Category Archive: Preservation News
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Historic Panel Gives a Reprieve to Igloo
Thursday, January 06, 2011By Mark Belko, Pittsburgh Post-GazetteThe Civic Arena has won a bit of a lifeline.
A bid to protect the 49-year-old landmark from demolition got a boost Wednesday when the city’s historic review commission gave preliminary approval to its nomination as a city historic structure.
The 5-1 vote clears the way for a formal hearing Feb. 2 on the proposed designation, one opposed by the Pittsburgh Penguins and the arena’s owner, the city-Allegheny County Sports & Exhibition Authority. John Jennings, acting chief of the city’s Bureau of Building Inspection, cast the no vote.
Even as it gave preliminary approval, the commission stated that the decision was not a determination on the merits of the application for historic status filed by Hill District resident Eloise McDonald.
In fact, nine years ago, the commission gave preliminary approval to the arena’s designation as a historic structure only to reject it in a final vote.
Nonetheless, Ms. McDonald said afterward that she was thinking “very positive” on the chances of getting a final vote in favor of the nomination. But she added it could be a tough sell since Mayor Luke Ravenstahl, who appoints historic review commission members, favors demolition.
“I’m going to stay optimistic to the final decision,” she said. “But like I said, I know the politics of the game.”
However, Ernie Hogan, the commission’s acting chair, said afterward that the mayor is “not telling us what decision to make” on the nomination.
“We have a charter to uphold regarding preservation standards. That’s all he’s saying, do your job,” Mr. Hogan said.
In arguing the case for the nomination, Ms. McDonald said the arena, with its retractable roof, is unique.
To tear it down would be “just awful,” she said. “There’s a lot of young kids, if they would ever see that dome open, there would be a whole lot more support for it. If you’ve never seen it open, you have no idea how extravagant and beautiful it is.”
The preliminary finding is a setback for the SEA and the Penguins, who have the development rights to the land that includes the arena. The team wants to demolish the structure to make way for a residential, office and commercial development.
Travis Williams, the Penguins’ senior vice president of business affairs and general counsel, declined comment on Wednesday’s decision.
But Shawn Gallagher, an attorney for the SEA, said the agency does not believe the Igloo meets the criteria for historic status. Describing Ms. McDonald’s nomination as “frivolous,” he said the same criteria used to nominate the arena eight years ago — and rejected — is being used this time.
And while Ms. McDonald spoke of the marvel of the retractable roof, Mr. Gallagher said it “never really worked” and doesn’t work anymore.
“It’s not worthy of preservation,” he said of the arena, adding it is costing the SEA and taxpayers about $65,000 a month to maintain it.
The Penguins moved from the arena to the Consol Energy Center across the street last summer.
Scott Leib, president of Preservation Pittsburgh, noted that state preservation officials have determined that the building is eligible for the National Register of Historic Places.
“We’re not trying to obstruct progress. We just have a totally different view of what progress is,” he said.
Wednesday’s vote prevents the SEA from demolishing the structure until a final determination is made on its status. However, the agency did not plan to start the razing until spring at the earliest.
Once the historic review commission has completed its work, the nomination must be considered by the city planning commission and city council before the arena’s final fate is known.
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Steelpan City
Pittsburgh City Paper
For the Week of 01.05.2011 / 01.12.2011
BY ANDREW MOORE
Jonnet Solomon-Nowlin - Steelpan Drum Instructor, owner of The National Opera House in Lincoln-Lemington - Brian Kaldorf
A local woman is hoping that the sounds of steelpan drums can revitalize one of the city’s most historic homes and the lives of young people.
The National Opera House, located on the border of Homewood and Lincoln-Lemington — and once the home of the National Negro Opera Company — has sat vacant for years. But now Jonnet Solomon-Nowlin, the building’s owner, believes her family’s U.S. Steelpan Academy can add value and structure to young lives, while bringing attention to the neighborhood’s often-overlooked past.
