Development News

MBA Building Excellence Awards highlights the region's best in construction and renovation

Wednesday, March 06, 2013

The Master Builders’ Association of Western Pennsylvania held its annual Building Excellence Awards ceremony last week at the Heinz Field East Club.

Although there were a total of eight winners in as many categories, the MBA's Jon O'Brien highlights first time winners, Rycon Construction, Inc., for their work at the University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg.

Other winners include Three PNC Plaza & Fairmont Hotel, by PJ Dick Incorporated; Chevron Science Center, by Burchick Construction Company, Inc; BNY Mellon Center Exterior Rehabilitation, by Burchick Construction Company, Inc.; Wheatley Center Renovations & Additions, by Landau Building Company; Carr Hall Renovations, by Massaro Corporation; MAYA Design, by F.J. Busse Company, Inc.; and Convention Center Riverfront Plaza, by Mascaro Construction Company, L.P.

Rycon Construction won in the category of New Construction Under $10 Million for the Frank A. Cassell Hall. The project architect is FortyEighty Architecture.

O'Brien says some have asked the Master Builders’ Association (MBA) why there isn't a separate award highlighting green building. He says that while not all projects are LEED certified, all winners do have some aspects of green design or building practices. "It's kind of the commonplace that we all do it," he says.

Submissions to the competition are accepted for work completed in the past three years. The award ceremony was held last Thursday, February 28^th, at Heinz Field East Club.

Winners are chosen based on performance in the following six categories: design and craftsmanship, project teamwork, innovation, overcoming challenges, client satisfaction, and green building practices.

Writer: Andrew Moore
Source: Jon O’Brien

Over $800,000 awarded for conservation, recreation at future Allegheny Land Trust site in Richland

Wednesday, March 06, 2013

Redevelopment of the former Pittsburgh Cut Flower property in Richland Township has received a huge financial boost: the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) announced it will invest $509,500 to the project, along with a $300,000 contribution from the Colcom Foundation.

The site, which includes 150 acres of undeveloped land, will be conserved as open space by the Allegheny Land Trust (ALT). The DCNR's contribution is through a state conservation and recreation grant.

Thanks to those recent investments, ALT now has 75% of the needed $1.4 million purchase price.

The Colcom Foundation has previously supported the effort with a $50,000 grant that was used to bring the property under contract with ALT and the site's current owner.

The property has been vacant for 20 years with dozens of unused buildings at the site. Although ALT plans to permanently protect 80% of the site, which consists of ponds, streams, meadows and woodlands, the remaining 30 acres will be used for a variety of economic development projects.

ALT's Roy Kraynyk says a recent planning charrette with community members produced a number of possible uses for the former commercial site, including a community farm, an environmental learning lab, and perhaps even a solar energy farm.

The land under conservation will be open to passive recreation, such as hiking and fishing, and will likely include historical as well as natural interpretations of the site.

Carol Zagrocki, of the Colcom Foundation, said in a statement that the conservation values of the property include biodiversity, water management, natural scenery, and restoration.

"The land has captured a charitable and conservation ethic in the local community. It is a privilege to support Allegheny Land Trust in advancing the conservation ideals of Colcom's late founder, Cordelia S. May," she said.

The ALT project is one of 198 statewide that has received a total of $26.5 million for recreation and conservation through the DCNR's Community Conservation Partnerships program.

Writer: Andrew Moore
Source: Roy Kraynyk

Morningside rising: Ola's Herb Shop, Capoeira Angola; and coming soon: The Bulldog Pub

Wednesday, March 06, 2013

Ola's Herb Shop is not located in a busy retail district, and that's fine with owner Ola Obasi.

On a sleepy corner in Morningside, Obasi's shop is a multi-use space that is dedicated to enhancing the personal wellness of all members of the community. It's a center for herbal medicine, energy work, and lifestyle coaching, but also the production facility for Obasi's all-natural product line, Nourishing Botanicals.

