What's getting torn down??? (Pittsburgh, Washington: apartment, loft, how much)

[SlurmsMcKenzie]

I'd prefer it be left as a parking lot until something cool can be built as opposed to rushing a development that is sub-par. That is a neat little stretch of Penn with the condo conversions currently ongoing, especially across the street.

[Debbie1125]

Effort to develop former monastery in Philadelphia is met with opposition | Philadelphia Inquirer | 07/05/2011

I know this has nothing to do with buildings in Pittsburgh, but take a look at this beautiful building (former monastery) that a developer wants to tear down not too far from downtown. Then look at what he wants to replace it with.

Neighbors, with justification, are not happy.

[PreservationPioneer]

Wow, Debbie, those buildings in Philly are gorgeous and I hope they can be saved.

[MathmanMathman]

Originally Posted by SteelCityRising

That makes sense, considering Pittsburgh's long and storied history with razing architecturally-significant properties for more surface parking while other cities are simultaneously increasing density in their cores.

Don't count Atlanta among those cities.

[I_Like_Spam]

Originally Posted by gallacus

Looks like this:

Pittsburgh Opera Building

I wish it was the parking garage next door.

Even though you might not appreciate the 9th and Penn Parking Garage, it does provide a useful service for downtown workers as well as the residents in that part of town.

I don't think that the efforts to bring housing to the area would be as successful if new residents didn't have a convenient place to park their rides.

This is Pittsburgh, not Manhattan and most people do drive- especially those who move into the not so inexpensive Penn Garrison and other apts in town.

[PreservationPioneer]

You know what I wish downtown had? Townhouses. You know, fifty years ago, downtown Pittsburgh still retained some of its original townhouses from the 19th century. There are still a few on Strawberry Way and in the Wharf section. Wouldn't it be cool if more historic-looking townhouse streets could be recreated downtown to complement the few that are left? I'm thinking of Center City Philly, Baltimore, and NYC, which have streets of modest homes in their downtown neighborhoods still.

[greg42]

Aren't you talking about much larger areas overall in those cities though? If you count the North Side (former Allegheny City), there are townhouses. If you count the South Side there are lots. Plus you have Polish Hill, Uptown and the Hill and then Bloomfield and Lawrenceville plus some in the Strip if you insist upon them being on the same side of the river.

When you make this comparison with those cities that aren't squeezed by rivers and hills, it really doesn't pan out area-wise if you consider only downtown Pittsburgh. Yeah, sure, you could point out this such and such chunk of Philly that might have both office towers and more of a residential block than you can find that close together within the Golden Triangle, but I would argue that this is more possible in those places because if the wider amount of space they had to work with. If you gave Pittsburgh as much space, it would encompass some of the surrounding areas that we do not call "downtown".

[PreservationPioneer]

Originally Posted by greg42

Aren't you talking about much larger areas overall in those cities though? If you count the North Side (former Allegheny City), there are townhouses. If you count the South Side there are lots. Plus you have Polish Hill, Uptown and the Hill and then Bloomfield and Lawrenceville plus some in the Strip if you insist upon them being on the same side of the river.

When you make this comparison with those cities that aren't squeezed by rivers and hills, it really doesn't pan out area-wise if you consider only downtown Pittsburgh. Yeah, sure, you could point out this such and such chunk of Philly that might have both office towers and more of a residential block than you can find that close together within the Golden Triangle, but I would argue that this is more possible in those places because if the wider amount of space they had to work with. If you gave Pittsburgh as much space, it would encompass some of the surrounding areas that we do not call "downtown".

I realize that downtown Pittsburgh is compact. However, downtown Pittsburgh used to have residential districts, and still has a couple townhouses left. I was just trying to say that it would be cool to have a townhouse residential district (again) downtown. I realize this is unlikely to happen for many reasons.

[greg42]

Well, if you could undo the lower Hill and Point State Park/Gateway Center....

[I_Like_Spam]

Originally Posted by greg42

Well, if you could undo the lower hill and Point State Park....

Mayor Lawrence grew up in the Point Neighborhood.

There was also an active residential neighborhood on Ross St. near 2nd Ave., which met its demise as more offices including the City County Bldg. and Morgue were erected there. Many of Pittsburgh's Chinese population was in that area, and a few buildings are left including the Chinatown Inn.