Steelpan drums were invented in the Caribbean — in countries like Guyana, and Trinidad and Tobago — during the 1930s. Steelpans were originally crafted from discarded 55-gallon oil drums. To achieve their signature pitched sound, two rubber-tipped mallets strike the surface of the pan, where notes have been marked onto the stretched steel surface.
Starting at the age of 14, Solomon-Nowlin’s father, Phil Solomon, founded several steelbands in Guyana; he was named Musician of the Year in 1971. After moving to Pittsburgh in 1984, he founded Solomon Steelpan Company and began manufacturing steel drums for organizations throughout the country. Solomon was the first manufacturer of steelpans in Pittsburgh.
After dedicating years to this instrument, Solomon wants the next generation to take over.
“The whole idea of the academy,” he says, “is to launch the steelpan into the 21st century, for me to pass this knowledge on to younger people.”
Solomon-Nowlin hopes not only to pass on that knowledge, but to teach young people a skill that can add value to their community.
“I would like to see steelpan and the arts and music help young people,” Solomon-Nowlin says, “by giving them an opportunity to express themselves through art.”
While she’s working to restore the Opera House, for the past several years Solomon-Nowlin has been able to teach lessons through community partnerships. And when she begins a new series of classes at the East End’s Union Project this month, it will be a step closer to running the academy within the National Opera House.
The Union Project lessons are important, she says, “and the first set of students will be a marketing piece for the house.”
Using the house as the home base for the Steelpan Academy makes sense. After all, the building has always had a role in the emerging African-American art scene, especially during the previous century.
The three-story Victorian home sits on a terrace overlooking Homewood. Built in the Queen Anne style in 1894, it was home to many prominent black Pittsburghers over the years, including Roberto Clemente, Lena Horne and Woogie Harris, brother of famed photographer Charles “Teenie” Harris.
But its most significant tenant was Mary Cardwell Dawson’s National Negro Opera Company. Launched in 1941, the NNOC was the first African-American opera company in the country. The NNOC held productions for 21 years and traveled to Washington, D.C., New York City and Chicago.
Solomon-Nowlin says she learned about this history through the advocacy efforts of the Young Preservationists Association of Pittsburgh (YPA) and the group’s executive director, Dan Holland.
The YPA is a preservation group that encourages young people to be involved in researching, documenting and eventually restoring historic places. Once a year, the organization releases a Top Ten list of the best opportunities for preservation in the region. In 2003, the Opera House was on that list.
“Their Top Ten list and the education around it, and why it’s important to preserve,” Solomon-Nowlin says, “is one of the key things that brought awareness to the project. They were able to reach a lot of people.”
And that’s what Solomon-Nowlin is hoping to do with Steelpan.
The Young Men and Women’s African Heritage Association, headquartered on Pittsburgh’s North Side, has been teaching steelpan for 15 years, and the Solomon family has been involved since the beginning. Lessons were first taught by Phil Solomon and later his daughters, Janera and then Jonnet. Jonnet gives lessons on Saturdays at the New Hazlett Theatre.
Janice Parks, executive director of the heritage association, says the steelpan is a good fit for her students.
“It’s an easily accessible instrument,” Parks says. “You don’t have to have years and years of experience to be great. [Students] can pick up two mallets and an hour later they can play the melody line of a tune that’s familiar to them.”
Adam Warble, an instructor at the academy, agrees, and says “it’s definitely a popular instrument — it’s fun.” Warble says that his young students get particularly excited when he mentions current hip-hop songs that feature steelpan. But Phil Solomon stresses the versatility of the instrument. “Steelpan was actually created to play classical music,” he says.
Parks says her students learn to play everything from “Bach and Beethoven to Stevie Wonder.”
When the academy begins teaching at the Opera House, Warble thinks it will be “absolutely wonderful. Especially since the steelpan was invented in the Caribbean” — where the culture is heavily influenced by the African diaspora. “[And] since [the home] was a hub of African-American cultures, I think it’s wonderful to bring that back to the Opera House.”