And Obasi's husband, Eric Biesecker, also teaches Capoeira Angola, the Afro-Brazilian martial art and fight dance, at the shop. While the neighborhood's commercial district might be quiet, this particular storefront (typically open by appointment only) is filled with a holistic, healing energy.

Now, thanks to businesses like Obasi's and the dedication of many other community members, Morningside itself is poised for an awakening.

A new commercial structure has been built next to the neighborhood’s Rite Aid. The pharmacy itself has been renovated, as has the Morningside Market, which benefitted from the URA’s façade renovation program.

And the long-awaited Bulldog Pub & Grill—named for the neighborhood's youth football team—is expected to open on March 15th, at 1818 Morningside Avenue (just in time for St. Patrick's Day). The restaurant is a project of Morningside native Terry Golden.

Grant Ervin, Executive Director of the Morningside Area Community Council, says there has been a need for family-friendly community gathering spaces.

“There’s a big opportunity for that type of third place in the neighborhood,” he says. Ervin expects the Bulldog Pub—whose renovations are making the space even more inviting—to succeed in filling that role.

Ervin says Morningside’s lower rents have allowed entrepreneurs to develop their companies without the burden of excessive overheads. “It’s a good place if you’re looking to open a business,” he says.

Writer: Andrew Moore
Source: Ola Obasi; Grant Ervin

The Hollywood Theater's Indiegogo campaign: Go Digital or Go Dark

Wednesday, February 27, 2013

The Hollywood Theater in Dormont has given itself an ultimatum: Go Digital or Go Dark.

The title of its recently launched Indiegogo crowd-funding campaign is a serious one. Managing Director Chad Hunter says that there is no hard date set, but if the one-screen, 300-seat theater can't raise enough funds to transition to from 35mm film to a digital format, the Hollywood will close for good.

Hunter says it's increasingly difficult for independent cinemas to screen certain releases, with restrictions on use of DVD's, and the rarity of many film prints.

"The writing is on the wall," he says. "We can't operate effectively when these walls keep coming up from the studios."

The theater needs to raise $75,000 to make the film-to-digital conversion. The campaign began with $5,000 in seed money from last September's Pittsburgh Day of Giving. The Indiegogo campaign has so far raised $6,622 as of press time, with 24 days to go.

The Hollywood Theater originally opened in 1933 and is one of few remaining single-screen movie houses in the Pittsburgh area. It has opened and closed several times in the past decade, but was reopened in May 2010 by the non-profit Friends of the Hollywood Theater (FOHT). The organization's long-term goal is to purchase the theater from its current owners.

And the Hollywood isn't alone in this scramble to transition. Theaters around the country are making the expensive switch—or closing up shop—including The Guthrie, in nearby Grove City, PA.

This Saturday, March 2nd, The Living Dead Festival will host a sold-out fundraiser at the Hollywood, featuring a meet-and-greet with cast members from the 1968 film by George A. Romero. The film will be screened in 35mm, with all proceeds going toward the Indiegogo campaign.

Writer: Andrew Moore
Source: Chad Hunter

MOVEPGH interactive prioritization map enables you to shape the future in transportation

Wednesday, February 27, 2013

There's still time to direct the course of Pittsburgh's transportation projects for the next 25 years. Residents have until the end of the day Thursday to rank a slew of proposed projects and to provide detailed feedback on specific improvements.

Last November, a series of Prioritization Workshops were held for a list of proposed projects. An online interactive map was then created based on those presentations.

Those projects appear on the map, color coded according to the type of improvement they represent, with categories such as intersection, bike/ped, and transit. Users are able to identify specific projects, rank its importance and priority level, as well as provide comments about each improvement.

MOVEEPGH is one of twelve components that comprises PLANPGH, the City's first ever comprehensive 25-year plan.

Project ideas were generated not only from MOVEPGH community forums, but also from existing planning documents developed by community organizations.

Each project was evaluated for various levels of effectiveness, and run through the Southwest Pennsylvania Commission’s Regional Travel Demand model.

