North Side : Development News

More new homes are under construction in Manchester, as Fourth River Development broke ground on phase II of its Columbus Square development.  The latest phase will bring four new homes to the former brownfield site, a project that has already begun breathing new life into this corner of the historic Northside neighborhood.

Sally Flinn, of Fourth River Development LLC, says the project has received significant interest based on its urban setting, the quality of the new construction, and now, because of its proximity to the new Allegheny Station.

“Based on the success that we've had on the current phase we hope to continue to just keep rolling and moving forward,” she says.  

The latest phase will bring two types of homes to Columbus Avenue, on the opposite end of the development site’s original five homes.  Two of the new homes will be large, four bedroom, three and a half bath (type C) models; and two will be three bedroom, two and a half bath (type A) models.  

Prices range from $325,000 to $214,000 for the various models.  Flinn says one already has a buyer, while the other three are still available.  

According to Flinn, the type A homes have proven to be the most popular style thus far.  Moving forward, the remaining 22 homes at Columbus Square will be built based on pre-sales.

One of the type C homes will be used as a model, and will feature a significant amount of upgrades, including a fireplace and granite counter tops, in order to showcase all that is available in various home packages, Flinn says.


Writer:  Andrew Moore
Source:  Sally Flinn

The Society of Tavern Seekers (SOTS) latest event is offering preservation enthusiasts a tour of one of Pittsburgh’s most historic brew houses, Troy Hill’s Penn Brewery.  Attendees will get a unique opportunity to see the brewery’s operations up-close, as well as learn about the building’s history on the Northside.

The brewery complex consists of three buildings, which began as the Eberhardt & Ober Brewing Company in 1848.  The central building and the stock house date in their present form from 1894. 

SOTS is a social gathering of historic preservation professionals and advocates, organized by the Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Foundation (PHLF).  David Farkas, of PHLF, says these programs, in addition to being great networking opportunities, are meant to be fun and educational as well.

The event will include a short presentation about the brewery and its buildings, followed by a tour of the site.  Penn Brewery’s full selection of draft beers and hearty German food will be available for purchase throughout the evening. 

SOTS is currently in its second year, and will continue to occur each quarter.  The next event will be held on September 20th, at the Teutonia Mannerchor German Social Club on the Northside.  Farkas says this is another rare opportunity to experience a private social club that would otherwise be off-limits to most.

On December 13th, the SOTS end-of-the-year event will be held at the Omni William Penn, Downtown.

SOTS will tour Penn Brewery on June 21st, 6:00 to 7:30 p.m.  800 Vinial Street, Troy Hill.  To RSVP contact Mary Lu Denny at marylu@phlf.org or 412-471-5808.
 

Writer:  Andrew Moore
Source:  David Farkas

The Historic Deutschtown neighborhood is working to give the 50,000 cars that pass through it on a daily basis even more reason to pause.  The Deutschtown Gateway Project, which is currently underway, includes restorations of several Victorian storefronts on East Ohio Street, an effort that neighborhood organizations hope will improve the entryway of this important Northside business district.

Phase I of the Deutschtown Gateway Project is the complete restoration a Victorian-era commercial building's facade at 632 East Ohio Street.  Located near I-279, it is a highly visible landmark for commuters and visitors exiting the highway. 

Among other improvements, colored art glass windows, hidden for decades behind an earlier remodeling, will soon be restored. The building’s current tenant, Grace Period, plans to expand its administrative offices to a renovated second floor.

The restoration is part of a larger redevelopment plan of the Historic Deutschtown Development Corporation (HDDC) and the Northside Leadership Conference (NSLC). 

At 620-628 East Ohio Street, a combination restoration and infill construction project will add updated retail space to the block, whose buildings are mostly vacant.  The project will create 6,000 to 8,000 square-feet of horizontal commercial office space per floor, on the 2^nd and 3^rd stories of this multi-parcel redevelopment.

According to NSLC Executive Director Mark Fatla, the project will bring a type of large office space the district currently lacks.

“We’ll be able to offer the office market what it wants,” Fatla says.

HDDC is also planning renovate several other buildings it owns, including 431, 433, and 502 East Ohio Street.
 