The next step is bringing back the house itself. Solomon-Nowlin has recently hired grant-writers to find funding for the home’s restoration. Architects, electricians and carpenters have all agreed to work with her, and some have already donated time to the project.
Now, she just needs to raise enough money to begin the restoration, and to begin turning the Opera House back into a home for music. But she’s quick to point out that because her forte is music, she can use all the help she can get on the restoration side of this dream.
“I’m not in the preservation business,” she says with a laugh, “I’m just in it by default. My key thing is to just make sure it’s preserved. We really have to push forward.”
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Downtown Honus Wagner Store has Finally Struck Out
A sporting goods fixture for 93 yearsWednesday, January 05, 2011By Mark Belko, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
The Honus Wagner Sporting Goods store on Forbes Avenue is closing after 93 years in business Downtown. Michael Henninger/Post-Gazette
First it was Gimbels, then Joseph Horne, Kaufmann’s and Candy-Rama. Now another iconic Pittsburgh retailer is preparing to fade from the scene.
After 93 years Downtown, Honus Wagner Co. sporting goods store plans to close its doors permanently within the next six weeks after a going-out-of-business sale.
Harriet Shapiro, who co-owns the store with her husband, Murray, said Tuesday that the family, after four generations of ownership, simply had no one left to take over the reins.
“We’re very sad to see it go. It’s been a Pittsburgh landmark for so many years,” she said.
While word of the closing filtered out Tuesday, the clock has been ticking on the store for some time. In 2009, Point Park University reached an agreement with the owners on an option to purchase the property as part of its plan to move the Pittsburgh Playhouse Downtown.
Under terms of the agreement, the university had the right to take over the property once the Shapiros vacate it or in four years, whichever came first.
Mrs. Shapiro said she and her husband had considered selling the store but were unable to find anyone with an interest in purchasing it.
She said the store was not closing because of poor business.
“Absolutely not,” she declared. “It’s a closing sale. It’s not a desperation sale or a bankruptcy sale or anything like that.”
Opened in 1918 by the legendary Honus Wagner, the Hall of Fame shortstop for the Pirates, the store has been a sports fans oasis Downtown for decades, jam-packed to the rafters with jerseys, jackets, T-shirts, tennis shoes and other merchandise.
At one time, the store also supplied uniforms for the Pittsburgh Pirates as well as semipro and high school teams in the region.
The Shapiros purchased the store from Mr. Wagner about 1928. The shop first was housed on Liberty Avenue but moved to its current location on Forbes Avenue nearly 60 years ago.
On Tuesday, the store with the black-and-gold awning and sign (what else?) was closed for inventory, but will reopen today for its final days.
Patrons were saddened to hear about its demise.
Ron Gruendl, spokesman for BNY Mellon Downtown, said he still had a Frank Robinson model baseball bat he bought at the store in the mid-1960s.
“For many people who grew up and came into the city during the baby boom era, we’re losing part of our childhood,” he said. “Before there was Dick’s [Sporting Goods], before there was anything, it was Honus Wagner. Honus Wagner and Chatham Sports, those were the places.”
David Vance, a former Pittsburgher who now lives in Hudson, Quebec, just outside of Montreal, remembers driving to the store with a friend to pick up their first Little League uniforms.
“Along with standing out in the right field [seats] section of Forbes Field hoping to catch a home run and see [Roberto] Clemente up close, that visit to Honus Wagner was a cherished memory of my youth. It will be missed,” he wrote in an e-mail.
The closing likely will be a boost for Ace Athletic, a sporting goods store that opened on Forbes a short distance from Honus Wagner in September. Manager Tim Piett, however, found no joy Tuesday in knowing that the old store was closing.
“I worked there 27 years,” he said. “I was very close to the family. They’re very good people.”
The store will eventually be reborn as a performing arts center. Point Park intends to use it and several adjacent properties it owns to relocate the Pittsburgh Playhouse from Oakland to Downtown. The new complex would feature three theaters ranging from 150 to 500 seats each, production and teaching areas, a residence hall and retail space.