Through prior efforts, five Community Goals were developed to measure the effectiveness of each proposed project. Those include options for enhanced mobility; supporting a diverse economy through sustainable infrastructure spending; safe, accessible, and healthy environments; projects that that support community and strengthen neighborhoods; and connections to natural and cultural destinations.

Writer: Andrew Moore
Source: Noor Ismail

Wilkinsburg CDC's Storefront Improvement Program attracts new business to the borough

Wednesday, February 27, 2013

When the Wilkinsburg Community Development Corporation (WCDC) set out to bring new businesses to its commercial core, it realized there was one major problem—none of the available storefronts were up to code. So the WCDC worked with the Borough of Wilkinsburg and developed a program to remedy its retail woes.

Its solution was the Storefront Improvement Program, which enables property owners to be reimbursed up to $10,000 for renovations to retail structures.

Building owner Jay Blackford recently became the first property owner to make use of the program, successfully completing renovations to his building on Penn Avenue.

And not only has the storefront been renovated, but the project succeeded in attracting a new business to Wilkinsburg. Pittsburgh Natural Chef, a catering company, has a lease-to-own agreement at the retail space, where it now operates.

Renovations addressed structural issues, water damage, and provided electrical and lighting upgrades. The space is now equipped for commercial food production, including walk-in freezers and coolers.

WCDC Executive Director Tracey Evans says the program, along with other façade and business improvement grants, is critical to revitalizing the borough’s commercial district.

“I think it works well with the all the other pieces,” she says. “It’s really important for us to continue to get support to get these buildings occupied.”

Writer: Andrew Moore
Source: Tracey Evans

SiX funding: Transit Tales to share stories of connecting on public transit

Wednesday, February 27, 2013

If you ride a bus in Pittsburgh chances are you've got more than a few good stories. And now Transit Tales, a new multimedia program, is offering a platform to share those experiences.

Pittsburghers for Public Transportation (PPT) was recently awarded $20,000 from the Sprout Fund as a result of our social innovation eXchange (SiX) on November 5th on Connecting our City. An effort to raise public awareness and the positive perception of public transit, Transit Tales seeks to engage a diverse audience with documentation and creative storytelling.

PPT’s Helen Gerhards says buses connect Pittsburgh’s communities across race, class, age, and various neighborhoods.

“They bring together people who otherwise would never meet,” she says. “We want to showcase those different communities and those lives.”

The project is a partnership between PPT, Pittsburgh Community Reinvestment Group (PCRG) and Bricolage Production Company (BPC). Located in Downtown’s Cultural District, Bricolage will also create an interactive theatrical event out of the stories.

Story collection has begun, but PPT is also planning hub events in specific neighborhoods. Dates and times for these gatherings will be announced soon on the organization’s website.

PPT plans to share the stories—gathered from riders, vehicle operators, and others—through print, audio, and video formats via partner organizations.

PPT is a volunteer-driven organization that advocates for mass transit as essential for healthy environments, better economics, and vibrant communities.

The RFP for this project was created following a recent Social innovation eXchange (SiX) Forum with its theme of connections.

Writer: Andrew Moore
Source: Helen Gerhards

Eastside III and $52 million East Liberty Transit Center moving ahead together

Wednesday, February 20, 2013

The planned Eastside III development will be centered on a new $52 million transit center and will include more than 360 apartments and 50,000 square feet of retail.

A project of Mosites Co., the $65 million transit-oriented development will complete the 14-acre Eastside development which began in East Liberty over a decade ago.

Mosites' earlier developments have brought large retailers such as Whole Foods and Target to the neighborhood. Now, rather than seeking more big-box retailers, the latest phase will be built for smaller stores complimentary to the new residential units proposed for the site.

Steve Mosites says his company is excited about building community in the larger context, as well as at the development site.

"With 360 apartments, it's a community within itself," he says.

The new multi-modal transit center will include a new bicycle parking garage, pedestrian links, and a hub for nearly 1,000 daily bus departures and arrivals. A new connection to Shadyside will be constructed via a pedestrian bridge.