Writer:  Andrew Moore
Source:  Mark Fatla

Although the city has only two remaining inclines, the Fineview Citizens Council is in the process of preserving and celebrating what remains of that neighborhood’s former funicular.  But the neighborhood group won’t be restoring transit service up the hill.  Instead, they plan to use the remains of the Nunnery Hill Incline’s retaining wall and base station as a well-marked gateway to the hilltop community.   

The Henderson Street Gateway Project will work to preserve the incline’s remnants, improve the entry point into Fineview, and create a unified streetscape, as well as provide improvements to the historic iron fencing on the street’s south side.

Ed Lewis, program manager of the FCC, says the council wanted to have a consistent plan and strategy for improving the entire street.

“This is the first impression people get of [Fineview], and it will be more a welcoming and inviting entryway into the neighborhood,” Lewis says.

Henderson Street intersects the Central Northside at the $15 million Federal Hill housing development, a project which is adding 60 new townhomes to the neighborhood.  Lewis says his organization is hoping to built on the momentum of the Federal/North corridor, which is now redeveloping after many years of planning.

Last year, the incline plane was designated a city historic site.   The Nunnery Hill Incline was one of only a few that meandered up a hillside with a curving route, rather than shooting straight up

The design work is being led by Klavon Design Associates, and the project scope will start at the intersection of Federal Street and Henderson Street, and run approximately 2,000 feet, ascending the hill into the neighborhood.

A portion of the study’s funds were provided by the Community Design Center of Pittsburgh, as well as the Rivers Casino partnership with the Northside Leadership Conference, and a community development block grant from City Council members Darlene Harris and Daniel Lavelle.


Writer:  Andrew Moore
Source:  Ed Lewis

How can neighborhoods use art to build urban connections?  That's the question being asked this Saturday by the Northside’s cultural institutions.  But rather than hiring a distinguished design firm, they're turning the question to the young, creative people of Pittsburgh. 

Beginning with a one-day charrette led by the Community Design Center of Pittsburgh, the challenge will be to design connections—whether literal or metaphorical—between the various points-of-interests throughout the Northside, from the Andy Warhol Museum and the National Aviary, to the New Hazlett Theater and the Mattress Factory.  The event is open to all Pittsburgh residents ages 18 to 25.

That these cultural institutions are sometimes disjointed is a problem that the Children's Museum of Pittsburgh has previously identified.  Their ongoing Charm Bracelet Project has similarly sought to link the district’s cultural and recreational destinations through public art and other unifying efforts.

The current effort, Art and Urban Connectivity, is open to all ideas, and could take on any form, says Thor Erickson, of the CDC.

"We're looking for the creative folks that are the young adults in Pittsburgh to come up with something that's outside of the box and maybe hasn't been thought of before," Erickson says.

Following the charrette, participants will be asked to create a design board detailing their ideas, to be submitted for a juried competition.  The work of 13 finalists will be displayed at the Warhol on June 29th, with cash prizes for various categories of excellence. 

Saturday’s event will run from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm, meeting at the New Hazlett Theater, and moving to the Children’s Museum.  Erickson says the traveling charrette will give participants a taste of the Northside’s cultural offerings.

"There's a lot of little things going on in Northside," Erickson says, "And as you look at them together, it's a pretty compelling piece that if there was a way to easily identify paths to get to each of them, it could create a really unique experience."
 
 

Writer:  Andrew Moore
Source:  Thor Erickson

East Deutschtown’s first commercial development in nearly 40 years has broken ground on what will be a future DaVita dialysis clinic.  Neighborhood groups hope it will be the beginning of renewed and continued investment in this centrally located, Northside community.

The 9,000-square-foot building will be situated just east of Interstate 279 along Madison Avenue and Tripoli Street.  Although the new structure will be just a single floor, a second-story gable was added to the design in order to blend the structure with the surrounding 19th century two- and three-story homes and businesses.

As the site is located near a major traffic corridor, and will be a highly visible landmark, the Community Alliance of Spring Garden and East Deutschtown (also known as East Allegheny) felt that it was especially important that the building’s design reflect the historic character of the neighborhood. 

Community board member Neil Poillon says the completed building will have a look and design that Pittsburgh will be proud of.  He says developer Marc Anthony Construction has worked closely with neighborhood stakeholders, and with the community’s input in the design process.

