Mt. Washington : Development News

Adam Young is one step closer to flying from Mount Washington to the North Shore.  The Carnegie resident is proposing a zip line that would sail from near the Duquesne Incline to the Carnegie Science Center.

ZipPitt, as the project is called, was awarded a $1,000 Awesome Pittsburgh grant last week.  The organization has also helped Young with strategizing and advising on how to make this dream of flight a reality.

 “We think it will be pretty amazing taking in the view from that perspective,” Young says.  “I think it would be great for the residents and people visiting Pittsburgh to immerse themselves into the essence of the cityscape.”

The half-mile proposed zip line would cross the Ohio River at 50 mph and with a 400 foot vertical drop. Young will use the grant funds to bring a national zip line company to Pittsburgh to conduct a feasability study.

Young says the project has verbal arrangements with property owners at the proposed take-off and landing sites.  A landing platform would be constructed at the North Shore location with enough height to prevent interference with river traffic.

ZipPitt still needs approvals and permits from the City of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, and the Army Corps of Engineers. 

Young says currently the only urban zip line in the United States is in Las Vegas, where for five blocks riders sail between buildings in that city’s downtown skyline. 

ZipPitt would cost customers approximately $30 to ride.  Young believes it would of interest to city visitors, particularly those riding bikes or renting kayaks near other North Shore attractions, as well as city residents.

Awesome Pittsburgh, which awarded its most recent grant to ZipPitt, is a local chapter of the Awesome Foundation, whose goal it is to forward the “interest of Awesomeness” with $1,000 micro grants.
 

Writer:  Andrew Moore
Source:  Adam Young

- Squirrel Hill’s Ramen Bar celebrated a grand opening on January 2^nd.  The restaurant is dedicated to the Japanese noodle dish that is its namesake, a concept popular throughout Asia and elsewhere.  5860 Forbes Avenue.   Sunday through Thursday, 5 p.m. to 10 p.m; Friday and Saturday until 11 p.m.  412-521-5138.

Also in Squirrel Hill, Tan Lac Vien, a Vietnamese bistro, opened recently at 2114 Murray Avenue.  412-521-8888.
 
- Uptown has a coffee shop once again.  River City Java held a soft opening recently in the space once occupied by Asylum Coffee Bar, which closed in 2010. 

For the past two years, owner Kelly Russell has worked with the nonprofit StartUptown to bring other businesses to the neighborhood.  Now, she hopes her coffee shop can provide a community gathering place for those new arrivals and longtime denizens, and will further rebuilding efforts in Uptown.  1919 Forbes Avenue.

- Acacia is one of East Carson Street's newest drinking establishments, but you'll have to look a little harder than normal to find it.  The bourbon and whiskey bar is marked only by the Masonic Acacia logo, and has no windows or other adornment.

The candle-lit “conversation bar” features 116 types of bourbon, whiskey, and scotch, draft beer, and craft cocktails.  And despite its clandestine appearance, membership is not required.  A small-plate menu is under development.

Co-owner Lynn Falk was manager at the Strip District’s former Embury and Firehouse Lounge.  Falk and Spencer Warner will soon be re-opening Embury in the second-floor space above Acacia, in the former Z-Lounge building.  2108 E Carson Street.  412-488-1800.

- In Mount Washington, The Micro Diner is now serving classic breakfast fare and lunch seven days a week, and is even open late on Friday and Saturday nights.  221 Shiloh Street.  412-381-1391.

- The next Crux dinner—a nomadic, pop-up project of Chef Brandon Baltzley—will take place at the South Side’s Stagioni.  The meal, a collaboration with Chef Stephen Felder, will feature a 7-course modern Italian menu.

Baltzley’s collaborative kitchen series has traveled through Boston, Chicago and New York, and since last October he has hosted occasional dinners in Pittsburgh.  The event at Stagioni will be held on Monday, January 14th, at 7 p.m.  For reservations and more information, call 412-586-4738.

 
 Writer:  Andrew Moore

Justin Cipriani wants to bring the Apple approach to architecture.  And at Bailey Park, a 15-home development planned for Mount Washington, he’ll have an opportunity to demonstrate exactly how this vertical integration approach will work.

A South Hills-native, Cipriani spent much of the last decade working in the design field in California.  Through this experience, he came to believe that in order to make truly great modern homes one had to adopt the Apple approach—become an integrated developer/architect/construction company.

