Category Archive: Legislative / Advocacy
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Landmarks supports the nomination of the Old Stone Tavern as a City-Designated Historic Structure.
PREPARED TESTIMONY OF
ANNE E. NELSON, ESQ.
GENERAL COUNSEL
PITTSBURGH HISTORY & LANDMARKS FOUNDATION
BEFORE HISTORIC REVIEW COMMISSION, CITY OF PITTSBURGH
PUBLIC HEARING ON THE OLD STONE TAVERN
CITY HISTORIC STRUCTURE NOMINATIONApril 1, 2009
Landmarks supports the nomination of the Old Stone Tavern to become a City-Designated Historic Structure.
The building was surveyed in both of Landmarks’ architectural surveys of Allegheny County and was chosen for inclusion in Landmark Architecture of Allegheny County Pennsylvania by James D. Van Trump and Arthur P. Ziegler, Jr., published in 1967, and Pittsburgh’s Landmark Architecture by Walter Kidney, published in 1997.
Walter Kidney dates the building c. 1800 since it is “a work in masonry not logs.” Van Trump and Ziegler describe the building as “[o]ne of the earliest surviving local taverns,” and state that “[t]his tavern must be preserved….”
Therefore, Landmarks supports the nomination of the Old Stone Tavern.
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Landmarks Joins City of Chicago’s Appeal of Landmark Decision
by Anne E. Nelson, General Counsel
PHLF News
March 11, 2009On March 11, 2009, Landmarks joined the National Trust for Historic Preservation, Landmarks Illinois, New York Landmarks Conservancy, Cleveland Restoration Society, sixty-three Illinois municipalities and other organizations in filing an amicus curiae motion before the Supreme Court of Illinois in the case Hanna v. City of Chicago. In Hanna, two Chicago property owners challenged the constitutionality of the city’s landmark ordinance creating a historic district that included the property they owned. The property owners were successful at the appellate court level.
The brief urged the Supreme Court of Illinois to accept the City of Chicago’s Leave to Appeal and to reverse the appellate court’s decision that Chicago’s landmarks ordinance was “vague, ambiguous, and overly broad,” and that, as such, the ordinance amounted to an unconstitutional delegation of discretionary authority by the Chicago City Council to the Landmarks Commission.
The brief made the following four arguments:
- The appellate court’s opinion threatens the validity of similar laws and ordinances throughout Illinois;
- The United States District Court upheld the constitutionality of Chicago’s landmark ordinance against a vagueness challenge in 1977 and 1994;
- In other states, courts have overwhelmingly rejected vagueness challenges to criteria for designating landmarks and historic districts in local preservation ordinances; and
- Courts have upheld preservation ordinances in 24 states and the District of Columbia against vagueness and unlawful delegation claims.
On March 24, 2009, the Illinois Supreme Court denied the motion of the amici to file a state in support of the City of Chicago’s petition. While disappointing, the filing was still successful in calling the court’s attention to the many cities and organizations from around the nation that support the City of Chicago’s position.
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Dormont Pool Receives Funds for Repairs
by Arthur P. Ziegler, Jr., President
March 4th, 2009
PHLF NewsFriends of the Dormont Pool, which formed to save this huge swimming pool when the Borough was going to close it because of the expense of repairing it, has continued to raise funds to keep the pool open and on St. Patrick’s Day presented the Borough with a check for another $50,000 to continue the repair program.
For more information, see:
http://friendsofdormontpool.org/
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The Sweeney Hotel and Saloon To Be Preserved
March 4th, 2009
PHLF NewsAt the request of Senator Jim Ferlo and the Natrona Comes Together Association in the Natrona Flats, Landmarks helped the organization secure the vacant Sweeney Hotel and Saloon built in 1900 at 36 Chestnut Street. Over the years the hotel had become a bank, an antique store, and finally The Vault Theatre, before it closed again.
Utilizing a grant from Senator Ferlo and a planned giving solution we developed, we were able to obtain the ownership of the building for the Natrona Comes Together Association.
A further grant from the Senator is enabling us to install a new roof and repair the elegant cornice work on the building. The future use for the building is still being discussed within the larger context of the Natrona’s ongoing revitalization efforts.
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New Granada Theater Stabilization Funding Secured
by Anne E. Nelson, General Counsel
PHLF News
February 26, 2009On February 26, 2009, the Allegheny County Economic Development, Community Infrastructure and Tourism Board awarded Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Foundation a $91,000 grant for the New Granada Theater stabilization project.
Thanks to this grant, the $1.1 million project is now fully funded.
The New Granada stabilization project is also being supported by a $500,000 grant from The Heinz Endowments and $500,000 from the Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program through Representative Jake Wheatley.
The Hill Community Development Corporation is the owner and our partner.
