds. New construction is expected to begin next fall. “He’s hoping to make this his destination flagship--it’s a great opportunity for the community,” says Denne.

Additional plans include a new open-air market, antique mall and gallery featuring Aboriginal art on 11th St. One revitalization success story is the Silk House Café, located at 317 14th St. A popular Ambridge destination, the two-floor coffeehouse features free Wi-Fi and conference and computer rooms, and was started by Cindy Ridge, chairman of the town's Historic District Economic Development Board. “It’s an example of what’s going to happen once our development takes off,” says Michael Bort, general manager of New Economy Business Park.

Writer: Jennifer Baron
Sources: Kristen Denne; Michael Bort; Cindy Ridge

[Evergrey]

another piece of the puzzle for the beleaguered Fifth/Market Sq. area... these buildings are right across the street from the construction site of 3 PNC Plaza... they are currently covered with a mural of famous Pittsburghers at street level... Landmarks will be employing a "green" adaptive reuse strategy... just months after a national conference on this very subject took place in our city... skyscrapers and condo towers are exciting... but small-scale historic structures like these do a lot to enhance the intimacy, character and architectural diversity of downtown


http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pitt.../s_491047.html

'Market at Fifth' center of multimillion-dollar makeover


Ellis Schmidlapp, left, and James Cooper are going to renovate these three run-down buildings at the corner of Fifth Avenue and Market Street.
Steven Adams/TRIBUNE-REVIEW

By Ron DaParma
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Wednesday, January 31, 2007


A trio of deteriorated but historically significant buildings once in the crosshairs of a city wrecking ball now are part of plans to revitalize Downtown.
The Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Foundation plans to join the vacant buildings on the edge of Market Square as "Market at Fifth," a $2.5 million to $3 million complex that will include a ground-level restaurant or retail store, seven upper-floor apartments and a rooftop garden.

"This is purely a do-good project," said Arthur P. Ziegler Jr., foundation president.

Pittsburgh History & Landmarks is assuming a role as a city developer nearly three decades after transforming a group of historic Pittsburgh & Lake Erie Railroad Station buildings in the South Side into the Station Square complex that attracts about 3 million people annually.





"We're engaged here in an act of significant preservation because of the nature and location of these buildings," Ziegler said.

For years, the South Side-based foundation fought to save what it considered significant buildings in the city's Fifth-Forbes retail corridor, particularly after former Mayor Tom Murphy proposed revitalization plans that included substantial demolition.

Among those targeted were:

• 439 Market St., the fire-damaged, four-story former home of the Alexander's Graham Bell bar

• 441 Market St., four stories, which still bears its "Novelties" store sign

• 130 Fifth Ave., the two-story former Regal Shoe Co. with a noteworthy architectural bloodline

"All three are significant buildings," Ziegler said, and all are within the Market Square historic district.

The 439 Market and 441 Market structures are examples of Victorian commercial buildings, constructed in Italianate style in the late 1880s, said Ziegler and Al Tannler, the foundation's historian.

The Regal Shoes building, which opened in 1908, was designed by Alden & Harlow, then one of city's prominent architectural firms, responsible for the Carnegie Institute and Library additions in Oakland and Carnegie branch libraries in various communities.

The building's chief designer was one of the firm's principals, Frank E. Alden, who in the late 1800s worked with architect H.H. Richardson, supervising construction of such noteworthy Downtown buildings as the Allegheny County Courthouse and Jail, Tannler said.

After more than a decade of failed city redevelopment efforts, the foundation -- in the final year of the three-term Murphy administration -- secured an agreement from then-Deputy Mayor Tom Cox to accept its offer to pay $33,000 to physically stabilize the 1870s-vintage 439 Market building so it wouldn't crumble to the ground.

The foundation stepped in after the cash-strapped city said it couldn't afford to fix it, and wanted to tear it down for safety reasons.

"Still, nothing happened," said Ziegler -- until Mayor Bob O'Connor took office in 2006 and decided to allow multiple private developers to redevelop city-owned properties.

