PITTSBURGH | Development Rundown III

[DKNewYork]

Originally Posted by East Edge

Im with you Austin! I plan to reserve judgement until its all completed. I think that when youre in the courtyard you'll feel surrounded by them all and it will feel like a small plaza with historic facades facing inward. I'm at least glad they took such care with them and that they will be there for other generations of people to understand the context of our city's history.

I assume there will be glass in the window openings? Will there be any landscaping / hardscaping / street trees surrounding it all? I just hope the courtyard will be activated and not gated off from the public. I for one think its pretty noteworthy to have another performing arts theatre in our downtown. Not too many other cities our size can claim that. Im more offended by the 1960's crap building on Smithfield right next to it and the rear entrance of Warner Centre. Hopefully new life will come to those buildings soon.

I understand that all the restored facades will have windows. And the courtyard will not be gated off---the idea is that the courtyard will entice people not affiliated with the university to use it to relax, brown bag lunch or to patronize the second level café accessible via the outdoor staircase. And the theatre facing the courtyard has a huge garage door that will be opened during rehearsals and some performances. So it should be a fairly active space. Can’t speak to landscaping plans in the courtyard but I don’t think trees are in the mix----the courtyard is significantly below street level and, to prevent any flooding issues, there is over ten feet of gravel beneath the courtyard to facilitate drainage.

Interesting that you mention the rear façade of the Warner Centre. While the controversy about the three Forbes Avenue facades was raging, the owner of the Warner Centre was approached about installing the facades on the back of the Warner. The proposal was to replace the entire Forbes Avenue façade of the Warner Centre----that tall blank wall of pinkish granite. The three historic facades were to be installed on the second floor (with active windows into the offices) while the ground level facades would be recreated as closely as possible to their original look. I recall that the upper floors (third and higher) would have stepped back a bit and all glass.

[DKNewYork]

I got a tour of the Playhouse two weeks ago. I, too, am reserving judgement of the exterior until it is completed. The three historic façades have been beautifully restored but the Royal (in the courtyard) looks kinda clumsy. Maybe that will change when completed and the lighting is installed. More so, I remain disappointed at the other changes made to the original Playhouse design. The tall fourth floor skylight above the central corridor----which helped mask the flyspace---was eliminated and diminishes the mass of the building when viewed from Forbes. This change was cost related. And the exterior, which was to be all stone, is now mostly brick, which eliminated a lot of the texture and depth of the façade, particularly in the courtyard. Much of the brick exterior is flat and one dimensional. I was told that this change was, in part, cost-related and also to avoid having the new exterior “compete” with the three historic facades. I think it defers too much.

The interior is, to me, an unqualified success. Nicely organized with well-thought out spaces with ample room for the university to expand its programs. The theatres are situated such that all three can be used at the same time (not possible at the current Playhouse). And handling those crowds should not be an issue. The main theatre is spectacular---great site lines and a truly contemporary design. Might turn out to be the best theatre in the city. The two smaller theatres are more utilitarian but will work well. The Stock Exchange building has been nicely integrated and the stained glass ceiling is beautiful…and beautifully restored by some company from Castle Shannon.

[pj3000]

Originally Posted by DKNewYork

And the exterior, which was to be all stone, is now mostly brick, which eliminated a lot of the texture and depth of the façade, particularly in the courtyard. Much of the brick exterior is flat and one dimensional. I was told that this change was, in part, cost-related and also to avoid having the new exterior “compete” with the three historic facades. I think it defers too much.

More Pittsburgh Yellow/Beige brick... can't get enough of that around here lately!

Is every construction project in the city required to use this material choice or something?

[eschaton]

Originally Posted by pj3000

Is every construction project in the city required to use this material choice or something?

No, just the ones on the CMU campus.

[pj3000]

Originally Posted by eschaton

No, just the ones on the CMU campus.

I think CMU is trying to make the entire city its campus then...

[Austinlee]

Originally Posted by pj3000

More Pittsburgh Yellow/Beige brick... can't get enough of that around here lately!

Is every construction project in the city required to use this material choice or something?

The secret ingredient to Pittsburgh yellow brick? IC Light.