“The nature of being an architect is that you make these things and then give it away,” Cipriani says.  “So much product development and coordination happens that the whole process, from entitlement to design to execution, needs to be controlled by a consistent team.”

Cipriani came home to Pittsburgh, he says, because of the city’s healthy market conditions, and for family.  Three years ago he founded Cipriani Studios.

 “We’re cradle to grave,” Cipriani says.  “It allows us to be more of like a design house.  We draw something, go engineer it, build it."

At Bailey Park—which will be adjacent to Emerald View Park—Cipriani Studios is the developer, architect, and will do engineering and other work in-house.  And the project’s construction team, Deklewa, works from a shared office space.

In July Cipriani completed work on the three-unit Neff condo building, perched on the edge of Mount Washington and offering iconic views of Pittsburgh.  Also near Emerald View Park, the four and three-bedroom units are listed from $750,000 to $850,000. 

Again borrowing from Apple, Cipriani says he intends the single-family homes of Bailey Park to be an “iPad mini” to the Neff condos.  While they’ll be half the price and size (at 1,500 square feet), they’ll have the same earthy, modern feel, he says, with natural materials, open living areas and large windows.

Cipriani expects to begin construction of Bailey Park in the spring of next year.
 

Writer:  Andrew Moore
Source:  Justin Cipriani

One of Pittsburgh’s premier art deco buildings will soon be transformed into a unique housing development.  The LOFTS of Mount Washington will be a historic renovation and retrofit of the former Prospect Middle School into 67 units of apartment housing.

“It’s unique because there’s not a lot of art deco in Pittsburgh,” says developer Victor Rodriguez.

The school was built in 1931, and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1986.  Rodriguez, of a.m. Rodriguez Associates inc., says the renovation will preserve exterior and interior architectural details.

One such detail is a former cafetorium, which will be reused as a main entrance, and lobby/lounge area.  The elevated space opens to a balcony, which Rodriguez says creates a dramatic entryway.

The building’s upper floors offer views of downtown, and the fourth floor looks out over both the Ohio and Monongahela Rivers.  One and two bedroom apartments will range in price from $800 to $2,000, and from 760 to 1600 square feet.

Also on the property is a former gymnasium, which is being transformed into a 6,000 square-foot fitness center that will be open to the public.  Rodriguez says there are currently no fitness centers on Mount Washington. 

A 160-seat auditorium will also be renovated, and made available for productions and semi-regular programming.  Rodriguez says the auditorium’s renovation is part of historic rehabilitation guidelines.  The project has received historic tax credits, and support from the URA.

The former school grounds will be redeveloped as outdoor terraces and other green spaces.

Rodriguez says the lofts are a 20 minute public transportation commute from downtown, including a short walk to the Monongahela Incline.

The project architect is Paul Rodriguez, and the contractor is Sota Construction Services.  Rodriguez says green building practices will be used throughout the renovation.

Construction is expected to begin by the end of the year.


Writer:  Andrew Moore
Source:  Victor Rodriguez

The network of trails winding around scenic Mount Washington continues to grow.  A new segment of the Emerald View Park trail opened yesterday, which will soon connect Duquesne Heights, Allentown, and Mount Washington. Once complete, the park will feature over 20 miles of primary and secondary loop trails.

"This is a way of connecting our community both to itself as well as to all of the neighboring communities and trails," says Ilyssa Manspeizer, of the Mount Washington Community Development Corporation (MWCDC).

Manspeizer says the trail system acts as a spur to the Great Allegheny Passage and Pittsburgh's riverfront trails; provides opportunities to strengthen businesses and real estate markets; and increases recreational opportunities to improve health and social cohesion. 

More than a million people visit Mount Washington each year, Manspeizer says.  As a regional amenity, Emerald View Park is free and open to all, and is intended for use by residents and visitors alike.

The new segment includes a secondary spur which connects to the Palm Garden T station.  The path is marked along the sidewalk, with plans for medallions in the pavement to permanently mark the trail.

The trails were built by the Emerald  Trail Corps, a group trained in a six-week program with the A. Phillip Randolph Institute.  MWCDC then hires and trains a select group of graduates  in trail construction and habitat restoration. 

Manspeizer says that for many residents to explore Pittsburgh's unmanaged woods can be a scary experience, especially when wandering through degraded dumping sites and vacated industrial land to an unknown destination. 

But the construction of these trails is changing that experience.