When O'Connor died last year, Mayor Luke Ravenstahl continued that strategy. Focused more heavily on residential development than on retail, the city's Downtown development effort is led by Washington County's Millcraft Industries Inc., PNC Financial Services Group and its representative, Oxford Development Co.

"Things are really moving forward now," said Jerome Dettore, executive director of the city's Urban Redevelopment Authority.

Dettore said the Murphy administration delayed doing something with the buildings because it believed the city needed to retain a number of buildings it could to turn over to one master developer.

"They didn't want to do it piecemeal," he said.

"I'm thrilled with the (foundation's) plan," said Mino Fazio, co-owner and executive chef of Ciao Baby in Market Square.

Fazio's Italian restaurant at 435 Market is adjacent to the 439 Market building. From his building's roof, one can look inside the neighboring structure, whose roof collapsed several years ago.

"For years the city did nothing, but it's going to be great to see things finally getting fixed up Downtown," he said.

In December, Pittsburgh History & Landmarks won the redevelopment authority's approval to buy the three buildings for $257,000. It hopes to start work once it obtains other city approvals, possibly within two months, Ziegler said. The city Historic Review Commission will review the project Feb. 7.

Market at Fifth will be an example of how to renovate historic buildings according to environmentally-friendly "green building" standards, said Ellis Schmidlapp, architect for the project.

The work will include recyclable building materials and energy-efficient mechanical systems. The rooftop garden, accessible from two units, will absorb moisture and reduce water run-off.

"This will be important in showing in the Fifth-Forbes corridor how a restoration/adaptive use project can be part of a revitalization," said Schmidlapp, principal in South Side-based Landmark Design Associates.

"It will preserve three historic buildings, and put them back into productive use."



Ron DaParma can be reached at rdaparma@tribweb.com or 412-320-7907.

[Evergrey]

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/07031/758077-53.stm

Lawyers attracted to Piatt Place
Two Downtown law firms are looking for new office space
Wednesday, January 31, 2007

By Mark Belko, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette



For years, the corner of Wood Street and Fifth Avenue has been a big part of the Downtown retail corridor. But it soon could become lawyers' row.

Two law firms -- Cohen & Grigsby and Jones Day -- are considering moves to Piatt Place, the former Lazarus-Macy's department store being converted into office, retail and residential space.

One or both could be relocating near the Reed Smith law firm in the heart of the Downtown commercial district, bringing renewed life to a corridor that has fallen on hard times during the past decade.

Reed Smith will be taking nearly half of the 11 floors of office space to be available in Three PNC Plaza, the 23-story skyscraper under construction on Fifth Avenue, Downtown. It's expected to open next year.

At Piatt Place, located about half a block from the PNC site, there are plans for 180,000 square feet of office space as part of a $65 million redevelopment. The building also will feature 50,000 square feet of retail space and 65 condominiums.

Allan Tedesco, Cohen & Grigsby chief operating officer, said yesterday Piatt Place is one of a "large group of buildings" Downtown the law firm is considering for a possible relocation. It is seeking 70,000 to 80,000 square feet.

"We're looking at just about every major office building in the Golden Triangle," he said.

The firm, with 230 full-time equivalent employees, hopes to decide by the end of March whether to relocate or to stay in the old Westinghouse Building at 11 Stanwix St., where it occupies three floors. Its lease will expire Aug. 31, 2008.

Mr. Tedesco said Cohen & Grigsby wants to remain Downtown. He said the firm had looked at the North Shore, where another office building is being planned, but decided against it.

"We rely very heavily on mass transit for our employees. The Golden Triangle location is optimal," he said.

Millcraft Industries, the developer of Piatt Place, is represented by Cohen & Grigsby. Asked if that could give Millcraft an advantage, Mr. Tedesco replied, "It doesn't hurt."

The Jones Day law firm, with offices in One Mellon Center, also is looking for space Downtown.

