Pittsburgh Development News

[donbuy]

Originally Posted by bayviews

Interesting artcle.

Really glad to know that Pittsburgh's airport has not only survived but thrived in the face of US Airway's woes. Looks like a Pittsburgh's been helped by having more competion & less monopoly domination by US Air.

Intersting article but unfortunately inaccurate. As one who travels to the airport regularly it is clear that it has become a mere shadow of itself, with dozens of empty gates.

Here are the stats:

Total passenger traffic 2002 17,248,783 27th busiest in North America
Total passenger traffic 2005 10,478,604 40th busiest in North America

a decrease of 6,770,179 passengers from 2002 which was already depressed due to the lingering effects of 911.

[Evergrey]

While that is a problem... PIT has shown growth in O&D traffic and has cheaper fares than when it was a hub. While PIT has lost some flights and transatlatic service... Southwest, JetBlue, etc have introduced affordable flights to what was previously one of the most expensive airports to fly out of.

[donbuy]

It's a major problem in that the port authority has do deal with a majordecrease in revenue due to all of the empty gates. An underutilized airport is a drain on a community. Plus there were thousands of local jobs lost through the near demise of US Air and the drop in airport traffic.

[Evergrey]

The last steel beams were raised for the new LEED-certified Children's Hospital in Lawrenceville a few days ago. This hospital is expected to be a huge boon for Lawrenceville/Bloomfield and the Penn Ave. business district (and the guy who always stands on Penn with flowers in his hands).

http://www.chp.edu/pressroom/newsrelease285.php

Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh Topping Off New Hospital in Lawrenceville – Final Three Beams Will Be Put in Place

Milestone in Children’s history as 100 guests watch the rising/placing of the final steel beams


PITTSBURGH – June 28, 2006 – The last steel beams of the new Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh of University of Pittsburgh Medical Center in Lawrenceville were today raised and welded into place.

Children’s and UPMC executives, Mayor Bob O’Connor, Allegheny County Executive Dan Onorato, patients, board members, legislators, community leaders and more joined steelworkers today at the construction site to “top off” the steel superstructure, a significant milestone in the building project. The last three beams were raised – topping off the steel structure for what will be the new 900,000-square-foot Children’s Hospital, part of a 1.5-million-square-foot new campus development.

The topping-off ceremony is a long-standing tradition of construction workers, particularly steelworkers. The three beams are more colorful than most on the building frame – because the beams display the signatures, pictures and drawings of Children’s patients, families and staff; residents and children of Lawrenceville and neighboring communities; legislators and many more.

Following a short program, Children’s patients joined executives to place the final signatures on the steel beam, which will have the ceremony’s traditional American flag, broom and evergreen tree on top.

“We are truly excited to celebrate the topping off of the new Children’s Hospital. It is a tremendous milestone in our history, and signifies a huge leap in the building project,” said Roger A. Oxendale, Children’s president and CEO. “As the largest building project in the Pittsburgh region, we at Children’s and the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center are grateful to everyone who had a hand in this project. A lot of work has gone into this, and we’re excited to see it become more of a reality each and every day.”

The new hospital building will serve as the centerpiece of the multi-phase development project that is situated on this 10-acre campus. Patient rooms in the hospital will be private and have sleeping accommodations for parents. Other facets of the project include a major research facility, office space for faculty and staff, a new central utility facility, three new parking structures and more.

“This extraordinary medical campus will not only enable Children’s to maintain its current level of excellence, but will now be housed in a world-class facility,” said Greg Peaslee, senior vice president at UPMC. “All of us at UPMC, and Children’s, are extremely pleased and excited about the direction of the project. We look forward to its opening in early 2009, which is just around the corner.”

Go here to see a movie on the hospital: http://www.chp.edu/about/new_building.php#

Changing lives for the better is what our new hospital is all about. Designed with our Children’s family – staff, patients, and families -- in mind, our new Children’s will inspire positive transformation for all who pass through our doors.

For our patients and their families, we promise comfort and a healing touch by offering spacious, private rooms (with overnight accommodation for parents) designed with kids in mind, and the largest family resource center of any pediatric hospital in the world.

