PITTSBURGH | Development Rundown III

[photoLith]

Fifth Ave is such a nightmare, parts of it are like those youtube videos from Philly of Kensington Ave now. Really hope it get's cleaned up.

[eschaton]

Originally Posted by photoLith

Fifth Ave is such a nightmare, parts of it are like those youtube videos from Philly of Kensington Ave now. Really hope it get's cleaned up.

Fifth Avenue has always been the junkie/prostitute zone. Or at least, it has been for many decades. Oddly though aside from the various shelters in the neighborhood, most of this is not locals, but people who travel there from the Hill District or further afield.

Interesting to note that between this, the upcoming Fifth/Dinwiddie mixed-income projects, the two new apartment buildings right across the street, and the Fifth Avenue School Lofts (the first market-rate development in Uptown) you're going to have 1,000+ units of housing just within a two-block radius.

[photoLith]

^
Yes Fifth has always been bad, but it seems to have gotten noticeably worse lately. But hopefully of these new people who will be living around there will cut down on the crackheads hanging around.

[wpipkins2]

Originally Posted by photoLith

^
Yes Fifth has always been bad, but it seems to have gotten noticeably worse lately. But hopefully of these new people who will be living around there will cut down on the crackheads hanging around.

You must not be familiar with Uptown. Uptown is a ghost town compared to the 80s and 90s. You do not see the high concentrations of prostitute along Fifth and Forbes. Before Duquesne University expanded onto Forbes the area was a drag queen drug and prostitution haven. As A child I remember the craziness especially late night. Uptown, the Hill District and the Penn / Liberty sections of downtown were very dark scary places back then. Penn Ave had three businesses not to long ago with every building abandoned on the upper floors. The Trombino Piano Company, Reese Brother’s Telemarketing and the Social Security Office was the only lit areas on Penn Ave. Penn Ave was dark and full of shady characters.

Uptown is tame today.

[TF15]

Originally Posted by eschaton

A new 240-unit apartment is being proposed for Uptown:



It's on the 1700 block of Fifth, and will mostly be replacing surface parking lots, though it will take out one historic building which managed to survive mid-block.

Overall building is 280,000 square feet, and will include 12,000 square feet of retail, along with two levels of subsurface parking. Market-rate rents will go from $1,600 to $2,000 per month. There will be 24 affordable units available for around $700 a month.

Uptown Partners appears to be in support, though the Hill District CDC is opposed, saying it doesn't provide enough affordable housing (the Hill District master plan calls for a minimum of 30% in all projects, not the 10% or so provided here). I'm not sure if the Hill District CDC gets veto power over something outside of its neighborhood however. TBH I've never understood why the Hill and Uptown are lumped together, since they have always been different neighborhoods socially and demographically.

It would obviously have to be the right location in uptown to sell it but man, would be wonderful to see some nicer new build high rise apartments/condos start to pop up. What is the height restriction for Uptown anyway?

[AaronPGH]

That building is having one of the most severe identity crises I've seen. Yikes. "ROCKiT Architects" lmao

[Johnland]

Originally Posted by AaronPGH

That building is having one of the most severe identity crises I've seen. Yikes. "ROCKiT Architects" lmao

Lol. I thought the same thing. It checks all the boxes for today's race to the bottom in design. Multiple colors, multiple panel materials, random window patterns, etc. Love the vertical windows next to horizontal windows. I'm surprised they didn't stick on those huge flat overhangs at the top.

[eschaton]

Originally Posted by TF15

It would obviously have to be the right location in uptown to sell it but man, would be wonderful to see some nicer new build high rise apartments/condos start to pop up. What is the height restriction for Uptown anyway?

In that area (zoned UPR-A) max regular heights are 60 feet, but up to 180 feet is allowed with "bonuses."

[pj3000]

Originally Posted by Johnland

Lol. I thought the same thing. It checks all the boxes for today's race to the bottom in design. Multiple colors, multiple panel materials, random window patterns, etc. Love the vertical windows next to horizontal windows. I'm surprised they didn't stick on those huge flat overhangs at the top.

But I bet it'll have bike lockers and mini dog park!!!

[BrianTH]

Bit of a bummer--ALCOSAN is buying up Buncher properties in a lightly used pocket of the North Side for its new wet weather tunnel system:

https://www.post-gazette.com/busines...s/202301300020

General area they are talking about:

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Pr...2Fg%2F1txc7pnt

Buncher was land-banking the properties for possible future developments, but in the end this system is likely needed.

