If You Were a Wealthy Philanthropist, How Would YOU Help Pittsburgh? (Scranton: lofts, neighborhoods)

[SteelCityRising]

We've all heard the recent story about how Mark Zuckerberg, founder of Facebook and the world's youngest multi-billionaire, recently donated $100,000,000 to the City of Newark's public schools (likely as proactive damage control after his image was set to be tarnished in the movie "The Social Network"). We're also familiar with Pittsburgh's own Andrew Carnegie, who donated great portions of his wealth in his latter years to benefit many. A lot of things that can (and should) be done to help improve Pittsburgh have been written off as "cost-prohibitive", which made me think to myself "If I were independently wealthy, what could I, should I, and would I do to help the city I've always loved?"

I intend for this thread to be very creative, thought-provoking, and idealistic. Assuming you became the nation's next multi-billionaire how would you improve Pittsburgh?


Some of my ideas?

1.) I'd love to replicate Boston's "Big Dig" project (minus the corruption, cost overruns, and safety issues) here in the Steel City. I'd like to bury I-279 (Parkway North) from its juncture with I-579 at the Allegheny River northwards to Exit 2B (East Street). This isn't a very long distance, but I know it would be very costly. Once this portion of the Interstate is tunneled, then what I believe are the East Deutschtown and West Deutschtown neighborhoods of the North Side (between Allegheny General Hospital and the Heinz Lofts) could be reunited as surface streets once demolished to make way for this Interstate are reconnected. Modern new construction that would blend in with the historic nature of the North Side could then be built on the reclaimed land, helping to revitalize this area.











2.) I would purchase the massive tract of surface parking between Heinz Field and PNC Park and build two large multi-level parking garages (each with several floors underground), one adjacent to each facility. I'd then reclaim the rest of the surface parking to build a new state-of-the-art stadium that would make Pittsburgh a viable contender for an NBA franchise (The Pittsburgh Mountaineers?) This facility would also double as a site for a professional soccer team (Pittsburgh Smelters?) Any available land remaining would be for recreational open space.





3.) I'd greatly expand Pittsburgh's mass transit system. The "T" would have several new below-grade (subway) lines. One new line would extend northeast from Downtown's Wood Street station and would run through the Strip District (two stops), Central Lawrenceville (one stop), Upper Lawrenceville (one stop), Sharpsburg (one stop), Aspinwall (one stop), Waterworks Mall (one stop), RIDC Industrial Park (one stop), Springdale (one stop), and then terminating in New Kensington. Employers would chip in to sponsor a shuttle bus that would run every half-hour or hour to ferry workers between the RIDC Industrial Park station and individual companies. Another line would extend from Downtown's Steel Plaza station and run due east through the Hill District (one stop), Central Oakland (with a stop each on/near the campus of U-Pitt and the campus of CMU), a stop near UPMC-Shadyside, a stop where East Liberty meets Point Breeze, Homewood (one stop), Regent Square (one stop), Wilkinsburg (two stops), and a final stop at the Monroeville Mall. One more line would run NORTH from the Wood Street station Downtown across the Allegheny River to Deutschtown (one stop), Mexican War Streets (one stop), Manchester (one stop), Brighton Heights (one stop), Avalon (one stop), and then a final stop in Sewickley.


I have many, many more ideas as well, but these are just three of them for now. I want to hear some others before adding more of my own.

[BrianTH]

Gondolas! I'd fund an urban gondola system centered on Oakland, with lines through the Hill to Downtown and then over into the North Side; down through the PTC and over to the South Side Works then up to the South Side Slopes and over to South Hills Junction; through CMU and up to Bloomfield and Garfield; through Hazelwood and then over to the Waterfront and then back over to the Carrie Furnace site.

[SteelCityRising]

Originally Posted by BrianTH

Gondolas! I'd fund an urban gondola system centered on Oakland, with lines through the Hill to Downtown and then over into the North Side; down through the PTC and over to the South Side Works then up to the South Side Slopes and over to South Hills Junction; through CMU and up to Bloomfield and Garfield; through Hazelwood and then over to the Waterfront and then back over to the Carrie Furnace site.

Excellent idea! These gondolas are actually quite a hit in Downtown Providence. Come to think of it even a small city like Providence utilizes its waterfront in a much greater sense than Pittsburgh does, and the presence of three rivers in the Steel City creates an amazing "untapped" (pun intended) opportunity for recreational tourism.

[BrianTH]

Ah, not that sort of gondola--this would be the kind that goes on cables through the air. It is a serious urban public transit technology, already in use in a few cities (and in fact Rio is putting in a line as we speak).