Last June, the City received a $15 million TIGER IV grant for the planned East Liberty Transit Center. The transit center is being developed in a partnership between the Port Authority of Allegheny County, the URA, and Mosites.

The URA board voted last week to sell a portion of vacated Shakespeare Street to Mosites for $1, which completes the site assembly necessary to begin development of both projects. Bids for the transit center’s development could begin as early as this summer, while the Eastside III project is expected to break ground by mid-2014.

Writer: Andrew Moore
Source: Steve Mosites

Eat + Drink: Stay Tuned Distillery, La Prima Espresso, Mt. Lebanon Winterfest, chili and beer

Wednesday, February 20, 2013

Eat + Drink is Pop City's roundup of Pittsburgh's food scene.

- La Prima Espresso is moving its roasting operations to the North Side.

The company will continue to operate its coffee shop in the Strip District, but will move its roastery to a building it has purchased at 1500 Chateau Street in Manchester. The 4,000-square-foot building was formerly home to Synder Electric, and includes a 4,000-square-foot lot.

La Prima is moving from its longtime location in the Pennsylvania Railroad Fruit Auction and Sales building. The historic building is part of the Buncher Co.'s massive riverfront development called Riverfront Landing. Buncher plans to demolish one-third of the structure.

- A micro-distillery is coming to Munhall.

The former John Munhall Neighborhood House will be renovated for the new Stay Tuned Distillery, which will produce and sell small-batch gins and Copper Fox Whiskey. Located at 810 Ravine Street, the distillery is expected to open this summer.

The distillery recently received a $70,000 loan from the Steel Valley Enterprise Zone Corp., to be used for building renovations and business investment.

- Mt. Lebanon's Winterfest, a celebration of hometown chili and beer, will take place this Saturday, February 23rd, from noon till 3:00 p.m. at Clearview Commons. Chili Tasting Tickets are $10 in advance; $15 day-of. Proceeds benefit Relay For Life of Mt. Lebanon.

For an extra $10, guests can taste beers from invited home brewers, including coffee, chocolate, and oatmeal stouts.

Writer: Andrew Moore

Great Allegheny Passage on track for spring completion; celebration date set

Wednesday, February 20, 2013

Mark your calendars: the final segments of the Great Allegheny Passage (GAP) will soon be complete.

On June 15th, a celebration will be held to mark the opening of the new trail segments, currently under construction at Sandcastle Waterpark and Keystone Metals.

The event, titled Point Made!, will take place in West Homestead and at Point State Park in Downtown Pittsburgh.

The GAP trail is a 141 mile car-free route for cyclists and hikers running from Pittsburgh, PA to Cumberland, Maryland. In Cumberland the GAP joins the C&O Canal Towpath, which together creates a continuous, 325-mile long trail from Pittsburgh to Washington D.C.

Allegheny Trail Alliance President Linda Boxx says the idea for the GAP trail was first discussed over 40 years ago in 1973. Since then, the project has chugged along with trail segments built over time, occasionally just a mile at a time.

And in the Mon Valley, the Alliance didn’t have access to railroad properties. “We were basically negotiating with individual property owners piece by piece to put that alignment together,” Boxx says.

The event will begin a ribbon-cutting near Sandcastle, followed by a bike ride to The Point, where the party will take place. Boxx says the ride will be a bicycle parade party.

Construction of the final segments, which began last October, will actually be completed ahead of the event, by late May.

Point Made! will be preceded by a week-long bicycle ride from Washington D.C. to Pittsburgh, as well as a 24-hour relay that will leave D.C. on Friday and arrive Pittsburgh on the 8^th.

“There will be a lot of opportunities for communities to jump in and help us celebrate this great accomplishment,” Boxx says. “So many hands over so many years.”

Writer: Andrew Moore
Source: Linda Boxx

Luxury apartments recommended for reuse of former Schenley High School in Oakland

Wednesday, February 20, 2013

Luxury apartments may be in store for the historic former Schenley High School in Oakland.