For reference, here is the overall (still in progress) map of the proposed system:



The area in question would have a regulator, drop shaft, and relatively rare access shaft (presumably because this is the junction of the three main tunnels in the plan).

For a bit of an idea of what that means, here is a non-technical illustration:



Here are regulators and drop shafts under construction, so you can see why they need vacant land to work with:





Off hand, I am not sure what these are going to look like from the surface when they are done. The illustration suggests it could be a green space with a minimal above-ground impact, which could potentially be some sort of amenity even, but again I am not sure what it really will end up like in practice.

[SouthCentralPA]

Originally Posted by BrianTH

Off hand, I am not sure what these are going to look like from the surface when they are done. The illustration suggests it could be a green space with a minimal above-ground impact, which could potentially be some sort of amenity even, but again I am not sure what it really will end up like in practice.

I imagine that they will have some sort of flat door for the access shafts but it does appear that most of the site could be green space. Whether that would be open to the public or not remains to be seen.

This is my first time hearing about this project in Pittsburgh, but it seems really interesting (as someone who works with stormwater)!

[MarkMyWords]

Originally Posted by BrianTH

Bit of a bummer--ALCOSAN is buying up Buncher properties in a lightly used pocket of the North Side for its new wet weather tunnel system:

https://www.post-gazette.com/busines...s/202301300020

General area they are talking about:

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Pr...2Fg%2F1txc7pnt

Buncher was land-banking the properties for possible future developments, but in the end this system is likely needed.

For reference, here is the overall (still in progress) map of the proposed system:



The area in question would have a regulator, drop shaft, and relatively rare access shaft (presumably because this is the junction of the three main tunnels in the plan).

For a bit of an idea of what that means, here is a non-technical illustration:



Here are regulators and drop shafts under construction, so you can see why they need vacant land to work with:





Off hand, I am not sure what these are going to look like from the surface when they are done. The illustration suggests it could be a green space with a minimal above-ground impact, which could potentially be some sort of amenity even, but again I am not sure what it really will end up like in practice.

The same sort of project/tunnel system is being built here in Columbus, only not on as grand a scale. The goal is to eliminate wastewater draining onto the river system here. There are several locations where access shafts will be located. Currently they are used to drop down the boring machines. Having driven by several of them, they are located on plots which are just not feasible for development: like the strips of land between major streets and freeway exits, or parking lots which service office buildings. Most will wind up being grassed over and used for parklets.

[eschaton]

Looking at the article, it sounds like the blocks in question are north of Progress Street between the David McCullough and Veterans Bridge. It explicitly states that Buncher will retain the blocks closer to the riverbank. Counting up the parcels, it may even be restricted to the area west of Chesboro.

This almost certainly means that the diner - the last remaining retail business in the area - is doomed. Buncher bought the building from the Mullins family in 2017, but it continued to operate under a different name.

The thing is, Buncher does not have full site control of those blocks. Someone else owns this warehouse and rowhouse, and various vacant lots are owned by the URA or private owners. Most notably, one of the only remaining houses was recently fixed up. I don't see the owner just selling to Alcosan.

Regardless, I don't see this as something which is going to take out all of Schweizer Lock, such as it is, judging by the relatively limited area which is indicated in the sale. Of course a pipeline needs to be strung through other areas to get to that zone (particularly since it's a few blocks from the river) but I presume the footprint in those areas is intended to be less intrusive - and I presume they couldn't have turned further inland further back because it would require tunneling under Heinz Lofts.

[TF15]

I drive through here to cross 16th street bridge very often. I was genuinely hoping that the strip would eventually flow across the river since it is such a low, walkable, and inviting bridge. With Heinz lofts, North Shore, all the apartments/condos in the trip, and several other units downtown, it would’ve been wonderful to see a grocery store or anything really pop up here. Especially with hopes that whoever bought the rest of the Heinz plant does even the slightest value increase to the site. It could’ve led directly into what is a quickly changing East Ohio. Parklet or not, it’s disheartening to hear this high value location will probably be extremely underutilized.

[BrianTH]

Originally Posted by TF15

Parklet or not, it’s disheartening to hear this high value location will probably be extremely underutilized.

If it is at least mostly just west of Chesbro, and north of Progress as originally reported, then I actually think that isn't really too bad. The vast majority of that area will still be available for redevelopment, including the whole riverfront.