“We all gave a little and I think we came up with something that was good for the neighborhood and works for the developer,” Poillon says.

In addition to the new dialysis clinic, three historic townhomes in the adjacent block have recently been renovated and are for sale. 

Poillon says the neighborhood is filled with good people and cultural institutions, is favorably situated within the city, and believes it’s only a matter of time before even more vacant lots are transformed into positive community assets.
 
Writer:  Andrew Moore
Source:  Neil Poillon

The Northside Leadership Conference (NSLC) has received a total of $600,000 from First Niagara, and First National Bank of Pennsylvania, boosting real estate and business district revitalization projects throughout Northside neighborhoods.

The first pledge of $300,000 was announced last week, with funds from First Niagara targeting  NSLC’s real estate development programs.  The pledge will include $50,000 annually for six years.

The partnership was announced at the former Ludwig’s Floral building on East Ohio Street, where it and an adjacent storefront are to be renovated as two commercial units, and two second-floor apartments.  The project was supported by previous NPP funding.

“Community development is a difficult business, and our projects are not routine,” says Mark Fatla, NSLC executive director.  “They need creative solutions, and First Niagara’s folks understand that and…share their technical expertise with us.”

Construction of this project, to include streetscape and façade improvements, is scheduled to begin later this summer.

The second $300,000 pledge, from First National, was announced yesterday, and is targeted to support NSLC’s work in business district revitalization.  These efforts include supporting existing businesses, recruiting businesses or new entrepreneurs, as well as marketing and branding business districts, and beautification projects.

Previously, First National financed the $1.7 million streetscape reconstruction of Allegheny West’s Western Boulevard commercial corridor, which included new sidewalks, curbs, trees, and lighting.

“Normally you don’t see banks financing in an infrastructure project like that, but they understood where we were going, why it made sense,” Fatla says.  He adds that First National’s shared expertise allows NSLC to make stronger deals and better decisions.

Both partnerships are part of the Neighborhood Partnership Program (NPP) administered by the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development.  First National has become NSLC’s 6th corporate partner under the program, joining H.J. Heinz Co., the Pittsburgh Steelers, Huntington Bank, and E&O Partners.


Writer:  Andrew Moore
Source:  Mark Fatla, NSLC

The North Shore Connector, the latest expansion of the Port Authority's "T" Light Rail service, will officially open for service on Sunday, March 25th.  The 1.2 mile extension will pass under the Allegheny River, connecting Downtown Pittsburgh with the North Shore, PNC Park, and Heinz Field.

In addition to the new transit line, three new T stations were constructed as part of the project.  The new Gateway Station features a translucent structure which brings natural lighting into the underground platform.  The station was designed by the Light/Motion Collaborative, a joint venture between EDGE Studio and Pfaffmann & Associates.

Located within Gateway Station is the restored “Pittsburgh Recollections” mural by renowned artist Romare Bearden.  Originally completed in 1984, prior to the opening of the original Gateway T station, the mural was carefully restored over a 13-month period by conservator McKay Lodge, and installed in its new location last fall.

The mural features transportation motifs, and an interpretive timeline of Pittsburgh history, from Native American culture to modern industry.

The North Side Station was designed by Cooper Carry, of New York, and the Allegheny Station was designed by Burt Hill, of Pittsburgh.

The T’s Free Fare Zone will be extended to both new North Shore stops, and will continue to include all stops Downtown.

Last month, the Port Authority announced that along with a previous agreement between the Stadium Authority and Alco Parking, the Pittsburgh Steelers and Rivers Casino would underwrite the northernmost segment of the North Shore Connector.  This will allow for free rides at all times, at no cost to the Port Authority, and is expected to last up to three years.
 
Travel time between Allegheny station (end of line) and Wood Street Station is estimated at 9 minutes.  Service will run 7 days a week, with extra service during special events.  Cars will arrive every 4 minutes during peak periods.  Schedules are available at the Port Authority website.

The $523 million project was funded through federal, state, and county funds.  According to the Port Authority, these were capital funds specific to the project, and cannot legally be applied to the agency’s operating budget deficit, or to prevent service cuts or fare increases. 