University spokeswoman Mary Ellen Solomon said the move wouldn’t occur until the second phase of the school’s academic village initiative Downtown and that that was still “several years down the road.”
For some, though, the promise of new development did little to soothe the pain of seeing another local landmark disappear.
“It’s sad. It’s a long-standing store in Pittsburgh. Downtown is getting empty,” said Brenda Lane of Scott, who stopped at the store Tuesday, hoping to purchase a Winter Classic T-shirt. “All our retail places are going by the wayside.”
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South Side Site Gets Development Go-Ahead
Retail, apartments slated for former Goodwill headquartersFriday, December 24, 2010By Mark Belko, Pittsburgh Post-GazetteA $28 million project to convert the former Goodwill headquarters on the South Side into apartments and retail space is good to go, thanks in part to a $5 million state redevelopment assistance grant.
The grant, awarded by Gov. Ed Rendell last week, will help close a gap in the financing and enable the project to move forward, city Urban Redevelopment Authority board members were told Thursday when they authorized the receipt of the money.
Green Tree developer Burns & Scalo Real Estate plans to convert the seven-story building on East Carson Street into 87 market rate apartments and 10,000 square feet of ground level retail space.
James Scalo, Burns & Scalo president, said he expects the apartments to rent for about $1,500 a month.
He said the state money will be used to help build a parking garage within the complex, an amenity he believes will be a big selling point. He said it would be the only residential project on the South Side with secure parking within the building.
With the money committed, Mr. Scalo said he hopes to start demolition work inside the building next month. Construction work is expected to start in April, with an opening slated for spring 2012.
Burns & Scalo will clean and preserve the facade and also seek to have the Renaissance Revival building listed on the National Register of Historic Places, in part to make the project eligible for historic tax credits, Mr. Scalo said.
Burns & Scalo came under some fire last summer when it received permission from the city Historic Review Commission to demolish an adjacent Goodwill building to make way for an Aldi supermarket.
Mr. Scalo said there’s a reason the developer is seeking to preserve the Goodwill headquarters while it demolished the other structure.
“This building has a lot of historic value. The other one did not,” he said. The structure used to be the mercantile store for the J&L Steel plant on the South Side.
Also Thursday, the URA board approved a deal that allows Cleveland-based Forest City Enterprises to make a $9 million lump sum payment to the URA to close out a $20.8 million loan dating back to 1984.
The loan was used to build Liberty Center, the 27-story skyscraper that houses the Westin Convention Center hotel and Federated Investors. Since the loan’s inception, Forest City had made about $9.5 million in payments. The developer, about three weeks ago, approached the URA about discontinuing $400,000 in yearly payments in exchange for one final lump sum amount.
In agreeing to the deal, the URA will be accepting about $2 million less than the original loan, not including interest. However, Rob Stephany, URA executive director, said there was a chance that future yearly payments, which were tied to cash flow, could decrease, depending on the tower’s occupancy and lease arrangements. He said Forest City originally offered $3.5 million as a lump sum payment.
A consultant hired by the URA also analyzed the deal and concluded that a $9 million buyout was a “very fair number.”
Mr. Stephany said the URA plans to reinvest the $9 million in city neighborhoods that are eligible for federal community development block grants.
“It’s a great opportunity for us,” he said
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Kaufmann’s is Back? Well, the Kaufmann Center will be, with $100,000 from PPG
Wednesday, January 05, 2011
Pop City Media
The historic Kaufmann Center in the Hill District, home to social services and events in the neighborhood for decades, is that much closer to reopening as a state-of-the-art auditorium for community development, education, arts and cultural happenings, thanks to a $100,000 grant from the PPG Industries Foundation.
The structure – part of the six-building Hill House Association, local provider of health, education, housing and other services – had fallen into disrepair and closed in June 2009. The grant from PPG, says Foundation Executive Director Sue Sloan, will aid the Center’s $5 million renovation effort, which includes a new entryway and LEED certification of the building as a newly energy-efficient green structure.