In fact a usable small park there would then make sense, as that immediate area otherwise doesn't really have a park (the river trail is a nice amenity but not really much of a gathering/recreation space otherwise).

[pj3000]

What's the deal with the Heinz loft complex anyway? It feels like decades ago now when it was redeveloped into apartments, but it still kinda feels like a big, vacant area down there. I rarely see any signs of life aside from people on the riverfront trail. Is a lot of the complex not re-developed?

[pj3000]

Latest proposal for the surface lot just north of PNC Park: 11-story, 305-unit apartment building

Next at bat on the North Shore: A 305-unit apartment building overlooking PNC Park

https://www.post-gazette.com/busines...s/202302280143

A year after first pitching it, Green Tree developer RDC and Alco Parking President Merrill Stabile are moving forward with plans to build an 11-story apartment complex across the street from the North Shore ballpark.

But the latest proposal involves a slight lineup change.

Instead of erecting the 305-unit building on the west side of an existing parking lot controlled by Mr. Stabile, the development team is moving it to the east side of the parcel next to the SpringHill Suites Hotel.

The change was necessitated after an 118-inch Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority pipe was found below ground on the west side of the lot, disrupting the original plans.

Yet the move eastward appears to have worked out for the best, enabling RDC to widen the project’s footprint and increase the number of units from 260 to 305.

[photoLith]

^
All the Yinzers on Facebook are complaining about this right now. How will the poor suburbanites who only come into the city to watch sports ball ever survive?

[eschaton]

Originally Posted by pj3000

What's the deal with the Heinz loft complex anyway? It feels like decades ago now when it was redeveloped into apartments, but it still kinda feels like a big, vacant area down there. I rarely see any signs of life aside from people on the riverfront trail. Is a lot of the complex not re-developed?

I believe the entire core portion of Heinz Lofts has been converted now, though confusingly the westernmost wing is marketed as a separate apartment building (Heinz 950). McCaffery runs it - I'm not sure if they run the core of Heinz Lofts. It's a weird setup, because the west wing of that building has no exterior windows, so instead of cutting in windows they built a central courtyard to let some natural light in.

There was a plan to convert the three former office buildings behind Heinz Lofts into more apartments, but the deal fell through somehow. I seem to remember it had to do with attempting to get historic tax credits for one out of the three buildings?

Originally Posted by pj3000

Latest proposal for the surface lot just north of PNC Park: 11-story, 305-unit apartment building

Next at bat on the North Shore: A 305-unit apartment building overlooking PNC Park

https://www.post-gazette.com/busines...s/202302280143

Is it just me, or does this seem like a pretty crude rendering from AE7?

[eschaton]

March 7th Planning Commission presentation is now online. Only two new items, one of which we've already begun discussing:

1. Remediation of Heinz Hall, including replacement of windows. There's not really that much to say here other than (not being a Pittsburgh native) I had no idea that most of Heinz Hall's façade other than the terracotta was actually not original to the 1927 building, but from the 1970s. Regardless, there is no great design change planned, simply remediation and in-kind replacement.

2. The North Shore apartment building we already have begun to discuss. This is a very thorough presentation by AE7. I think the Post-Gazette picked one of the blander perspectives, but it's still kinda a nondescript building. Looks like they are planning for a small amount of retail (about 2,000 square feet) close to Federal, which strikes me as a good pick - this area is one of the few I feel is under retailed (save for bars/restaurants catering to the stadium crowd). They also offer a "future proofing" plan allowing them to expand first-floor retail an additional 24,000 square feet through additional parking reduction, which makes me happy - they're designing the building with the possibility of retrofit should parking minimums decline further.

It's also worth noting that several additional ZBA agendas are online. I looked over March 16th last week, and there was nothing of real note. http://"https://apps.pittsburghpa.go...April 6 though. The big item is the new Uptown apartment building, though unfortunately there's nothing submitted so far. This mini-project in Garfield is worth discussing though - four infill townhouses. Location is here - pretty far up the hill, and notable because this seems to be a market-rate development (Garfield is changing very rapidly now - much faster than East Liberty). Designs are pretty generic, and I'm not a fan of the decision to have the garages front-loading, which now requires a variance due to changes to city zoning. The street side of the houses is actually a higher elevation than the rear, which makes this a perfect location to use a common driveway and rear garages.