Port Authority spokesperson Jim Ritchie says that if the most recently proposed budget cuts do take place, light rail service will be cut back in September.

“Obviously, we don’t want to cut service,” Ritchie says, “So we're…looking to make sure that doesn't happen if at all possible, and we're taking the steps necessary to try to achieve that.”

Ritchie says that the future of transit in Pittsburgh, whether it be further extension of the T Light Rail service, or Bus Rapid Transit between Downtown and Oakland, is at the will of the community.

“We're going to go in the direction the community wants us to go, and that's what we’re looking for,” Ritchie says.


Writer:  Andrew Moore
Source:  Jim Ritchie

What was once a 20-year-long vacant lot can now officially be called home, as Dean Hastings and Jon Seeley have become the first homeowners to move into the Columbus Square development in Manchester.

The five-year project has transformed the former American Electric site into the first phase of an infill development, which will culminate in the construction of 31 new homes.  Phase II will officially begin next week, as Fourth River Development LLC will release four additional lots for sale and build-out.

Dean Hastings and Jon Seeley had been looking for a home in Pittsburgh for over a year when they found Columbus Square.  Hastings says the central location and accessibility of the neighborhood were important, and the 10-year tax abatement "really pushed us over the edge."

"Most of our friends live in the city, and so we were always driving from Scott Township," to city neighborhoods for dinner, events, and socializing.  "We knew that we wanted urban living," he says.

Hastings says they have made a few adjustments to the home's interior, including the addition of a  two-zone HVAC system.  Because the home features other green building techniques, he wanted to make as many environmentally-friendly decisions as possible, and the two-zone HVAC makes it possible to heat only rooms that are in use.

Neighbors who have lived in Manchester for over 50 years have welcomed Hastings and Seeley.  And in the coming weeks, a second set of homeowners who have closed on a home in Columbus Square will join them in the adjacent house on Juniata Street.

In addition to Columbus Square, the Manchester Citizens Corporation is also in the midst of its Renaissance Housing Program, a 38-unit, for-sale redevelopment of former multi-family homes, acquired through HUD foreclosure.  

The first phase of the program includes nine units, with four on Columbus Avenue, adjacent to the Columbus Square development.  This section of Manchester will now include a mix of new home construction and renovated historic properties.


Writer:  Andrew Moore
Source:  Dean Hastings; Sally Flinn, Fourth River Development, LLC

In 2010 the Central Northside Neighborhood Committee (CNNC) released their vision for the community: to transform vacant lots and empty storefronts by filling them with thriving individuals, commerce, and families of all kinds. Three projects on Federal Street are helping that organization meet its ambitious goal.

The latest phase of the Federal Hill housing development is near complete, and the first tenants have already moved in. The $15 million initiative is a collaboration between S & A Homes, CNNC, and the URA. The current phase brings 12 new townhomes to the intersection of Alpine and Federal Streets. Houses range in seize between 1,400 to 2,300-square-feet, and all but two are sold.

Closer to North Avenue, developer Bill Barron has begun renovating the former Toula’s restaurant building at 1108 Federal Street. This is his third project on the same block, where Barron has transformed two other dilapidated buildings into successful spaces for commerce.

Barron’s previous two renovations culminated in leases with Crazy Mocha and the Deli on North, and two apartments, developments that have greatly improved this important intersection and gateway to the Central Northside.

And for the current project on Federal, Barron already has a tenant lined-up: Derek Burnell, co-owner of Round Corner Cantina, is planning a take-out Mexican restaurant for the first floor.  Remodeling work is scheduled to be complete by early summer, and the second floor will be renovated as a one-bedroom apartment.

And finally, stabilization work has begun on two Federal Street properties in the Garden Theater block, the long-awaited redevelopment project that supporters hope will be a cornerstone for the neighborhood.

As reported in November of last year, developer Wayne Zukin has letters of intent from three Pittsburgh restaurants to develop new entertainment concepts for the Northside neighborhood.

Chris D’Addario, president of CNNC, says that people are resoundingly happy to see working begin on that block.

“To know that that anchor of our neighborhood is going to be an area that’s going to draw people, instead of scare people, is quite exciting to all that live here,” D’Addario says.