"We tend to speak about this park as an urban wilderness, because you get the sense that you're in this wild place," Manspeizer says.  "But once you build the trail, it gives you a sense that you're supposed to be there."


Writer:  Andrew Moore
Source:  Ilyssa Manspeizer

Grandview Bakery and Sweet Shop opened last week in Mount Washington, with hopes of becoming a one-stop-shop destination for all things baking. Owned by Vickie Pisowicz, the bakery offers artisan breads, cakes, chocolate and candy.

The shop fills a retail/service gap in the community, as identified by residents nearly two years ago.  The Mt. Washington Community Development Corporation polled residents on what type of business they felt was lacking in the neighborhood, and a bakery was the overwhelming response.  In their monthly newsletter, the organization put out a call to entrepreneurs, looking for someone interested in opening a bakery.

Pisowicz answered that call, not only as a Mount Washington resident, but an experienced baker who at that moment was looking to open her own shop.

"We now have a beautiful bakery that filled in a niche in our business mix," says Greg Panza, program manager for the MWCDC.

The offerings at Grandview are extensive.  Breads include baguettes, challah, focaccia; pumpkin, cranberry orange, and banana nut quick breads; cinnamon spice, banana pecan, and chocolate chip muffins; coconut macaroons, pies, cookies, croissants, and more.

Panza say his organization worked with Pisowicz and the Urban Redevelopment Authority in the URA’s Best Fit and Storefront Renovation Programs (SRP).  The Best Fit program pairs entrepreneurs with architects to locate which buildings match the spatial needs of a future business, and the SRP provides matching funds for façade improvements.

Grandview Bakery and Sweet Shop, located at 225 Shiloh Street, is open Tuesday through Saturday, 7:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m; Sunday, 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.  412-251-0811.


Writer:  Andrew Moore
Source:  Greg Panza

The recently opened DeAndrea Designs on Shiloh Street in Mt. Washington carries handcrafted silver jewelry made by owner Vincent DeAndrea.

A Pittsburgh native, DeAndrea found his love for jewelry making 15 years ago while working at a bead store in Seattle. He worked on the basics of making jewelry by watching others construct their pieces and in the years that followed, DeAndrea says he perfected his own style, inspired by nature, pop culture and his nine-year-old niece who always wears his earrings. "It's romantic, yet edgy," he explains. "There's a strength there, but it's very delicate."

DeAndrea got involved with Mt. Washington's Art Market selling his jewelry. When he found the 250-square-foot space for rent, he saw the opportunity to fill a niche within the community.

All of the jewelry is made with wrapped fine silver and a variety of stones. He chose silver because it's the metal with the most flexibility in style and can be easily molded into different designs.

Although he has jewelry ready-made, DeAndrea also makes custom pieces. "If I can get someone to smile and feel good about themselves, I did my job," he explains.

Ranging in price from $30 to $130, the jewelry at DeAndrea Designs includes necklaces, bracelets, earrings and rings. The store is open Tuesday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., Saturday from 12 to 5 p.m. and by appointment.

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Writer: Alex Audia
Source: Vincent DeAndrea

Photograph copyright Alex Audia

Pittsburgh now boasts more Elm Street districts. Manchester, Central Northside, Troy Hill, Lawrenceville, East Liberty and the South Side Slopes were all deemed Elm Street districts by the Urban Redevelopment Authority, with Mt. Washington and Bloomfield-Garfield receiving overdue funds.

As a complement to its Mainstreets Program, the Elm Street Program focuses on the neighborhoods surrounding Mainstreet districts, says Elm Street Program Coordinator Josette Fitzgibbons. Recipients of the funds must focus on five areas: clean, safe and green; neighbors and economy; design; image and identity; and sustainable organizations.

Each community is given funds for a one-year Elm Street planning process, says Fitzgibbons, which Mt. Washington and Bloomfield-Garfield were late in receiving. Both neighborhoods were designated as Elm Street districts in 2009, but due to state budget cuts the funding was not available.

Bloomfield-Garfield has its plan ready, say Bloomfield-Garfield Corporation Deputy Director Aggie Brose and its resident Elm Street Coordinator Kathryn Vargas. They plan on using funds for vacant lot and street cleanups, outreach and community groups. "The residents feel ownership over the planning and outcome," says Vargas, adding that she hopes more residents will get involved as plans develop further.

Mt. Washington will use its Elm Street funds to engage residents and increase curb appeal by cultivating growth, development and community investment, says MWCDC Executive Director Chris Beichner. "It will help us to attract a different population of our community to become involved," adds Program Manager Greg Panza.

