Landmarks receives preservation easement on historic downtown building

April 2, 2009
PHLF News 

Ohio-based Spruce Street Properties, Ltd. has donated a preservation easement to Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Foundation on the exterior of The Carlyle, at Fourth Avenue and Wood Street that is being converted to luxury condominiums.

A preservation easement is a voluntary legal agreement made between a property owner and an authorized preservation organization to preserve the exterior of a historic building and assure appropriate alteration.  The easement will be recorded with the deed, run in perpetuity and assist current and future owners in preserving the buildings historic and architectural features.

Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Foundation will be the monitoring agent for the easement and received a donation from Spruce Street Properties to assure the necessary funds to defend and monitor the easement forever.

“David Bishoff, a long-time owner of many buildings in Pittsburgh and a staunch supporter of maintaining the wonderful fabric of downtown through the preservation of its historic buildings, is to be commended for protecting the exterior of this important building which is a contributing structure in the Fourth Avenue Historic District,” said Foundation President Arthur Ziegler.  “Once again, a creative developer has shown how we can move forward by building on our past.”

The Carlyle, formerly the Union National Bank Building, was designed by MacClure & Spahr and constructed in 1906.  The 21-story neo-Classical building was a focal point of Pittsburgh?s Fourth Avenue financial district, once one of the most significant financial centers in the country.  The Carlyle will provide downtown residential ownership starting at $279,000.

Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahl attended the Foundation’s board meeting when the announcement was made.