For our staff, we promise a state of the art facility utilizing breakthrough technology, enhanced research facilities, and an intelligent design to maximize efficiency in patient care.

Located in Pittsburgh’s Lawrenceville neighborhood, our new facility is situated on 10 acres – 1.5 million square feet of usable space. Its design is based on input from physicians, nurses, and families – to ensure it meets the unique requirements of pediatric healthcare providers and the patients they serve.

Our new facility is grounded in three principles: family-centered care, technological sophistication and environmental sustainability. Our new facility will offer the following:

9-story clinical services building
262 licensed beds, including 79 critical care beds
41-bed Emergency Room and Trauma Center
13 Operating Suites
36-bed Pediatric Intensive Care Unit
12-bed Cardiac Intensive Care Unit
31-bed Neonatal Intensive Care Unit
Atrium, Library, and Healing Garden
10-story, 230,000-square foot research facility
Conference Center
Day Care and Fitness Center
2 office buildings that will house all faculty and administrative offices
Three parking garages
Incorporates “environmentally friendly” technology
Designed as a “quiet” building
State-of-the-art technology including a nursing workstation for every two patient rooms in addition to computer and communications equipment that enhances efficient communication within teams of caregivers
Paperless information management system that allows physicians to place nearly all inpatient care orders electronically, eliminating handwritten and verbal orders.

http://www.chp.edu/about/new_building_green.php

The new Children’s Hospital is designed as “green” campus, meaning that buildings will use key resources such as energy, water, materials, and land more efficiently than buildings erected simply to building code. It’s been established that green (or environmentally sustainable) buildings contribute to improved health, comfort, and productivity of their residents by utilizing more natural light and promoting better air quality.

And while two buildings will be LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certified, Children’s commitment to employ green practices extends well beyond its bricks and mortar. This means Children’s will employ new operating policies and procedures regarding facility maintenance, housekeeping, food service, and waste management. Children’s will also foster its green philosophy by working with our clinicians, academicians, and community to conduct research on the subject of sustainability and its health effects on children. Here’s a brief look at how Children’s will be environmentally friendly:



Easy access to public transportation
Availability of bike racks and showers
Preferred parking for car pools
Water efficient landscaping
Recycling of water (when appropriate)
Use of building materials with recycled content (including recycled post-consumer structural steel)
Use of local/regional construction material to reduce transportation issues
Use of low VOC materials such as sealants, adhesives, paints, and carpets
Installation of air filtration systems that increase indoor air quality.
Installation of water fixtures that reduce water use
Maximum use of daylight and views
Children’s is also committed to environmental responsibility by:

Employing a “green” education program for staff, patients, and visitors
Installing a healing garden/rooftop gardens
Continued use of recycled content and local materials whenever possible

http://www.chp.edu/about/new_building_quiet.php

Quiet Building
Research shows that a quiet hospital environment enhances patient healing and satisfaction among health care providers. For this reason, and in keeping with Children’s commitment to be a benchmark facility for pediatric care, we’ve designed one of the quietest hospitals in existence. Children’s plans to reduce noise in patient areas, public spaces, conference rooms, lounges and consultation rooms by utilizing more than 30 measures including the following:

Masonry exterior walls at most patient rooms
Floor to deck full-height partitions, sealed and insulated
Multi-layer drywall partitions at patient rooms
Acoustic ceiling tile in lieu of hard ceilings
Extensive use of carpeting and door seals
Remote locations for staff work areas and consult rooms
Sound deadened elevator cab enclosures
Extensive use of vibration isolators
Remote central plant location, eliminating boilers, chillers, and generators
Cast iron piping for storm and sanitary stacks
Strict adherence to sound mitigation requirements
Use of personal communication devices in lieu of overhead paging
Silent notification of nurse call through integration of wireless communication devices
Silent notification of alarms from monitoring equipment through integration to wireless communication devices
“Soft” wheels on mobile carts





Our healing garden helps restore the spirits of our patients and their families by offering respite in times of stress, fear and anxiety.