[Austinlee]

Originally Posted by DKNewYork

I got a tour of the Playhouse two weeks ago. I, too, am reserving judgement of the exterior until it is completed. The three historic façades have been beautifully restored but the Royal (in the courtyard) looks kinda clumsy. Maybe that will change when completed and the lighting is installed. More so, I remain disappointed at the other changes made to the original Playhouse design. The tall fourth floor skylight above the central corridor----which helped mask the flyspace---was eliminated and diminishes the mass of the building when viewed from Forbes. This change was cost related. And the exterior, which was to be all stone, is now mostly brick, which eliminated a lot of the texture and depth of the façade, particularly in the courtyard. Much of the brick exterior is flat and one dimensional. I was told that this change was, in part, cost-related and also to avoid having the new exterior “compete” with the three historic facades. I think it defers too much.

The interior is, to me, an unqualified success. Nicely organized with well-thought out spaces with ample room for the university to expand its programs. The theatres are situated such that all three can be used at the same time (not possible at the current Playhouse). And handling those crowds should not be an issue. The main theatre is spectacular---great site lines and a truly contemporary design. Might turn out to be the best theatre in the city. The two smaller theatres are more utilitarian but will work well. The Stock Exchange building has been nicely integrated and the stained glass ceiling is beautiful…and beautifully restored by some company from Castle Shannon.

Interesting assessment. Thanks for that.

[Austinlee]

Pretty cool pic from an article in the Post-Gazette of the lower hill in the 1960's in an article about the rioting after the MLK assassination. Look at that density. I wish I could explore it but alas, it is a parking lot.



https://newsinteractive.post-gazette...-hill-rose-up/

[eschaton]

Since it's the slow season, I'll link to the latest Bloomfield-Garfield Bulletin. There's a few items of interest here.

1. Some more information on the Penn Plaza redevelopment from the "NIMBY side" - albeit out of date at this point.

2. More information on the upcoming hotel project on Penn Avenue near the Children's hospital, including another (low resolution) rendering. It's going to be a Hampton Inn, which I had not heard before.

3. A short article listing four demands that the Bloomfield Development Corporation had regarding the Shur Save redevelopment. Point one is to retain a grocery store, which is the intent of the developers, but hard for them to guarantee. Point two is at least 15% affordable housing, which (absent subsidies) will be the hardest point for the developer to swallow. The parking demands are reasonable (and mostly met by the design already. The demands regarding the developers helping to a redesign of the Bloomfield Bridge intersection are also very reasonable - and in the self interest of the developer.

Also, checking out the Northside Chronicle, it seems the demolition of part of the Garden Block is moving forward, with the Allegheny City Central Association voting in favor. The linked Post-Gazette article, however, makes it sound like this vote is more an attempt to spur someone to action on a block which has remained largely stuck in development hell for 20 years. I don't think there's so much a big pro-demolition contingent as there is a group that recognized with the last plan being defeated there's really no way to save the buildings as is, meaning they either need to come down or the threat of demolition is needed to have someone put up some serious cheddar.

The one, and potentially only, good thing that might come out of a demolition is more commercial vitality in the area. The one thing I did not like about the old Rothschild-Doyno plan was that the W North Avenue buildings were going to be residential on the first floor - in part because the floor plates don't align. The area is zoned LNC however, which means commercial uses are allowed. Considering how Central North Side doesn't really have a full-on business district, something mixed used there would help tremendously.

Edit: Rather than posting again, I'll also note the Post-Gazette is reporting that the Cultural Trust's plans for a movie theater in the old Bally's are moving forward. The Trust is now in discussion with a Mark-Cuban-affiliated Landmark Cinemas, Bowtie Cinemas, and the operator of the Manor Theatre.

[BenM]

Originally Posted by Austinlee

Pretty cool pic from an article in the Post-Gazette of the lower hill in the 1960's in an article about the rioting after the MLK assassination. Look at that density. I wish I could explore it but alas, it is a parking lot.



https://newsinteractive.post-gazette...-hill-rose-up/

My grandmother loved the old Lower Hill. She said you could get everything there. Butchers, greengrocers, fishmongers, cobblers, dress stores, hair salons etc. all within a short walk of each other.

[photoLith]

If that neighborhood were intact today it would be one of the greatest urban neighborhoods in the country and would probably have very high rents, but alas, it's a shit hole now and is completely annihilated.

[eschaton]

Originally Posted by photoLith

If that neighborhood were intact today it would be one of the greatest urban neighborhoods in the country and would probably have very high rents, but alas, it's a shit hole now and is completely annihilated.

To be fair, it could have been much, much worse. Off the top of my head, I'm aware of a failed plan to do to South Side what was done to Chateau - turn East Carson into a highway, and demolish everything on the river side to build an industrial park. Also a failed mid-century plan to demolish the entirety of the Central North Side (including the Mexican War Streets) to build NYC-style "towers in the park" which would surely have become "crack stacks" in just a decade or two.

