PITTSBURGH l The Gardens l 17 FLOORS - Page 2

Gilamonster · #21 Posted **Sep 27, 2012, 9:22 PM**

The demolition contract has been rebid again. The bid opening was today. I have no other guesses as to why this keeps being rebid other than the obvious reason that the URA was budgeting for a lower amount than the lowest bid. The low bid on the first round was $634,800 and the low bidder after the first rebid was actually higher at $679,100. The second rebid was opened today at 11:00 AM but the figures won't be posted online until tomorrow at the earliest.

kennypip · #22 Posted **Oct 31, 2012, 8:02 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gilamonster

The demolition contract has been rebid again. The bid opening was today. I have no other guesses as to why this keeps being rebid other than the obvious reason that the URA was budgeting for a lower amount than the lowest bid. The low bid on the first round was $634,800 and the low bidder after the first rebid was actually higher at $679,100. The second rebid was opened today at 11:00 AM but the figures won't be posted online until tomorrow at the earliest.

Site deconstruction and demolition started this afternoon. I cant wait to watch this rise with the new PNC tower. Should be interesting.....

Gilamonster · #23 Posted **Nov 1, 2012, 1:12 AM**

Excellent! Must be Noralco doing the demolition. It won't be too long for the building to begin rising. The latest article I read on the building said that Millcraft still hopes to begin actual construction in late December. Also, If I recall correctly, this building is being constructed from grade with the parking a few levels above ground.

kennypip · #24 Posted **Nov 1, 2012, 5:12 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gilamonster

Excellent! Must be Noralco doing the demolition. It won't be too long for the building to begin rising. The latest article I read on the building said that Millcraft still hopes to begin actual construction in late December. Also, If I recall correctly, this building is being constructed from grade with the parking a few levels above ground.

That is correct. Once the buildings are demolished, construction will begin soon after. The building will top out before PNC starts to rise from that massive pit......

I remember CNG / EQT and 5th Avenue Place rising at the same time. Those buildings transformed lower Liberty Ave...

Gilamonster · #25 Posted **Nov 1, 2012, 9:37 PM**

Fences are up and one piece of heavy equipment is on site. The structures remain intact from the outside, but some interior gutting has begun. The following article doesn't give too much groundbreaking(pun unintended!) information, but does shed some light on the dismay coming from the neighbors-to-be at Benedum Trees.

Gardens at Market Square project gets first OK on financing

November 1, 2012 12:03 am

By Joe Smydo / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

While giving preliminary approval to a financing plan for a new Downtown development, Pittsburgh City Council on Wednesday urged the developer to continue working to address neighbors' concerns with the project. .........

Read entire article at: http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/...ancing-660008/

Austinlee · #26 Posted **Nov 2, 2012, 6:37 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by kennypip

That is correct. Once the buildings are demolished, construction will begin soon after. The building will top out before PNC starts to rise from that massive pit......

I remember CNG / EQT and 5th Avenue Place rising at the same time. Those buildings transformed lower Liberty Ave...

The poor hookers were probably turning pale from lack of sunlight due to shadows during that massive construction period.

kennypip · #27 Posted **Nov 2, 2012, 6:11 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Austinlee

The poor hookers were probably turning pale from lack of sunlight due to shadows during that massive construction period.

I remember the hookers too! That was back when hookers looked like hookers!

Gilamonster · #28 Posted **Nov 8, 2012, 10:24 PM**

The first building is now pretty much gone which was the old George Aiken's chicken. Just 3 metal I beams standing on a concrete pad. I wanted to take a picture but you can't get a close up shot with the fencing and green wrap and a farther away shot with the building gone wouldn't have done too much justice to the scope of the project because it was a relatively small building. The Gardens is going to be a very large building width wise though only 18 stories high.
That area of town is going to feel very open for a brief period of time when they finish the demolition, with all those buildings gone and the large open pit less than a block away for The Tower at PNC Plaza.

