Category Archive: Preservation News
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Renovators offer advice at Old House Fair
By Candy Williams
FOR THE TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Friday, February 22, 2002The “house” owned by Don Reed and Garth Jones is not necessarily their home, but it’s where they hang their tool belts. The two are partners in a major renovation project of the former Union Provision and Packing Co. in Lawrenceville, a family-operated slaughterhouse for three generations.
The building, 5136 Butler St., has been renamed Slaughterhouse Gallery and Studio.Reed will share his experiences renovating the slaughterhouse and offer advice Saturday at the seventh annual Old House Fair. Sponsored by the Pittsburgh History and Landmarks Foundation and Dollar Bank, the fair — at Victoria Hall, 201 S. Winebiddle St., Bloomfield — is a resource for restoration experts and a gathering place for consumers contemplating or in the middle of renovation projects.
“We’re constantly aware that people are concerned about additional costs” when tackling renovation projects, says Cathy McCollom, director of operations and marketing for Pittsburgh History and Landmarks Foundation. Representatives at more than 50 booths will offer advice on topics ranging from glass and lighting design, insurance and lending institutions to energy conservation, landscape design, neighborhood organizations and more.
Foundation staff members once again will offer a “What Style is Your House?” session from 1 to 3:30 p.m. in the library. Attendees may bring photos of their houses to find out about the architecture and appropriate restoration. This session was so popular last year that an additional expert has been added.
Lectures and demonstrations will be held throughout the day on topics relevant to preservation and restoration. Also, 20-minute neighborhood bus tours will be provided from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. by Molly’s Trolleys.A former community developer for the former Union National Bank of Pittsburgh, Reed became interested in woodworking as a hobby. When he faced the option of leaving town to remain with the bank or venturing out on his own, he decided to stay in Pittsburgh.
He tried consulting for a while, then decided to start his own woodworking business, known as Reed Woodworks and Renovation. “I put all my suits in a garment bag and went out and bought some painter’s pants,” says Reed, who describes himself as “reasonably skilled” in woodworking, having learned the basics from his grandfather. But he learned a lot on his own.
“There’s nothing like doing something for a living to ratchet up your skill level,” he says.
Meanwhile, Reed’s friend, Jones, was going through his own transformation. From Kansas, Jones came to Pittsburgh in 1994 when his wife, Tara Meyer, accepted a position as chemistry professor at the University of Pittsburgh.
With a Ph.D. in organic chemistry, Jones took a research faculty job with UPMC in Oakland, where he worked for five years. That’s when he, like Reed, did an about-face in his career.
“A lot of things were changing in my life, and I needed to do something different,” Jones says. He met Reed through an Aikido martial arts class, and the two friends passed their first-degree black belt test together.
“Don got me into woodworking and taught me a lot,” Jones says, “and I learned a lot on my own. You can call me a self-taught ex-academe.”
The duo was working in Reed’s basement in Lawrenceville when the opportunity came along to purchase the old slaughterhouse near Reed’s restored Victorian home. “We were looking for space to expand,” Reed says. “We ended up with way more space than we needed.”
They purchased the vacant building last August and finally moved into the shop a few weeks ago. They eventually plan to rent some of the space to other artists and craftsmen.
Jones says they hope to preserve as much of the history of the building as possible. The former owners left some reminders of the family business, he says, including “lots of meat hooks, two large meat grinders — which are for sale if anyone needs to grind 100 pounds of meat — a band saw and a forklift truck.”
Says Reed, “There’s still more work to be done and more money to be spent.”
The two co-own the building but maintain their own studio spaces. “Don’s forte is restoring antiques, and I build new custom furniture,” says Jones, whose business is Jones Furniture Design. They are having a “shop warming party” for family, friends and customers from 2 to 6 p.m. Sunday at the gallery/studio.
Old House Fair
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Panther Hollow Bridge, Schenley Bridge, Highland Park Gate Piers (Welcome & Horse Tamers) to be Designated Historic by City
On February 6th, 2002, the Historic Review Commission voted to recommend to City Council that the Panther Hollow Bridge and the Schenley Bridge be designated as City Historic Structures and that the Highland Park Gate Piers (Welcome & Horse Tamers) be designated as City Historic Objects.
