Fifth-Forbes, then and now.

Archived Post-Gazette article on funding for Fifth-Forbes redevelopment

Browsing through the Pittsburgh development discussion earlier today, I found a post regarding the initial push from then-Mayor Tom Murphy to redevelop the retail corridor of Fifth and Forbes Avenues in the heart of Downtown. At the time, Murphy had a vision of numerous chain retailers occupying the spaces fronting these streets; retailers such as Cheesecake Factory, J. Crew, 9West, as well as Macy's and Sak's 5th Avenue and Lord & Taylor, both of which are no longer located in Downtown.

Retail will only be successful if there is a market present to sustain it. The retailers that Murphy was trying to lure into Downtown were already prominent in suburban shopping malls. This kind of retail would probably not be successful because nobody will drive into downtown for shopping when they could go a relatively short distance to the mall and park for free.

Today, retail is thriving in this corridor, and I think it will only get larger. The rebirth currently taking place is mainly due to the rise of apartments and condos in the heart of the Golden Triangle. People are flocking downtown to live, and this is actually the trend in numerous other larger cities, especially Philadelphia, Cleveland, Cincinnati, and Baltimore to name a few. Residents will add to a retailer's catchment area, making a retail operation more viable at a given location. Under Murphy's plan, as previously stated, the market was not big enough to sustain any large scale retail.

Circa 1998 Downtown's population was only a couple thousand.  Today, that number is estimated to have climbed to over 7,000 with more projected to arrive to live.  More apartments are either being planned or completed either as new buildings or as conversions of old office space.  Also helping the rebirth of retail is the rise of the hotel.  In the last five years alone, we have seen a handful of hotels open in the area including a Fairmont Hotel in 3 PNC Plaza.  Several more hotels are in the planning stages including an Embassy Suites in the Oliver Building, and a Hilton Garden in a new complex called The Gardens.

With the way things are progressing for Downtown, Pittsburgh's central business district could hit 10,000 within the next few years, and according to this December 25, 2012 Triblive Article, hotel demand is only going to get stronger...

Village Green's proposal for a residential building in Pittsburgh's Bloomfield neighborhood.

Village Green, a developer specializing in residential developments, is proposing a 200-plus unit six story building in an East End neighborhood, following the continuing trend of residential developments as this part of the city continues its growth.  At six stories, this planned community to be called Morrow Park City Apartments will exceed the height limit of three stories.  To promote bicycling and transit use, there will only be 181 spaces for cars as well as 72 bike-sharing spaces.  The one thing I do not agree with, however, is the desire to opt out of any commercial or retail use on the ground floor of this structure.

Ground floor retail will add to the street activity along Baum Boulevard and Liberty Avenue.  Having a mix of necessity retail or commercial use, such as dry cleaning, banks, or laundromats, along with restaurants and bookstores could go along way to increase pedestrian activity in this part of the city.  Even if there are only those retail establishments providing necessary services for local residents, this would negate the purpose to take a personal vehicle or other means of transportation an extended distance.

Suggestion for the Mon-Fayette Expressway/Southern Beltway project.

I've been poking around the construction updates on the Pennsylvania Turnpike's website, and I keep coming back to the subject of the controversial Mon-Fayette Expressway and Southern Beltway projects.  I know that residents and business owners in Hazelwood are vehemently opposed to this road because it would likely divide the neighborhood already reeling from the collapse of the steel industry.  Other places along the corridor of the proposed freeway oppose this project for similar reasons as well as the fact that it will be very expensive to construct.

The last leg of the Mon-Fayette Expressway will extend from its current terminus at Route 51 near Jefferson Hills Borough and connect with the Parkway East in Monroeville and in the City of Pittsburgh just west of Hazelwood.  The costs for this project keep increasing and the local opposition is getting stronger, which has already delayed the project.  My recommendation is the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission should consider dropping the segment running from the Parkway East near Hazelwood to the other part of the proposed roadway near the Edgar Thomson Works in Braddock.  This should immensely cut costs and quiet down some of the opposition.  The other segment would use an existing freight railroad right of way from the proposed "Y" interchange to I-376 near Monroeville.