Fitzgibbons says it is unknown whether the usual five years of operational funding that take place after year one will occur, depending on the state budget.

For now, it's important to work together to create stable plans that include both community programs and initiatives like streetscape improvement, she says. "It's the combination of the human and the bricks and mortar together that make it a successful program."

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Writer: Alex Audia
Sources: Josette Fitzgibbons, URA
               Chris Beichner and Greg Panza, MWCDC
               Aggie Brose and Kathryn Vargas, BGC

Once Patricia Goettel's daughter got married and moved to Hong Kong, Patricia decided it was time for a change.

The owner of Patricia Boutique, she opened her highly regarded Aspinwall location in 1999. Goettel's world was rocked, though, when her daughter and son-in-law recently moved to Hong Kong. "They're going to be there a number of years, and I just sat down one day and thought I have to go to Hong Kong," Goettel says. Within six months, she sold her large storefront and found another in Chatham Village on Mt. Washington.

"There's a lot of great energy here," Goettel says. "My store had been a barbershop for almost 50 years, and the man retired and it sat empty just waiting for me to come and breath life back into it."

From handmade crafts to jewelry, the boutique carries a large assortment of products. Goettel just returned from her three-week buying trip to Hong Kong and now awaits the packages of goods she purchased, which will be added to the store's inventory.

Though she gave up some space, Goettel enjoys her new freedom. "It's much smaller than my store in Aspinwall, but I can just lock the door and leave for a month at a time if I want to," she adds.

The grand opening of Patricia Boutique's new location on Bigham Street is this Friday, March 4. It will be open Tuesday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Writer: Alex Audia
Source: Patricia Goettel, Patricia Boutique

Photograph copyright John Farley

New park, new name.

Mt. Washington's Grandview Scenic Byway Park is being renamed Emerald View Park, saving Pittsburghers syllables and breath that will just be taken away again once they check out the park's views.

The 235-acre park was created in December 2005 by a unanimous vote of Pittsburgh's City Council, and declared a Regional Park by Mayor Luke Ravenstahl in April 2007. The renaming process included a public voting process organized by the Mt. Washington Community Development Corporation (MWCDC), co-stewards of the Park with the City of Pittsburgh.

All of the park's anchor parks -- Grandview Park, Olympia Park and Mt. Washington Park -- will retain their own names, but be known as part of the larger Emerald View Park.

"One of the taglines that comes out of this naming process is that Emerald View Park is one wild urban adventure," says Ilyssa Manspeizer with MWCDC. "There's such a sense of wilderness in these woods but you're just a stone's throw away from the city, literally. We have views that amazing of Downtown Pittsburgh, and along the back, you see the West End and I-279 surrounded by lush, green hills. You see this vision of Western Pennsylvania as a very green forested area."

Earlier this May, Councilwoman Theresa Smith submitted legislation to City Council to change the name of Mt. Washington. The public hearing for approval will be held May 25.

MWCDC is currently working with Allegheny Land Trust to raise funds to add 19 acres of privately owned land to Emerald View. MWCDC hopes to raise 10% of the $224,000 through community fundraising, and is already it its 50% mark for that 10% goal.

MWCDC is also in the process of raising $3 million to develop its comprehensive trail plan. MWCDC would like to combine trail development with workforce development -- to work with youth under the age of 25 to provide green job training. The trail plan could also lead to economic development, says Manspeizer with MWCDC. Mt. Washington already has more than a million visitors a year -- Emerald View trails could engage them with the business districts beyond just the view from the Incline.

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Writer: Caralyn Green
Source: Ilyssa Manspeizer, MWCDC

Photograph copyright Brian Cohen

The Mt. Washington Community Development Corporation (MWCDC) has received a $5,800 Design Fund Grant from the Community Design Center of Pittsburgh (CDCP), which will be matched by a $5,8000 investment by the URA.

The grant will build upon work MWCDC has already done in planning development of the area by studying the recently rezoned Virginia Avenue commercial district. The three-block section of Virginia Avenue west of Shiloh Street was rezoned in late 2009 as "local neighborhood commercial."

"The rezoning makes the community nervous because it directly butts against a residential area," says Andrea Lavin with CDCP. "MWCDC will use the grant to do a public process centered around planning for how this space can be used so that when change does start, it can be guided by the community."