Research Tower


Go here to see interior pics: http://www.chp.edu/about/photo_gallery.php

Here's a picture I took from the 40th St. Bridge a few months ago

[Evergrey]

I just thought of a rather significant project that was never mentioned in this thread.

East Liberty's long-vacant 13-story Highland Building... which is undergoing conversion to 84 condo units (avg. $167k) with hotel construction and retail. Demolition of the nearby Stadterman Building will make way for structured parking and 132-room hotel This was announced last Sept. It will welcome residents next summer.

I haven't seen any recent updates on it... but here's the article from last Sept.
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/05269/577859.stm

"Pittsburgh's just really fun. If I had a choice of living in Pittsburgh or Atlanta, it would be hands down Pittsburgh," said Tennessee developer Burch, whose company's name, Terminus, was the original name for Atlanta.

photos I took last July

[Evergrey]

This is pretty interesting... Butler County, the fastest growing area of Western Pennsylvania, has seen a dramatic decline in its housing market... while Allegheny County has surged... the Pittsburgh region as a whole has been holding steady while the rest of the country has seen significant declines...

looking at a street map... it does appear Cranberry Twp is pretty much at build-out (in its current low-density form)... and most of the rest of the county is just too far away or lacking freeway access... for serious suburban development...

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pitt.../s_463563.html

Cranberry's housing market cools; region avoids big drop

By Sam Spatter
FOR THE TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Thursday, July 27, 2006


Cranberry, Butler County, long one of the region's housing hot spots, is experiencing a cooling off, according to a report Wednesday that said Western Pennsylvania's overall housing market is holding up well despite a national slowdown.
The report by Tall Timber Group, a Ross-based market tracking firm, showed that 1,382 single-family housing permits were issued in six area counties during the first half of 2006, down 1.4 percent from 1,402 units in the same period in 2005.

That compares with an almost 15 percent decrease in national housing starts so far this year, said Jeff Burd, Tall Timber's president.

"There haven't been many good macro-economic indicators for housing during the first six months of the year," said Burd. "The stock market has tanked, interest rates are quite a bit higher than last year, and building materials have spiked again, yet the impact on demand for new housing here seems unfazed."

The overall market remains steady, but Burd said there have been changes locally, including a surge of about 40 percent in housing permits issued in Allegheny County, and a 27 percent decline in permits in Butler County, where Cranberry has seen its total slip to about 31 single-family units, from about 76 single-family units a year ago.

That drop-off was enough to take Cranberry out of Tall Timber's top 10 communities for single-family construction, which is now headed by North Huntingdon in Westmoreland County, with 95 units.

"I have seen some leveling off on new housing starts," said Jerry Andree, Cranberry Township manager.

But he said that 500 to 600 approved lots for new housing are in the pipeline.

"We had a record year in 2005 in total construction costs, reaching $108 million, with 40 percent of that for housing starts," he said.

"If Cranberry's big subdivisions are wrapping up and there are some others in the approval loop, the number of permits will be temporarily lower," said Burd. "It may be that Cranberry, or Butler County generally, is becoming built out, but I think it will take more than two quarters (in 2006) to judge."

Kevin Mihn, a Coldwell Banker Real Estate agent, said he's not surprised by the drop-off.

"After five years of strong real estate sales, it is only natural to expect a slowdown, even in Cranberry," he said.

Allegheny County was the leader in single-family permits issued, with 535 units, followed by Westmoreland County, with 334 units; Washington County, with 199; Butler, with 177; Beaver, with 98; and Fayette, with 39 units.

For total housing permits, including both single-family and multifamily units, Tall Timber's statistics show Pittsburgh as the overall leader, with 262 new single-family housing permits issued.

Overall, the region saw a 60 percent jump in multifamily permits, with 1,025 permits issued, up from 639 units through the end of June 2005.



Sam Spatter can be reached at sspatter@tribweb.com.

