PITTSBURGH | Development Rundown III - Page 91

eschaton · #**1801** Posted **Jan 12, 2019, 8:51 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by WillyC

Burns Scallo are just a bunch of pusses. As with the new Strip building, RDC is on building number two without a tenant already signed at the start. Companies moving into the city aren't wanting to wait two years to have a building built, they need space now.

As we've discussed before, office demand in Pittsburgh is growing entirely due to tech, and for whatever reason, downtown is just massively uncool now in the local tech industry. Even the plan to rehab the Art Institute into a tech-focused office building failed, and it's going to contain city offices instead.

We have more chance of seeing that parcel eventually go to a residential highrise than commercial. But downtown hasn't run out of historic midrises to rehab into apartments yet, so even that might take a decade or so.

BrianTH · #**1802** Posted **Jan 13, 2019, 2:46 AM**

Non-tech office stuff is also still growing in Pittsburgh, but even that has jumped on non-Golden Triangle development built on spec.

But who knows--the economics of stuff like this can get screwy.

MarkMyWords · #**1803** Posted **Jan 13, 2019, 3:47 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by WillyC

Burns Scallo are just a bunch of pusses. As with the new Strip building, RDC is on building number two without a tenant already signed at the start. Companies moving into the city aren't wanting to wait two years to have a building built, they need space now.

That's perhaps a little too harsh. The core problem is one of financing - their proposal(s) for the lot along Ft. Pitt Blvd is ambitious, and expensive. If they have to depend on financing to build, and don't have the investors/banks already lined up, nothing is going to happen. And if I recall correctly, they don't have a long track record as a developer of really large projects.

That's not to say I don't agree with you somewhat. But it's probably a lot more risky for them to build on spec than if it were someone like RIDC, or the larger developers going all out in the Strip.

Wally G · #**1804** Posted **Jan 14, 2019, 9:12 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by chucka

Here are the images:

Love the design and the bold move starting construction without a tenant.

Jonboy1983 · #**1805** Posted **Jan 16, 2019, 2:20 PM**

PG article about the two buildings on the Boulevard and the two on Market St. I think the Market St. buildings should be saved. If I read the article correctly, the buildings at 212 and 214 Blvd of the Allies are not only not as historically significant but they're also in rather deplorable condition with buckling floors.

https://www.post-gazette.com/busines...s/201901160095

Correction... It looks like the Froggy's building is one of the ones on Market. If that has sagging floors that's rather unfortunate!!

chucka · #**1806** Posted **Jan 16, 2019, 4:12 PM**

OPDC is hosting a public meeting on January 23rd about Walnut Capital's planned office building at 3342 Fifth Avenue. Here is the rendering:

summersm343 · #**1807** Posted **Jan 16, 2019, 4:39 PM**

^^Another nice project!

photoLith · #**1808** Posted **Jan 16, 2019, 5:31 PM**

Oakland is on Fire

eschaton · #**1809** Posted **Jan 16, 2019, 5:39 PM**

Glad to see the scope here. I was a bit concerned earlier because as far as I can tell Walnut Capital hadn't managed to buy the one-story building at the corner, but that building is owned by UPMC (though occupied by Pitt) and UPMC is going to be the anchor tenant of the building (if not occupy the entire thing) so I'm sure some deal was made.

Regardless, in contrast with the potential situation on Market Street downtown, this is a case where the tradeoffs seem worth it (e.g., losing one nice historic building which is now out-of-scale for the area, and getting a major new office mid-rise).

eschaton · #**1810** Posted **Jan 16, 2019, 5:53 PM**

2/7 ZBA online:

1. New infill home in Central Northside (here).

2. Conversion of this building on East Carson into a secondary school. It will be interesting to see if this goes before the HRC. The first/second floor always seemed remuddled to me (albeit in a weird Art Deco way with black marble) so I dunno if the facade is protected or not.

3. Infill house in Mt. Washington (here).

4. Two new houses also in Mt. Washington (here). Oddly it directly abuts the lot listed on point two, but is a different owner/applicant.

5. The aforementioned new 12-story office building from Walnut Capital. Looks like it's set to have ground-level retail. They are asking for four different variances, meaning it might be a bit dicey getting this through ZBA if any NIMBYs complain (particularly about the parking being way below the mandated 347 spaces), but the ZBA has been pretty lenient with these major projects to date.