I do envision a road linking Hazelwood with Braddock, but I see such a road as a parkway or tree-lined boulevard.  Currently, there is no road network directly linking these two Monongahela River establishments, and I believe these locations could be better served by a scenic parkway rather than an obstructive limited-access freeway.

Philadelphia's hub status once American and US Airways merge

A report issued by the Government Accountability Office (I wonder if these guys are certified geniuses) reports that Philadelphia could lose hub status in favor of New York's JFK International Airport.  This same report also stated how Charlotte could experience a reduction in service and eventually lose its hub to a larger Miami operation.  For now, I will focus on Philadelphia.

From the article at http://articles.philly.com/2013-06-26/business/40208489_1_american-airlines-gao-report-northwest-airlines#UmhBaOFrROIPb3Cq.99

The GAO report, released June 19, the day of a Senate subcommittee hearing on the merger, said: "New York could serve as a better hub and international gateway than Philadelphia in the Northeast, while Miami could be a better hub than Charlotte in the Southeast." The analysis offered no data to back up the statement.

Right here, the report pretty much loses credibility.  If there is no data to back it up, then this is merely just nothing more than speculation.  At least, both US Airways and American have stated pretty much that this is entirely just speculation and that the G.A.O. has no idea of how the new American will function.  Philadelphia will remain as a hub and will be a key market for this airline.

My opinion of this is Philadelphia is a massive market.  It ranks among the largest metropolitan areas and generates a large amount of originating and/or destinating traffic, which is necessary for an airline to successfully and profitably operate and maintain a hub.  New York City may be the largest origin-destination market in the country, but it does have some limit or threshold at which point the market becomes saturated, decreasing the overall profitability of an airline's hub operation.  This is especially given that Delta and Jet Blue Airways already maintain large hub operations at JFK, where this report is speculating that American could shift its Philadelphia ops to.

American does have a significant operation at JFK, but they essentially focus on local origin-destination traffic rather than connections.  In my opinion, this seems to work for the airline.  Delta and Jet blue have operations that cater to connecting traffic as well as origin-destination traffic.  Could American open a hub at this airport and run it profitably, especially considering that Delta and Jet Blue are already very much entrenched there?  I am not sure that it can.

While JFK may have a few connection opportunities courtesy of American Airlines, I am thinking it would be wiser for the airline to shift some of this through Philadelphia, especially some of the international traffic depending on the connections.  The JFK base should continue to focus on local traffic and leave Philadelphia to handle the bulk of the connecting traffic on the East Coast.

My vision for a regional transit system -- the final installment, part one

For now, this is going to be the final installment of my vision for a regional transit system for the Greater Pittsburgh region.  After reading some of the latest discussion posts in the Pittsburgh development thread in skyscraperpage.com touching off on this subject, I recalled an article in the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review which discussed the potential of merging several Western Pennsylvania transit agencies into one large regional system to better serve Pittsburgh and its countryside in a similar fashion Philadelphia is served by Southeast PA Transit Authority (SEPTA).

The article: Consolidation of transit systems in Southwestern PA gains momentum.

Given the article dated February 23 of this year, perhaps my vision could be used as a conceptual idea of what Pittsburgh's transit system could look like.  As of right now Pittsburgh, given its rather fragmented transit network, does not seem as large of a metro area as indicated by the US Census Bureau.  Westmoreland, Butler, Beaver, and Washington Counties are all part of the metropolitan area, but they all have their own transit agencies apart from Port Authority of Allegheny County.  Coming out to the Philadelphia region, we have SEPTA serving all four suburban PA counties of the Philadelphia region, with SEPTA regional rail extending into Mercer County, NJ, and Newcastle County, DE.

