PITTSBURGH | Development Rundown III

[eschaton]

New Planning Commission presentation up for 3/26. Another light presentation, with only two new items.

1. A nomination of South Side Presbyterian Church as a historic landmark. This appears to be a "friendly nomination," with Matthew Falcone co-nominating with the church itself. As is always the case with these nominations, there is voluminous detail here should anyone choose to be informed.

2. Rehab plans for 129 McKean Street on the South Side. This project has been bouncing around for awhile, but the details here are pretty cursory, with only a few diagrams and no renderings. It looks like they plan to remove several floors (presumably internally) converting it from a seven to five story building. However, they also propose adding an additional 14+ feet of height to the building (possibly related to the elevators and rooftop balcony). The plans for tenants also appear vague "possible upscale market, coffee shop, restaurant, bar and distillery." Mostly at this point they seem to be concentrating on getting the building ready for tenants, with new hardscaping, landscaping, and ready-to-use space with utilities in place.

[eschaton]

Point Park University is set to demolish the old playhouse site in Oakland. While there are some interesting historic buildings buried within it's a pretty remuddled complex what with the merger of what was three distinct buildings into one, so I'm not going to mourn its loss. It's prime real estate, and could house a nice office building or residential highrise. I suspect that UPMC will buy the land though, given Magee is not only just across the street, but also owns the rest of the block save for the Hampton Inn.

Also, PBT is reporting that Honeywell is looking for 60,000 square feet of office space in the city, likely in downtown or the Strip District.

[BenM]

The PG says that part of the site was the original home of the Tree of Life congregation.

The last piece, which became the playhouse’s Rockwell Theatre, was acquired when the Tree of Life synagogue moved to Squirrel Hill in 1952.

Still embedded in the facade, constructed in the style of a Greek Temple, is a cornerstone that reads ‘Erected 5666’ (the Jewish calendar year 1906, when the synagogue was dedicated) and a menorah.

Point Park, Mr. Corsaro said, will “make every effort to secure” both. “If it’s possible, we will return them to Tree of Life,” he said.

This is a good outcome.

[eschaton]

April HRC is up. As is usually the case, most of the projects are small-scale residential projects. The only non-residential thing this month are very minor changes to the facade of the "Beehive building" on East Carson. The rehab of the former St. Peter's church into apartments is also proceeding slowly.

Other than that, the only interesting thing - to me - is a house rehab in Alpha Terrace. Interesting because we almost bought that house (if were up to me, we would have bought it, but my wife vetoed it). I'm glad we didn't buy, because it now appears the rear extension of the house is collapsing.

[bmust71]

I forget the exact address but one of the buildings on 9th street downtown slated for apartment conversion looks to have begun construction. The site was fenced off when I walked by the other day.

[eschaton]

Originally Posted by bmust71

I forget the exact address but one of the buildings on 9th street downtown slated for apartment conversion looks to have begun construction. The site was fenced off when I walked by the other day.

Both the buildings are fenced off. A lot of different construction around the city is starting (seems like there are active projects on every block in Lower Lawrenceville right now). Unfortunately I always have my son in tow, and so can seldom ride my bike, so I don't really get a chance to take many pictures.

[bmust71]

Originally Posted by eschaton

Both the buildings are fenced off. A lot of different construction around the city is starting (seems like there are active projects on every block in Lower Lawrenceville right now). Unfortunately I always have my son in tow, and so can seldom ride my bike, so I don't really get a chance to take many pictures.

Ok good, I was hoping the other was underway too. Do you know what’s going on next to the 6th Avenue garage? Scaffolding has been up for a while and it looks like they just put new windows on the this 5/6 story building. It looks really good through the scaffolding. I’m assuming this is a cultural trust owned building since it’s next to ‘Space’...?

[Captain Crash]

Originally Posted by eschaton

Yeah, I remember reading about that now. It's been awhile since we've been up to The Mount, so I hadn't seen the result. I take it the new construction house is up?