Hill House hopes the renovated auditorium will attract regional events to the neighborhood as well. Overall, the building’s renewal should contribute to the organization’s and the neighborhood’s health, both financially and socially.
“The real value is that this will help revive and increase services for individuals in the Hill District,” Sloan notes. “This is going to make a difference to the folks who are living here and using these services.”
Writer: Marty Levine
Source: Sue Sloan, PPG Industries Foundation -
Report Cites Downtown Dynamics
Tuesday, January 04, 2011By Sally Kalson, Pittsburgh Post-GazetteDowntown Pittsburgh is a more diverse and dynamic place than it was just seven years ago — more residents, more students and workers, more people riding bikes and running.
That’s the conclusion of Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership President Michael Edwards, based on the group’s new report about living, working and commuting Downtown.
Among the findings:
• The peak age of Downtown residents is 25 to 29.
• One-third of Downtown residents have incomes of more than $100,000.
• Of the 126,000 people working Downtown, two-thirds are in the service or finance industries.
• The proportion of students jumped from 4 percent to 13 percent since 2003.
• The use of public transit also jumped, from 48 percent to 53 percent in the same period.
• The average commute to Downtown is 13 miles, or about 38 minutes.
The report comes from four different surveys conducted in 2010. For the most part, the studies are looking at the “greater Downtown” area that includes the Golden Triangle, the north and south shores, the near-Strip District and Uptown.
The full report is available at www.downtownpittsburgh.com.
Most of the indicators are positive, Mr. Edwards said.
One piece of data that never registered before is the growing number of people coming Downtown on weekends to exercise. That, he said, speaks to the work of Riverlife, the nonprofit advocacy group, and increased riverfront activity, from kayaking to biking and running the trails.
“This is the first time we’ve seen that,” Mr. Edwards said. “It shows a more compelling place to locate, with the whole Downtown as your backyard.”
But there are two trouble spots in the report.
Commuting costs are up anywhere from 8 percent to 89 percent, looking at parking, gas, bus fares and tolls. At the same time, fewer employers are contributing to those costs with bus passes or discounts. So, while Downtown is holding its own as the region’s employment hub, those costs are a concern for the future.
Also of concern: The cost of developing new housing Downtown is 25 percent higher than what the market will bear.
There’s not much the partnership can do about commuting costs, but it does have an idea to lower the cost of building new housing. Mr. Edwards said he and others will be lobbying in Harrisburg for a state historic tax credit, a financing tool that could fill 20 percent of the gap.
“That would lower the cost to the developer significantly,” he said.
It only makes sense to make Downtown development more affordable, he said, because the residential population there has more than doubled in the past decade, from 3,050 to 7,260.Right now, the occupancy rate for Downtown residences is 97 percent, so there is good reason to believe that new units would fare just as well.
For office space, overall occupancy is 90 percent, the highest in 20 years. Hotel occupancy, at 65 percent, is still higher than national average.
“So we are performing pretty well,” Mr. Edwards said. “This information allows us to tackle the nuances and make things even better.”
The spike in students is attributable to Pittsburgh CAPA 6-12, Point Park and Duquesne universities and the Art Institute of Pittsburgh. That influx, Mr. Edwards said, adds to the district’s depth because “they come at different times and spend money on different things.”
For example, comic books.
“This location thrives off the college students,” said Humes Grossman, a clerk at Comic Book Ink on Smithfield Street.
Downtown regular Premo Masullo, 40, of Brentwood, is a server at the Omni William Penn Hotel. He’s noticed changes for the better.
“I’ve been working here almost 20 years, and it’s more thriving than it was 20 years ago,” he said. “There are [more] smaller businesses Downtown. There are more kids, college kids, which increases business.”
But not every part of Downtown is benefitting equally from the positive trends, said Julina Coupland, 29, of Point Breeze.
“Pockets of it seem to be [thriving] and others are moving more slowly,” she said. “The Cultural District, the new Market Square are pretty vibrant. But mostly when I’m down here on weekends and evenings, it’s pretty quiet, not a lot is going on.”
