Category Archive: Neighborhood Development
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Federal North Postponed
The Urban Redevelopment Authority selected PHLF to lead the planning and possibly serve as the developer of the Federal North block, which consists of the Garden Theatre, Masonic Hall, Bradbury Apartments and miscellaneous other historic buildings in the North Side.
The North Side neighborhoods asked that a full-fledged community process be undertaken to establish priorities for the entire North Side and to make recommendations for the Federal North project. PHLF recommended that the process go forward and that Federal North studies be delayed until that is completed.
The current state of the financial and leasing markets is such that the delay will be opportune. The URA has agreed with the postponement with the provision that it may begin some restoration work to open a community office in one of the Federal North buildings.
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In Vandergrift, Transforming the Vision Into Reality
PHLF has been working in partnership with the Vandergrift Improvement Program (VIP) for over three years now to realize an ambitious vision for bringing new life and vitality back to Vandergrift’s historic downtown. We have worked with the VIP to really focus on taking steps to start to change the underlying economics of the main street. This has included a focus on bringing buildings back into productive service and working to retain and recruit businesses that will give customers more reason to come back.
After a lot of hard work, that vision is now starting to take shape. Work is currently underway to restore 143 Grant Avenue. Most of the brick facade has been removed, cleaned and reconstructed. The plywood that had covered much of the original storefront has been stripped off to reveal the original transom windows, which will be restored.
“It’s really nice to see that some of the seeds we’ve planted are now starting to bear fruit,” said Meade Jack, President of the VIP Board of Directors. “This is an exciting time for us. We appreciate our partnership with PHLF. It’s been a lot of hard work, but we’re making real progress. And this is just the beginning.”
Jack expressed confidence that the VIP will continue to make progress restoring other key properties in the heart of downtown. “We care about this place. It’s not just downtown, it’s at the core of who we are. We know it won’t come back exactly as it was. And will take patience and a lot more hard work. But we believe we’re on track an heading in the right direction. Downtown is coming back.”
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Easement Policy Revised
Landmarks recently revised its Easement Policy in accordance with the Land Trust Alliance’s Standards and Practices, as recommended by the National Trust for Historic Preservation. The Standards and Practices are “ethical and technical guidelines for the responsible operation of a land trust.”
Landmarks holds easements on a variety of historic properties throughout western Pennsylvania including single family homes in the Mexican War Streets, historic farms in Greene and Washington County, the Heinz Lofts, Armstrong Cork and the recently restored Bedford Springs Resort to name a few.
Preservation easements are recorded land use agreements in which a property owner voluntarily places restrictions on the building and/or land that maintain the historic or architectural significance of the property. Preservation easements, therefore, are an important historic preservation tool because they preserve historic buildings in perpetuity. Donors of preservation easements may also qualify for a federal charitable contribution deduction.
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Landmarks Community Capital Corporation Invest in Loft-Style Town Homes in Bloomfield/Garfield
Landmarks Community Capital Corporation (LCCC) announced at a press conference/ground breaking on Wednesday, April 16th that it has made a $462,000 equity investment into the new loft-style townhouse development located at 5000 Penn Avenue in the Bloomfield/Garfield section of Pittsburgh by Friendship Development Associates, Inc. (FDA).
Howard Slaughter, Chief Executive Officer of LCCC says, “The development of this loft-style housing, or ‘lofters’ as I call them, fill a blighted vacant lot on a major corridor. It will also have attractability to workers at the new Children’s Hospital just two blocks away and continue to shore up the business corridor of Penn Avenue and provide quality housing for three new families. We are pleased to provide this equity investment to FDA and look forward to working with them on the construction of this development. “ FDA’s Real Estate Manager, Courtney Ehrlichman, says this development will be key in maintaining their efforts to keep the revitalization on the Penn Avenue corridor ongoing and strong.
In attendance at the ground breaking was Mayor Luke Ravenstahl who said “Urban loft-style townhouses are becoming more popular around the country, and Pittsburgh is always on the cusp of new and innovative ideas. This development is representative of the opportunity to increase marketability in Pittsburgh’s urban communities by developing a mix of affordable and market-rate housing, thereby making communities more sustainable by establishing better diversification of incomes, style of housing and ethnicity of communities. The Urban Redevelopment Authority’s funding of $161,297 in this development is a prime example of private/public partnership, which is the nexus of true neighborhood revitalization.”
The development is scheduled for completion within the next eight months.
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Penn Brewery founder to tap retirement
Thursday, May 22, 2008Tom Pastorius, who helped pioneer the national craft beer industry by introducing Penn Pilsner in 1986 and founding what would become Penn Brewery on the North Side three years later, has announced that he will retire. “All good things must come to an end,” said Mr. Pastorius, 63, of Sewickley. He plans to hang up his lederhosen in September.