It determined that there was reasonable cause to believe that the two nominations meet the criteria for designation as defined in the City’s Historic Preservation Ordinance.
These recommendations, together with recommendation of the City Planning Commission, will be transmitted to Council for its review and for Council’s final decision.
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Closings could be chance to get new stores
By Andrew Conte
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Sunday, January 27, 2002Downtown shop owner Patty Maloney sees opportunity in the neon “store closing” banners outside the National Record Mart and Dollar Zone stores on Forbes Avenue east of Market Square.
Pieces of butcher paper taped to the windows of nearby G.C. Murphy’s declare in black marker letters: “We are now closed.” That store went out of business in November, while Bolan’s Candies — a local landmark — closed its store at Forbes Avenue and Wood Street.Empty store fronts might be even more numerous along Fifth Avenue, where space after space sits dusty and unused. Development experts warned in recent years this would happen. Retail stores in the central business district would start failing, they said, if a sweeping retail plan was not created. Yet, Maloney sees hope.
“You lost businesses, lost some retail,” said Maloney, the owner of three Downtown card shops, who has been deeply involved in the city’s latest round of urban planning. “But if you look at the up side, we have some really great floorplates in place. You have some really good properties available.”
Mayor Tom Murphy’s $522 million proposal for Market Place at Fifth & Forbes was supposed to prevent all of these problems: The city would create a synergy of small- and medium-sized retailers by demolishing a wide swath of buildings to create much-needed space.
But that idea failed amid widespread criticism that it would have destroyed the historic character of Downtown. Even Murphy now admits that he, among other Downtown interests, have “learned a lot from our mistakes in the past.”
Members of the new Plan C — for “compromise” — task force have been scrambling to fill the void over the past year. Officials have said they expected to begin releasing details of a new Downtown plan to the public early next month.
Murphy created the 11-member panel about a year ago after the demise of the Fifth & Forbes plan. The Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership, other business interests and city officials serve on the task force. The group includes those who were at odds with each other during negotiations for the Fifth & Forbes plan.
As they worked to develop a new plan, existing stores have been failing.
“We’re very concerned, absolutely,” said Harry Finnigan, outgoing director of the Downtown Partnership. “It’s not a good sign. The urgency of making something happen is that we don’t end up seeing what so many downtowns have seen; that a department store closes.”
The immediate impact of stores closing might be negative, but the results could be promising, said Richard Hodos, a New York City-based retail expert who scouts new locations for high-end retailers such as Coach, J.Crew and Smith&Hawken.
Several of the Pittsburgh closings resulted from nationwide bankruptcies, and they have freed up large spaces in high-traffic areas near Market Square. No figures were available to indicate how many businesses have closed or moved in recent years.The key to attract businesses will be moving quickly to implement a plan that incorporates various sizes of retailers, he said.
“It’s sad retailers are closing Downtown but there needs to be a grand plan and it needs to be put into effect not over a long time but over a relatively short time,” Hodos said.
If the Downtown tries to implement a 10-year program, for example, the first stores will fail because of a lack of critical mass, Hodos said. Later phases will not occur because the first ones failed.
Others would argue the city already has waited too long by failing to adopt the mayor’s proposal two years ago.
“We honestly missed an opportunity,” said Mulugetta Birru, director of the Urban Redevelopment Authority and an architect of Murphy’s original development plan. “My feeling is it’s going to be a tough one.”
He predicted that the Downtown development woes are just beginning and that it will be much more difficult to create a regional destination there now that other areas have moved more quickly to get the big-name retailers.
The Waterfront retail and entertainment complex in Homestead has filled that role with a luxury movie theater, national retail outlets and niche restaurants. Station Square will open a Hard Rock Cafe, which had been mentioned for Downtown. And the former South Side Works site has plans for a 10-screen movie theater and more upscale restaurants.