Edit: Here is the proposal for one route I roughed out, which was published at The Gondola Project (a blog devoted to the technology):

http://gondolaproject.com/2010/08/16...burgh-gondola/

[creepsinc]

I think (I mean, I know) he's talking about the kind of gondolas that travel on cables in the air, not Venice-style gondolas.


Edit- lag, but yep, I was right!

[SteelCityRising]

Originally Posted by BrianTH

Ah, not that sort of gondola--this would be the kind that goes on cables through the air. It is a serious urban public transit technology, already in use in a few cities (and in fact Rio is putting in a line as we speak).

Edit: Here is the proposal for one route I roughed out, which was published at The Gondola Project (a blog devoted to the technology):

A Pittsburgh Gondola « The Gondola Project

Originally Posted by creepsinc

I think (I mean, I know) he's talking about the kind of gondolas that travel on cables in the air, not Venice-style gondolas.


Edit- lag, but yep, I was right!

Thanks for the clarification! I'd love to see both types of gondolas in Pittsburgh! Downtown Providence has large fire lanterns in the middle of the river that create a romantic ambiance for those cruising on by in the evenings. I'd like to see the same in Pittsburgh as couples are ferried down the Allegheny, around Point State Park, and then up the Monongahela (with a horse-drawn carriage taking them back across Downtown to their starting point along the Allegheny).

The aerial gondolas should provide for some truly amazing views of the gorgeous landscape in and around the Steel City. I've never really considered that as an option before, but it will definitely give Pittsburgh more of a European flair!

[nuwaver88]

I would give 100 million to the $500 million Riverparc Development. This project can really help change the face of downtown in an area that is very valuable yet so very under utilized. BTW, this project was "put on hold" well over two years ago after initially being announced more than four years ago. Should we not be hearing something soon, considering it was to be built in phases anyway? I heard of being conservative, but gee whiz, there is a demand there. Just look at Piatt. http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08151/885957-35.stm

[SteelCityRising]

Originally Posted by nuwaver88

I would give 100 million to the $500 million Riverparc Development. This project can really help change the face of downtown in an area that is very valuable yet so very under utilized. BTW, this project was "put on hold" well over two years ago after initially being announced more than four years ago. Should we not be hearing something soon, considering it was to be built in phases anyway? I heard of being conservative, but gee whiz, there is a demand there. Just look at Piatt. Cloudy vision: The Cultural Trust pulls back on a prime project

I concur wholeheartedly. Pittsburgh is getting more and more "buzz" on the national radar in recent years, and that "buzz" is exactly what has convinced me (and a few others) to move to the city to dig in and start revitalizing it. This project would have been incredible if it had come to fruition from all I've read. The demand is there for something like this in Downtown Pittsburgh.

[greg42]

Originally Posted by nuwaver88

BTW, this project was "put on hold" well over two years ago after initially being announced more than four years ago. Should we not be hearing something soon, considering it was to be built in phases anyway? I heard of being conservative, but gee whiz, there is a demand there. Just look at Piatt. Cloudy vision: The Cultural Trust pulls back on a prime project

Every time it comes up again it pisses me off.

I know what the Trust managed to do in the past. Great. Now, though, at least from a development perspective, it seems clear it's time for them to step aside.

[ctoocheck]

So in Germany, they have a number of what are called "International Building Exhibitions" (or "IBA" = "Internationale Bauausstellungen"), which are a collection of building projects or concepts covering whole cities or regions, aimed at not only redeveloping and improving these cities, but also attracting national and international tourism to see these projects (hence the name, and they seem to be doing quite well with this; the first IBA was 100 years ago and when we visited the site it had qutie a few other visitors).

When I was working in Germany, the firm I was working for had some projects in the Lutherstadt Eisleben (Martin Luther's hometown) as part of the IBA Sachesen-Anhalt, which had the catchphrase "Less is future," referring to shrinking cities and towns in the state of Sachsen-Anhalt and how they can reinvent themselves and their development for the future. For example, in conjunction with a new museum dedicated to Luther, my company created a sort of historical walk through town exploring Luther's life and projects related to this walk, held events, and worked with other architects to create small building and art projects meant to improve vacant lots.

I also visited the IBA in Hamburg, which consists of larger, more concrete building projects.

The project design development is sponsored/funded by the city/region, while the completion of the projects pulls funding from various sources.

I think it would be great to do a similar project in Pittsburgh/SW PA. Or anywhere in the US for that matter. So I would at least sponsor the project development phase. Or the construction, depending on the vastness of my wealth.

I would hope that such a project would succeed in improving public spaces and public transportation. And have festivals. With free food. And fireworks

I'd also like to help sponsor the arts community.