Tom Pastorius lifts a cold one at Penn Brewery in 2002.
He has continued working as Pennsylvania Brewing Co.’s chief executive officer after selling a majority interest to Birchmere Capital in 2003. But part of that deal was that he step down after five years.
When the Pittsburgh native and his wife, Mary Beth, started the company in the former Eberhardt & Ober Brewery, the restaurant was called the Allegheny Brewery and Pub and was the first “tied house” — brewery-owned pub — in the state since Prohibition.
Having served in the Army and lived for several years in Germany, Mr. Pastorius did everything the German way, importing not just the copper kettles but also a brewmaster and making Penn Pilsner like a favorite German beer. Penn Brewery became known for its German food and music, while its brews became well-known across the state and beyond.
In 1990, Penn won a gold medal at the Great American Beer Festival, the first of a dozen medals it would win there, in addition to honors from the World Beer Cup, the United States Beer Tasting Championships and other contests.
But looking back, Mr. Pastorius says, “I think what makes me feel best is we’ve been something special in Pittsburgh, and we’ve made a lot of people happy.”
He’s not sure if he’ll hang on to his stock and his seat on the board, but he does plan to keep a hand in the beer business, perhaps working to raise the membership and profile of the Pennsylvania Brewers Guild. “Look at what the wineries have done,” he said, citing their collaborative marketing and lobbying efforts.
He’ll officially say goodbye at the annual Penn Brewery anniversary party on Sept. 12.
Meanwhile, he’ll be in attendance at the June 7 Pennsylvania Microbrewers Fest, the craft beer blowout he started in 1995.
For more information, including how to buy tickets ($37 for one of three sessions — noon, 3:30 p.m. and 8 pm.), visit pennbrew.com.
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Vandergrift Main Street moves ahead
By Rossilynne Skena
VALLEY NEWS DISPATCH
Monday, May 19, 2008Part of the now-vacant building at 143 Grant Ave. is “a time capsule,” said Shaun Yurcaba, Vandergrift Improvement Program Main Street manager.
Inside are two single-bedroom apartments, complete with details and woodwork left unchanged since the turn of the 20th century.
By fall, renters will be able to live there and look out over Vandergrift, the area the VIP has spent the last four years trying to improve.
The VIP is a nonprofit organization that’s facilitating the Main Street program, a community revitalization initiative, Yurcaba said.
This summer, contractors will restore the apartments — one two-bedroom and two one-bedroom. The VIP is getting bids for painting along with electrical and plumbing work.
Yurcaba said the building facade has been partially restored with the help of a $300,000 grant from the Allegheny Foundation, a Pittsburgh-based Scaife Foundation that gives grants to historic preservation projects, made possible through the Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Foundation.
A new roof has been installed and asbestos abatement has occurred, Yurcaba said. The storefront needs to be restored, she said.
“We’re hoping that this building will be an example to others on what they can do to restore and rehabilitate others,” Yurcaba said.
A business will move into the first floor by late summer or fall, Yurcaba said. Plans for the business are being finalized, she said.
Yurcaba said the VIP has seen a couple of businesses relocate to the area and another reopen, although she said the VIP can’t take complete credit.
Carino’s Ristorante, 133 Grant Ave., will reopen next month, and owner Mark Carino said he’s anxious to get back into the business.
The restaurant, which had been in Vandergrift for 20 years, has been closed for about two-and-a-half years. Carino of Vandergrift said the restaurant will be “kind of different this time.”
“It’s going to be more neighborhood-friendly, more price-friendly,” Carino said, describing the previous restaurant as the “white tablecloth” kind.
Carino’s will offer pasta dishes, sauces, sandwiches, salads and appetizers and will be “kind of sports-oriented” with TVs.
Carino said VIP’s revitalization efforts were one of the deciding factors to open again.
“I like what they’re doing. They’re very pro-active. Before they came along, I thought it was stagnant. Now, they’re trying to do things. I can see other people trying to do things also,” he said.
Allan Walzak is president of StrongLand Chamber of Commerce, which represents Vandergrift among other municipalities, backs the VIP.
“It’s very important to us that every community within the chamber has an opportunity to move forward, to grow and develop,” he said. “We are here to help them.”
Walzak also serves as president of the Casino Theater, a partially-restored building in Vandergrift. He said there has been community interest and support of the theater.
Last week, the VIP received an $850 grant from the Laurel Highlands Visitors Bureau for the program’s farmers market, which will be held Thursdays this summer, beginning July 10, Yurcaba said.
The VIP this month received a $75,000 grant from the Department of Community and Economic Development to pay for the program’s operations, including running programs, keeping the office running and keeping the staff working on projects, Yurcaba said.