[Evergrey]

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06207/708519-298.stm

Big East End development firm eyes Reizenstein school building
Wednesday, July 26, 2006

By Dan Fitzpatrick, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Developer Walnut Capital Partners, already interested in redeveloping the old Nabisco bakery on Penn Avenue, also has its eye on the Reizenstein Middle School site across the street.

But the Shadyside real estate company may have to wait two or three years to have a shot at buying the school building and surrounding grounds. The Pittsburgh Public Schools would have to sell the vacant Reizenstein through a public bidding process -- and a decision on such a process is at least two years away, according to school district chief of staff Lisa Fischetti.

In the meantime, the district may use Reizenstein as temporary classrooms for students at Schenley High School, which is scheduled for renovation.

Walnut Capital met with the school district a few months ago to discuss the property.

While a decision to sell has not yet been made, "we want to keep all options open," Ms. Fischetti said.

Walnut Capital President Todd Reidbord said his company "absolutely" would be interested in competing for the property in the event of a sale.

"I think it is a fantastic piece of property ... a great candidate for some kind of mixed-use residential, possibly retail."

Walnut Capital, one of the most active developers in Pittsburgh's East End, has drawn up plans that would turn the former Nabisco plant on Penn into the anchor of a six-acre, mixed use project that would blend about 130,000 square foot of retail with 150,000 square feet of office space, a 1,200-car parking garage, a hotel, 38 residential units and a fitness center. Having Reizenstein would give Walnut a major presence on both sides of Penn.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

(Dan Fitzpatrick can be reached at dfitzpatrick@post-gazette.com or 412-263-1752. )

[Evergrey]

Great news IMO... take that, NIMBYs!

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06207/708574-53.stm

Developer clears hurdle for more buildings at SouthSide Works complex
Wednesday, July 26, 2006

By Diana Nelson Jones, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

The city planning commission yesterday approved a zoning change that would allow the developer of the SouthSide Works complex to increase the heights of several proposed buildings.

Some South Side residents had objected to the change, which would need City Council approval.

The Soffer Organization wants to construct three condominium buildings with a height of 165 feet that currently are limited to 110 feet. The company also wants to build two 110-foot-high office buildings that now are limited to 75 feet.

For 11 years, Soffer has worked in close collaboration with the South Side Planning Forum, a consortium of local citizen groups in the neighborhood, on planning and building the SouthSide Works. But the two interests could not reach agreement over building height. The forum was concerned about creating "massing," or a wall-like effect between the riverfront and the rest of the development.

"It's hard to come here without their support," said Mark Dellana, Soffer's vice president of development, "because it hasn't happened in 11 years.

"We don't want to create a wall," he said. "We need to make the next phase better than we already have done" of the SouthSide Works.

He said Soffer first proposed a height of 220 feet and scaled back the number of buildings from seven to five.

The developer also changed its plans so that the condominiums would be built west of 27th Street, toward Downtown, and two proposed office buildings closer to the Hot Metal Bridge.

A hotel and conference center are also proposed for the riverfront development.

The plan as it appears now shows wide pedestrian walkways linking the current development to the waterfront, with shoreline access.

Mr. Dellana and members of the forum said they will continue to work together as the properties and streetscape are being designed.

The commission also yesterday recommended approval of a plan for 3 PNC at Fifth Avenue and Wood Street, which calls for the demolition of existing buildings to build a 63,000-square-foot, 23-story building that would combine a hotel, condominiums, office space, retail, restaurants and underground parking.

It also voted to recommend that a building at 100 Smithfield be renovated into apartments, proposed by the architect as housing for university students.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

(Diana Nelson Jones can be reached at djones@post-gazette.com or 412-263-1626. )

[Evergrey]

http://www.timesonline.com/site/inde...d=478569&rfi=8

Pittsburgh looks again to transatlantic service
Tom Fontaine, Times Staff
07/18/2006
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FINDLAY TWP. - Airlines will make a record number of flights to Europe this month, according to a USA Today study, but none of them will be departing from Pittsburgh International Airport.