New Granada Theater in 1995 - Andrew Russell/Tribune Review
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Landmarks opposes the demolitions of 1403 and 1414 Nixon Street and 1109 Bingham Street
PREPARED TESTIMONY OF
ANNE E. NELSON, ESQ., GENERAL COUNSEL
PITTSBURGH HISTORY & LANDMARKS FOUNDATIONBEFORE HISTORIC REVIEW COMMISSION,
CITY OF PITTSBURGH PUBLIC HEARING ON CITY DEMOLITIONSJANUARY 7, 2008
Landmarks opposes the demolitions of 1403 and 1414 Nixon Street and 1109 Bingham Street because the City was instructed by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to cease all demolition activities for any buildings located in National Register eligible or listed or local designated historic districts until the City complies with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act and revises its procedures and relevant documentation.
HUD reiterated its instructions and concerns with the City’s Section 106 compliance in a letter dated December 29, 2008. In this letter, the City was further instructed to respond to HUD by January 16, 2009 with: (1) an update on the City’s progress in revising its procedures and relevant documentation to comply with Section 106, (2) assurance that the City has ceased demolition activities, and (3) addressing Landmarks’ concerns.
It is distressing that the City has failed to comply with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act over the past six months. We have yet to receive any responses from the City to our letters commenting on its compliance with Section 106 that were sent in August and September 2008, nor have we received a response to our letter dated July 29, 2008 requesting to be a consulting party.
Landmarks will oppose all City demolitions in historic districts until it complies with Section 106, and we are notified of our consulting party status.
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- 1109 Bingham Street
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- 1414 Nixon Street
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- 1403 Nixon Street
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Landmarks Community Capital Corporation & Carnegie Mellon University’s Heinz College Hold Landmarks Economic Development Case Challenge
PHLF News
November 14, 2008
by Michael SriprasertIn light of the recent efforts to bring a grocery store to the Hill District, Landmarks Community Capital Corporation, in partnership with the Heinz College, engaged 25 students in the Heinz Colleges’ first ever non-profit case challenge. Titled the “Landmarks Economic Development Case Challenge”, students were introduced to the issue that is gaining more attention both locally and nationally: The dearth of quality grocery stores locating in urban markets.
LCCC presented the topic to students and took them on a site visit to the Hill District to speak with local leadership engaged in the grocery store development. LCCC then took the students to Wilkinsburg to meet with the Mayor and the owner of the Save-A-Lot that just opened two years ago to give students a better understanding of the impact grocery stores can have in urban markets and to give them more insight into the business of operating a grocery store in these types of areas.
After a week of conducting their own due diligence, the students presented on which development they thought would have the greatest likelihood to succeed and would drive positive change for the Hill District and for its residents The panel of judges was made up of professors, economic development professionals, City of Pittsburgh leaders, business professionals from the Hill District and Wilkinsburg, and LCCC staff. The judges all agreed that the presentations were excellent, and making a decision about the top three was very difficult. After over an hour of deliberation, the winning teams were decided upon:
1st Place Winners – Save-A-Lot
Chapel Dcunha, Jebran Syed, Shruti Mohandas, Emily Burnett, Ling Zhai2nd Place Winners – Kuhns
Russell Pustejovsky, Matt Solomon, Jarrod West, Eddie Wilson3rd Place Winners – Save-A-Lot
Conrhonda Baker, Tramaine Brathwaite, Jennifer Clarke, Hanna SmithLCCC & PHLF would like to congratulate all those who participated in the Landmarks Economic Development Case Challenge, and would especially like to thank the Heinz College for engaging LCCC in this great event.
Participants were:
- Conrhonda Baker
- Tramaine Brathwaite
- Emily Burnett
- Jennifer Clarke
- John Cowen
- Chapel Dcunha
- Leigh Halverson
- Kristin Kennedy
- Ashish Mehra
- Sruti Mohandas
- Eric Morris
- Russell Pustejovsky
- Rhajiv Ratnatunga
- Lavanya Shaji
- Hanna Smith
- Matt Solomon
- Michael Spotts
- Jebran Syed
- Huimin Tan
- Zhenyue Wang
- Lu Wang
- Jarrod West
- Eddie Willson
- Jingyi Xu
- Ling Zhai
To find out more information about this case challenge, please contact Michael Sriprasert at (412) 471-5808
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Public Hearing on 200-210 Fifth Ave, and 438 & 440 Market Street
PREPARED TESTIMONY OF
ANNE E. NELSON, ESQ.
GENERAL COUNSEL
PITTSBURGH HISTORY & LANDMARKS FOUNDATION
BEFORE HISTORIC REVIEW COMMISSION, CITY OF PITTSBURGH
PUBLIC HEARING ON 200-210 FIFTH AVENUE; 438 & 440 MARKET STREET
NOVEMER 5, 2008
As the future holder of a preservation easement on the Buhl Building and current holder of design control rights on the adjacent properties, Landmarks supports N&P Properties’ plans to rehabilitate the exterior of the Buhl Building, demolish the adjacent structures, and build a new building adjacent to the Buhl. The size, scale, and color of the proposed adjacent building compliment the blue terra cotta Buhl Building. Landmarks’ support of N & P Properties’ plans for the Buhl Building and adjacent structures, however, is contingent on the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission approving Part 2 of their Federal Rehabilitation Tax Credit application.