Roy Powell, a partner in the firm, said Piatt Place is among the spots Jones Day is considering, along with a number of other "high-quality office possibilities." It has not ruled out staying at One Mellon Center, where its lease expires at the end of October 2008.

The firm is looking for about 70,000 square feet of space initially, with options for expansion. It employs about 110 people. Mr. Powell said the firm hopes to make a decision in two weeks to a month. It plans to stay in the Golden Triangle.

"We believe strongly in the Downtown Pittsburgh area," Mr. Powell said.

Lucas Piatt, vice president of real estate for Millcraft, said the interest bodes well for Piatt Place.

"We're pretty optimistic that we will get the building filled up quickly and give a shot in the arm to the Fifth and Forbes area," he said. "We're just moving forward and waiting for decisions at this point."

Millcraft recently landed the McCormick & Schmick Seafood restaurant for the ground floor. It will be adjacent to another restaurant, the Capital Grille, to open this summer. A European style market also could be in the mix, although it may end up being moved to the old G.C. Murphy's building also being redeveloped by Millcraft.



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

(Mark Belko can be reached at mbelko@post-gazette.com or 412-263-1262. )

[Evergrey]

This Pop City article includes a rundown of the brownfield redevelopment projects in the region during the past 15 years... and provides information on the LTV Hazelwood site.

http://www.popcitymedia.com/features/46brownfields.aspx

Tending the Brownfields
By: Margaret Farrell


The remaining smokestacks preserved at the Waterfront

January 31, 2007
What’s a good indicator of an up and coming city?

The status of its brownfields, those abandoned or idled industrial and commercial facilities that are often contaminated. Brownfields are strongly linked to economic development in post industrial cities such as Pittsburgh. HUD calls them “the vehicle to unearth the development potential of our urban communities."


Murray Rust, of the Pittsburgh-based design/build firm, Montgomery & Rust, speaks at national conferences about the brownfields work his firm has done –including Washington’s Landing and Somerset at Frick. “The audience is always amazed at how far Pittsburgh has progressed in this area."



Houses at Washington's Landing

Pittsburgh is unique, he says, since it has a very active Urban Redevelopment Authority—since 1947-- that has partnered with private developers to make redevelopment possible on brownfields, where the costs of site remediation would not be economically feasible for the private sector to go it alone. “The value of this public investment has been returned many times over not only in the tax revenue generated by these projects but by the vitality that they have added to the community,” says Rust.

“Other cities have lagged far behind Pittsburgh in recognizing that the public sector has a major role in seeding these projects and hence they have not progressed to the degree that we have here in Pittsburgh."


The Perfect Brownfield

“I think we’re going to do the perfect brownfield here in Pittsburgh,” says Dr. Deborah Lange, executive director of the Western Pennsylvania Brownfields Center. Lange chuckles softly, no doubt recognizing that to those involved in the hard work that is brownfields redevelopment, perfection is a lofty goal. Her unwavering confidence, based on history and the regions's collective expertise, is apparent, though, and may soon find its fulfillment in the178-acre LTV Hazelwood site on Second Avenue next to the Pittsburgh Technology Center.



Google map showing some of the major brownfield developments in Pittsburgh

That’s where an ambitious mixed use project is planned: Not just residential, but homes for varying incomes; not just green space but direct river access; and not just offices, commercial, and institutional uses but an overall design that, unlike the Waterfront, will be knitted right into the beloved but struggling neighborhood to buoy its recovery.


Maureen Ford, vice president of Colliers Penn Properties and an 18-year veteran of the Regional Industrial Development Corporation, and Jerome Dettore, Urban Redevelopment Authority’s (URA) executive director, agree that the Hazelwood site has the potential to be, if not perfect, a model redevelopment. It could be a natural extension for the overcrowded, land-hungry universities in nearby Oakland, says Ford.