To me, Western Pennsylvania's transit network is very fragmented, and yet some members of the general public seem to frown upon the idea of merging the agencies ("No transit merger").  In my opinion, a larger transit agency probably has better chances of securing more state and Federal funds for future projects as opposed to smaller agencies.  Not to mention, several areas within the metropolitan area are isolated; there is no transit link between Butler and Cranberry, and regional links between Pittsburgh and outlying counties are inadequate.  A system that is more regional rather than localized will:

• Improve chances for funding from state and Federal agencies to improve the network.
• Greatly improve overall access throughout the region and allow for chances at improved or increased access for the future.
• Connect more people with their jobs, activities, and each other.
• Enhance the region's livability through improved transit access.

One final goal of a more regional system is to mix a variety of transit modes catering to a broader range of potential users.  Currently, Port Authority primarily uses buses to move the bulk of Pittsburgh's residents. Parts of the region are served by the "T," Pittsburgh's light rail system, but this system is located in just Downtown and the South Hills and only caters to a small fraction of Pittsburgh's metropolitan area.  With a more diverse regional network, the larger transit system:

• Will serve a wider range of transit users regardless of social class; more people will be willing to use public transit if other modes rather than buses are employed.
• More adequately and efficiently move larger masses of people from place to place.
• Increase the value of some suburban areas, boosting the potential for economic growth in some of the more established suburban commercial centers (i.e. Greensburg, Washington), or enhancing more urban development in places like Cranberry or along the airport corridor.

Idea for the Airport Corridor: Inter-modal transportation center at Pittsburgh International Airport.

Well, we're returning to the topic of transportation, and I have finished putting together my idea for improving transportation in the western corridor.  I still envision the extension of the light rail system out to the airport, but I also envision a series of bus-rapid transit routes jutting out from the light rail terminus to serve the larger western region of Greater Pittsburgh.

For now, there are two BRT lines originating from the airport terminus, with one extending out to Steubenville, Ohio, and the other extending southward to South Pointe in Washington County.  The Steubenville area was recently added to the combined statistical area given the amount of traffic moving between Steubenville and the airport vicinity.  The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission will soon break ground on their latest leg of the Southern Beltway, which will provide a direct link from the airport to Interstate 79 near the Allegheny-Washington County Line.

Both lines will extend along the Route 576 alignment to a fork near the US 22/Route 576 interchange, which is the current terminus.  The Steubenville Line will extend from the Route 576 interchange and follow the US 22 alignment all the way to Steubenville.  Stops will be provided at some interchange locations as well as at a few over or underpasses near dense residential areas.  The South Pointe line will continue along the Route 576 alignment before branching off to follow Quicksilver road to Midway.  At Midway, it will follow a series of trail alignments to Southview, Cecil-Bishop, and eventually Interstate 79 before terminating at South Pointe Boulevard.

The goal of this transportation network is multi-fold. As stated above, the Weirton-Steubenville Metropolitan Statistical Area was recently added to the Pittsburgh Combined Statistical Area given the recent transportation trends that have occurred with recent growth in the I-376/US 22 corridors.  While the population density is not there for any guided rail system, bus-rapid transit should be a rather viable option and should enhance the economic growth of this region.  Pittsburgh is trying to establish itself as a region where bus-rapid transit is viable.  I think this transit option would work very well in this part of the region.

Developments around Cleveland, Ohio.

Again, remaining on the subject of urban developments but turning away from Pittsburgh and Philadelphia, I'm looking north and west to the best location of the nation, Cleveland, Ohio.  Over a week ago, they just opened their new Convention Center, which basically is rebuilt below the surface with an open park for its green roof.  I was in Cleveland last year and saw the project first hand while it was still under construction. I could not get a good look at the project underway because it was almost completely closed off with jersey walls.  I did see renderings of the project, and it did look intriguing.  If memory serves me correctly, I believe the city is going to apply for LEED certification since this building will almost be entirely underground with a park space on top of it.

In addition to the convention center, a large hotel is also in the works.  The mayor and Cuyahoga County chief executive are securing money to fund this project.  One interesting thing that comes to mind is that construction costs are apparently lower in Cleveland than they are in Pittsburgh.  The folks in Pittsburgh are still trying to encourage the development of a large hotel adjacent to the David L. Lawrence Convention Center, but the costs apparently are much higher that the $350 million price tag for the Cleveland hotel.  Also, the Cleveland hotel will contain up to 200 more rooms at least.