Jonboy1983 · #**1811** Posted **Jan 16, 2019, 8:11 PM**

It looks like there is a tired-looking 2-story complex there now. This will be built adjacent to the recently completed SkyVue Apartments and Residence Inn buildings which are 10-16 floors. This project will essentially produce a nice little cluster of some dense 8-16 story buildings, increasing the overall density of Oakland, at least that part of Oakland anyway.

BrianTH · #**1812** Posted **Jan 16, 2019, 10:49 PM**

Nice! Oakland continues to progress toward basically being Downtown DC.

eschaton · #**1813** Posted **Jan 17, 2019, 2:18 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jonboy1983

It looks like there is a tired-looking 2-story complex there now. This will be built adjacent to the recently completed SkyVue Apartments and Residence Inn buildings which are 10-16 floors. This project will essentially produce a nice little cluster of some dense 8-16 story buildings, increasing the overall density of Oakland, at least that part of Oakland anyway.

The new building will go all the way to the corner of Halket. It will wipe out that "tired complex" plus four other buildings. Only one of them has any historic charm left, which makes it a good trade off.

Carlow is building a Fifth-hugging midrise building a bit further down the street, so there will be a pretty good urban canyon feeling going for a block or so within 5-10 years.

The empty spots in Oakland's development will become more and more evident the further other areas get densified though. I really hope in the longer run Magee does something about its Forbes-facing surface lot. And something eventually happens with the Oakland Portal land.

BenM · #**1814** Posted **Jan 17, 2019, 7:34 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by eschaton

Carlow is building a Fifth-hugging midrise building a bit further down the street, so there will be a pretty good urban canyon feeling going for a block or so within 5-10 years.

Is that the project that might demolish the church? Not a fan.

That stretch of Fifth is weird in that it's really pedestrian unfriendly. Narrow sidewalks, barriers and buildings that really don't present to the street. Hopefully projects like this will that.

mikebarbaro · #**1815** Posted **Jan 18, 2019, 7:22 AM**

Further details on the plans for Station Square and South Side Works...

https://www.post-gazette.com/busines...s/201901170064

Jonboy1983 · #**1816** Posted **Jan 18, 2019, 4:17 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by eschaton

The new building will go all the way to the corner of Halket. It will wipe out that "tired complex" plus four other buildings. Only one of them has any historic charm left, which makes it a good trade off.

Carlow is building a Fifth-hugging midrise building a bit further down the street, so there will be a pretty good urban canyon feeling going for a block or so within 5-10 years.

The empty spots in Oakland's development will become more and more evident the further other areas get densified though. I really hope in the longer run Magee does something about its Forbes-facing surface lot. And something eventually happens with the Oakland Portal land.

Didn't realize it was taking up that whole block. Wow, talk about added density. It is a shame to lose that historic building, but I do agree it will be a good trade off. The rest of it is "meh" at best.

photoLith · #**1817** Posted **Jan 18, 2019, 7:34 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by BenM

Is that the project that might demolish the church? Not a fan.

That stretch of Fifth is weird in that it's really pedestrian unfriendly. Narrow sidewalks, barriers and buildings that really don't present to the street. Hopefully projects like this will that.

What church are you talking about?

eschaton · #**1818** Posted **Jan 18, 2019, 8:44 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jonboy1983

Didn't realize it was taking up that whole block. Wow, talk about added density. It is a shame to lose that historic building, but I do agree it will be a good trade off. The rest of it is "meh" at best.

Yeah, from Fifth it will look much larger than SkyVue. But it's important to remember unlike that development it doesn't go all the way to Forbes - Euler Way is staying and there are other buildings (including the recently built Residence Inn) on that side. So in terms of the overall development footprint, it's a bit smaller than SkyVue, though of course it's going to be significantly taller.

Jonboy1983 · #**1819** Posted **Jan 19, 2019, 12:15 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by photoLith

What church are you talking about?

I think he's talking about the church at the corner of 5th and Robinson. Below is a link to Google street-view looking at the church from Robinson St.

https://www.google.com/maps/@40.4379...ov%3D100?hl=en

eschaton · #**1820** Posted **Jan 19, 2019, 7:39 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jonboy1983

I think he's talking about the church at the corner of 5th and Robinson. Below is a link to Google street-view looking at the church from Robinson St.

https://www.google.com/maps/@40.4379...ov%3D100?hl=en

IIRC there are no plans to demolish the church itself, Instead they plan to demolish the former school on Robinson Street. This is directly related to their planned new building on Fifth though - which will replace much of Lot A, causing them to relocate some of the surface parking to Robinson Street.