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East Liberty Redevelopment continues

mercurypa

By mercurypa
in Pittsburgh

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mercurypa Whistle-Stop

mercurypa

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This beautiful area with a great urban fabric continues to rise from the ashes of poor "urban redevelopment". I love these few blocks that have such great potential to be a great city neighborhood again. Here is a link to a new plan for more housing and retail renovations.

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/tribune-re...0/s_427507.html

Also of note, I recently saw the sign for the Lofts on Baum going up across the street on Centre/Euclid, and the second phase of the eastside development is making a lot of progress. The space for the new Walgreens is also almost done!

And caddy corner from this the Highland Building has seen some signs of life like asbestos removal I believe. The Guiding Light store has moved out of the building next door in anticipation of the demolation to make way for the new hotel.

This summer the new neighborhood improvement council goes into affect with more security, trash cleanup, and graffiti removal. I think the biggest obstacle to rebirth will be to end the loitering/littering problem in the business district. It makes me mad everytime I drive through the amount of trash that people throw into the street. No self respect apparently. So I guess I wouldn't mind a little more policing to get people used to the idea that this area is back in business.

I suppose Im a little partial to this area since I live in Highland Park and would love a business district close to me! Although I frequent the businesses in Shadyside all the time.

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mercurypa Whistle-Stop

mercurypa

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Evergrey, I definitely know about the loft conversion of the Highland Building. I am following it closely. It is next door to the new hotel building that will be going up at Highland/Centre.

Urban, the Market House is actually above the new giant eagle, and is a beautiful modern building. The Giant Eagle underneath is undergoing a great renovation and is much more hip than its suburban counterparts probably to compete with Whole Foods Market down the street.

Regarding the Baum/Centre project, I think they are keeping it very hush hush right now. It appears they are developing the two end points of the project starting at the Luna Lofts, and the redeveloped parking garge down the street that will house a new mercedes dealership. The other end would be the corner that houses Whole Foods, and the Eastside project that will connect East Libety with Shadyside via a pedestrian bridge. This is the same corner that now houses the Red Room restaurant, Abay Ethiopian, and the Shadow Lounge (very cool music venue). Across the street from that is the Highland Building, and the building that will be demolished to build the new hotel.

Across the street from Whole Foods they will be constructing this building:

http://biz.yahoo.com/bizj/060215/1228925.html?.v=1

http://www.howardhanna.com/content/newcommunitysearch.asp

Gerbil, they are in preliminary talks with developers to build new retail and residential along Penn Avenue to reconnect the communities. Also I know there are a few green housing projects in the works.

I do hope they proceed with increased security and litter clean up. Also the police will have to start enforcing the loitering laws because right now the area could be intimidating for some delicate folks.

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UrbaniDesDev Whistle-Stop

UrbaniDesDev

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Some questions on this area;

Any word on whats to happen to the lots opened by the destruction of that horrid tower of blight that stood hovering over Penn Avenue for decades? This is a crucial site and I hope they treat it as an extension of Penn Avenue's commercial District. I think those new townhouses built at Penn and Highland, though handsome, were a mistake. It breaks the rythm that once was Penn Avenue. It is an improvement to what was there.

Are there any more plans to reconfiguring whats left of "Penn Circle"

That was a disaster in urban planning, no?

What of that other tower looming over Penn near Shady? It's got to go for the area to develope properly.

and one other thing :huh:

Any news on the preservation of that amazing church with the twin spires on Larimer? I understand that they caught someone stealing the Tiffany windows a few years back

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mercurypa Whistle-Stop

mercurypa

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Some questions on this area;

Any word on whats to happen to the lots opened by the destruction of that horrid tower of blight that stood hovering over Penn Avenue for decades? This is a crucial site and I hope they treat it as an extension of Penn Avenue's commercial District. I think those new townhouses built at Penn and Highland, though handsome, were a mistake. It breaks the rythm that once was Penn Avenue. It is an improvement to what was there.

Are there any more plans to reconfiguring whats left of "Penn Circle"

That was a disaster in urban planning, no?

What of that other tower looming over Penn near Shady? It's got to go for the area to develope properly.

and one other thing :huh:

Any news on the preservation of that amazing church with the twin spires on Larimer? I understand that they caught someone stealing the Tiffany windows a few years back

Here is a link to a great article that was in Shady Magazine, a small publication that focuses on the East Side.

http://www.eastliberty.org/community_news.html

There is also lots of information on plans for reconnecting the streets, and the building of homes and apartments that were all destroyed during "Urban Renewal" in the the 1960s.

I think the church that you mentioned has received some money for renovation although I am not sure as to the extent of the money.

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PghUSA Town

PghUSA

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Glad to see all the activity at the heart of E. Liberty, I agree it should be made a centerpiece and traffic flow modernized.

Although those towers were crime hazards and the worst in public housing, I do hope to see high rises take their place in that section of the city.

Chucka, great info on Luna Square!

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balistpgh Unincorporated Area

balistpgh

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I heard that the Luna project is on hold. Apparently with the proposed development of a second cancer center, the owners of the Luna Project real estate have decided to wait and see if UPMC would buy the property for UPMC development instead of starting their own new development. Once again we are waiting.... :whistling:

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UrbaniDesDev Whistle-Stop

UrbaniDesDev

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This just in from the Tribune

Loan helps Luna Square

A $2.25 million state loan will help to improve water and sewage systems in Bloomfield, and this is vital for the proposed six-acre Luna Square development. The Pittsburgh Economic and Industrial Development Corp. is getting the money for work adjacent to the Luna site at Baum Boulevard and Cypress Street, said Michael Kratsas, vice president of development for Kratsa Properties, a partner in the project. The $115 million Luna Square will include retail and office space, 265 housing units, a six-screen arts cinema, restaurants and an 1,800-space parking garage. The project is expected to create 665 jobs.

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UrbaniDesDev Whistle-Stop

UrbaniDesDev

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Driving along Penn Avenue, doing my typical city exploring, I happened upon this little gem. I found it particularly interesting for a couple of reasons.

It is located at a very unexpected, unassuming location. It's at Penn near Roup Avenue. Where Penn Avenue turns the bend from East Liberty into Bloomfield. Not getting the attention of East Liberty Boom or the artist developments of Bloomfield, there it is. serving as a new tie between 2 disjointed neighborhoods.

It very much reminds me of the type of development I saw in the SoMa district of San Francisco. It appears it will have commercial on ground level and residential above. Hopefully this will be a trend as to the prospects of Penn Avenue as being a continuous commercial spine flowing through continuous residential neighborhoods. I hope whatever happens at the intersection of Penn & Penn Circle West (where the terrible tower was) will reflect the same.

PennAvenue3.jpg

PennAvenue4.jpg

PennAvenue.jpg

PennAvenue2.jpg

:thumbsup:

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