A third development of interest is right along the Lakefront in the vicinity of Cleveland Browns Stadium.  I saw this development on airliners.net while discussing Cleveland-Hopkins International airline service.  This development consists of a series of multi-story high-density mixed use buildings, primarily office and residential.  I look forward to seeing more of this project, and I think it will become a large asset for the city of Cleveland.

Redeveloping Pittsburgh's East End.

Earlier in the week, a fellow forumer on skyscraperpage.com posted photos from a walking tour he did of the East End neighborhood of East Liberty.  Years back, this was a run-down inner-city neighborhood with many derelict buildings and a high crime rate.  Roughly fifteen years ago, Nabisco shut down its East Liberty factory, leaving the structure to fall into disrepair.

Over the recent years, it has undergone a transformation.  Perhaps the first noticeable change was the conversion of the former Nabisco plant into a mixed use development known as Bakery Square, where Google eventually set up shop and is expanding.  Not far from there, a high rise projects housing community dating to the 1960s gave way to a two-story target.  Right in the heart of the neighborhood, work is getting underway to construct an inter-modal transit center right along the Martin Luther King Jr. East Busway.

Also in the near future, we'll see the erection of Bakery Square 2.0, which will essentially be a continuation of the Bakery Square development complete with residential and office use as well as retail.  In addition to these developments, a slew of other residential and commercial projects are underway with many more still to come.

With all of this happening in the East Liberty neighborhood, I guess one could argue that it is only a matter of time before we see anything noticeable happen in the crime-ridden neighborhood of Homewood and the adjacent borough of Wilkinsburg.  In fact, a redevelopment project is about to get underway in Homewood that will make use of the neighborhood's old post office.  With respect to transit access that could spur growth, both are located along the East Busway. and both communities have put together a master plan outlining the access to bus-rapid transit to enhance development.

The discussion can be seen here:

http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?p=6174004#post6174004

Pittsburgh-Tribune Review article about the Produce Terminal and how it could properly be reused.

I'm taking a break from transportation issues for now, and focusing on development.  The following is from the Tribune-Review website:

"Lost" buildings can't be replaced

The article talks about how the Strip could be negatively impacted with the loss of a large portion of the Produce Terminal.  The article also mentioned how the old New York Penn Station gave way to the urban monstrosity that is Madison Square Garden.

What I liked about the article is it hinted at some ways this building can be reused that will not inversely impact its character or the character of the Strip.  The thing I really agree with is that even though this building is several blocks long, it does create this open space similar to an open plaza you would typically find in various cities in Europe, especially with the church marking the northeastern end of this "plaza."

Cranberry-Evans City-Butler BRT

Pictured above is my idea for a Cranberry - Butler Bus-Rapid Transport route.  The Butler County Planning Commission outlined in their most recent Comprehensive Plan update that they want to link burgeoning Cranberry Township with the county seat of Butler by an improved transportation link.  Not only are the two linked together with this route, but Evans City is also accessible.  This route will follow ROW to be acquired along I-79, a widened Main Street/Evans City Road (PA 68), and an existing freight railroad line to Butler.  Total length according to Google Earth is roughly 22 miles.  Given an average speed of roughly 50 mph, average travel time between Cranberry and Butler could be cut by at least 40 percent.  Currently, a one-way trip between the two places can take as long as 40 minutes.

My Comprehensive Regional Transportation Plan...

Above is my complete regional rail transit network planned for the Greater Pittsburgh region.  These lines fall into a hierarchy.  Regional rail, identified with the white lines, will serve the more dense urban and suburban areas, while light rail (green, blue, and yellow) and heavy rail (red and orange) will concentrate mainly on the urban core areas within Allegheny County.  

Part four will identify the areas where Bus-Rapid Transportation will be the most suitable, primarily in places north of and south of the city.  Also outlined in part four will be the regional transit access points for each line as well as which access points will serve as inter-modal transportation centers or hubs.

Part 3: Cranberry-Butler Bus Rapid Transit.