Writer: Andrew Moore
Source: Bill Barron; Andy Haines, S & A Homes, Chris D’Addario

James Street Gastropub and Speakeasy has opened in Deutschtown, evoking the spirit of a former Pittsburgh jazz hangout, while offering an updated menu of food and drinks.

Located at the intersection of Foreland and James Streets (just north of East Ohio Street), the large building was originally built for the Perry Homestead Loan and Trust Company in the 1800's.  More recently, the Classical Revival-style structure has been home to a string of neighborhood restaurants and other quirky uses.

The first floor restaurant space, while repaired and renovated, appears much like it might have in years past: exposed brick, a handsome, dark-wood bar, and wooden booths.  Autographed musician photographs line one wall, mementos inherited from the former jazz club once located here, the James Street Tavern.

The James Street Tavern was a beloved local venue and restaurant, serving Louisiana-style cuisine.  Co-owners Adam Johnston and Lisa Saftner say when local musicians heard that “James Street” was back, they were overwhelmed with enthusiasm and support.

“I had no idea that there was such a huge jazz community in Pittsburgh,” Saftner says. 

James Street is already booked with jazz and blues three nights a week (Friday through Sunday) through May.

Performances are held in the "speakeasy" basement level, where bands take the stage in an intimate setting, at arm’s length from seated patrons.  Scheduled performers include the Boilermaker Jazz Band, Roger Humphries Quintet, and the Etta Cox & Al Dowe Band.

The Pittsburgh Jazz Society has also relocated their weekly Sunday Night Jazz series to the speakeasy.  On January 15th, the Kevin Howard Quartet will take the stage at 6 p.m.

Johnston says the menu at James Street was designed to be as eclectic as this Northside neighborhood.  That means everything wings and burgers, to Cajun oysters, short ribs, and chicken fried steak.  There’s also plenty of appetizers and small-plates to chose from, for sharing with friends during a set of live jazz.


Writer:  Andrew Moore
Source:  Lisa Saftner, Adam Johnston

The Northside’s first-ever on-street bicycle infrastructure is now in place with more to come.  Shared lane markings, or sharrows, have been painted on several key streets leading from the riverfront trail to Northside neighborhoods.  Part of a greater community-wide bicycle route, the project will eventually include bicycle lanes from the Central Northside to the Wood’s Run neighborhood.

Bike Pittsburgh’s Eric Boerer says this infrastructure will allow safer access for Northside residents to the riverfront trail system while addressing other issues of connectivity.

The new markings are along a bicycle route identified by the Northside Bike/Ped Committee.  

Jerry Green, a member of the Bike/Ped Committee, is amazed by the work being done, and how quickly the city has responded to his organization’s input.

Green says the committee views sharrows as important for raising awareness of cycling as a normal and healthy transportation option for residents and visitors.

“It legitimizes the bikes,” he says.

Green, who has been cycling for decades, says he notices a change in driver behavior while on roads with sharrows, like Penn Avenue in the Strip District.  He says he hopes it makes a difference on the Northside.

“I’m hopeful that this isn’t all, that there’s more to come,” Green says.

And new sharrows have also been laid along Penn Avenue at the Doughboy Square intersection in the Strip District.  Those markings link the Liberty Avenue bike lanes with existing sharrows in the Strip District, part of an East End-to-Downtown on-street bicycle route.

“The sketch is there,” Boerer says of the bicycle routes in progress.  “And now we're trying to work with the city to fill in the gaps to make it a more clear and present connection.  The long-term vision is to make sure there’s a network safely and clearly connecting neighborhoods with bicycling infrastructure.”  

***

A community meeting will be held tonight, November 30th, about the future of the former LTV (Almono) site in Hazelwood, and whether or not the riverfront trail will be extended into that neighborhood.  6:30 to 8:30 P.M., International Union of Operating Engineers, 300 Saline Street.  For more information contact Jim Richter, jwarichter@comcast.net, 412-421-7234


Writer:  Andrew Moore
Source:  Eric Boerer, Bike Pittsburgh

Restaurant and bar concepts similar to Nakama, Round Corner Cantina, and the Firehouse Lounge are in the works for the former Garden Theater block in the Central Northside.