The recommended proposal calls for a $36.9 million renovation that would create 175 apartments and a fitness center, making use of an existing gym.

Fourth River Development recently released its recommendation to sell the building to PMC/Schenley HSB Associates for $5.2 million. Fourth River was hired by the Pittsburgh Public Schools to manage the marketing and bidding of the former high school.

Fourth River’s Pat Morosetti says the panel review committee did a full evaluation of all proposals, and PMC’s stood above all the rest.

“The benefits to the community we believe stood above and beyond the others,” he says. “They’re a very focused group with a strong business model proven in the Pittsburgh market, and we expect nothing but the same from them with the proposed Schenley redevelopment."

The school board is expected to vote on the proposal on February 27th, while reserving the right to reject any bids. A public comment meeting will be held on February 25th, at 6:00 p.m., at the board's headquarters on Bellefield Avenue in Oakland.

PMC Property Group was the highest bidder. In 2011, the company had successfully bid for the same building for $2 million, and was then the lone bidder for the project. Recently, PMC successfully converted the former Verizon building, in Downtown, into apartments and the City Charter High School.

Other proposals include Kossman Development Co. and Provident Charter School, at $4.6 million with 115 units of housing and a charter school for 336 dyslexic children; AWSVPA/Edward Alexei, $4.1 million, creating the Andy Warhol School of Visual and Performing Arts; Ralph A. Falbo Inc. and Beacon Communities Development, $4 million, 123 market-rate apartments.

Writer: Andrew Moore
Source: Pat Morosetti

Catalytic Projects Program offers new round of neighborhood development grants, apply now

Wednesday, February 13, 2013

A new round of grants is set to boost neighborhood development throughout Pittsburgh.

The Pittsburgh Partnership for Neighborhood Development (PPND) is investing in organizations that work to improve communities and the quality of residents’ lives with $20,000 to $75,000 in grants and loans.

PPND’s Sarah Perry says a goal of the program is to help innovative ideas get off the ground.

“They need to have some element of improving the well-being of a neighborhood,” Perry says. “That could be improving the face of a neighborhood, or improving the access to quality education for the kids that live in a neighborhood.”

This is the second round of funding for the new Catalytic Projects Program, which was launched last fall. Through the first round of grants, PPND invested $368,750 in neighborhood development.

The current round of funding has been expanded to include any nonprofit organization, not just traditional community development corporations.

The funding is meant to support two phases of projects: feasibility and testing, and new project implementation. For feasibility and testing, PPND hopes the Catalytic Program can push emerging ideas through the early risk-taking stages of development.

PPND is encouraging proposals that involve collaboration across sectors, neighborhoods, and unlikely partners. There will be two more rounds of funding in 2013.

The deadline for submission is February 25th, 2013. Visit the PPND website to apply.

Writer: Andrew Moore
Source: Sarah Perry

GoBurgh releases transit-oriented development study, road map for advancing region's transit

Wednesday, February 13, 2013

A new study was released last week making the case for transit-oriented development (TOD) in the Pittsburgh region.

GoBurgh’s Chris Sandvig says the new report offers a clear strategy for advancing TOD, a type of development he calls an economic engine where investments should be made. His organization’s previous reports have offered ideas on why TOD is important; now they’re showing how it can be done.

Founded in 2009, GoBurgh is a non-partisan transit advocacy organization, and is part of the Regional Policy program of the Pittsburgh Community Reinvestment Group (PCRG).

The report offers a county-wide framework for understanding where key TOD opportunities exist, an implementation system, as well as important actions to be taken, including policy changes.

Sandvig hopes the study can help direct public policy in Allegheny County, as well as educate the region’s developers about the benefits of TOD and the current opportunities that exist.

Recommendations include modifying transit station design and system operations; addressing gaps in funding availability for small- to mid-size infrastructure improvements; and offering a consistent source of funds for station area visioning and planning.

The study was conducted by the Center for Transit-Oriented Development (CTOD) and commissioned by the PCRG under the auspices of its GoBurgh initiative. It was funded by the Heinz Endowments.