The strategy is distinguished by extensive sustainable design guidelines and a stronger economic position than most. In an unusal alliance, the site is owned by a limited partnership called ALMONO that includes the Heinz Endowments; the Benedum Foundation, the Richard King Mellon Foundation, and McCune Foundations; along with the Regional Industrial Development Corporation (RIDC). "The intent," says Maxwell King, executive director of the Heinz Endowments, "is to set a national standard for brownfield development."

The land parcel offers tremendous opportunities as a truly mixed use site, where we can expand commercial uses to include high quality office space and enhanced river commerce, says King. “But we foundations are particularly interested in taking full advantage of the riverfront land in this project by creating more parkland and recreational trails.”


Pittsburgh Technology Center

Project coordinator Bill Widdoes of RIDC agrees. "In terms of the ability of this site to affect the future of Pittsburgh and riverfront development, it's important we do it right--exploring the uses possible in an urban context." The site development has started, he says, and they're currently working on fill to shape the topography.

A Historical Perspective


While Hazelwood is the area's largest brownfield project on the drawing board, Jerome Dettore, URA’s executive director, notes that Lawrenceville is a standout as a brownfields redevelopment hub, with a dozen sites ranging from three to 15 acres. Most are owned by the development minded URA, RIDC, and Buncher–a key benefit since absentee owners can thwart the best plans.


Each Pittsburgh brownfield has progressively improved in layout and development, says Ford.

Pittsburgh’s first major foray into brownfields redevelopment, led by the URA in 1993, was the Pittsburgh Technology Center, one of the first steel mill transformations in the nation. Four years later, Herr’s Island was redeveloped into Washington’s Landing, a mixed-use development of office, light industrial and residences which commanded a waiting list. Considered a great success, townhouse properties today are selling far above their original prices.


PNC FirstSide

The Waterfront redevelopment upped the ante in 1999 by adding amenities for its residents: grocery and other retailers, restaurants, and entertainment such as Loew’s Cineplex, the theater chain’s crown jewel, all of which continue to draw patrons from near and far to an area they previously didn’t visit.

That same year downtown’s first residential rental restoration in 15 years was completed in the Johnston Building, a former print shop at 900 Penn Avenue, followed by PNC’s nationally-acclaimed and LEED-rated Firstside Center built on an abandoned rail yard just over a year later.

In 2002, East Liberty developers moved forward with Whole Foods by using PADEP’s Special Industrial Area designation, which makes it possible for redevelopment to occur in phases as environmental remediation is completed, even as it continues in other parts of the development. That same year brought Summerset at Frick, a residential development built on a slag pile that extends the highly desirable neighborhood of Squirrel Hill.

Finally, the Southside Works opened in 2003 on another steel mill site. A mixed use complex with retailers the likes of which Pittsburgh had never seen before, this development continues to expand with residential projects.


Back to the Future


SouthSide Works

“Pittsburgh has solidly established itself as a leader in brownfields redevelopment,” says Jill Gaito, PADEP’s acting deputy secretary. “You can cruise the rivers pointing to one redevelopment success after another.” Ford adds that people want to get back to the rivers they’ve been cut off from for so long. Apparently so: despite a drop in population since 1975, boat registrations have risen by 42 percent.

Soon another riverside project will be complete. Later this year, notes John Matviya, PADEP’s regional environmental cleanup program manager, Pittsburghers can visit an outpost of the world famous Hofbrauhaus, coming to Southside Works, where after a meal they can stroll out the door, down riverside stairs, and onto a boat for a river excursion.

Some would call that the perfect brownfield development.
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Margaret Farrell is a Pittsburgh-based freelance writer with a background in brownfields consulting. Pop City staff contributed to this article.

[PA Pride]

^Pop city is an amazing website... I read it daily. Good article.

[EventHorizon]

I really like the houses at Washington's landing. They're very odd looking but in a good way.

[Evergrey]

Originally Posted by EventHorizon

I really like the houses at Washington's landing. They're very odd looking but in a good way.

indeed... (photo by ColDayMan available at http://www.urbanohio.com )

[EventHorizon]

^very nice!

[DBR96A]

If I remember correctly, Ben Roethlisberger lives on that island.