The VIP will also receive a DCED grant for $35,000 by fall or winter to help pay for building renovations, she said.
Another DCED grant, the Facade Grant Program, offers money to downtown businesses owners and property owners to rehabilitate their storefronts. The VIP receives this $30,000 grant each year for four years, Yurcaba said. The VIP has this $30,000 to grant to property owners to do renovations, and applications for funds are available at the program’s 132 Grant Ave. office or at its Web site, officialvandergrift.com. As much as $5,000 is available for each facade, depending on the project.
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Streetscape funding awaits Bush’s signature
Thursday, May 08, 2008The federal transportation bill that includes streetscape funding for Heidelberg, Scott and Carnegie is headed to the White House for approval.
H.R. Bill 1195, which as of last Thursday had passed both houses of Congress, contains $2.4 million that will be targeted for various street improvements between First and Third streets on Route 50 in Heidelberg, Carothers Avenue in Scott and Third Street in Carnegie.
“Being a center point between the airport and the city, and at the crossroads of two interstate highways, these communities have so much to offer,” said U. S. Rep. Tim Murphy, R-Upper St. Clair, who developed the revitalization initiative.
Specifics of the streetscape plan need to be worked out, but past discussions have included using the federal money to repair infrastructure, relocate utility lines, provide secure lighting and add other amenities such as decorative benches and planters to make the three communities more inviting.
In addition, the Port Authority and the Pittsburgh History and Landmarks Foundation are working with the communities to introduce transit-oriented development and create a blueprint for revitalization.
Legislation containing the funding passed the U.S. House twice, most recently in March 2007, but was held up in the Senate.
Mr. Murphy, who secured money in the House version, worked with U.S. Sen. Arlen Specter, R-Pennsylvania, to move the bill in the Senate with additional funding for the project.
“This is an exciting springboard for these areas that have tried to rebuild,” Mr. Murphy said. “As the plans are developed, community input will be essential.”
He estimated that it would be several months after President Bush signs the bill before the money would be available.
Mr. Murphy added that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is in the midst of a $4.5 million plan to remove sediment from areas prone to flooding, such as Chartiers Creek and Robinson Run.
Carole Gilbert Brown is a freelance writer.First published on May 8, 2008 at 5:39 am -
Mt. Lebanon theater project creates buzz
By Craig Smith
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Thursday, May 1, 2008A Mt. Lebanon theater that showed “The Graduate” and “To Sir With Love” — significant art films of the 1960s — might revisit that genre with a $3 million renovation.Along the way, officials hope the project will be the catalyst for increased business in the community.“It’s a great community project that will light the spark for more economic development in the region,” said Mt. Lebanon Commissioner D. Raja, who purchased the Denis Theatre on Washington Road in November to keep it from being converted to an office complex.
Raja has signed a 15-year lease to rent the building to the Denis Theatre Foundation, which announced plans Monday to revive it.
The Denis will reopen as an art house, showing independent and foreign language films, and documentaries. It could be a venue for lectures, film series, student productions and cultural events. A church has expressed interest in conducting services there.Since word of the plan first started circulating around the community, “the buzz has been amazing,” said Joe Rovita, owner of Empire Music and president of the Uptown Business Association.The Denis opened in 1937 as a one-screen moviehouse with a capacity of 1,200. Ownership changed repeatedly over the next six decades, before Raja bought it last year. The 11,000-square-foot theater closed in 2004.
Raja, of Bangalore, India, is co-founder of Computer Enterprises Inc. He and his wife, Neeta, bought the property in November for $668,750, real estate records show.
Renovating the theater will be a huge project, said Anne Kemerer, executive director of the Denis Theater Foundation, which hopes to raise the $3 million in government grants and private donations.
“Time has not been kind to the Denis,” she said. “There is water damage, vandalism, some outdated equipment.”
The theater’s marquee, which is not salvageable, lies in pieces in the lobby. Its basement is filled with 70 years’ worth of accumulated theater equipment.
But officials are optimistic the renovated theater will bring people to Mt. Lebanon.
“Because Mt. Lebanon is a walkable community, the theater has great potential,” said Dan Woodske, Mt. Lebanon’s commercial district manager.
Theaters can draw people to Main Street in the evening and on weekends — two key periods that have been lost to the malls, Woodske said.
“Very few stores stay open past 5 or 6. There’s nothing right now to bring a steady flow on the weekends,” he said.
A number of old movie theaters in the Pittsburgh area have been preserved, including the Oaks Theater in Oakmont, The Strand in Zelienople, The Hollywood Theater in Dormont and the Ambridge Family Theater in Beaver County.
Craig Smith can be reached at csmith@tribweb.com or 412-380-5646.