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Category Archive: Audio Video

  1. Parishioners Decry Demolished 157-Year-Old Church in Elizabeth

    WTAE
    August 26, 2008

    A wrecking ball demolished a 157-year-old church in Elizabeth on Monday after decades of debate over the building’s future.

    St. Michael the Archangel Church, built in 1851, closed its doors in 1987 after the Pittsburgh Diocese deemed the structure unsafe.

    Long-time parishioners told WTAE Channel 4’s Jon Greiner Monday night that they believed the structure withstood time well.

    "It was for the coal miners and the ship builders from Elizabeth. It stood up during the Civil War and here we are closing it," said Susan Sopko, a former parishioner. "It’s an historic landmark." A group of parishioners tried unsuccessfully to save the church, even offering to buy it, which the diocese turned down.

    "That’s not what I wanted to see. We would rather have kept it a historical monument and a chapel of convenience," said J.C. Natale, a former parishioner. "We tried for 21 years and this is the end result."
    Arnold Shaner took pictures of the demolition. He and five siblings were all baptized and married in the church.

    "There’s a lot of memories in there. I was a wee guy. My mom used to sing at weddings," he said. "I spent a lot of hours in that church."

    Shaner’s mother also drew the design for what was to become the Archangel Michael that stood guard over the church for decades — a guardian who is scheduled to come down Tuesday with the steeple and remainder of the church.

    The Save Our Church group said its members plan further investigate the church was actually torn down without proper permits.

  2. East Liberty High-Rise Reduced To Rubble

    Courtesy of KDKA

    (Click play button to view video)

    A local high rise has now been reduced to a pile of rubble.

    The Auburn Terrace high rise in East Liberty was imploded around 9:30 a.m.

    The building was located in the 6200 block of Auburn Street.

    The Housing Authority received a grant from the federal government to pay for the project.

    It is trying to get rid of outdated buildings and put residents in better housing.

    (© MMVIII, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)

  3. Save-A-Lot Grocery Store Provides Video Presentations

    Save-A-Lot Grocery Store has expressed interest in locating in Pittsburgh’s historic Hill District neighborhood. Save-A-Lot has provided two rather interesting videos and one commercial that highlight their business, design of the grocery store, and focus on customer satisfaction.



    This video highlights a Save-A-Lot Grocery Store, it’s business model, and focus on how Save-A-Lot strives to offer the best possible customer experience.

    This video requires Adobe Flash Player to view
    Click Here to Download




    This video shows how Save-A-Lot focusses on the quality of their store and ensuring that the customer has the best experience possible. This gives you an insight on the quality oriented shopping experience Save-A-Lot strives to achieve.

    This video requires Adobe Flash Player to view
    Click Here to Download



    This is an example of a Save-A-Lot Commercial.

    This video requires Adobe Flash Player to view
    Click Here to Download

  4. Hill District Could Be Getting New Grocery Store

    POSTED: 5:04 pm EST January 28, 2008
    UPDATED: 5:17 pm EST January 28, 2008
    WTAE TV: http://www.thepittsburghchannel.com/

    PITTSBURGH — The Hill District might be getting closer to having its own neighborhood grocery store.
    The Landmarks Community Capital Corporation, a St. Louis-based grocer, is interested in building in the Hill District.

    There is a breakfast planned for Tuesday morning at the Grand Concourse at Station Square where the company is expected to announce the plans.

    Hill District representatives, Pittsburgh and Allegheny County officials, along with representatives for the Penguins were invited to attend the meeting.

    Howard B. Slaughter Jr., Landmarks chief executive officer, would not identify the grocer on Monday.

    WTAE Channel 4 Action News will have more on the story Tuesday.

    Story courtesy of WTAE TV: http://www.thepittsburghchannel.com/

  5. East Liberty Development Thriving; Hill District Falls Behind

    POSTED: 1:20 pm EST January 24, 2008
    UPDATED: 6:01 pm EST January 24, 2008

    WTAE TV: http://www.thepittsburghchannel.com/

    PITTSBURGH — The tale of two Pittsburgh neighborhoods, both with harsh histories, is stirring up some controversy around the area.

    East Liberty is in a renewal while many say the Hill District is being left behind.

    The latest East Liberty development, announced on Thursday, will use a mixture of private investment loans and tax money.

    Residents in the Hill District are still fighting for the city to set up a fund for development.

    So, why does it work in one neighborhood and not the other?

    The old downtown YMCA building in East Liberty hasn’t been used in years. Soon, it’s going to be turned into 35 brand new lofts thanks to a developer who hopes to breathe new life into the historic building.

    According to developer Mark Meiser, the lofts will range upward of $250,000.

    “First-time homebuyers, I think, is probably the biggest target market,” said Meiser. “Single women, I think, in particular with the medical market that is here in Pittsburgh.”

    The project also includes renovating dilapidated duplexes on Rippey Street into eight condos in the $150,000 price range.

    “Part of this plan is to eliminate that horrendous circle and restore the traditional historic street grid pattern with homes, and those homes will be explicitly affordable to a single moms with four or five kids,” said state Sen. Jim Ferlo.

    “This project will rehabilitate and preserve several significant buildings in East Liberty while addressing the community’s needs for decent and affordable housing and encourage development in a community that’s fallen on hard times,” said Rep. Mike Doyle.

    In the Hill District though, the One Hill Coalition is pushing the city for money. It wants the renewal that’s happening in East Liberty to happen in the Hill, too, but that effort has hit struggle after struggle.

    WTAE Channel 4 Action News reporter Bob Mayo asked Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahl to explain what’s the difference between East Liberty compared to the community-controlled funding Hill District activists are seeking.

    “Well, this is different in that, you know, this is project-specific, and we’ve been very clear with the folks in the Hill District: project-specific projects are things we’re more than willing to fund,” said Ravenstahl.
    Carl Redwood, of the One Hill Coalition, said he believes the scope of the Penguins new arena deal should set the stage for something different.

    “There are a number of project-specific proposals that are taking place right now in the Hill District that the city is supporting,” he said. “We wanted to make sure that there was an additional fund because of the new arena that was created, that could be under more community control.”

    “I think we can be creative and find ways to fund projects in the Hill District just like we found ways to fund a project like this one,” said Ravenstahl. “And so I think that discussion has evolved and has moved to a good point.”

    But Redwood said the Hill District community feels it knows best how to move forward with its neighborhood’s development.

    “They gave the Penguins full control of all the parking revenue on the Urban Redevelopment Authority controlled parking spaces. They didn’t ask them for project specific things. The revenue goes to the Penguins. That’s not project specific. They changed the rules for the Penguins, but they won’t change them for the community.”

    Story courtesy of WTAE TV: http://www.thepittsburghchannel.com/

Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Foundation

100 West Station Square Drive, Suite 450

Pittsburgh, PA 15219

Phone: 412-471-5808  |  Fax: 412-471-1633