Other findings in the report include:• Average household size increased to 1.5 people from 2008, and 4 percent of households have children.
• Top reasons for moving Downtown were convenience, desire for city living and appeal of the buildings.
• Weekly average of spending at Downtown restaurants and retailers was $183.
• Four in 10 commuters are ages 35 or younger.
• The Boulevard of the Allies is mostly traveled by students.
• Market Square and Fifth Avenue are among the busiest pedestrian areas due to recent revitalization.
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Jeannette Mayor Calls for Cleanup
Thursday, December 30, 2010By Candy WoodallRobert Carter stands on Jeannette’s Clay Avenue, pointing to the many, though quiet, intersections along the steep street that serves as the city’s downtown. .
“On Friday nights there used to be a police officer on every corner directing traffic,” he said.
He recalled a busy cityscape that was once a common scene throughout many of the region’s industrial neighborhoods.
“There was so much hustle and bustle here. You could get any type of clothes and cars and appliances you’d want along this street,” he said.
Finishing his first year as Jeannette’s mayor, Mr. Carter said he has worked to re-create the heyday in a city he’s called home during his 52 years.
As a self-proclaimed “man of faith” and “servant” to his city, he said he has to try to rebuild what was once a mass-production epicenter in Westmoreland County and nicknamed “the Glass City” for its many and world renowned glass manufacturing plants.
“I know we’ll never get back to that, but we can at least have it come back to a place where people can still come downtown to shop and eat,” he said.
But before the city can be rebuilt, it needs to be cleaned up, he said.
Describing his leadership style as “direct and to the point,” he began the year by replacing department heads as the city struggled in the red.
“We still had to pay bills from 2009. It became a challenge to try and run a city with zero funds, other than the budget,” he said.
Jeannette’s deficit rose to nearly $1 million during the past three years, he said.
The year’s $4.6 million budget was four weeks overdue and required more than $100,000 in cuts before it was balanced. “Every department took a hit,” he said.
The budget also included a health insurance overhaul for city employees and a provider switch from UPMC to Highmark that was expected to save about $105,000.
“We had to get everyone on the same page and let them know there would be limited spending. We were getting ready to move forward,” he said.
Moving forward wasn’t easyCity council’s first work session of the year spawned such fractious debate about the fire department’s new ladder truck that former fire chief Mike Bertolino left the meeting with chest pains and was ultimately hospitalized. He is now fine.
Then new to the mayor’s seat, Mr. Carter, a firefighter for 37 years, disagreed with Mr. Bertolino about which ladder truck should be purchased.
Using federal grant money, that truck was purchased and was expected to arrive in Jeannette yesterday, Mr. Carter said.
It wouldn’t be the last time during the year that money was at the center of debate in the city.
“Early in the year, it was suggested we file for bankruptcy, which I refused to do,” he said.
“But, yeah, the chips were down.”
In February, council approved a pre-Act 47 review as part of the Municipalities Financial Recovery Act, which provides fiscal support and recovery plans to financially distressed communities.
In July, council hired Delta Development Group Inc. as consultants for the city’s finances.
The Cranberry-based firm also did similar work in McKeesport, a Mon Valley mill town that faces similar fiscal challenges.
Through the state’s Early Intervention Program, which supplies matching grants for the work, Jeannette was able to hire the firm at 10 percent of the $81,875 cost.
Delta’s evaluation will be complete in two months, according to Michael Minyon, who began working as city clerk in March.
Some councilmen have questioned whether the city is already in Act 47, Mr. Carter said.
During a special meeting this fall, council slashed the city’s workforce to hedge against a $440,000 deficit at the end of the year.
“We had to get the budget in line and keep the city solvent,” he said.
He said Mr. Minyon had advised him and council that the city otherwise may have run out of money by November.
“Something had to be done,” he said.
Eight city employees were laid off at the end of September: three police officers, three public works staff members and two part-time parking meter enforcement officers.