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Airport officials say bringing back nonstop transatlantic flights has been their top priority since US Airways ended direct flights to Frankfurt, Germany, and London in late 2004. But even the airport's top executive, Kent George, conceded that it could be some time before nonstop transatlantic service returns - if it does at all.

According to the USA Today study, U.S. and foreign airlines are offering 386 nonstop flights a day to Europe, 21 percent more than they did three years ago. And the number of flights has gone up despite the fact that the average one-way fare on a transatlantic flight, $549, is 44 percent higher than it was in 2003.

George, executive director of the Allegheny County Airport Authority, described the quest to restore nonstop transatlantic service as his "No. 1 priority" and said the airport has been negotiating for 18 months with several carriers, though he would not identify them.

"We're continuing to work on that, but it's not going to happen overnight. After all, it took us five years to bring Southwest Airlines here and 3½ to get JetBlue. And it's going to be very, very difficult to get international service in a community of this size without feeding traffic (from elsewhere)," George said.

There is less so-called feeding traffic than ever before at Pittsburgh. While the majority of the airport's passengers had stopped briefly in Pittsburgh on connector flights when the airport was a US Airways hub, today 60 percent of its passengers are either departing from Pittsburgh or heading here, and that level is increasing.

"We have to depend on our market, and that may only be able to support international flights seven or eight months out of the year," George said, noting demand typically isn't great between November and February, when there is less vacation travel.

For business travelers, though, there is year-round demand.

"On any given day, there are 300 passengers who fly from Pittsburgh to destinations in Europe," said Ken Zapinski, a senior vice president with the Allegheny Conference on Community Development who also heads the Regional Air Service Partnership, which represents dozens of companies in the region and has made its top priority restoring transatlantic service out of Pittsburgh.

"We think transatlantic service can be profitable for a carrier that's willing to take a risk," Zapinski added.

For business travelers, a connecting transatlantic flight can be a "double risk," said Joy Chandler, director of corporate communications for Latrobe-based Kennametal Inc., which has locations in Europe.

"In the winter, you might have to connect somewhere, and if the weather's bad there, you can get stuck in a storm and miss an important meeting. The same could happen with a direct flight, but if you have to connect, you're doubling your risk," Chandler said.

Chandler estimated that connecting flights add "a minimum of four or five hours" to a business trip, and in business, she said, "Time is money."

Tom Fontaine can be reached online at tfontaine@timesonline.com.

[ohpenn]

I'm glad that the airport seems to be making some (albeit minor) progress of late - the blow from USEless Airways was rough. It would be great if (new) a discount airliner would be based at PIT, adding more options, jobs, and some sense of the hub activity.


Evergray

I'm excited by the SSW plans and it's nice to hear the NIMBY's lose for once.

Imagine how much progress was lost on Mt Washington due to them.

Development seemed to be slowly building on the Southside in the 90s, but now it's really taking off - as it should it's a great neighborhood.

[Southtowner]

Are there any renderings of the proposed buildings or neighborhood views showing how it will look when built?

Also, just a question, but if one were to live in the Southside, where would you should for food day in day out? How are the local markets..or are there any? Such deli's, butchers, bakeries, produce, etc?

[Evergrey]

Well, there's a Giant Eagle in the South Side... it's a full-scale regional supermarket chain...

In addition to that... there's Schwartz Market on Carson St. It's been there for 80 years.




go to Mediterranean Market for your fava beans and grape leaves... Chocolate Celebrations for chocolates and the antique soda fountain... Carson St. Deli ... fresh made pierogies from the old ladies at St. John's Ukrainian church...


There's a Farmer's Market on Carson every Tuesday as well...

and when you dont' feel like cooking... South Side is home to a huge array of restaurants, diners, coffeeshops, sandwich shops, etc etc... of all kinds...

you might enjoy these links:

http://www.phlf.org/spotlightonmainstreet/
http://www.southsidepgh.com
http://www.betatesters.com/penn/sahside/
http://www.southsidepittsburgh.com

I haven't found a rendering of future SouthSide Works development... but here's their website: http://www.southsideworks.com

[CG5]

As someone moving to the Pitt, I've been doing a fair amount of research on the area. And I have to say, the Giant Eagle (Iggle?) monopoly situation is one of the most baffling things about your city. Milwaukee has five or six major chains. What's with the lack of variety?