In my previous post, I mentioned how I envision a couple of rail lines linking the northern exurbs with Downtown Pittsburgh.  I am changing my thinking and instead considering bus-rapid transportation for this corridor.  Communities are smaller and further apart from one another.  Therefore, the density is not quite there to support any heavy rail transportation.

I am, however, considering a heavy rail line along the northern/western shore of the Allegheny River to Freeport Borough in Armstrong County.  I am also considering a more regional bus system extending from each rail terminus.

Port Authority Vision, Part 2: Regional Rail

To continue with the topic of a regional transit system, I have devised a vision for a comprehensive regional rail system linking Downtown Pittsburgh with several of its regional population and job centers such as Greensburg, Washington, New Castle, and several points in between.  I have this thought out in phases, with the first phase containing a link along the old Pennsylvania Railroad Main Line to Greensburg and along a B&O spur to Washington.  The second phase would link New Castle and Beaver with Pittsburgh as well as Washington via the Chartiers Valley.

I am devising an idea that would link Butler and portions of Armstrong County.  According to the Butler County Comprehensive Plan, they are trying to improve transportation access, particularly public transit, between Butler and the rapidly growing community of Cranberry.  A existing freight line runs from Pittsburgh through Mars and up to Butler, with a spur cutting off towards New Castle.

Having a regional rail network would be extremely beneficial for a region starting to show signs of growth.  It would provide regional connections with Pittsburgh and its suburbs and countryside.  These connections could in turn spur economic growth not just in the city of Pittsburgh but throughout the region.

Peduto wants a more regional transit system. Here is my vision, part one...

In a recent article (I cannot remember if I read it in the Post-Gazette or Tribune Review), Peduto stated how he would like to work towards expanding Pittsburgh's regional public transit system, especially its light rail system to serve places in all directions from Downtown.

I, too, share this vision, especially with Pittsburgh, Allegheny County, and the region as a whole growing again for the first time in decades.  The South Hills are already well served by two LRT lines that provide service to Library, Bethel Park, Mt. Lebanon, and Castle Shannon to name a few places as well as Downtown.  An extension to the international airport has been discussed for years, especially with the recent growth that has been taking place along the Parkway West corridor.  Cranberry is one of the fastest growing communities in the country.  Both are just a couple of places that could benefit from increased public transit service to Downtown Pittsburgh.  I haven't even touched base on Oakland, the Allegheny Valley, or other parts of the region.

Above, I put together a map that I created in Google Earth.  For right now, I foresee an expansion of the existing Blue and Red Lines.  The Blue Line would run from Library, PA through Downtown and along an alignment through Allegheny Center and up through the North Hills to Cranberry.  The Red Line (renamed Green Line) would run from South Hills Village in Upper St. Clair/Bethel Park and eventually out along the Ohio River to the Airport.  I see three additional lines.  A yellow line would run from the First Avenue station and run parallel to the Monongahela River to Bradocc and from the Steel Plaza station up through the Strip District to Highland Park.  For the eastern neighborhoods, I envision two heavy rail lines.  The Red Line would follow an alignment along Fifth Avenue from Steel Plaza to Oakland and East Liberty to Forest Hills.  The Orange Line would extend from the intersection at Fifth and Penn, following Penn Avenue through East Liberty, the Strip District, and into Downtown eventually crossing the Allegheny River directly beneath the Clemente Bridge, directly serving Allegheny Center and the Mexican War Streets.  In the map, I have both of these lines extending further, but for right now, I don't think this part is very feasible.

I also have a vision for a regional rail network providing service to places like New Castle, Beaver, Butler, Greensburg, and Washington, PA.  I will post this map in the very near future.

Dick's Sporting Goods expanding its headquarters campus.

The latest development news is Dick's Sporting Goods is about to expand its current headquarters located just north of one of the runways at Pittsburgh International Airport.  They apparently will construct another building to be built on a piece of land about 73 acres in size.  Indications seem to be that this building will be immediately to the east of the existing headquarters building.  If that is the case, it will occupy land that was originally proposed to hold a cargo storage and distribution facility.  If that is the case; if Dicks will now occupy this land, I guess it would be safe to say that the cargo facility will not come to fruition.  That would be a shame, but apparently cargo demand seems to have subsided.  Nonetheless, a major expansion of a local Fortune 500 company is still a positive thing for the region.  Full stories are available at post-gazette.com and at triblive.com.