“Of course it’s not what you want to do. But sometimes it’s what you have to do,” he said.
Mr. Carter and council members also refused their financial stipends for the rest of the year.
But, ultimately, it wasn’t enough to stave off a budget shortfall.
With a projected $432,000 deficit at the end of this year and $255,000 due tomorrow to the police pension fund, the city applied for a $500,000 unfunded debt loan.
A late payment to the police pension fund could result in penalties and fees to the city, according to solicitor Scott Avolio.
For every month the payment is late, a 7.5 percent penalty may be assessed, with about $17,000 in interest, he said.
The city has made payments to its pension funds for firefighters and other employees, Mr. Carter said.
First Niagara Bank first approved the loan earlier this month and was followed by approval from Westmoreland County Judge Anthony Marsili, Mr. Carter said.
The fate of Jeannette’s fiscal health is now pending approval from the state Department of Community and Economic Development, he said.
Upon final approval, which is anticipated “any day now,” the city will repay the loan during a 10-year period at $61,000 a year, he said.
Raising fees, cleaning upTo further generate revenue, council also voted this month to raise some of its fees, a move that is expected to bring in more than $300,000, Mr. Minyon said.
Earned income tax will be raised by 0.15 percent. Garbage fees will increase from $10.80 a month to $13.50 a month. And the mechanical device fee is doubling from $150 a year to $300 a year.
“These moves will help the city move forward,” Mr. Carter said.
If moving forward has been the mantra in Jeannette this year, cleaning up has been the method.
The state Department of Environmental Protection has conducted two investigations in the city during the last few months, said Katy Gresh, spokeswoman for the DEP’s southwest regional office.
Recently the DEP inspected the Monsour Medical Center property at the corner of Pennsylvania Boulevard and Route 30. The 146-bed hospital has been vacant for four years.
“It’s just been sitting there falling apart,” Mr. Carter said. “People have been going in and vandalizing it. It’s not safe.”
Medical waste and discarded needles were found on the property this fall, Ms. Gresh said.
“Public safety is of the utmost concern. We’re advising people to stay away from the facility while we initiate a clean-up,” she said.
Mr. Carter said the DEP entered the property with a search warrant, claiming it is in foreclosure and going up for sheriff’s sale in the spring.
“We’re taking care of the city’s eyesores, one by one,” he said.
Another of those eyesores is the old Jeannette Glass Co. plant.
The 32-acre property comprises two parcels between Chambers and Bullitt avenues, with its manufacturing facility sitting like a rusted monument, gnawing at Mr. Carter’s patience.
“I’d love to see it turned into an outdoor performing space, a place to bring people together, a recreational space, another place of employment, anything,” he said.
At the behest of owner Abe Zion, who bought the property for $4 million in 1983, Mr. Carter and Mr. Avolio traveled to New York in August to discuss the property — a trip that sparked debate in the city once again.
Councilman Jeff DePalma, supported the mayor and solicitor going to New York to talk to Mr. Zion, pointed out that Mr. Zion has paid more than $1 million in taxes during the last 20 years. Mr. Zion has been a good taxpayer, he said, dolling out $68,000 a year in property taxes.
Mr. Zion, 85, declined comment.
For nearly 20 years, local leaders said they tried to engage Mr. Zion in discussion, hoping he’d do something with the old facility, which is falling apart.
John Skavio, CEO of nonprofit Economic Growth Connection of Westmoreland County, said the group got close a few times, but talks ultimately went nowhere.
He last communicated with Mr. Zion in 2007, he said.
Mr. Carter said Mr. Zion first approached him at the beginning of the year with a phone call to congratulate him on his election.
He said Mr. Zion told him he wanted to do something with the property, and Mr. Carter saw it as a breakthrough.
“It’s been a long time coming, and I don’t want to miss the opportunity to get that property cleaned up,” he said.
During the August trip, Mr. Zion signed two good-faith agreements that allow the city to access his property for beautification efforts.
“I consider it a victory … .” Mr. Carter said. “It probably saved $15,000, and we still have a dialogue nobody has had with him.”