Wheelingman04 · #29 Posted **Nov 9, 2012, 7:21 PM**

Im so glad they are demolishing all those ugly, empty buildings that are blight in that area.

Gilamonster · #30 Posted **Nov 15, 2012, 11:12 PM**

The basement of the old George Aiken's has been mostly filled with soil and now they have moved on to the building that most recently housed "The Exchange."

Gilamonster · #31 Posted **Dec 1, 2012, 12:23 AM**

Steady progress:

Johnland · #32 Posted **Dec 1, 2012, 1:10 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gilamonster

The basement of the old George Aiken's has been mostly filled with soil and now they have moved on to the building that most recently housed "The Exchange."

National Record Mart. Wow. I remember that one from what seems like the ancient past. That is quite a historic shot there Gilamonster.

And to think George Aikens is dust. What a staple of the 80's and prior.

Gilamonster · #33 Posted **Dec 7, 2012, 11:27 PM**

The site is being cleared quickly. This project is flying under the radar a bit with it getting started the same time that the Tower at PNC is kicking into high gear, but I think it is a pretty interesting looking project. While not all that tall, it is going to be a behemoth width-wise. Speaking of the Tower at PNC Plaza, the partially competed tower crane for it can be seen in the background in the second picture.

Johnland · #34 Posted **Dec 8, 2012, 12:35 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gilamonster

The site is being cleared quickly. This project is flying under the radar a bit with it getting started the same time that the Tower at PNC is kicking into high gear, but I think it is a pretty interesting looking project. While not all that tall, it is going to be a behemoth width-wise. Speaking of the Tower at PNC Plaza, the partially competed tower crane for it can be seen in the background in the second picture.

]

Do you know if the old brick buildings whose backs are facing the camera will be torn down or will they remain standing?

Gilamonster · #35 Posted **Dec 8, 2012, 1:22 AM**

Those buildings will remain. They front Wood St.

markson33 · #36 Posted **Dec 8, 2012, 1:30 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gilamonster

Those buildings will remain. They front Wood St.

And a number of them are being renovated by PHLF. They want to create a boutique corridor on Wood Street.

Johnland · #37 Posted **Dec 8, 2012, 7:46 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by markson33

And a number of them are being renovated by PHLF. They want to create a boutique corridor on Wood Street.

Fantastic. Glad to see the some old classics survive. I always say they help give the new classics context.

Gilamonster · #38 Posted **Jan 9, 2013, 10:55 PM**

All buildings are gone, rubble hauled away, and old basements filled. There are a few lingering pieces of equipment on site and some road work is being done on Forbes Ave. in front of the building to be.

Austinlee · #39 Posted **Jan 10, 2013, 2:04 AM**

^Wow, a massive footprint. Great pics , keep it up.

Evergrey · #40 Posted **May 15, 2013, 12:05 AM**

apparently this thing is 18 stories now...

http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/...ets-ok-687579/

Quote:

Gardens at Market Square gets OK

May 14, 2013 5:25 pm

By Mark Belko / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

The city planning commission has cleared the way for the construction of the Gardens at Market Square, a $95 million office, hotel and retail development to be built on Forbes Avenue Downtown.

Commission members voted 5-0 today to approve a revised project development plan for the 18-story mixed use complex, which will be built near Market Square.

The project will feature 125,000 square feet of office space, a 197-room Hilton Garden Inn, and a 335-space, above-ground parking garage to be completed in 2015.

With today's approval, developer Millcraft Investments expects to begin construction in July after closing on the financing, said Lucas Piatt, Millcraft president and chief operating officer.

Approval came after Millcraft decided to move a garage entrance and exit from Fourth Avenue to Forbes and make other changes in the design to accommodate the concerns raised by the owners and occupants of the Benedum Trees and Investment buildings on Fourth adjacent to the new development.

"The devil's in the details and the details are really good here," said planning commission member Todd Reidbord. "[The project's] going to be a really great asset for the Market Square area."

Millcraft hopes to have the development completed in 2015.