Since they were left vacant in 1995, the row of five historic brick
houses on 48th Street, between Hatfield and Butler Streets, in
Lawrenceville have fallen into terrible shape. With creative design and
green construction, the homes are being restored to look the way they
would have when they were built in the 19th century, but with customized
modern interiors.
The City of Pittsburgh acquired the buildings, with the help of the
Lawrenceville Corporation,
in 2007 at very low cost using a tax lien process. After receiving
proposals from many eager developers, the Lawrenceville Corporation
closed on the sale last week with
Botero Development, who's principal Brian Mendelssohn lives in the neighborhood.
"They're
going to be a high quality product. We're going to restore the
exteriors using real materials, meaning real stone and real slate, and
install stone steps and things like that to make them look like when
they were built," says Mendelssohn, who is working with
Moss Architects
on the project. The interiors will be custom-built for the aesthetic
whims of the individual buyers, blending historic elements and original
materials with modern features, such as stainless steel appliances, and
energy efficient design aspects, like a 2-inch white rubber roof.
The homes,
which are currently for sale,
include four 1,900-square-foot, 3-bedroom units with rear yards. Two
come with 2.5-baths and the other two have 2-baths. One
1,250-square-foot unit has 2-bedrooms and 2-baths. The houses will be
completed by next October and are priced between $180,000 and $265,000. A
sixth building was beyond repair, but its lot will serve as a private
courtyard for the $265,000 unit.
"I feel the
prices are below market value for what these buildings are," says
Mendelssohn. "It will be good for the neighborhood not to start charging
$300,000 for homes in Lawrenceville. You don't want to gentrify your
own neighborhood, you want to keep it what it is."
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Writer:
John Farley
Source: Brian Mendelssohn
Image courtesy of Botero Development