“Coming from a national organization that works with many cities and regions to achieve TOD, I think Pittsburgh can be a model for other places trying to maximize the potential of their current transit networks,” said Abigail Thorne-Lyman, Director of CTOD, in a statement.

Writer: Andrew Moore
Source: Chris Sandvig

Eat and Drink: Butcher and Rye downtown and Gaucho Wood-fired Grill in the Strip District

Wednesday, February 13, 2013

Eat + Drink is Pop City's roundup of Pittsburgh's food scene

Having turned away dozens of potential patrons night after night, Meat & Potatoes owners have announced they will open a second location nearby, Butcher and Rye, this June across from Heinz Hall in the former Palate space.

“Every time I walked by Palate, I thought it would be nice (to reopen the space),” says Tolga Sevdik, co-owner with Richard DeShantz of Meat & Potatoes on Penn Avenue. “It’s such a great location.”

The new restaurant will seat 85 and feature a menu similar to the popular gastro pub, with perhaps slightly smaller plates. Sticking with a winning formula, it will specialize in classic cocktails, bourbon and rye. The Meat and Potatoes sous chef will move over to the new location, which promises the same farm-to-table fare that has made Meat & Potatoes an award-winning favorite.

The bar will remain on the mezzanine level with some renovation to create a more appealing front entrance. Shantz and Sevdik also plan to open a third casual dining restaurant, Pork & Beans, in Lawrenceville later this year.

In more casual dining, Pittsburgh’s first Argentinian parrilla has opened, Gaucho Parrilla Argentina Wood-Fired Grill at 1607 Penn Ave. in the Strip District.

Chef and owner Anthony Falcon, a native of Brooklyn, NY, was previously the executive chef and food and beverage director at Southpointe Country Club. Falcon says the restaurant was inspired by his Argentinian father and uncle who took one look at the Strip District and said:

“You gotta open something down here. You’ll sell 100 chickens a day.”

Located in the former Big Mama’s, Falcon has created a cozy and casual stand-and-eat and take-out spot with a sizzling selection of hearty grilled dishes, steak and vegetable sandwiches, sausages, chicken and fish.

The concept is working. Since opening two weeks ago, lines have been winding out the door with patrons drawn by the smoky flavors of the hickory wood-burning fire.

Writer: Deb Smit
Source: Tolga Sevdik, Butcher & Rye; Anthony Falcon, Gaucho

City to sponsor Edible Gardens throughout Pittsburgh, $100,000 Cities of Service grant

Wednesday, February 06, 2013

As urban gardening continues to gain momentum, the City of Pittsburgh is now sponsoring a targeted edible gardens program.

Part of Green Up Pittsburgh, Mayor Ravenstahl’s new Edible Gardens program seeks to transform vacant lots into food producing spaces that not only feed the community but beautify it too.

The funds will enable neighborhood volunteers to purchase materials for constructing raised beds, purchase tools, seeds, or even fruit trees and shrubs. The program is targeting 10 to 15 low-income neighborhoods where access to fresh produce is limited.

For several years the City has supported neighborhood organizations and allowed gardening on city-owned properties. Through Green Up Pittsburgh, more than 125 green spaces have been created, says mayoral spokesperson Joanna Doven. And existing garden groups can also apply for funding.

Edible Gardens is made possible by a $100,000 Cities of Service Impact Volunteering Fund grant, funded by Bloomberg Philanthropies. The funds were awarded to support two of the administration’s servePGH initiatives.

The grant also funds a city “cool roofs” initiative, where city-owned buildings are topped with reflective white paint, keeping facilities cooler and offering savings on summer energy costs.

Of 60 applicants, Pittsburgh is one of 19 cities to receive the Cities of Service grant. Partners in the project include Grow Pittsburgh and The Penn State Center.

Applications are required, and those received by February 22 will be given priority. Applications will continue to be accepted throughout the growing season. The first gardens are scheduled for planting in March and April.

Writer: Andrew Moore
Source: Joanna Doven