[Southtowner]

Originally Posted by Evergrey

Well, there's a Giant Eagle in the South Side... it's a full-scale regional supermarket chain...

In addition to that... there's Schwartz Market on Carson St. It's been there for 80 years.




go to Mediterranean Market for your fava beans and grape leaves... Chocolate Celebrations for chocolates and the antique soda fountain... Carson St. Deli ... fresh made pierogies from the old ladies at St. John's Ukrainian church...


There's a Farmer's Market on Carson every Tuesday as well...

and when you dont' feel like cooking... South Side is home to a huge array of restaurants, diners, coffeeshops, sandwich shops, etc etc... of all kinds...

you might enjoy these links:

http://www.phlf.org/spotlightonmainstreet/
http://www.southsidepgh.com
http://www.betatesters.com/penn/sahside/
http://www.southsidepittsburgh.com

I haven't found a rendering of future SouthSide Works development... but here's their website: http://www.southsideworks.com

Thanks for the grocery info. As a self-avowed foodie, it sounds as if the South Side would be a good place to relocate.

[ohpenn]

As someone moving to the Pitt, I've been doing a fair amount of research on the area. And I have to say, the Giant Eagle (Iggle?) monopoly situation is one of the most baffling things about your city. Milwaukee has five or six major chains. What's with the lack of variety?

There are a few other grovery chains in the area, but Giant Eagle, a locally based chain seemed to take off over the years. They have also just recently opened two stores under the name Market Village, targeting upscale competitors like Whole Foods which is in the city and also likely to expand into the burbs soon - Trader Joe's is also on the way). But yes Giant Eagle is the dominent chain in the region and more so in the city.

There are also still some corner markets in the area and a grocery will be opening the Piatt Place building (currently under construction/renonvation right now) downtown.

...and of course, there's the Strip District which is a great place to pick up fresh almost everythings in the various stores and vendors.

[The Baz]

Giant Eagles are pretty common but not as ubiquitous as Publix supermarkets in South Florida. There are plenty of other grocery options other than G Eagle, it also doesn't hurt that Giant Eagle is a pretty good grocer.

[wheelingman]

Foodland also has many grocery stores in the Pittsburgh area.

[Southtowner]

Originally Posted by ohpenn

There are a few other grovery chains in the area, but Giant Eagle, a locally based chain seemed to take off over the years. They have also just recently opened two stores under the name Market Village, targeting upscale competitors like Whole Foods which is in the city and also likely to expand into the burbs soon - Trader Joe's is also on the way). But yes Giant Eagle is the dominent chain in the region and more so in the city.

There are also still some corner markets in the area and a grocery will be opening the Piatt Place building (currently under construction/renonvation right now) downtown.

...and of course, there's the Strip District which is a great place to pick up fresh almost everythings in the various stores and vendors.

Oh right, I forgot about the Strip District. When all is considered, there seems to be lots of good food options in the South Side.

[Evergrey]

Originally Posted by Southtowner

Oh right, I forgot about the Strip District. When all is considered, there seems to be lots of good food options in the South Side.

Southtowner, if you're a foodie... you might want to check out these recent articles

A Bounty of Fresh Foods

Most Unlikely Foodie Haven

[Southtowner]

Originally Posted by Evergrey

Southtowner, if you're a foodie... you might want to check out these recent articles

A Bounty of Fresh Foods

Most Unlikely Foodie Haven

Interesting sites. Thanks! There's more and more to Pittsburgh the more I look. And yes, I am definitely a foodie. While I shop at the local Publix, which is actually a great store, I also would love to see small groceries return. I know in this day and age of super competition, the volume just has to be sky high to be economically viable. But sometimes you just don't want to wander those huge stores. And here in Florida, they actually sell Canadian tomatoes in summer! Meanwhile, local tomatoes from Ruskin are wonderful. So I really like the idea of farmer's markets and the urban gardens.