Babyland (Penn And Negley) New development? (renting, loans, restaurant)

[BarqCider]

Originally Posted by h_curtis

I have been using the ignore feature. Works great for the most part. Times have changed a lot in Pittsburgh, but you need to be old enough to have an understanding of its past and having newbies to our region acting like they have a clue is getting old. Pictures of old Pittsburgh are okay, but there is no replacing living through something. Reading posts from Barq and SCR can grind my gears a bit. They are totally new to this area and complain about some of the locals. My response to them is wait 20 years and maybe you will understand the region a bit better to have a conversation with a native. Calling a class of locals a name isn't helping their cause.

hey now, I like the city but when I see a spade I call it a spade. I sure have met some bad locals when I first got here, but I also met some good ones. For me the mentality of people in this city was a cultural shock for me when I first got here. I used to joke that the movie varsity blues was really talking about Pittsburgh and how peoples mentality for the most part, was like that here. The funniest thing is, because of those bad apples I met I managed to evolve and I noticed I changed. I enjoy sticking out in the city. I now embrace it and don't care what people think of me.

At the end of the day though, this city lacks what I want especially career wise. Its growing but im not young enough to be able to grow with it which Is why im going back to the DC area. Who knows what happens after I get my degree, since ill be saving money going to a U there and saving 19k/year as much as I like Pitt.

[friendsheep]

Residents worry a proposed AutoZone on high-profile Babyland site could jeopardize neighborhood rebound | News | Pittsburgh City Paper

The public hearing for the Autozone proposal is tomorrow at 9:20am.

[grep]

Thank you for the perspective, curtis.

I hope that we can see a swelling of pride for our regional identity among *all* of our residents. In my experience, many newer residents enjoy dropping a "yinz" or a "dahntahn" here and there. Yet I've spoken to countless people who grew up here with a thick Pittsburgh accent and have told me how proud they are to have finally gotten rid of it. To me this is quite sad. Many regional accents in the US are fading away, both in degree and number of speakers, and there's basically no way to get those accents back once they're gone. Accents and vocabulary add to peoples' identity and background, and to me the accent is one of the things that makes Pittsburgh interesting. We should take pride in our accent, and perhaps if we can get more people, especially those who grew up speaking that way, to agree, then we can help preserve it.

[AaronPGH]

It just keeps getting worse for this corner. Monroe muffler is now getting in on the action:

From: bgcmainstreets@gmail.com
On Behalf Of Mainstreets Manager
Sent: Tuesday, June 03, 2014 9:17 AM
Subject: Zoning Board hearings for Penn and Negley

It isn't very often that such an important moment in our potential future happens, but here we are. Within one week of one another, both properties at Penn and Negley are going in front of the Zoning Board, proposing uses for the sites that our community, in every meeting i've ever attended and conversation I've ever had with anyone about them, completely opposes.

On this Thursday, June 5th (@9:20 am at 200 Ross St), the board will hear variance requests to develop the old Baby Land properties into an Auto Zone. We have been rallying a strong opposition to come to the hearing to let the board know how much our community is against such a development at such an important corner for so many districts.

Now we have notice that on June 12th (@9:30am at 200 Ross St) Monroe Muffler will be requesting a variance to allow that site to permanently be a dumping site.

I am going to create a second google doc to sign as a petition and also to let us know if you can come and speak out (that is if you live or work within 500 feet) at either meeting.

Help us to ensure that Penn Avenue's future doesn't have such a bleak entrance.

[ForYourLungsOnly]

Originally Posted by friendsheep

Residents worry a proposed AutoZone on high-profile Babyland site could jeopardize neighborhood rebound | News | Pittsburgh City Paper

The public hearing for the Autozone proposal is tomorrow at 9:20am.

That is just...no. An ugly ass suburban style orange Auto Zone with a parking lot is the absolute LAST thing that prime spot needs at this point in Penn Avenue and E. Lib/Friendship's revitalization.

[friendsheep]

Originally Posted by ForYourLungsOnly

That is just...no. An ugly ass suburban style orange Auto Zone with a parking lot is the absolute LAST thing that prime spot needs at this point in Penn Avenue and E. Lib/Friendship's revitalization.

Agreed. Unfortunately I don't think the Gumberg family cares. They won't see this eyesore from their estate on Chatham's campus.

[I_Like_Spam]

Originally Posted by friendsheep

Agreed. Unfortunately I don't think the Gumberg family cares. They won't see this eyesore from their estate on Chatham's campus.

I think the owners just want to see this property start to generate some revenue.


Right now, they are pretty much screwed, sitting on a property that is costing them taxes and insurance but isn't bringing in anything.


I'm sure that the Gumberg organization would love it if someone was willing to buy or lease the property to build a new fancy boutique or the latest mecca for foodies, but that opportunity hasn't presented itself, at least not yet.

[AaronPGH]

Originally Posted by I_Like_Spam

Right now, they are pretty much screwed, sitting on a property that is costing them taxes and insurance but isn't bringing in anything.

Nobody forced them to purchase the property when Babyland closed for half a million dollars. I am not weeping for them. You don't drop that kind of cash with just hopes and dreams for something to pop in there. You do it if you have a vision, which they clearly did not.

[I_Like_Spam]

Originally Posted by AaronPGH

Nobody forced them to purchase the property when Babyland closed for half a million dollars. I am not weeping for them. You don't drop that kind of cash with just hopes and dreams for something to pop in there. You do it if you have a vision, which they clearly did not.

Their vision was to get a retail business in there, which is what they are clearly trying to do.

The problem here is that Autozone is ready to commit to the community and open a store. No one else is, at least not yet and no one with the money to actually move forward on it.

[CFP]

what's fascinating about this topic is that it clearly reveals the limits of east liberty's gentrification

there is simply not enough demand NOW in the area to entice a neighborhood retailer or restaurant owner
to make a play with the babyland site as prime as its location is considered to be

i know this reality is disappointing to many but that's the price of being too optimistic

other than the centre avenue corridor and home depot the neighborhood is still a disaster
and the hotel indigo is going to be a spectacular failure