Any thoughts are welcome.

Up close and personal with my vision for Leland Pointe, Baldwin Borough.

This is an aerial image of my vision for Leland Pointe, located in South Baldwin. Currently, Leland Pointe consists of over a thousand recently-renovated one- and two-bedroom apartments.   This vision will broaden the tax base for a municipality that is almost entirely residential.

Streetscape of Leland Pointe Town Center.  Pictured here is a new bridge located to the north of Curry Hollow Road.  Left of center is access to a commuter rail station along the existing and lightly used CSX line.

As indicated in my vision for Baldwin Borough, there are two areas of likely economic development investment. One of those areas includes the existing Leland Pointe Apartments, formerly known as Green Meadows. Recently, Green Meadows experienced a change of ownership and ultimately a massive renovation of the rental properties. My vision actually came together before these renovations took place.  With the use of Google SketchUp, I have put together some three-dimensional drawings of how I would like the future of Leland Pointe to look. 

Other proposals, ranging from a public golf course to a larger shopping center, were loosely discussed.  Considering the existing apartment community sits adjacent to a suburban strip mall, I thought, "why not incorporate my vision into a redevelopment of this shopping complex?" This is adjacent to a major arterial roadway in the South Hills, and a lightly used rail line running from Pittsburgh to Washington could potentially be used as a commuter rail line linking this neighborhood with two large employment centers in the region.  

I developed my vision around these two amenities. Another existing amenity includes Leland Park Community Center, which contains athletic fields and a multipurpose facility. Port Authority also provides bus service courtesy of the Y47 Curry Flyer. With a commuter rail line potentially making good use out of the lightly-used CSX line, this could possibly lead to a rerouting of this bus line and make viable the potential for future bus lines connecting riders to Leland Pointe as well as the commuter rail line to Pittsburgh and Washington. With all of these amenities in place, my Leland Pointe vision will include:

• Ample recreational or open space
• Improved public transportation access
• A more diverse tax base for Baldwin Borough as well as a portion of Jefferson Hills
• Improved traffic flow via an improved street grid layout, which will include an extension of Macassar Drive to Brownsville Road to improve access to this neighborhood.

This vision is still a work in progress. More information as well as updated images will soon follow. Stay tuned!

Pittsburgh's Produce Terminal Building Granted Historic Status, Demolition Delayed

From today's Tribune-Review:

Produce Terminal marked historic, delaying demolition plans

Developer Buncher wants to construct a $400 million mixed-use development in Pittsburgh's Strip District, a neighborhood once known for trucking and wholesale that today functions as a tourist and retail destination.  This new development will bring commercial use and additional residential units to a neighborhood already ripe with residential development.  In order for this development to go through, however, Buncher wants to demolish a portion of the Produce Terminal Building, which it was built in 1929 and expanded in 1931 as the Pennsylvania Railroad Fruit Auction and Sales Terminal.

While Buncher has the development rights to the surrounding land, it has yet to acquire the historic building from the Pittsburgh Urban Redevelopment Authority.  Just yesterday, the Pittsburgh Historic and Landmarks Foundation granted the building as historic, which means Buncher cannot make any changes to the architectural character to the building which would include demolition of the roughly one-third of the building to make way for its development.

While I am not entirely in favor of this building (or part of it) being leveled for development purposes, I do believe it is necessary to restore as much of the street grid as possible in order to reconnect the Strip with the Allegheny River.  About seven years ago someone drew renderings of how this building could look with the intact street grid in place while having a minimal impact on the structure.  In this series of computer-aided drawings, much of the building remains intact while just enough of the structure is removed to allow for traffic to pass through it.  The link to these images is pasted below.  I came across them while participating in an on-going discussion of Pittsburgh development over at skyscraperpage.com.

Pfaffman's renderings