Developer Wayne Zukin, a principal with Zukin Realty, told an assembled URA board that his team, Allegheny City Development Group LLC, held letters of intent to work with the owners of those three popular Pittsburgh establishments. 

Phase one of the redevelopment project will transform the Garden Theater and several adjacent buildings into mixed use spaces, with storefronts containing dining and retail on the first floor, and apartments above.  Zukin says the owners of Nakama, a Japanese steakhouse and sushi bar, are looking specifically at the former Masonic Lodge building for a restaurant concept.

“We don’t want to delay any longer,” Zukin says.  “We want to get started with the tenants that we have in hand, and get the project kickstarted.” 

Zukin hopes this first phase of development will create enough critical mass to generate interest and tenants for the remaining structures along North Avenue and Federal Street.

Zukin was awarded the development rights to the Garden Theater block in October of 2010.  He says stabilization work will begin within the next six weeks, and hopes to be out of the design phase and under construction this coming spring.

“I think it’s going to be a great asset to the Northside, and it’s a project that’s been a longtime coming,” Zukin says.  “It’s been tricky, but I think we're finally figuring it out.”

Writer:  Andrew Moore
Source:  Wayne Zukin

A rowhouse and adjacent lot on Sampsonia Way will soon become The Mattress Factory's third exhibit space in the Northside.  

Because the Mattress Factory is an installation museum, where artists stay and work in-house, much of the gallery space can be unavailable for periods of time.  But with the new gallery spaces, museum spokesperson Lindsay O'Leary says, “there will always be something new for the public to see.”

The 1890 Victorian home, located at 516 Sampsonia Way,  was most recently an installation by Ruth Stanford titled Dwelling Home.  As part of that exhibit, the home’s windows were replaced with gravestone-like markers that listed the former occupants of the home.  Those markers will remain on site, but will be removed from the facade.

In addition to the rowhouse, an adjacent lot will be used for both education and performance programs, and outside installations.  Sota Construction will lead the renovation work, which will be done using environmentally friendly and energy-saving practices.

The Mattress Factory’s main exhibit space, located at 500 Sampsonia Way, was founded in 1977.  A second exhibit space, at 1414 Monterey Street, reuses a former storefront and upstairs home.  O'Leary says the museum is conscious of the surrounding Victorian neighborhood, and tries to keep facades similar to what they were originally.

“We don't ever tear anything down,” O’Leary says.  “We just rehab it so we can use it again in a different way.”

The officially groundbreaking will take place on Thursday,  November 10th, at 10 a.m., and is free and open to the public.  412-231-3169.


Writer:  Andrew Moore
Source:  Lindsay O’Leary

A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held  last Thursday for the Columbus Square development in Manchester, a project five years in the making.  Despite wind and rain, community members turned out to tour the project’s first completed home, and to hear remarks from project developers and community leaders.

Linda Nelson, chair of the Manchester Citizens Corporation, said this development will anchor the north-eastern section of the neighborhood, adding valuable housing diversity to the community.  Nelson says her organization is also extremely proud of the cost-saving, energy features included in these homes.

“Because we value sustainability and we understand that it is necessarily for communities like ours to grow and prosper,” Nelson said.

Currently, five homes are finished or near completion.  Project developer Fourth River Development LLC will continue the build-out based on pre-sales, with plans to construct a total of 31 new homes.

The featured model unit contains four bedrooms, a first-floor den or study, three and one-half baths, and is offered at a base price of $255,000.  Two of the five homes have been pre-sold, with prices beginning at $179,000.

The redevelopment project has also resulted in the reopening of Juniata Street to Fulton Street, which had formerly dead-ended into a cul-de-sac.

A ten year tax abatement program is offered as an incentive to potential homebuyers.  Mayor Luke Ravenstahl called this a tremendous incentive, and said he was happy to have it available in Manchester, targeted by his administration as a Neighborhood Growth Zone.

Columbus Square is built on the former American Electric site, which had been vacant and empty for nearly 20 years.  Fourth River Development LLC’s other notable redevelopment projects in Pittsburgh include Washington’s Landing and Summerset at Frick Park. 


Writer:  Andrew Moore
Source:  Fourth River Development LLC