MWCDC will be working on the plan with Pashek Associates. Work is expected to begin in March or April, and should be done by the second quarter of 2010, says Greg Panza with MWCDC.

"With the One Grandview hotel and condo project coming up, our market is going to go through the ceiling. We want to be prepared with a document that says, 'Okay, you want to develop here? Here is what the community has vetted,'" says Panza. "Once the study is done, we're going to be able to use it as a tool to attract development to the area that is compatible with the existing business and residential areas."

The study will look at prime parcels for redevelopment, what types of businesses would make sense in the area, how to calm traffic and make it safer for pedestrians, how to incorporate residential development, and also at making Mt. Washington a showcase for sustainable streetscape design, says Panza.

In 2007, MWCDC received $10,000 of CDCP funding to complete a plan--by Pashek Associates--for uniting Mt. Washington's three business districts, which are segregated due to topography. Various recommendations have been enacted, including the construction of a rain garden at the corner of Shiloh Street and Virginia Avenue, the creation of the weekly arts marketplace and the painting of several murals.

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Writer: Caralyn Green
Sources: Andrea Lavin, CDCP; Greg Panza, MWCDC

Photograph courtesy of MWCDC

Pittsburgh City Council gave final approval yesterday for the rezoning of land in Mt. Washington that will streamline the construction of One Grandview. Following the unanimous 9-0 decision, the project must still be approved by the city planning commission before construction can start.

Groundbreaking could occur as early as next year.

"The zoning is key to move forward with the project, because without this change to mixed-use zoning, we would not be allowed to put a structure on that parcel that is consistent with a five-star hotel and condo," says Chris Beichner, executive director of Mt. Washington Community Development Corporation.

The 115-room luxury hotel and 55-condominium project, which is estimated to cost about $90 million, will be built on the site of the former Edge restaurant, which has been vacant for some 30 years. It will include a 500-car parking garage; a spa and fitness center; a public grand plaza with an outdoor dining area; and one, two and three-story condos. Some proposed elements include a classroom space where students could learn about the site's coal mining history and how the energy sector is still key in the Pittsburgh region, as well as a grand staircase from Station Square to the top of Mt. Washington that would serve as a tourist attraction. Additionally, One Grandview plans to connect the Mt. Washington hiking trail system through the site, says architect Luke Desmone.

Developer Steve Beemsterboer and architects Desmone & Associates have engaged the Mt. Washington community over the course of about 30 meetings in shaping what the project will look and feel like, and how it will impact the neighborhood. The original concept was scaled back so the building will not impair residents' views of Downtown. Desmone describes the asymmetrical shape of One Grandview as a "sail" that will bookend Mt. Washington and preserve the integrity of the skyline.

"I live in Regent Square. I frequently come down the Parkway, and when I pass through the tunnels, there's a spit second where the topography allows me to see our site. It's just a flash, a poof, then it's gone. The road turns and I lose it. Then I go around another bend and I see it again. And then I drive into the city, and it's there all the time," says Desmone. "It's going to be fun for me to watch this thing grow up from the ground. It's going to be an amazingly delightful experience I'm very much looking forward to."

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Writer: Caralyn Green
Sources: Chris Beichner, executive director, Mt. Washington Community Development Corporation, and Luke Desmone, AIA, LEED AP, principal, Desmone & Associates Architects

Image courtesy Desmone & Associates Architects

Friends of the Pittsburgh Urban Forest is bringing back its popular Tree Tender course, which has certified more than 600 stewards in its three years of existence.

Registration is now open online for the 2010 course, which starts in mid-February and costs $40. A reduced rate option is available.

The course will offer sessions in the Strip District, Larimer, Greenfield, Mt. Washington and Riverview Park. The sessions will train residents in tree biology, structure and function, and teach the basics of tree planting, pruning and care. After completing the course, Tree Tenders can work in their communities to plant, care for and prune young trees.

Pittsburgh had about 30,000 street trees in 2005, the year of the most recent inventory. More than 3,000 of those trees have been removed due to disease, vandalism or neglect, and thousands more are at risk of being removed if they do not receive much-needed care. Organizations such as Friends and TreeVitalize (a partnership of several organization, including Friends, Western Pennsylvania Conservancy, DCNR, the city and the country) are working to preserve and replenish the urban forest, and they rely on volunteers--such as trained Tree Tenders--to do much of the community work.