The new one isn't even near finished yet. They had a few long pauses in construction over the past few months, so it's been taking quite awhile. Don't know why. That said, it is nearly framed in entirely now and has "topped out" so to speak. It ended up being way larger than I would have expected even having seen the initial renders. It takes up nearly the entire lot (with only the exception of the rounded off portion closest to the intersection), and it's really tall-- just a foot or three shorter than the apartment building next door.

[eschaton]

Originally Posted by bmust71

Ok good, I was hoping the other was underway too. Do you know what’s going on next to the 6th Avenue garage? Scaffolding has been up for a while and it looks like they just put new windows on the this 5/6 story building. It looks really good through the scaffolding. I’m assuming this is a cultural trust owned building since it’s next to ‘Space’...?

I do know what's going on actually. My wife's the architect/project manager. It's not a Cultural Trust building. There will be ground floor retail on the first story, and four condo units above. The owner is fitting out one of the units for themselves, with the others for sale. This project has been a PITA for my wife to work on - mostly because of the existing conditions in the historic building, which had a weird "tail" which sprouted off the back at an odd angle, along with no walls really being totally straight in general.

[eschaton]

4/11 ZBA online. Items of interest:

1. Partial conversion of this small warehouse in Lower Lawrenceville into office space.

2. Three detached infill houses in Homewood South (approximately here).

3. Infill house in Garfield (here).

[Austinlee]

Originally Posted by BrianTH

Nice article about the renovated Hipwell Flashlight Factory on the North Side:

https://www.nextpittsburgh.com/featu...light-factory/

Once again a cool re-use of a neat old building.

This block in Allegheny West has so much potential. Very cool buildings.

[photoLith]

URA approves new apartments next to Garden Theater on the North Side

Sixty-three new apartments are coming to the heart of the North Side.

This week, the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) voted to sell the currently vacant land located next to the long-empty Garden Theater building for $109,328 to make way for a new five-story apartment complex.

The land, at the corner of Federal Street and West North Avenue next to the Garden Theater, had previously been occupied by three houses dating back to the late 1800s. The URA had been attempting to find a commercial partner to redevelop the historical buildings for several years.

A previous agreement with Trek Development and Q Development would have preserved the buildings within a larger eight-story structure. But disagreements with the city’s Zoning Board delayed the project until several of the necessary historic tax credits were no longer available.

The structures were condemned by the city last July, and demolished last month, just weeks before today’s sale to Trek and Q went through.

https://www.nextpittsburgh.com/city-...he-north-side/

[photoLith]

Originally Posted by eschaton

Point Park University is set to demolish the old playhouse site in Oakland. While there are some interesting historic buildings buried within it's a pretty remuddled complex what with the merger of what was three distinct buildings into one, so I'm not going to mourn its loss. It's prime real estate, and could house a nice office building or residential highrise. I suspect that UPMC will buy the land though, given Magee is not only just across the street, but also owns the rest of the block save for the Hampton Inn.

I'd imagine its just going to become a parking lot forever. I live right across the street from here.

[eschaton]

Originally Posted by eschaton

2. Rehab plans for 129 McKean Street on the South Side. This project has been bouncing around for awhile, but the details here are pretty cursory, with only a few diagrams and no renderings. It looks like they plan to remove several floors (presumably internally) converting it from a seven to five story building. However, they also propose adding an additional 14+ feet of height to the building (possibly related to the elevators and rooftop balcony). The plans for tenants also appear vague "possible upscale market, coffee shop, restaurant, bar and distillery." Mostly at this point they seem to be concentrating on getting the building ready for tenants, with new hardscaping, landscaping, and ready-to-use space with utilities in place.

PBT has more information about this project, albeit behind a paywall.

Three partners are working to reestablish a mid-1850s distillery building on the South Side into a new operation for making whiskey, rum and gin with larger plans for selling artisan foods and other products.

Entrepreneurs Eric Kraemer, principal of Cedarcove Capital Ventures LLC, Tony Mazzarini and Bill Stolze are working together as 129 McKean Street LLC to renovate the former seven-story distillery building nestled between The Highline redevelopment of the former terminal building at Station Square into a new larger facility for what they’re calling the Distillery at South Shore.

It’s a project that marks a change in strategy for Stolze’s former plan to convert the structure into a condo development called Whiskey Barrel Flats into a new production facility also proposed to include a a local food market with upper floors dedicated to market bays at which local artists and other makers can sell their products.