Pittsburgh is lucky with how much of the old city was saved compared to say St. Louis or Cincinnati, which were far more thorough at trying to eliminate things like their historic stock of rowhouses.

[eschaton]

Next Pittsburgh has a puff piece up on Hatfield Row, a four-townhouse infill project in Central Lawrenceville. This isn't far from my old house, immediately next to the old Bayard School which will is supposed to be come an 11-unit apartment building soon.

Regardless, here's a rendering of Hatfield Row. Not too different from when I first saw it years ago. I like that they aren't going ultra-modern, but I'm not sure with the front-loading garages the quasi-historic detailing looks right. Reminds me of some of the stuff I see going up in southern cities like Atlanta.



Sounds like the first of the units will be done this month, with the row finished up in October.

[BrianTH]

Today Smithfield between Oliver and Fifth was blocked off to build a crane, presumably for the condo phase at the former Saks site.

Part of me has been holding my breath, not being entirely sure this would really happen.

[GeneW]

Originally Posted by eschaton

Next Pittsburgh has a puff piece up on Hatfield Row, a four-townhouse infill project in Central Lawrenceville. This isn't far from my old house, immediately next to the old Bayard School which will is supposed to be come an 11-unit apartment building soon.

Regardless, here's a rendering of Hatfield Row. Not too different from when I first saw it years ago. I like that they aren't going ultra-modern, but I'm not sure with the front-loading garages the quasi-historic detailing looks right. Reminds me of some of the stuff I see going up in southern cities like Atlanta.



Sounds like the first of the units will be done this month, with the row finished up in October.

Ugh. Four curb cuts.

[eschaton]

Originally Posted by GeneW

Ugh. Four curb cuts.

Unfortunately, it was foreordained. If you look at the link I provided, the "alley side" has a set of six small historic rowhouses (which were fixed up and sold about ten years ago). Given there is no alley access and city zoning requires one off-street parking space per unit, I don't think they had any other recourse. Maybe they could have gotten rid of one of the houses and used the space for a driveway to the rear, but the needed turn radius for a car would potentially cut down on the footprint of the houses considerably (the plots are only 55 feet deep, while the houses are 45 feet deep, meaning there's only ten feet of yard in the current configuration).

[UppaMahnt]

I was so surprised to see the crane this morning for the very same reason. I wasn't expecting phase two of this project to begin so soon. When I walked past around 7:45 this morning, it looked like they were loading fire escape ladders onto the crane. I'm very interested to see if these were the finishing steps to phase one, or if they were the beginning steps to phase two. I'm pretty sure there was a timeline posted somewhere but I can't seem to find it.

In other Smithfield news, I saw a "Now Leasing" sandwich board sign for the new apartments in the Kaufmann's building. I'm not sure if this has been mentioned here yet, but they decided to name it Kaufmann's Grand on Fifth Avenue, which I think is kinda nice. Interestingly enough, the marketing materials on their site seem more like an endorsement for Downtown living than for the units themselves. That leads me to believe that they still don't have much done aside from the model units.

Originally Posted by BrianTH

Today Smithfield between Oliver and Fifth was blocked off to build a crane, presumably for the condo phase at the former Saks site.

Part of me has been holding my breath, not being entirely sure this would really happen.

[wpipkins2]

Originally Posted by BrianTH

Today Smithfield between Oliver and Fifth was blocked off to build a crane, presumably for the condo phase at the former Saks site.

Part of me has been holding my breath, not being entirely sure this would really happen.

Lucas Piatt followed through with every development project. Tower Two Sixty turned out way better than i thought. Market Square Place reinvented Market Square. The Lazarus/Macys redevelopment revitalized Fifth and Wood Street. I am impressed with this local developer.

[Gilamonster]

The base of the tower crane is installed on top of the parking garage and work is still going strong on Smithfield on what I believe to be the cab of the crane. I think that those of us who work downtown will be greeted tomorrow by the completed crane.

[mikebarbaro]

Originally Posted by Gilamonster

The base of the tower crane is installed on top of the parking garage and work is still going strong on Smithfield on what I believe to be the cab of the crane. I think that those of us who work downtown will be greeted tomorrow by the completed crane.

This is exciting because the crane at the 8th and Penn apartment project is completed and probably being taken down this week. It's good to see one pop up once one goes down!