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Luxury hotel slated for Pittsburgh


mjcatl2

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I believe in change, but smart change. We need input on new development. Personally I think obnoxiously modern buildings will not respect the surrounding architecture. Pittsburgh has a skyline problem from many angles that we do not want to make it worse. The modern gothic building in downtown is an example of something that improves our skyline -- however the overuse of the glass at the street level plaza is overbearing. I drive through their everyday and it is painful at times. People staying at the proposed luxury hotel should find relief from this building in the cultural district.

I agree about the street level of ppg place, it might as well be a 40 ft tall concrete retaining wall at times when you're walking around it. But architecture should still be left to the architects and the needs of the economy, not necessarily a zoning comission that's pressed by a community group of senior citizens. And I don't think height restrictions are what keeps them in check. I'm more worried about someone building something too cheap or crappy on land that could be better used. A lot of other cities have screwed up a lot of their buildings, such as the layer-cake setbacks that were mandated on a lot of NYC structures. It's good to make incentive for LEED certifications, to plan good mixed use neighborhoods that have good circulation and street life. But when you get to the point of arguing about a height restriction and the view out of someone's attick window in a 75 yr old vinyl sided wooden shack, screw that, it really gets to be too theoretical about how that will really affect the neighborhood.

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They are not against change. They simply and selfishly believe that the views are owned by them and screw and developement. It's not like they live in a city or anything....

"The change would also allow the proposed One International Center, a South Side development geared toward Asian businesses, to reach 110 feet, up from 75 feet under current zoning rules."

I wonder if they have any desire to build to the height limit.

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  • 2 weeks later...
  • 4 weeks later...

I found renderings of what the luxury hotel would have looked liked. Too bad the plans have been dropped. However, the Pittsburgh Business Times had an article with an illustration this past week of a new proposal to add 4 stories to one of the buildings.

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I really like the design. I hope the architectural firm will do similar work like this.

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I had previously complained that that project would be out of scale for that block... but I must admit... that is a sleek, chic design.

The new development outfit plans on using the existing 5-story building on the site... and adding an additional 4 floors for a luxury condo project.

Anyone have anymore info on that?

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I found renderings of what the luxury hotel would have looked liked. Too bad the plans have been dropped. However, the Pittsburgh Business Times had an article with an illustration this past week of a new proposal to add 4 stories to one of the buildings.

280556870_17e0e4d1f7_o.jpg

280556872_b65a2f3a17_o.jpg

280556871_a28f97fec4_o.jpg

I really like the design. I hope the architectural firm will do similar work like this.

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  • 1 month later...

so Solara has just purchased Otto Milk in the Strip with designs to convert the long-vacant structure into 70 condos...

quotes from the print article in the Business Journal:

"Solara president Jack Benoff emphasized this week that he has yet to decide on a final plan for the property but said he has been studying the condo project for months and believes it will dovetail with other development nearby.

"The only thing I knew nine months ago was I loved the look of the building," said Benoff, who was recently granted approval for a 17-unit condo project at 941 Penn Ave. in the Cultural District. "I think the location is just great, and I think the timing is perfect."

Located between Smallman Street and Penn Avenue at 25th Street, the property includes a complex of several smaller buildings that total 82,000 square feet and span much of two city blocks.

...

He compared the potential of the Otto Milk building with the nearby Armstrong Cork development, a former cork factory that Chicago-based McCaffrey Interests Inc. is renovating into 297 apartments. "

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While I am excited about all of these projects slated for downtown, northside, strip district, I cannot help but wonder is the market becoming saturated. What is the true demand for these places to live? Will there be sustained demand?

I know that one can make the argument that if these developers are willing to invest all of the money to rehab or build these places then the demand must be there but developers have overestimated demand before. What does everyone think?

I would also like to see the % occupancy at Heinz Lofts and Cork Factory?

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There has been plenty of print about how there is great demand for new residential in the urban core... and how these new developments are filling up faster than expected... here's a recent article about how condo sales at the under construction 151 FirstSide downtown are beating expectations: http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburgh...s/s_483025.html

by the way... here's some more print on Otto Milk:

http://www.popcitymedia.com/developmentnews/41solara.aspx

"

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There has been plenty of print about how there is great demand for new residential in the urban core... and how these new developments are filling up faster than expected... here's a recent article about how condo sales at the under construction 151 FirstSide downtown are beating expectations:

I have definitly read these articles but I have to question what do they truely mean by demand and is this just rather developers putting spin on what is going on. If they say these places are really filling up and everyone wants to live downtown then people will have a sense of urgency. If they say they are not they people will look at it and say oh thats a failure I dont really want to live downtown.

I guess what I am saying is just passing the 50% mark really that much demand? Considering these places have been on the market for probably 2 years.

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