129 McKean Street LLC presented its plan before the Pittsburgh Planning Commission on Tuesday afternoon as a briefing, with vote expected in a few weeks for a project Kraemer said is hoped to be under construction later this spring.

“This is the last pre-Prohibition distillery in the city of Pittsburgh,” said Kraemer, the history of the building originally built for what was called Joseph S. Finch Distillery when it first opened in 1856. “That piqued our interest that maybe we could bring it back to life as a distillery.”

The plan calls for taking the brick structure from seven floors with low ceilings down to four and also to build on an extra five-story addition onto the structure on the riverfront side of the property in which to house the production distillery and tasting room.

The preliminary design, by the architecture firm of Designstream LLC, also is expected to include a rooftop bar and an event space with capacity for 250 or more, added Kraemer. The partnership has bought other neighboring property to provide parking for the project, he added.

Working with Dollar Bank, Kraemer said the overall project is estimated to cost $10 million plus to build out. The partners also applied for a $3 million state grant through the Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program recently as it considers a variety of financing options.

129 McKean Street LLC is in talks with established distillers based in Maine and norther Pennsylvania to use the new facility for production as it also works to establish its own distilling as well, said Kraemer.

He added an ice cream shop and a chocolatier have both expressed interest in leasing space in the market that may also include a deli.

Kraemer hopes for the project to be completed by next Spring and to draw from the wave of new apartment dwellers for the new development under construction at Station Square as well as the new office users coming to the Highline redevelopment.

The development team was met by some basic questions about how the narrow building would function within the context of the surrounding streets in what's been a largely industrial stretch of the South Side.

After the hearing, Stolze acknowledged that the experience working to redevelop the building into condos has prepared their approach on how to bring back the building to its original use.

The project pairs new construction with the renovation of a structure now more than 150 years old, with walls that are four bricks wide and small windows expected to be enlarged to bring in more daylight to a reduced number of floors.

Marrying old and new is a key goal of the project, he said.

"Trying to integrate a new facility with the old one is the greatest challenge," he said.

So, a larger project than I had thought, with a big new-construction extension closer to the river. At the same time, it's largely going to be a single-use building as a distillery, with a few smaller retail businesses located within.

[BrianTH]

Random eyeball reports:

(1) The foundation for the new parking garage between Bakery Square and the Busway seems to be nearing completion. Not the most exciting use on its own, but I think if they do a new station and pedestrian bridge there, it could stimulate more redevelopment on the north side of the Busway;

(2) And speaking of which, the new buildings in Larimer near the Busway seem to be almost finished.

[BrianTH]

Courtesy of Chris Briem, I have learned the Pittsburgh City Archives has a cool Twitter feed:

https://twitter.com/PghArchives

Recent posts include diagrams of East Liberty as of 1819 and 1839, plus all sorts of other cool material from past reports, along with historic photos and such.

[East Edge]

[/QUOTE]

Pittsburgh is really starting to take shape!

[Urbanthusiat]

Some additional renderings of the distillery here: https://www.bizjournals.com/pittsbur..._news_headline

Should be a cool spot!

[eschaton]

The Penguins have been granted $600,000+ by the state to help develop the Civic Arena site. This is split between money earmarked for the cap park itself, and money towards general improvements in the pedestrian infrastructure through the development. Wayne Fontana's press release also details funding for three other local projects. These are Station Square (improvements to W Station Square Drive), McKees Rocks (related to Intermodal Way) and a small grant to Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre which seems to be related to improvements to "Denny Park" (which, despite its name, is owned by PBT).

Also, state grants through another program (the Commonwealth Financing Authority) will fund $10 million in work at Mill 19 in Hazelwood Green, and $11 million of the airport redesign.

[BrianTH]

I understand that federal regulations decree not a dime of airport-related revenue, including development revenues and mineral leases, can be spent on anything but the airport. So, we get a glorious $1 billion+ new airport, not because that is necessarily the ideal way to spend those funds, but because we have no choice.

But I do not understand why we then spend any other local or state public funds on the airport.