Larimer project..... (Pittsburgh, Fox Chapel, California: apartments, roughest, hotel)

[zman63]

Pittsburgh Council approves $12 million for Larimer project - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

I know this is news from last week. I wanted to comment. Does anybody else think this money would've been spent better for new housing on the north side? My argument is the close proximity to downtown and the number of vacant lots or dilapidated houses in Manchester, California Kirkbride, Perry Hilltop, east allegheny and spring garden.

New houses were built in fineview and it has appeared to be a pretty good success. Some of of the vacant areas in perry hilltop have the best views in the city.

Larimer is really a no mans zone and development would have to spill over from highland park, east liberty to make it more worthwhile. It is a waste over there in my opinion.

[eschaton]

It's already come out they plan to relocate the residents of East Liberty Gardens there, along with the people still in the Housing-Authority owned senior buildings on Auburn Street. More generally, I think the city has decided that Larimer will be the dumping ground for people gentrified out of East Liberty. I know people in this very forum have suggested this.

In contrast, building with HUD money in the North Side is frowned upon, because that would require putting new low-income units into those neighborhoods, which might stifle further gentrification.

Personally though, I think they should have concentrated on rebuilding more of the Hill. The Hill District above Erin (and below Herron) is still something like 2/3rds empty lots.

[I_Like_Spam]

Larimer has a lot of vacant lots, particularly in the area near Larimer Ave and the Meadow St. Bridge- it shouldn't be that difficult to piece together a big enough piece of land to really do something with.

Since the city, and the city housing authority and URA are among the biggest landholders in Larimer with large parcels, if there are going to be any money projects, that would seem to be a good location for government involvement since they are involved already.


Areas with less of a concentration of ownership by the government would do better with the encouragement of small development projects instead of the mega projects that $12 M represents.

[mountainlove]

Don't forget that Baker Square is technically located in Larimer...how many people think of Google and Larimer in the same breath? At the same time, the Kingsley Center in Larimer has spearheaded a massive sustainability-based community redevelopment plan and ecodistrict planning process. I do hope that this plan is in alignment with the work of the Kingsley Center and the Larimer Green team.

[I_Like_Spam]

Originally Posted by mountainlove

Don't forget that Baker Square is technically located in Larimer...how many people think of Google and Larimer in the same breath? .

I'm not sure how relevant that is at all- the old Nabisco Bakery and all of the housing in Larimer is separated by the Pennsylvania Railroad which is the "real" border of Larimer.

"Technically" speaking, Lincoln Lemington has a major hospital, Giant Eagle and Wal-Mart, within its borders- I don't see how this accident of line-drawing makes any positive difference.

[bradjl2009]

Originally Posted by I_Like_Spam

I'm not sure how relevant that is at all- the old Nabisco Bakery and all of the housing in Larimer is separated by the Pennsylvania Railroad which is the "real" border of Larimer.

"Technically" speaking, Lincoln Lemington has a major hospital, Giant Eagle and Wal-Mart, within its borders- I don't see how this accident of line-drawing makes any positive difference.

I agree it's not as it Google is in the middle of Larimer and able to improve it, much like the Waterworks with Lincoln-Lemington when it's surrounded by Aspinwall, Fox Chapel, and O'Hara.

[Uptown kid]

The city is using the money very wisely... The East Liberty Gardens Apts and the Hamilton-Larimer 6200 Auburn Street Apts are gang ridden, and VERY DANGEROUS. If they raze/shut down those two Larimer Avenue affiliated "projects," and relocate all of the residents to Larimer's streets, it will likely forever change those residents lives for the better without compromising their safety by relocating them to another gang neighborhood.
IMO Larimer is the perfect location for this grant- not just because shutting down those apartments hypothetically won't cause turmoil in the streets of the roughest part of town and those disinfranchised people will potentially have more opertunities, but because the there is so much vacancy in Larimer that both of Larimer & East Liberty's worst spots can be contained in Larimer (also making the neighborhood look nicer/less vacant). Killing two birds with one stone...

[ferraris]

Originally Posted by bradjl2009

I agree it's not as it Google is in the middle of Larimer and able to improve it, much like the Waterworks with Lincoln-Lemington when it's surrounded by Aspinwall, Fox Chapel, and O'Hara.

I think Bakery Square is a little bit better for Larimer than the Waterworks is for Lincoln-Lemington. At least Larimer can serve as a walkable bedroom community for people who work and shop at Bakery Square. Granted it's not very likely that some six-figure Google engineer is going to buy a place in Larimer, but it's not out of the question. There's more to Bakery Square than Google anyway, the hotel and retail workers could certainly benefit by having a walking commute if they lived in Larimer.

That said, I don't think Bakery Square is some saving grace for Larimer, but it isn't a non-factor for the neighborhood like the Waterworks practically is.

[Blackbeauty212]

Very very few people know Waterworks and St Margaret's are in the City let alone in the Lincoln Lemington neighborhood.

[selltheburgh]

Originally Posted by ferraris

I think Bakery Square is a little bit better for Larimer than the Waterworks is for Lincoln-Lemington. At least Larimer can serve as a walkable bedroom community for people who work and shop at Bakery Square. Granted it's not very likely that some six-figure Google engineer is going to buy a place in Larimer, but it's not out of the question. There's more to Bakery Square than Google anyway, the hotel and retail workers could certainly benefit by having a walking commute if they lived in Larimer.

That said, I don't think Bakery Square is some saving grace for Larimer, but it isn't a non-factor for the neighborhood like the Waterworks practically is.

But there are a number of people who work for google that bought houses in East Liberty and Highland Park. That development spills outward.

Many people don't know that there are a lot of creative type businesses in Larimer.

-GTech
-Grow Pittsburgh
- Penn's Corner Farm Alliance
-Commonplace Coffee Rosters
-East End Brewery
-Animal Rescue League
-Sweet Tammy's bakery
-Strictly Ballroom - dance lessons
-AE works engineering/architecture
-Marcus Studio - furniture making

Plus the older and more industrial type businesses, like automotive parts, machine shops, and paint stores.

I'm sure I'm missing a few.