DEP steps inDEP is also working on a dialogue with him.
Inspectors took soil, air and water samples at the deteriorating site in October, while workers from the city’s health department determined the safety of the aging facilities.
Earlier in the year, DEP scientists discovered levels of arsenic in the soil to be above normal standards, and the October inspection revealed possible soil contamination from asbestos and lead, according to Ms. Gresh.
“Those substances can cause health problems,” she said.
They can also result in possible air violations, she said.
If Mr. Zion is found to be in violation, he could face fines and be legally required to clean up the property, she said.
The DEP has not yet reported its complete findings to council or Mr. Zion, Mr. Carter said.
“We’re in a holding pattern with Mr. Zion while we wait for results,” he said.
As the city works to clean up its old industrial yards, it has also tried to keep its own house in order.
At least three lawsuits have involved city employees — one with the former city clerk was dismissed in August, another involving the police chief was settled in October, while a pending lawsuit involves the fire chief.
Jeannette fire Chief Randy Dubich waived his right to a preliminary hearing on a charges in November stemming from a September incident in which a woman said Mr. Dubich tried to remove some of her clothing and groped her at the fire station when she went there to apply for a job, the complaint states.
A formal arraignment is scheduled for Jan. 26 at the Westmoreland County Courthouse.
A city fireman for 16 years who was promoted to chief in February, Mr. Dubich is now suspended without pay.
Fire Captains Mike Bertolino and Joe Matijevic are in charge of the department during Mr. Dubich’s suspension, Mr. Carter said.
Mr. Carter said he doesn’t see that kind of news as a black eye for the city.
“It’s more like a speed bump,” he said.
In the end, though, it’s all about continuing to move forward, he said.
“I’m one person who’s not afraid to say, ‘Yeah, we have issues,’ ” he said. “We also try to take a pretty active stance on those issues.
“[This year] was very challenging, but it was also very rewarding. We learned a lot and took care of a lot this year to make sure next year will be a lot better,” he said.
Candy Woodall, freelance: suburbanliving@post-gazette.com. -
Wilkinsburg Celebrates New Developments
On October 12th, PHLF held a press conference at the Landmarks Housing Resource Center in Wilkinsburg to announce the commencement of four major initiatives.
In the span of one year, these initiatives will bring nearly $10 million to the community and will result in two fully restored apartment buildings, three restored single-family homes which would represent the second phase of housing in Hamnett Place, the start of year three of the Neighborhood Partnership Program, and the launch of the Landmarks Housing Resource Center.
County Executive Dan Onorato, an important funder and supporter of the housing work ongoing in Wilkinsburg, stated that, “In working with these public and private partners for the last four years, we have demonstrated our commitment to the revitalization of Wilkinsburg. We have renovated homes and developed commercial property, all while preserving the historic feel of this community. We know that businesses and housing go hand-in-hand with economic revitalization.”
Brian Hudson, executive director of the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency, a major funder of the Crescent and Wilson restoration development, also stated that by “working together, we will be able to restore these historic buildings and not only provide affordable housing, but also provide supportive services for the new residents.”
Speakers at the press conference also lauded the success of the past two years of the Neighborhood Partnership Program, an initiative of the PA Department of Community and Economic Development, and talked about the programming for the upcoming year. With funding from TriState Capital Bank, which has committed $2 million dollars over a seven-year period, the Wilkinsburg Community Development Corporation and the Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Foundation will use the funds for initiatives ranging from vacant lot management, to programming for the Landmarks Housing Resource Center, to clean and green programs on the Wilkinsburg main street.
Lastly, the site for the press conference, the Landmarks Housing Resource Center, was praised by attendees as being a new important ingredient for community revitalization in Wilkinsburg and beyond. The HRC is located in the heart of Hamnett Place across from the Crescent Apartments. Programming throughout the year, will focus on workshops and seminars ranging from how to restore your historic home, how to acquire and improve a vacant lot, and to how to make your home more energy efficient.