URA has ambitious plans for Homewood and Larimer (Pittsburgh, Penn Hills: house, employment)

[gg]

Originally Posted by subdivisions

And as a N. Point Breeze resident, I think this plan is probably doomed to failure. I think they might be better off focusing their efforts on Wilkinsburg.

I think Homewood is doomed for failure, but not so sure about Larimer. It is small enough to relocate people out of it and move them to Homewood. There are going to be some bad areas no matter what. Best thing to do is keep them rounded up. Homewood and the Hill would probably the best choices to keep that all in two areas. Work on the rest and then maybe have checkpoints like they do at Northview Heights in and out. We need to get the crime under control.

[stburr91]

I think this may be too much too soon, and Homewood should be put on the back burner for now. There is only so much new demand, and if too many areas are fighting for these people, the progress will become very slow for them all. Wilkinsburg and Swissvale are set to make gains in the next 10 years, they shouldn't have to compete with Homewood. I think there is also the chance that any poverty being displaced in Homewood could make it's way into Wilkinsburg, and Swissvale, setting them back.

[ferraris]

Originally Posted by h_curtis

I think Homewood is doomed for failure, but not so sure about Larimer. It is small enough to relocate people out of it and move them to Homewood. There are going to be some bad areas no matter what. Best thing to do is keep them rounded up. Homewood and the Hill would probably the best choices to keep that all in two areas. Work on the rest and then maybe have checkpoints like they do at Northview Heights in and out. We need to get the crime under control.

I don't think you realize just how awful saying things like that comes across. From your past posting history I would assume you're talking about public housing projects and "section 8ers", but it's not clear at all.

[ferraris]

Originally Posted by stburr91

I think this may be too much too soon, and Homewood should be put on the back burner for now. There is only so much new demand, and if too many areas are fighting for these people, the progress will become very slow for them all. Wilkinsburg and Swissvale are set to make gains in the next 10 years, they shouldn't have to compete with Homewood. I think there is also the chance that any poverty being displaced in Homewood could make it's way into Wilkinsburg, and Swissvale, setting them back.

I think the real reason the city is choosing Homewood is twofold. First, it might be politically smart, since Homewood is both the city's worst neighborhood by most metrics, and is also the one with the highest African American population. Secondly, the huge number of tax liens and city owned property make it relatively easy to do.

[I_Like_Spam]

Originally Posted by subdivisions

Definitely. The busway is a major psychological and physical barrier there (perhaps because you can't see down into Homewood from Point Breeze the way you can see E. Liberty from Shadyside). You can note a very abrupt transition between Homewood & N. Point Breeze in terms of what the houses look like, the "gestalt" of the streets, etc., that isn't there when you cross from Shadyside to E. Liberty.

The division between Point Breeze and Homewood existed long before the busway. The Pennsylvania railroad and the trestles were there for a hundred years before PAT decided on using part of that right of way for transit.

The busway is actually a point of positivity for Homewood as it brings the area close to Shadyside, Oakland and town.

[PreservationPioneer]

Originally Posted by squarian

On this point whether the West End gets more or less than the East, it seems to me that West Enders might have some cause for feeling that the East has gotten all the sweets. On the other hand, if you're going to make serious progress in redevelopment, concentrating resources and efforts on one area makes sense - penny-packet projects dribbled all over the area would be politically expedient, but probably futile. Better to consolidate one quadrant of the city and build momentum, isn't it?

The one thing I will say about the West End is that it is a mostly solid working-class area. Besides Esplen and Fairywood (which are such tiny little areas, anyway), the bulk of the West End (Sheraden, Elliott, Crafton Heights, and West End Village) are pretty decent neighborhoods. Sheraden has a few issues, but it's not Larimer!

[PreservationPioneer]

Originally Posted by h_curtis

IMHO, Larimer would be pretty easy to fix up. It really isn't very big to be honest and it is in a very good location. Lots of homes would need to be torn down since they are well beyond repair and the quality of many are not worth saving to be candid. Just because something is old, doesn't mean it needs to be saved.

Homewood? I don't know about that.

I agree that some of the homes in Homewood and Larimer are beyond repair, and many are not really significant enough to save (although, incidentally, if this was Oklahoma City, Larimer would probably be considered a historic district!). However, there are still some salvageable Victorian homes in this area that should be preserved.

[I_Like_Spam]

Originally Posted by h_curtis

I think Homewood is doomed for failure, but not so sure about Larimer. It is small enough to relocate people out of it and move them to Homewood.

Larimer has a lot more urban prairie land than does Homewood.

Any revitalization of the area is going to require a lot of new construction, not just renovating existing structures.


The twin spires of a church on Larimer Ave are in bad shape and are a real eye sore that can be seen from East Liberty. That building is a symbol of Larimer's deterioration that anyone can see before they get to the area. I would think that Larimer's chances would improve immeasurably if that church was either renovated or razed.

[jimmyev]

Originally Posted by squarian

I don't know about the effect of the busway on Homewood, but since real substantial improvement has happened east of the busway in Wilkinsburg and (to a lesser extent) Swissvale, it seems to me that it would be hard to identify the busway as the major barrier to neighborhood redevelopment. Not that major thoroughfares don't have an effect on neighborhoods, but Hamnet Place seems to show that a busway/rail line isn't necessarily the kiss of death.

You would think there would be some benefit to Swissvale. It's the only business district other than East Liberty with immediate access to the busway; and it's the closest to the Parkway. But the only thing I see are more vacant houses...

[stburr91]

Originally Posted by jimmyev

You would think there would be some benefit to Swissvale. It's the only business district other than East Liberty with immediate access to the busway; and it's the closest to the Parkway. But the only thing I see are more vacant houses...

Wilkinsburg has a busway stop in it's business district.

Swissvale is going to get a little worst before it gets better, but it has so much going for it, it's just a matter of time before it improves. With the influx of money, and demand in Regent Square one side of Swissvale, and the eventual development of the Carrie Furnace site on the other side, change for the better is coming.