“Homestead has all the stores,” Birru said. “Can Pittsburgh support additional entertainment districts? That really frightens me. Has Downtown missed an opportunity for entertainment development?”
While Pittsburgh has an advantage because it has so many anchor-type retailers, Finnigan agreed that they cannot survive on their own. As with a suburban mall, Downtown needs a mix of small and medium retailers among the anchors to make the whole area successful.
Plan C task force members say they are not limiting themselves to just local companies to fill the void, but some developers worry the group may not be willing to accept the demands of a national retailer.
Many chains only will commit to a place if other similar stores locate there, too. Making that much space likely requires some demolition and major renovation, two things preservationists have opposed.
“Things have really slid downhill in terms of retail,” said Eve Picker, president of No Wall Productions. “That core area from Market Square to Smithfield or Wood streets is really in poor shape. There are more vacancies and we’re relying on the local market to fill them.”
No Wall owns a “sliver” building at 945 Liberty Ave. with first-floor retail space, but Picker has not been able to attract any interest.
Birru echoed her concerns that while preservation groups want to keep the old buildings intact, that could mean sacrificing a thriving retail area.
“I’m not that confident because site acquisition is critical, and the mayor has said there will be no condemnation,” said Birru, who has remained out of the Plan C discussion.
On the positive side of the ledger, some Downtown retailers believe the area may have hit its lowest point — that the vacancies are an echo of larger economic problems throughout the country and will become filled as the nation rebounds.
The new convention center, set to start opening in phases this March, also should bring more people Downtown, Picker said. Like others, she also remains hopeful the Plan C group can provide some much-needed cohesion.
If this were a suburban mall, one main developer would have taken the initiative to not only attract anchors but to line up other retailers too. Someone — the task force members, the Downtown Partnership, the city — will have to fill that role, Finnigan said.
While the failure of the original plan caused delays, it was not necessarily a setback, he added. Unlike countless proposals before, it got people’s attention and generated commitment among Downtown interests.
“People do see the urgency of making something happen,” he said.
Maloney would be first among them.
The mayor’s plan outraged her so that she fought to not only kill that proposal, but committed herself and others to creating a better replacement. Ironically, her goal remains nearly identical to the mayor’s — finding some way to revitalize the retail corridor and prevent more storefronts from becoming empty.
“There are all sorts of opportunities out there,” she said. “We could be looking at a big hole in the middle of the city, on the one hand. Or, is this a real opportunity to do something really reflective of this region?”
Andrew Conte can be reached at aconte@tribweb.com or (412) 320-7835.
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All That Glitters is Not Goldby
Landmarks recently accepted an 11-volume collection of dated Pittsburgh cutouts and postcards, donated by member Harry C. Goldby, formerly of Pittsburgh, now residing in Carlisle, PA.
Mr. Goldby’s act of kindness emphasizes that significant gifts don’t have to be cash or securities. When such gifts are related to a charity’s mission, they also qualify for a full market-value charitable income tax deduction.
Generally, Landmarks will not accept a gift of tangible personal property unless its maintenance and care are endowed at the time the gift is made.
Landmarks must also inspect the gift to be sure it relates to our mission and to determine if it meets the conditions of our gift acceptance policy.
Because this collection of historical images of Pittsburgh is invaluable to our research, we were deeply gratified to receive it.
On behalf of all of our members who now have access to this collection in our library, Landmarks thanks Mr. Goldby for finding a way to share a part of Pittsburgh’s past with its future.
Contact: Jack Miller
Director of Gift Planning -
One Gift Annuity to go. . . Hold the Headaches, Double the Income
Tony and Mary Ann Kopczynski never had a lot of money, but for more than a decade they were rolling in dough. That’s because in 1985 the couple purchased and ran Pizza Plus, a small pizza manufacturing business in McKees Rocks.
“For 25 years, I was district sales manager at General Foods,” said Tony. “Then, Phillip Morris bought out the company and gave me the choice of relocating to Cleveland or unemployment. Since we would never leave Pittsburgh, I negotiated a silver parachute.”
At the time, daughter Judy was married and living in Virginia, son Tony was a successful electrical engineer at PPG Industries in Pittsburgh, and the severance package made it possible for the couple to pursue the dream of owning their own business.
Now it just so happened at that time, the family of their son’s friend was thinking about selling its McKees Rocks pizza manufacturing business. Buying the business interested Tony, but Mary Ann was skeptical. So Tony worked at the company for three months without pay to get a feel for the business.
“Originally, I was opposed to the idea,” said Mary Ann, “but we found a good lawyer and CPA who showed us how we could build the business if we were willing to work hard.”
The Kopczynskis welcomed hard work and had business experience. Mary Ann had been a bookkeeper for Allegheny Plywood prior to becoming a fulltime homemaker. Tony knew sales and their son’s knowledge of electrical engineering would prove invaluable in the plant.
With all that going for them, the Kopczynskis decided to buy the business. In a few years, Pizza Plus, competing with national companies, doubled its sales by providing a quality product and excellent service.
When health issues led to retirement, no buyers could be found who shared the Kopczynski’s enthusiasm for their business. That’s when they decided to sell their plant and office building and dissolve the business. Enter Landmarks.
“While the property was not of architectural or historic significance, it met Landmarks’ need for additional storage space,” said Landmarks’ president Arthur Ziegler. “There was also office space we could use or lease.”
Because of the mutual benefits it offers, Landmarks proposed accepting the buildings as gifts to fund a charitable gift annuity. In other words, in return for the property, Landmarks would pay the couple a fixed annual income for as long as either of them lives.
Based on their ages, 6.3% of the value of the Kopczynskis’ gifted property will annually be direct-deposited to their checking account in quarterly payments and they will receive a significant current federal charitable income tax deduction for the gift portion of the property transfer.
So where do the Kopczynski’s go from here?“We’re going to become snowbirds,” said Mary Ann. “We’ll stay in Florida during the winter, then return to Pittsburgh for the rest of the year. We could never totally leave Pittsburgh. We were born here, met here, refused to relocate, and plan to be buried here. We just love this town.”
“I feel good about the gifts we made over the years to support our nonprofit customers,” said Tony. “Now, this gift to Landmarks not only allows us to give something back to the community that gave us so much, but it relieves our stress while providing retirement income.”
Mary Ann added: “Really, Landmarks was the answer to our prayers.”
In short, when it its comes to our donors, Landmarks delivers.
For information on how a planned gift can help you and support Landmarks’ mission, please contact: Jack Miller , Director of Gift Planning at 412-471-5808, ext 538.
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Plan C presentation moved to Jan. 31
By The Tribune-Review
Friday, January 18, 2002A consultant will make his closing report to the Plan C Task Force during a two-day meeting beginning Jan. 31.
Don Hunter, an urban economist from Annapolis, Md., was originally expected to make the presentation Thursday. But task force spokesman Harry Finnigan said the planning committee asked Hunter to perform additional work on the report after receiving a $50,000 grant from the Heinz Endowments.
The task force was formed after Pittsburgh Mayor Tom Murphy’s controversial, $522 million plan for redeveloping the Fifth and Forbes retail corridor Downtown imploded. Since then, the task force has been looking at ways to enhance the existing retail business district without completely leveling the neighborhood, as Murphy had proposed.
“We’re very much looking at a multiuse development,” Finnigan said. “We’re looking at five or six sites where we could build new development, including underground parking, as well as entire blocks in the area where we could take an incremental approach.”
Finnigan said that, in addition to retail and restaurant development, the task force is looking at office and housing components for the area.
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A Historic Gift of a Non-Historic Nature
What motivates a brother and sister to give their childhood home in Lawrenceville to Landmarks? In the case of John Hudak and Katherine Hudak Golobic, it was a way to pay tribute to two loving parents.
John Sr. and Mary Hudak worked hard all of their lives. John was the first of his generation to be born in America. Mary came to this country from Austria when she was 16. Both lived by a strong work ethic.
The couple raised three children: John, Katherine, and Mary Ann. Together they faced the challenges of Mary Ann’s Downe’s Syndrome, periodic layoffs associated with being a welder for U.S. Steel, and having to help staff the parents’ neighborhood grocery store.
But no obstacle could stand in the way of providing for their children. When the grocery store closed, John Sr. worked more overtime at the mill and Mary, then in her forties, enrolled at the Pittsburgh Beauty Academy, graduated at the top of her class and generated extra income from “beautician work.”
Their combined incomes put a son through college and a daughter through nursing school, and enabled Mary Ann to receive the best care possible. When John, Sr. was diagnosed with cancer, Mary cared for him in the only home she ever knew until he died in 1995.
In 2001, cancer also claimed Mary. But her final days were made less painful because Katherine cared for her while John took care of the house and bills.When deciding what to do with the family home after his mother’s death, John consulted Katherine. Since each lived out-of-state, selling the house would be difficult. That was when their Realtor suggested giving Landmarks the Lawrenceville property.
“Giving the house to Landmarks in memory of our parents became a wonderful answer to our dilemma,” said John. “Everyone in the family supported the idea, even our children.”
With the tax savings realized from the gift, John, Jr. and Katherine were also able to direct additional cash to Mary Ann for her long-term care and give something back to the community that meant so much to them and their parents.
PHLF plans to try to restore the exterior of these properties to better reflect their original architectural style.
“When we eventually sell the building to a reputable buyer, we’;; apply the proceeds to an unrestricted endowment account”, said Landmarks’ president Arthur Ziegler. “The gift will then generate income to support our preservation mission in memory of John and Mary Hudak.”
Katherine and John, Jr. hope to call Pittsburgh “home” again one day. But whether or not they return, their generosity has assured that the spirit of the Hudak family will always reside at Landmarks.
Contact: Jack Miller
Director of Gift Planning -
Leveraging Their Legacy
George and Eileen Dorman support a number of community causes, but preservation is at the top of their list.
During the past 20 years, they’ve watched farmland disappear as a population wave moved toward property they own on the tip of Long Island in New York; and they’ve followed the efforts of the late Constance Oliver O’Neil who provided major grants to underwrite Landmarks’ Historic Religious Properties Fund.
As a result of some creative planning, the Dormans have made their own long-term financial commitment to Landmarks that will strengthen our Historic Religious Properties Program and help us to expand our Easement Program.
More than a decade ago, George was elected to the board of a local corporation. As a member of the compensation committee, he championed a Directors’ Charitable Award Program (DCAP). Through this program, he was able to direct payment for his service to an insurance policy that established charities as the beneficiaries.
While on the corporate board, George served on just about every committee, attending as many as 20 meetings per year. Each time, his director’s fee went to the DCAP. When he retired in 2001, a significant sum had been accumulated.
“Eileen and I decided early on that my director’s fees could do a lot more good for the community than for us,” said George. “The only downside was that I had to die or retire before any charitable organization could collect. Fortunately (from my standpoint), retirement came first.”
As a result of the Dormans’ foresight, Landmarks will receive a significant annual gift for each of the next ten years. Eighty percent will be directed to the Historic Religious Properties Fund and the balance will be used to underwrite the Easement Program, particularly those easements that assist in preserving properties for their current use.
“You can go to Europe and see churches that have stood for centuries,” said Eileen. “That glorious architecture and those magnificent stained glass windows give you a sense of the relationship of the builders to their Faith and their God, a relationship that continues to this day.
“George and I wanted to contribute something to that spirit in Pittsburgh. Besides, a building that’s always used never feels old.”
Added George: “Ten years from now, we hope to look back and see architecturally significant churches and historic farms are still here, doing what they were designed to do.”
Thanks to the Dormans and a decision that they made 12 years ago to forego a source of income in favor of a major gift to Landmarks, that wish may just come true.
If you serve on a corporate board, inquire if a Directors’ Charitable Award Program is an option for you. It’s a great way to leave your mark on Pittsburgh and help Landmarks protect the places that make Pittsburgh home.
Contact: Jack Miller
Director of Gift Planning