Caitlin Lenahan, with Friends, says Pittsburgh residents stand to benefit in numerous ways from investing in tending to their neighborhoods' urban forests: Other than just beauty, Lenahan points to studies that say street trees slow down and calm traffic, making streets safer. Also, streets with trees have higher property values, which impact not only home sales, but also retail sales--customers are willing to pay more for goods and services when there are street trees. Additionally, street trees have a huge impact on the environment--Pittsburgh in particular, with its sewage overflow, can benefit from fewer hard surfaces and more landscaping that absorbs stormwater, Lenahan stresses.

Treevalize has planted about 4,500 trees since 2008 with the help of nearly 2,000 volunteers. The goal is to plant 20,000 trees by 2012. To meet that goal, about 2,500 trees must get planted this spring in the Pittsburgh area, says Lenahan. Programs like Friends' Tree Tenders course help make possible that goal.

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Writer: Caralyn Green
Source: Caitlin Lenahan, education and outreach coordinator, Friends of the Pittsburgh Urban Forest

Photograph courtesy of Friends of the Pittsburgh Urban Forest

Burgh Bees is one step closer to achieving its goal of founding a cooperative urban apiary.

The local beekeeping nonprofit has been granted a five-year lease for a block-long lot on Susquehanna Street in Homewood, across the street from the East End Brewing Company. The long-vacant lot cannot be developed in the traditional sense because of its shape (long and narrow) and its proximity to the East Busway, says Meredith Meyer Grelli with Burgh Bees. The property, however, is perfect for beekeeping, thanks to that fact that it's flat, gets lots of early morning sunshine the bees love, and is conveniently located for many Burgh Bees members.

Burgh Bees worked with the URA and the Mayor's office to secure the site. It will host about a dozen honey bee hives as well as a demonstration pollinator garden, and will serve as Burgh Bees' outdoor beekeeping classroom. The group will get the basic infrastructure in place in March 2010, and install the hives in early spring. Burgh Bees will be offering beekeeping training sessions at the Homewood site in spring and summer of 2010.

To turn the now-vacant space into a community asset, Burgh Bees has partnered with Homewood residents, Mayor Ravenstahl's Green Up Pittsburgh program and Penn State Cooperative Extension.

"We've always hoped to have a place to really call our own, a centralized location where we could put all the Burgh Bees hives, host classes and offer space to beekeepers who live in dense neighborhoods and can't beekeep at home," says Meyer Grelli. "This will allow Burgh Bees to continue to grow this next year."

Over the past year, Burgh Bees has established four demonstration apiaries--in Hazelwood, Mt. Washington and Braddock and at the Pittsburgh Zoo. These demonstration apiaries served as hands-on classrooms for the 35 aspiring beekeepers in Burgh Bees' first-year beekeeper training program.

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Writer: Caralyn Green
Source: Meredith Meyer Grelli, Burgh Bees

Image courtesy of Burgh Bees

The Hill District's views rival Mt. Washington's. The Downline skyline, the Allegheny and Mon Rivers, the bridges and slopes. It's all there. It's just hiding, or ignored, say the organizers of Find the Rivers!, and it's time to do something about it.

Find the Rivers!, formed in 2002, has brought on Oakland, Calif.-based landscape architect/artist Walter Hood to help reconnect the Hill to its natural resources. Hood, who has also been commissioned to design an August Wilson-inspired pedestrian walkway at Uptown's new arena, is spearheading Find the Rivers!'s Greenprint project. The project is in its early stages now, and aims to preserve, improve and sustain the health and beauty of the Hill District's natural and built landscape.

Hood will reveal the community green space plans at 6 p.m. Thurs., Sept. 3 at Downtown's August Wilson Center for African American Culture, which is hosting its facility grand opening gala on Sept. 17. These plans are the result of much community dialogue and collaboration, says Denys Candy, co-founder of Find the Rivers!, a partnership of The Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy, Hill House Association, Hill District Consensus Group and the Community Partners Institute.

Greenprint plans could include a number of projects, says Candy, including refurbishing city steps to connect different parts of the neighborhood, building overlooks, planting food farms and biofuel crops in vacant properties, and cleaning up and updating playgrounds and parks.

"We're still in the first phase, the concept phase," says Mike Sexauer with the Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy. "These projects could take years to get off the ground, but we hope to start in 2010."

Writer: Caralyn Green
Sources: Denys Candy, Find the Rivers!; Mike Sexauer, director of marketing, Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy

Photograph courtesy Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy