Rethinking Pittsburgh's North Side, Part 3: Overhauling Allegheny Center

Earlier I discussed transportation and open/recreational space improvements for the North Side. In this installment, I will focus on revamping Allegheny Center. As I mentioned earlier, it was initially built as a suburban shopping mall complete with an underground parking garage. Currently, it is used as office space.

In its present use as commercial space, the site seems to be flourishing. PNC Bank occupies a considerable amount of the space for its mortgage and loans unit. However, with a redesign of the surrounding infrastructure including an upgraded transit network, I think a multitude of uses could work here. I would like to see this area become even more of an extension of Downtown, complete with a few high-rise buildings comprised of office, residential, and hotel space. I see a mix of indoor and outdoor retail uses mixed in here as well. Below are a series of images I created from my Sketch-up drawing of my North Shore vision.

The following images are of various images of the interiors of some of the buildings.

 Above top is the main level of the Amtrak station. At this level are several ticketing and car rental counters. Directly above are the platforms for boarding the trains directly above the main level. Below is the regional rail platform, located about 30 feet below the train station's main level. On the bottom is the light rail an heavy metro rail entrance including smart card access.

 The following is an image of one of the high-rise lobbies providing access to the regional transit hub I have envisioned beneath South Commons Boulevard.

Naturally, I don't expect all of this to come to fruition. This is just an idea of what could happen to the North Shore if smart planning practices are employed. I would like to see a more consolidated regional transit system in place for the Greater Pittsburgh region (as indicated in several previous posts), and I envision the North Shore functioning as one of the main hubs for this system. I think having an intermodal hub here would do wonders for the North Side as well as for Pittsburgh overall...

Pittsburgh's North Shore part two: Transportation and Recreational Use

In my vision for a complete overhaul of the North Side, I propose a restored street grid of the original city of Allegheny before the city of Pittsburgh annexed it in the early 20th Century. The original street grid along with numerous other structures were eliminated in the mid-20th Century to make way for Allegheny Center, which was a misguided attempt to recreate suburbia in the urban core. At the time, shopping malls were erected all across the region including Monroeville Mall and South Hills Village.

City planners thought that constructing Allegheny Center would bring shoppers back to the city. Instead, it was a lightly used sprawling monstrosity that isolated parts of the North Side neighborhood. Traffic along several streets had to be rerouted onto several roundabout routes. Through traffic on Federal and E/W. Ohio Streets was rerouted on a series of new streets, Commons Blvd North, South, East, and West, which formed a square around the urban mall. With limited access from I-279, not to mention the complete lack of major public transit access (a bus terminal or several regional rail lines), not too many people used the retail facility, and it ultimately closed in 1991.

Restored street grid, reconstructed interstate highway, and new Amtrak station

My vision calls for a complete overhaul of this whole area including a mix of office, retail, residential, and hotel use. This part of my vision will be discussed later. For now I will focus on rebuilding the street grid among other transportation infrastructure improvements. Among these improvements is the cut and cover of I-279. Currently it is an elevated highway that serves as a barrier between the Central North Side and the Allegheny River. Dropping the road deck below grade and covering it with green decking will create new green space in space that will enhance connectivity between the Central North Side and the waterfront even though Federal Street, Anderson Street, and Sandusky Street already extend from the North Side to the waterfront.

Rather than doing something similar with the Norfolk-Southern tracks, I would suggest relocating the Amtrak station to a new one in this part of the North Shore. It's a relatively straight stretch of track which would allow for high-level ADA-accessible platforms. In addition to Amtrak, I would suggest a series of regional rail lines as referenced in an earlier post. Such a use would bring more people to this part of the city, and it would provide more of a sense of continuity between Allegheny Center and the Allegheny Riverfront. Below is an aerial shot of the Amtrak station constructed around the existing Norfolk-Southern tracks. In front of the station is some green decking over I-279 complete with landscaping and walking paths.

Biking and pedestrian access/trails and open space

Given the development of park space that currently is situated from the Clemente Bridge down to the Rivers Casino, I would suggest some open space containing ample hiking and biking trails and other pedestrian-friendly infrastructure (wider sidewalks, wider lanes to accommodate a bike lane) throughout the North Side. Above I mentioned some sidewalks included in the green decking of the highway. I have illustrated a network of such sidewalks that extend down the reconstructed Reetsdale Street to other newly constructed green space that will integrate with the C.C.A.C. North Side campus. In the image below, the CCAC campus is located top left-center, beneath which a new alignment of Amtrak infrastructure passes.

While not yet included in the illustration, I also suggest extending some green space in a linear fashion along the Fort Duquesne alignment to connect with the Allegheny River. This would create a continuous network of recreational space from the Allegheny waterfront all the way inland to Commons Park at Allegheny Center.

There are several goals and objectives that this project will accomplish, and they include

• Improving the transportation network, eliminating confusing freeway access points and replacing them with more simplified infrastructure
• Improving the potential for economic development
• Making the neighborhood more bike and pedestrian friendly by adding and incorporating more infrastructure to the existing urban fabric.
• Creating a network of green space extending from the Allegheny River inland to Allegheny Center.

Rethinking Pittsburgh's North Side, part one

In 1969, PennDOT constructed PA 65 to allow vehicular traffic to cross the Ft. Duquesne Bridge to the North Side. For ten years, there were no roads to allow traffic to cross this bridge. In the mid-1980s, PennDOT constructed the 12-mile-long freeway that would be designated as Interstate 279, and a few years later the Veterans Bridge was built. This network of limited-access freeways would ultimately isolate the Central North Shore from the Allegheny and Ohio Rivers.

Those roads were built during a time when auto-centric design was popular. Engineers designed freeways as ways of reducing travel times. They had access points in a select few places in the suburban outskirts of our urban areas, and at the same time they only had a handful of interchanges within the urban cores. In many cases, these roads cut through neighborhoods, creating a sense of isolation among the people who lived or worked in these areas.

In an earlier post, I opined about our urban freeways and ideas of how to redesign them to interact better with the urban fabric that surrounds them. In this post I will discuss my vision for a specific freeway on Pittsburgh's North Side. As I indicated above, PennDOT designed an urban freeway that has little to no interaction with the surrounding neighborhoods. They may improve travel time between Downtown and suburbia, but they provide little to no access or mobility to the folks directly adjacent to these concrete monstrosities.

Below are two images of my vision for how I-279 should be redesigned. I am also going to refer to this post as the first of three installments of this vision. In later posts, I will focus on more transportation improvements, including improved rail as well as bike and pedestrian infrastructure, and I will discuss land use as I focus on redeveloping Allegheny Center, which was a failed attempt as a suburban shopping mall currently used as office/commercial use. The first image is an aerial image of the entire project area. The second image is a close-up of Reetsdale Street and PA 65 near the Community College of Allegheny College North Side campus.

Detroit's demise, my take and how it could come back.

Ever since the City of Detroit filed for bankruptcy last week, there has been incessant debate as to why Detroit has floundered while some other rust belt cities flourished. People have pointed to the collapse of the auto industry (corporate bailouts of GM, Ford, and Chrysler), while others blamed the white flight and municipal corruption. Some folks have looked to Pittsburgh and pointed out the factors that make that city more successful. Some of it is factual, while some of it is rather mythical. I'm going to focus on the facts as well as on some of the myths.

Pittsburgh does have a diverse economy around its education and healthcare sectors as well as financial and recently natural gas and utilities. In my opinion, "eds and meds," and financial institutions have always been part of Pittsburgh's economy. UPMC, Carnegie-Mellon University, et al. did not just pop up over the last few decades. These sectors were just decimated by the presence of the steel industry. As the steel mills closed beginning in the 1970s and the city's (and region's) population plummeted, the city looked to reinvent itself around its universities and hospitals, which were already top-notch. CMU played a major role in landing a large Google office. UPMC is now the largest regional employer, and the University of Pittsburgh itself is very well-noted for its medical programs.

Yes, both Pittsburgh and Detroit peaked in population in 1950. I believe this was due to the exodus of the middle class out to the suburbs. Just about every larger city experienced this. From 1950 to 1970, Pittsburgh shed about 150,000 residents, but I think the bottom really fell out from 1970 to 2000. The steel mills began closing in the 1970s, and the plant shut-downs kicked into high gear in the 1980s. Greater Pittsburgh's population peaked in 1970 at roughly 2.7 million people. Today, it's around 2.35 million and showing signs of marginal growth.

Those are just some of the facts I recall learning when I took a US history course in college. I did address some myths with the discussion of the brief history above. I think the following myth is the biggest one that I think needs to be addressed.

"Geography played a role in the amount of sprawl. Pittsburgh's hilly terrain prevented sprawl from taking place, while Detroit is table-top flat, allowing for sprawl to spread out everywhere."

After World War Two, people started settling down to start families. At the same time, they were buying up land away from the urban centers. With the passing of the Federal Highways Act of 1956, which gave birth to our interstate highway system, urban living became less desirable, and more people began the exodus from the cities. Every major city has experienced some degree of sprawl regardless of geographical features. The Northeast Corridor is sprawl central. I'm sure Levittown, New York, and Valley Forge/King of Prussia, PA come to mind. King of Prussia is a very high growth area that is still getting larger.

Granted, those are all locations located along the heavily populated Mid-Atlantic region, which is mostly coastal plain. What about Atlanta, Los Angeles, or San Francisco? These locations also have a sprawl issue. Yet, their downtowns are still growing and are still vital in the overall health of the metropolitan area. Granted, they also contain large corporate offices or headquarters.

Here's my take

I think Detroit over the years has essentially dug its own grave. They have not set forth any policies to encourage growth. Jobs and businesses apparently continue to flee downtown, and middle and upper class residents continue to flock to the suburbs leaving the lower class in their wake. What does Detroit have that could be used as a strength to encourage growth? Who are the largest remaining employers, and do they have what it takes to spark some kind of turnaround?

To go back to the Pittsburgh vs. Detroit part of this discussion, what about education? There are colleges and universities nearby. Suppose they could establish a partnership with the private sector to spur job growth and development. Carnegie-Mellon used its computers and technologies connections to not only land Google, but they also assist with the growth and development of other small businesses. I don't know too much about the universities in greater Detroit or Michigan for that matter,  but they have to have some strength that they could put forward to land companies in the specialties they teach.

What happened to Detroit is a shame, and I hope the city can make a full recovery. The city needs to find its strengths, however hidden they may be, and build upon them. Pittsburgh's strengths have been in the eds and meds as well as the steel industry, but as I said earlier the eds and meds were not truly realized until after the industry collapsed.

Whatever strengths are uncovered, they have to be developed in the most sustainable manner possible. They need to build their assets that will benefit the community and its residents long term. For example, Google has transformed the eastern neighborhoods of Pittsburgh. That area for several decades was struggling, and now it is a hot bed for urban development.

To read a recent article comparing Detroit and Pittsburgh (and where I picked up some of my information), click here.

How to fund transit without cutting service or hiking fares

I came across this article in the transportation discussion forum over at skyscraperpage.com. Frankly, I think it makes a great deal of sense. If you run bus routes at certain times and they actually run on time -- arrive and depart when they are supposed to -- then you are going to have a very successful system. As indicated in the article, many of the bus drivers finished their routes early and did not take longer breaks in between running routes.  So let's say that a driver ends his route 5 minutes early. Instead of taking a 35-minute break to start his route "on time," he takes his usual 30 minutes before hopping back on the bus.  As a result, the following routes will be 5 minutes ahead of schedule to boot. If anyone is waiting to catch the 1:30 bus to the theater, guess what, the 1:30 just became 1:25. The odds are you're going to miss it, get frazzled at the agency, and then figure, "why bother taking the bus?"

If you improve on-time performances, you can actually generate more ridership. Hopefully, this should also lead to some increases in revenue from the fare boxes. Mr. Mark Aesch, the gentleman who came up with this scheme while serving as transit director in Rochester, NY, stated that if routes are generating higher ridership or higher fare box revenue, then these routes would remain in the system. If routes are generating neither of the two, then they would be cut. He employed this rubric to establish a balance between higher and lower income riders so that fewer lower income riders would be stranded if routes are cut. After working at Rochester, he then employed this scheme in Detroit with their ailing bus system. According to the article, he was able to turn this around.

To read the full article, here is the link to the full article on how to fund transit without service cuts or fare hikes., 

Sheraton Station Square sold

On the heels of my blog post about what should be done with Station Square, I read this in today's Tribune-Review.

Station Square hotel sold for $61M, rest of complex off the market.

I mentioned how Forest City announced that they were going to put the entire Station Square complex on the market to find another owner. Apparently they received interest but only for the 399-room Sheraton. Pyramid Hotels and a joint owner purchased the hotel for $61 million and plan a $12-$18 million renovation of the hotel to improve service for leisure, group, and corporate travelers.

I hope they can secure interest in constructing a mixed use complex for the parking lot parcel I referenced in my initial post regarding Station Square. Since they bought the entire complex in 1998, they have expanded the Sheraton to its current size, they added Bessemer Court which brought in a plethora of new public spaces and restaurants including a Hard Rock Cafe, and they recently completed Highmark Stadium, the home of the Pittsburgh Riverhounds professional soccer franchise. Building a complex to include residential units would all but complete the transformation of Station Square.

Mon-Fayette Expressway update

Leading Mon-Fayette Expressway supporter changes lanes

So, with the increase in costs to construct the final leg of this controversial highway along with strong opposition from communities through which it would pass, Mr. Joseph Kirk, Executive Director of the Mon Valley Progress Council and avid supporter of this proposed freeway, is now suggesting to axe the segment of the proposed highway that would terminate near Oakland at the Parkway East. As an alternative to the limited-access highway, he suggests extending the East Busway to the remaining proposed link to Monroeville and allowing non-transit high-occupancy vehicles to use the busway.

I have said for quite some time that given increased costs and the heavy opposition from Hazelwood and Braddock that this particular segment should just be abandoned. This road is already going to cost several billions of dollars to complete. Construction costs are just getting higher, and the costs associated with acquiring the necessary right-of-way is almost prohibitive.

As for the suggestion to extend the busway and to allow for non-transit vehicles to use it, that idea does not fly with me. The busway should be used solely for high-speed bus service. Allowing non-transit vehicles onto the busway would be beyond counterproductive. Doing so would occupy capacity that should be designated solely for buses which would allow for them to travel at average speeds in excess of 50 mph. Adding vehicles that really should have no purpose using the busway would likely decrease these average speeds.

My suggestion

Extend the expressway from its existing terminus in Jefferson Hills to Monroeville, and extend the East Busway to Monroeville. I would suggest having the busway possibly terminate at the MFE with access ramps intended ONLY for buses. I also suggest that a road should be built between Hazelwood, Braddock, and McKeesport but as a surface road like a scenic parkway or boulevard. These neighborhoods would be linked with each other and bring traffic to these depressed areas rather than through them.

Vision for Station Square

Station Square once used to serve Pittsburgh as a transportation hub along the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, handling through-trains on a route between Washington, DC, and Chicago. Train travel declined, and eventually all through-trains were shifted over to Penn Station in Downtown courtesy of the Penn-Central Railroad and eventually Amtrak after the Penn-Central's demise. The former B & O station and surrounding railroad buildings sat vacant, but in 1976 the station and freight buildings were converted into the retail and entertainment destination that is Station Square.

The original station building still stands and is currently used as offices for the Pittsburgh Historic and Landmarks Foundation as well as an upscale restaurant. Behind it are the original freight house structures which house over 60 shops and restaurants. A 14 story Sheraton Hotel was also constructed nearby and expanded to contain over 396 guest rooms as well as conference space.

Directly east of this lot is a large surface lot and a night club. The owner of Station Square, Forest City Enterprises, once submitted a proposal for a casino license and intended to develop this part of Station Square into a mixed use development which would include residential units as well as office and retail space. Even though Forest City was not awarded the license, they did state that they still wanted to develop this site. However, the site still remains as a parking lot and night club, and they recently announced that they would sell Station Square to another owner. Below is what I envision for Station Square to transform this popular tourist destination into a true live-work-play neighborhood.

This is something that has been discussed in the Pittsburgh Development thread over at the skyscraperpage forum. We have been discussing the One Grandview project and how it would benefit the Mount Washington neighborhood as well as the city as a whole. We also discussed how Forest City basically just occupied this parcel of land without doing much with it.

Having a dense development in this part of Station Square would essentially extend the popular tourist destination to Southside, another popular Pittsburgh neighborhood, allowing for an improved transition between these neighborhoods. Immediately next to this part of the neighborhood is the former 7-story Standard Machinists Supply Company which is in the middle of a conversion to apartments. For this particular parcel of land, I would like to see a strip of green or recreational space along the railroad tracks where the Great Allegheny Passage trail system is located. I could also see residential uses straddling some restaurant/retail uses and a possible hotel at the northeast corner of Carson St. and the Smithfield Street Bridge. The residential buildings would contain ground-level retail, with the Carson Street buildings rising some 10-to-14 floors. The residential buildings closer to the river would only rise some three to four stories.

For the street grid, I suggest extending (and re-routing) Station Square East to a new intersection at an extended North 1st Street, an extension of Arlington Avenue to Station Square East, and extending McKean Street westward to terminate at Station Square East. Parking would be on-street with maybe below-grade parking or a parking structure providing additional spaces.

Goals of this project would include:

• Adding to the amount of recreational park space in or near Downtown.
• Adding more supply to the ever increasing demand for housing, especially in or near Downtown.
• Extending Station Square to transition better with the adjoining Southside neighborhood.
• Improve and increase pedestrian activity in this part of Station Square.
• Transforming Station Square into a true live-work-and-play neighborhood.

Some indirect benefits of this development include:

• Increased ridership on Port Authority's light rail system as well as the Monongahela Incline.
• Increased interest in completing One Grandview, a development adjacent to the Monongahela Incline on Mount Washington currently on hold due to lack of funding or interest.
• Increases in businesses (sales, more customers, etc) already established in Station Square.

RiverParc development proposal back from the dead?

Back in 2006, Washington, PA-based Concord Eastridge and some architects from Toronto, Copenhagen, and Stuggart, Germany, submitted a proposal to the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust for a Cultural District development called RiverParc. This complex was to include a four-star hotel, restaurant and retail use as well as several residential units that would house some three thousand residents. In 2008, due to the collapse in the housing market and an agglomeration of other factors, the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust shelved the project indefinitely.

Today, with the housing market on the rebound and with Pittsburgh's housing market red hot, there might be some life to this little proposal. Concord Eastridge has expressed continued interest in developing this part of the Strip District, and is about to commence its litigation against the Cultural Trust over charges of misrepresentation and breach of contract when the Cultural Trust decided not to move forward with this project.

About River Parc

RiverParc was to encompass roughly fourteen square blocks between 7th and 9th Streets, and between Ft. Duquesne Boulevard and Penn Avenue. The residential units were to include apartments, condos, and townhouses, with some of the apartment and condo towers rising some 20 to 30 floors. Other features of this development include rooftop terraces, parks, winter gardens, and an art gallery and possibly a floating stage.

Currently, a Goodyear auto repair place occupies much of the land as do a few lightly-used buildings. Given that the buildings date to the early 1900s or 1920s, the developer has indicated in its initial announcement that these buildings would be preserved. The rest of the land would give way to the newer buildings that would make up the bulk of River Parc.

Regarding the surrounding neighborhood, the city's Cultural District is a vibrant theater district with several theaters, including Heinz Hall (home of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra), the Benedum Center (Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera), Wilson Theater, and Byam Theater. This Downtown neighborhood also includes several trendy restaurants and shops that cater to theater-goers.

I see this project as becoming a massive asset to the city. Downtown is already a hot residential market, and the housing market overall is a very strong one. I don't see any reason why this project should not be built. This project has great potential to:

• Enhance Downtown's pedestrian activity after typical business hours.
• Significantly add to the diversity of uses already present.
• Function as a destination for city-goers as well as those who venture off to the theaters downtown.
• Make a noticeable impact on the city's skyline, especially for those viewing Downtown from the Northside.

For additional information:

http://triblive.com/news/allegheny/4372290-74/cultural-riverparc-development#axzz2Z9KOQBVQ

Article pertaining to initial announcement from 2006

http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/local/neighborhoods-city/analysis-riverparc-wins-design-team-title-in-cultural-trust-bid-441586/

Pittsburgh's Larimer neighborhood master plan

The success of East Liberty's comeback is beginning to impact other neighborhoods in Pittsburgh's East End. Homewood is putting together a master plan, and in the following link is the master plan for the Larimer neighborhood situated between Homewood and East Liberty.

Larimer Vision Plan

I generally like this vision plan. The neighborhood of Larimer is not necessarily a dangerous place as it has a lower crime rate than some of the more well known neighborhoods like Oakland and Southside, but it is one that could use some revitalization. This vision does include several aspects typical of a well-planned master plan, including:

• Land use
• Transportation
• Parks and recreation
• Environmental/storm water management

Transportation and land use

The neighborhood of Larimer has numerous positives going for it. The entire neighborhood is located within a mile of the under-construction East Liberty Transportation Center, and it has several corridors that could cater to a particular aspect of a healthy community. Pertaining to the many corridors, the following main retail and commercial corridors were identified:

• Larimer Avenue -- potential retail/residential corridor, link to East Liberty
• Frankstown Avenue -- potential commercial use corridor, link to East Liberty and Homewood

Aside from these corridors, the vision includes an intact street grid to improve traffic flow throughout the neighborhood. Residential use encompases the majority of the neighborhood with commercial uses focused along Larimer and Frankstown Avenues. Industrial use will be confined to the Norfolk-Southern railroad tracks (former Pennsylvania Railroad Main Line).

Green space/parks and recreational space

Aside from the retail and commercial corridors, the vision calls for improved housing, green infrastructure, and abundant recreational space. In regards to green space, the vision includes a hillside park that will extend northward into Highland Park and connect with its system of trails and other recreational amenities. Another amenity of this new green space includes an urban farm in the eastern part of the neighborhood.

Environmental/storm water management

In the neighborhood park, the vision will employ a rain garden that will collect storm water runoff and use it to irrigate vegetation rather than have it collect in streams and rivers susceptible to flooding. According to a figure depicting the topography, the lowest point is in the northern portion of the neighborhood where runoff would enter a depressed area that eventually drains into the Allegheny River just east of Highland Park.

I look forward to seeing this vision plan come to fruition. The whole area surrounding East Liberty could develop into a hotbed for commercial and pedestrian activity due to increased access pertaining to transit and bike and pedestrian recreational amenities. The overall theme here seems to be improving transit and bike/pedestrian and recreational activity to improve the community.

Pittsburgh's Lower Hill development

Penguins expect to choose developer soon for Civic Arena site

In today's Post-Gazette, it looks like the Penguins are about to select a developer for the former Civic/Mellon Arena site in the Lower Hill neighborhood of the city. The city owns the land, but the Penguins own the development rights to the land. An earlier proposal has called for essentially a continuation of a Lower Hill development, Crawford Square, which consists primarily of single detached, side-by-side duplex, and row-homes. I am hopeful that whoever the new developer is will consider higher density housing especially with the housing market getting even hotter.

Here's what I would recommend for the former Civic Arena site:

• Multiple-unit housing structures at least 6 stories in height immediately adjacent to Crawford Square
• Ground-floor retail and restaurant use for the residential buildings as well as office buildings
• Office and hotel buildings should be built on the land closest to Downtown, and they should be no shorter than 12-to-18 stories. Three PNC Plaza could be used as a reference. It's 23-stories tall, and contains sufficient office space as well as a 180-room hotel and residential use.

The Lower Hill District should be considered as a gateway into the central business district and designed accordingly. Class A office space is at a premium, and the housing market in Pittsburgh is not showing signs of slowing down. According to a Tribune-Review Article (Pittsburgh Housing Market Heats Up), the number of sales agreements jumped 17 percent from this time a year ago. In other previous news articles, the city cannot build new housing units fast enough to keep up with demand.

What should we do with vacant office complexes?

This time in the land of skyscraperpage.com is a rather heated discussion about what to do with office complexes that are either becoming vacant or have been sitting vacant for years. This is an interesting subject. Municipalities view these structures, although abandoned, as taxable if they can be once again occupied. Therefore, some might poo-poo the idea of leveling these buildings in favor of the open/wooded areas that once occupied the space.

So the question is, do we tear down these buildings and let them become unused open land which in turn will likely drive taxes up to fill in the void? Do we try and market these buildings "as is" with the hopes of landing another office tenant? Do we reconfigure the current building, or redevelop the land and market the new development as mixed use? I have outlined the pros and cons for doing each of the aforementioned suggestions.

Razing for open space

This will definitely rub the environmentalists and nature-lovers the right way and add to the municipality as a priceless asset.  However, the municipality will lose taxable land and might resort to raising taxes on other uses to make up for the loss. If commercial space is already sparse in the municipality, then this might limit options of luring businesses or encouraging others to relocate or expand.

Leave them as is

Leaving the structures as is will keep the land on the tax rolls, but there could be some risk involved. If a building is about to become vacant, it might be a little easier to lure in another potential commercial tenant versus if a building has sat vacant for several years.

Reconfigure the existing building?

Taking the building and redesigning it in some way might increase your chances of securing another office tenant. Perhaps someone wants a more open office floor plan, or improvements (HVAC, better windows, lighting, etc) are needed. Some small modifications might improve the chance of luring an office tenant.

Redevelop

Perhaps it might be time to clear the slate and start over. Perhaps the demand is there that would warrant such an undertaking. Having mixed uses in one given location seems to be the norm in several areas, but it might not necessarily mean that each place should be developed or redeveloped as so. Is it accessible? What transportation infrastructure is nearby? What other amenities are close by or within walking distance? Is there sufficient demand?

Central Chester County Bike and Pedestrian Plan

Earlier in the week, the Downingtown Borough Planning Commission received the final draft of the Chester County Planning Commission's Central Chester County Bike and Pedestrian Plan. We voted in favor of recommending the final plan to be adopted by borough council. One of the highlights of the plan is to extend the Chester Valley Trail, which was referenced in a previous blog post, from its current terminus near Exton further west to terminate in Downingtown Borough, where it will eventually tie in with a number of other proposed bicycle and pedestrian routes, including an extension of the Brandywine Trail into the borough.

From the looks of the map, Downingtown will not only become better connected with West Chester and Exton, but it will serve as a hub for bike and pedestrian activity. Downingtown will have at least three trails terminate in the borough; Chester Valley Trail, the Struble Trail (which already exists), and the Brandywine Trail. Currently, work is progressing on a bridge replacement along Brandywine Avenue south of the borough that will include bike and pedestrian access. The plan here is to essentially bring the Brandywine Trail into Downintown Borough either to the proposed River Station East development or along the Brandywine Creek into Johnsontown Park. The only missing part of this trail is the extension from its southern terminus into West Chester Borough.

Upscale hotel in the works for Ben Franklin Parkway.

From the Philadelphia Magazine:
http://www.phillymag.com/realestate/new-projects/family-court-building-now-has-3-luxury-hotel-proposals/?utm_source=iContact&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Philly%20Post:%20Philadelphia&utm_content=

and from Philly.com
http://www.philly.com/philly/busines..._building.html

The Art-Classical-designed Family Court Building is likely to become the home of an upscale luxury hotel. According to the articles posted above, there are three upscale hotel proposals. According to the Philadelphia Industrial Development Corporation, development proposals were excepted ONLY if they agreed to incorporate the existing building into the new design. Taken from Philadelphia Magazine:

PIDC made one thing abundantly clear: They were only accepting proposals “from qualified and experienced development firms with the demonstrated ability to successfully design, finance, and develop historic properties of a similar size, cost, scope, and complexity.” 

What once had nine competing developers, the competition now has three finalists: Logan Square Holdings (associated with Fairmont Hotels), HRI Associates (Starwood), and P&A Associates (Kimpton Hotel); the latter of the three developed and incorporated York Row into the 45-story Saint James condominium tower (referenced in a previous blog post).

Whichever of the three receives the nod will have a chance to do something that will very likely become an asset for the city. In my personal opinion, I think Philadelphia could gain the most from having the Fairmont name in Center City. The city currently has luxury hotels including a Four Seasons, Ritz Carlton, and a Westin, as well as a Kimpton Hotel. I am familiar with Fairmont, and I think they and the city could really gain from having that name in town.

New vertical development in Philadelphia's Chinatown neighborhood.

From Philly.com/the Philadelphia Inquirer:
http://www.philly.com/philly/classifieds/real_estate/Developers_say_Chinatown_project_will_be_underway_by_years_end.html

I have been to this neighborhood several times, and I have often thought something was missing in this part of Chinatown. This should definitely add to the pedestrian activity, expanding it northward. Quoted from the article:

Thomas Betz, pastor at Holy Redeemer Chinese Catholic Church and president of PCDC, opened the meeting by saying that the Eastern Tower project--which is “really about to happen”--will help build a bridge for the Chinatown community across the Vine Street expressway. PCDC director John Chin said the project will be a new landmark for the growing Chinatown North community, and will help to “protect its boundaries, promote the neighborhood, and preserve its cultural identity.”

If I am reading that correctly, it looks as though the Chinatown community is trying to expand northward across the Vine Street Expressway. If that is the case, any development in this part of the city would be very welcome in my opinion. Most of this part of the city is derelict industrial use. Seeing those sites give way to future development would be a big plus not only for Chinatown, but for the city in general.

Facade preservation: The Saint James in Philadelphia

With the debate about Point Park University's proposal for its playhouse continuing, I thought I'd share this piece of information with you. Some folks from Philadelphia who are reading this are very likely familiar with the follow project. It is a residential project in which the developer initially wanted to level a portion of historic buildings dating back to the early 1800s, and actually initially served as the first headquarters of the Philadelphia Savings Fund Society (PSFS). This project is none other than the erection of the St. James

The developers, P&A Associates, initially wanted to completely level the structures that made up York Row, but local residents and preservationists fought to prevent this from happening. They wanted the buildings in their entirety to remain. However, due to long periods of vacancy and the presence of vandals and the homeless, the buildings were essentially irreparable. The project would be delayed for some time due to the slow housing market from the time of the announcement in 1995 until later that decade when the market was booming. P&A Associates ultimately built their condominium tower while preserving the facades of the York Row structures.

If anything, Point Park University should consider this practice. After hearing further commentary regarding the Wood Street buildings, it seems as though incorporating three buildings with differing floor spacing into a cultural center would be too challenging. Plus, the structural integrity is apparently compromised. P&A Associates was able to preserve the facades of historically significant buildings for their project, and I think Point Park can and should follow suit.

I actually recall the first time I walked passed this building and looking with amazement at how well the new building fit in the rest of the neighborhood given the facade preservation.

For further information regarding the preservation of York Row, click here: http://www.preservationalliance.com/news/news-psfs.php

Transportation: High-speed rail and regional transportation.

Someone in the skyscraperpage.com forum shared a private message with me regarding some transportation news.  The links are as follows:

Philadelphia's regional rail plan: https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B1M7ORw1X9nMQ3lFTnphOFJITTg/edit

Cincinnati's regional rail plan: https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B1M7ORw1X9nMQzhuNTJzYUlGOWc/edit

National high-speed rail plan:https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B1M7ORw1X9nMV1BuSzZPdmxTZDg/edit

I am still not sure the new tunnel alignment underneath Center City Philadelphia is all that necessary. If anything, I think the city could be shooting itself in the foot with this one. Philadelphia's 30th Street Station is currently the primary regional/inter-city rail hub for the whole region. All of the regional rail lines along with several Amtrak inter-city trains, including the Acela, all provide service here. Moving the high-speed trains to a new station underneath the existing Market East Station would shift some connection opportunities away from a major connecting point. I don't see the city or region really gaining anything from this. However, the new alignment does provide a stop at Philadelphia's airport. Other than that, this alignment will not do much for the city.

Cincinnati is proposing a rather impressive regional rail system which will provide many suburban communities, including the city of Covington, KY, where Cincinnati's international airport is located, with a rail link to Downtown Cincinnati. I think this fortifies my argument for Pittsburgh to have a comprehensive regional rail network. Cincinnati's metropolitan area is less populous, but it apparently has enough people to make rail transit a possibility. There is talk of linking parts of the Allegheny River Valley with a rail line, but other ventures should be explored as well. As for Cincinnati, I would like to see this proposal advance.

Now to the third topic, having a high speed rail line from New York to Chicago via a link between Philadelphia and Pittsburgh would be a huge boon for the region. However, I think the focus for now should be on linking Pittsburgh with the Midwest network; it will be less costly providing new right of way (R.O.W) would not be necessary, nor would the need for tunnels exist. Pittsburgh does have its ties with the Northeast, but Chicago is another top business destination for Pittsburgh travelers. Government officials in both Pittsburgh and Cleveland should collaborate to establish better links and ties with each other to boost travel demand between the two cities and to eventually upgrade the infrastructure to bring state-of-the-art transportation service to the region in the form of faster trains. For high speed trains from New York to Chicago, I would recommend an alignment through southern New York since it's a little flatter in spite of the area being less populous.

Essentially, I agree with Mappy, the fellow from the skyscraperpage.com forum who provided me the above links to this information. He and I basically have the same opinion, particularly about the national high-speed rail plan between New York, Pittsburgh, and Chicago.

Wood Street facade restoration.

https://maps.google.com/maps?q=pittsburgh&ll=40.43988,-80.000939&spn=0.003389,0.004823&oe=utf-8&client=firefox-a&safe=active&hnear=Pittsburgh,+Allegheny,+Pennsylvania&gl=us&t=m&z=18&layer=c&cbll=40.43996,-80.000886&panoid=82U6rPL5026Yh5Ho0jkVjw&cbp=12,147.78,,0,-26.63

The above link will take you to an archived street view in Google Maps to observe what Wood Street once looked like.  These three buildings a few doors down from the 18-story historic Bank Tower at the corner of Forth Avenue and Wood St.  These are all about to be unveiled after a restoration project.  Just across Forbes Avenue from these buildings, that row of 2-to-3-story buildings no longer stands. They are giving way to PNC's future headquarters as they build a new 33-story high rise.

In an earlier post, I mentioned how important it is to hold onto some of our older buildings. One poster from skyscraperpage basically stated that if you take away older buildings, you basically take away the soul of the neighborhood. In many cases, its architecture is what makes that certain part of town stand out.  If you take away too much of it, that aspect pretty much disappears. Wood Street is already lost a block of older structures in favor of modern development, but this development will add overall to the city's image. In my opinion, what Point Park University wants to bring to this corridor will not add much if anything in terms of historcially significant aesthetics in spite of providing a new use.

Previous project involving buildings of varying floor spacing: G.C. Murphy on Fifth Avenue

Initially, it was assumed that Point Park was going to reuse the existing structures for its playhouse.  Granted, each of the three buildings contains a different floor spacing from the next, which would pose a challenge to any renovation project.  However, one renovation project comes to mind when thinking of this, and that is the recent renovation of the former Five and Dime store, G.C. Murphy's on Fifth Avenue, which was transformed into loft apartments. City officials have tried to spur some interest among developers, but up until about 2005 or 2006, each said it was simply too difficult or not at all feasible given the different floor spacing throughout the structure.

Since Point Park is going to transform this space into a play house, I would think that the different floor spacing would create a rather interesting layout for a rec center. Recreation centers are supposed to be fun and interesting and contain numerous entertainment functions. Each floor could contain a different recreational activity.

Addison Terrace Redevelopment.

After reviewing the proposal to overhaul the Addison Terrace public housing complex in the central Hill neighborhood of Pittsburgh, it is apparent that the developer wants to diminish the amount of available housing as well as the overall density and urban feel of the neighborhood. It looks primarily like a small clustering of a few townhomes with the bulk of the development comprised of single-detached units. From an urban planning perspective, this is a bad move. Below, I have produced a sketch, courtesy of Google Earth, of something more appropriate for this neighborhood, or at least it's my opinion of what I think would be a better use of this large swath of land.

My sketch calls for a mix of multi-unit (outlined in orange) as well as townhouse residential units (yellow). I suggest the high-density multi-unit structures to contain a minimum of 4 or 5 stories. These buildings will primarily be located along Reed and Rose Streets, and they will also provide commercial/retail space on the lower levels. The townhouses will be located on the curvier streets built into the hilly terrain.

In addition to the mix of uses, I also suggest a few green public spaces to provide community space for the residents and visitors.  This includes at least three public squares. In addition to the green median along Bentley Drive and the one at the corner of Reed and Devilliers Streets (both present in the current plan), I suggest one behind a multi-unit structure along Reed Street which would provide a more centrally located public space and serve as a town square.

There is at least one pro of the existing proposal. They do want to restore the street grid, providing a continuous traffic flow with multiple entrance and exit points for this neighborhood. While I have preserved much of that in my sketch, I would also call for a redesign of Kirkpatrick Street.  I also suggest a realignment with Fifth Avenue and the Birmingham Bridge to allow for improved access to this neighborhood. I think widening this street to include a grass medial would go a long way to not only improve traffic flow, but it would also add to the aesthetics and make this neighborhood all the more attractive and inviting to the outsiders.

Lessons from Cabrini Green in Chicago

Cabrini Green was a public housing complex built in the 1960s to provide adequate housing for lower income residents in Chicago. Over the years, the highrise units fell into a state of disrepair and were eventually demolished to make way for better housing.  The newer housing, however, was designed to better accommodate people from a mix of income levels; a household earning $30,000 per year would live next door to one earning over $100,000 per year. 

The issue, however, was the overall decrease in available units. Cabrini Green contained over a thousand residential units, if I recall. The new development would contain only a fraction of this amount, displacing some of the residents from the former public housing complex. With regard to the new Addison Terrace community, I see a potential repeat of the Cabrini Green revamp.

Goals and objectives

I want to incorporate some TND, or traditional neighborhood development characteristics. These physical characteristics include ground-level office and retail opportunities in the multi-unit high-rise buildings, townhouses with garages built in the rear with the main entry-ways opening right up to the sidewalks, a centrally-located public square and other open community spaces, and some architectural accents that would give off a turn-of-the-century feel of the neighborhood.  In addition to all of the above, I would also recommend bus shelters since at least one Port Authority bus route provides public transportation service to this neighborhood. Having all of the above in place will:

• Improve the aesthetics of the neighborhood and make this an overall attractive place to live, work, and play.
• Turn a blighted relic into an asset to the city.
• Improve and enhance transit use.
• Improve traffic flow in and around the area

South Philadelphia firehouse possibly slated for demolition.

I saw in the Philly news today that an old firehouse dating back to the 1890s could meet its day with the wrecking ball.  The firehouse ceased operating in the 1950s and enjoyed a brief revival as a steakhouse until 2006. I saw this article mentioned in the Philadelphia discussion over at Skyscraperpage.com.

Since a steakhouse probably will not be the best use for this place, considering one was attempted before, I suppose something else could give it a go.  Suppose a developer were to come along and convert this into a boutique hotel or a bed and breakfast, or perhaps an apartment complex and restaurant/retail space could occupy this building.

I think any of these ideas would be a good use.  One thing did come to mind, though, as I was reading this. I am serving as an ex officio member of the Planning Commission for Downingtown Borough, and we have an old firehouse that will reopen as a Mollie McGuires Irish Pub. If I remember correctly, it will have banquet space on the upper level.  Six hotel rooms were planned for the rear section of the lower level, but I believe that was scrapped.

Could something of similar scale have a success at this South Philadelphia location?

Here's the article from the Philly news:
http://www.philly.com/philly/news/20130707_S__Philly_firehouse_headed_for_demolition_.html#tkxaQbBWMQzAxOUx.99

North Hills developments

I read in a Tribune-Review article about Dick's Sporting Goods opening a new store in a new development in McCandless Township. This new complex will comprise a series of residential, retail, and office uses in what is presumed to be a live-work-and-play neighborhood. I'm not sure if this will be a T.N.D., or a traditional neighborhood development, or if it will be a typical auto-centric suburban community. However, Dick's might be vacating an existing store in a fading shopping center, one that I could see reemerging as a hybrid mall or even a traditional neighborhood development.

This post, I will focus mainly on the Northway Mall, the failing shopping complex where Dick's is currently located. The aforementioned article mentions how the mall was recently acquired and how the purchaser wants to renovate the mall and incorporate an adjacent abandoned school into this development. I have yet to see any formal proposal from LRC, the company that bought the mall and school, but I would think that the best use for this mall would be a hybrid neotraditional, or main-street shopping center.

Northway Shops apparently started out as an out-door strip mall. I suppose they could remove the enclosure and develop other shops around the existing structure(s). A neotraditional development would have the store fronts facing the main streets with parking available in the rears of the structures, or in the middle depending on the orientation of the street grid.  I would also suggest that residential units be constructed above the ground-level retail units.  This would maximize the density of the neighborhood and enhance the traditional neighborhood feel.

To view the article, here is the link:
http://triblive.com/business/headlines/4302651-74/dick-northway-store#axzz2YCByZySc

My idea for the next phase for Bakery Square.

Given the popularity of my latest post, I'm gonna go off on somewhat of a tangent with preservation and move to a though I've had regarding a strip mall near Bakery Square.

With Bakery Square in full swing and Bakery Square II to get underway soon, I've been thinking about the strip mall in between Bakery Square and the bus-rapid transit line.  The only things worth saving there are the Trader Joes and the other historic-looking structure at the other end of the shopping center at the corner of Penn Avenue and Liberty Blvd.  The rest of it just screams anywhere suburbia.  This use, in my opinion, has no purpose in a central urban area, especially in one like the East Liberty neighborhood.  Especially with construction of the East Liberty Transit Center only a block away, demand for this land will skyrocket.

I envision something that should connect seamlessly with Bakery Square One and Two. Generally, I foresee a mix of residential, office, and retail in this phase comprised of a series of buildings roughly 4 to 6 stories tall. Initially I considered a hotel, but I swapped it out in favor of more residential space. I have structured parking along with ground-level retail in the rear of this building. I have a public square in between the Trader Joe's and the proposed residential building.

The street grid I have in place will essentially provide a continuous traffic flow to other parts of the area. Proximity to the new transit center will make this development especially viable.  Other overall goals and objectives this will accomplish include:

• Improving pedestrian activity through a mixture of uses
• Improving utilization of the East Busway due to its proximity to the East Liberty Transit Center.
• Increasing and promoting transit use
• Expansion of East Liberty's "downtown."

The above image was created using Google Earth.  Bakery Square One is in the lower right corner of this image, and the new two-story Target is in the upper left corner, with the Norfolk Southern Line and East Busway top center, providing a boundary to my proposal/suggestion.

Should Point Park University preserve historic facades?

Well, yet again there is a heated discussion going on at the Pittsburgh development discussion on skyscraperpage.com.  Point Park University proposed to build a student activity center along Wood Street in Downtown.  In an initial rendering back in 2008, they showed three historic 3-story buildings transformed into a student recreational center.  In a Post-Gazette article from today, the university apparently is considering demolition of these buildings in order to construct a new three-story building.  Housing was also to be in consideration, but the university apparently backed away from that.  In the next few paragraphs is an argument of the pros and cons of preservation versus demolition.

Preservation

When you preserve a facade of a building considered historically significant, you are essentially preserving that place's history and helping to tell its story and how it fit into the fabric that was the city at the time.  When you have a series of these types of buildings, each building basically becomes a chapter in the overall story of that neighborhood.  Each building will bring character to a neighborhood.  When a series of such buildings is present, it essentially gives off a vibe that tells outsiders, "hey, this city is proud of its past; it is proud of where it has been, and wants that part of it to be around for future generations in some form."

One large negative, however, is if we preserve too much of our past, this will give off the vibe that would suggest this city does not favor change.  This vibe will often turn away new businesses from establishing or growing a presence in the area, and it could turn away would-be residents if newer buildings with the latest amenities are not built.

Demolition

Taking a wrecking ball to an older building does open things up for new opportunities to move on. Tearing down an older structure in favor of newer development can often be for the better. Appropriate times for demolition may include:

• Building is considered unsafe; too costly to remodel
• A developer envisions something else in its place (Case en point with Oxford's proposal for a 33-story building in place of a 7-story structure dating to the 1910s.
• The building is outdated or unusable (see also Mellon Arena).

If buildings are torn down solely for the purpose of just tearing them down rather than integrating them with newer development could be a detriment. Examples of this are far too numerous to list.  One glaring example would be Buncher's plan for the Produce Terminal.  Buncher wants to demolish a large portion of this building to construct a plaza in its place rather than thinking outside the box to devise a way to integrate this building into their vision for this neighborhood.

My verdict

I am all in favor of preserving, but only when it makes sense; it is sensible for the neighborhood and its vision for future generations.  If buildings are derelict to the point where renovations are not possible, then there would be no choice but to demolish such structures to make way for future development.  Otherwise, developers should take historic or potentially historic buildings into consideration when proposing a new development.  Oxford is proposing a large high-rise building in place of an existing 90-year old structure, but it is also considering a remodel of this existing structure if interest in the high-rise is not present.

In the case of these Wood Street buildings, I think preservation should happen. These old buildings would make for one heck of a student rec center.

to view the Post-Gazette article:
http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/business/news/point-park-university-asks-to-make-way-for-playhouse-694107/#ixzz2XyfSCTeR

To view the discussion on skyscraperpage:
http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?t=196266&page=219

Redesigning the Benjamin Franklin Parkway

Still referring to skyscraperpage.com for my material.  This time, I'm focusing on the happenings in Philly.  Apparently there is a push to transform a major prominent road in the heart of the city.  The Vine? Nope.  I-95? Keep guessing.  This road was designed with Paris' Champs Elysees in mind.  Still guessing?  It's the Benjamin Franklin Parkway.  This mile-long, 10-lane wide auto-centric hell takes automobile traffic from the Art Museum to Love Park and vise versa.

The latest installment of this transformation calls for a redesigning of Eakins Circle near the Art Museum.  Later this month, work will begin on a project that will transform this pedestrian unfriendly traffic circle into a sandy beach/amphitheater/boardwalk among other things.  It is an outside-the-box concept that will go a long way to transform the Parkway into something more pedestrian and bike-friendly.  Recently, the Rodin Museum was restored, and I believe part of the parkway was redesigned with a bike lane for cyclists.

To refer back to the Vine St. Expressway, capping here should strongly be considered.  How cool would it be for Philadelphia to have green space stretching from near Chinatown all the way to the Art Museum? That would make for a elongated park roughly a mile and a half long!

Developments in the Strip: Conversion of Steel Mill to Mixed Use/Residential Development.

I saw this in the discussion over in the Pittsburgh development discussion over in Skyscraperpage.com.  Front Studio Architects, an architect with Pittsburgh and New York City offices, is developing a proposal that would transform a former Carnegie Steel mill into a mixed use development.  this would add residential units and office/retail.storage space in an already red-hot neighborhood for such development.

The best feature of this building is the fact that its exterior would be preserved with minor altercations to accommodate its intended use.  The Strip-Lawrenceville section of the city contains many industrial sites; many of them have been decaying for decades ever since the decline of industry over the years.  While some structures may be beyond repair or renovation, others like these are still structurally intact, making them likely candidates for preservation and reuse.  These buildings do give the neighborhood its character, and such a project would preserve its character, potentially enticing future residents to relocate there.

To view this project in detail, here is the link to the Front Studio Architects website highlighting this project.
http://frontstudio.com/selected-work/civic-mixed-used/crucible-steel.html

Big Box Retail: Going outside the box when doing urban locations.

When we think of big box retail, places like Target and Walmart come to mind.  Sprawling super centers complete with a sea of parking also come to mind, considering that one would typically find the bulk of these places in a sprawling suburban shopping center.  Over the last few years, we've seen big retailers like these encroach on our urban core areas.  Target has constructed numerous multistory retail centers in places like Washington, DC, downtown Minneapolis, and a two-story East Liberty location.

Is this going to be the extent of big box retail in our urban cores, or could we see stores like these becoming tenants in a mixed-use mid-rise or even a high rise apartment or condo building?  I think it could be only a matter of time before we see big box retail occupying lower floors of a six, eight, or a ten-plus story apartment building, especially as demand for downtown residential keeps increasing in several urban cores across the country.  This is likely already occurring in New York City, but I would be interested to learn if it is happening in other urban areas of the country.