Baum-Liberty development project (Pittsburgh, Bloomfield: 2014, apartments, bankrupt)

[selltheburgh]

Originally Posted by juliegt

I know, but if all it take to fill every available room in and around the city is one football game, it seems to me there's a need for more rooms. Even when there are rooms available on non-home game weekends and other times of the year, the prices are high for the type of room you get especially considering that Pittsburgh is not a high-end tourist destination.

That's like people saying "there aren't enough taxis from midnight to 2 AM on Friday and Saturday night" when there are too many during most other hours of the day.

[Goodjules]

Originally Posted by selltheburgh

That's like people saying "there aren't enough taxis from midnight to 2 AM on Friday and Saturday night" when there are too many during most other hours of the day.

No if the rooms are high priced compared to Chicago then there aren't enough rooms. If there were too many rooms at times other than home games, then you'd see significant discounting. I've rarelyy paid less than $100 a night here for a room similar to what I've paid under $100 in other cities.

[selltheburgh]

I agree that we need more hotel rooms. I just don't think that basing it on the fact that there aren't any rooms available for the 8 Steelers home games and the possible 2-3 playoff games is enough. That's only 20% of the weekends and 5% of total days in the year.

There are a number of hotel projects happening in the East End. I've heard that some others are planned in other city neighborhoods.

[greg42]

Originally Posted by juliegt

No if the rooms are high priced compared to Chicago then there aren't enough rooms. If there were too many rooms at times other than home games, then you'd see significant discounting. I've rarelyy paid less than $100 a night here for a room similar to what I've paid under $100 in other cities.

Make sure you're comparing like times of year among other things that affect overall occupancy. Also the SAME year, not, say, 2009 to 2012. Also like (as much as possible) areas of town in terms of convenience and proximity to attractions. And like properties in terms of amenities.

There are so many variables that make hotel rooms different prices. I can just about guarantee that rooms here aren't on average more expensive than rooms in Chicago. Which isn't to say this area couldn't use a little more capacity; I'm sure it could, and there are a few places under development now. But it isn't going to result in magic $80 rooms most days downtown unless the hotels are going to go under really fast. When you get rooms at the level you're talking about at that kind of rate in a city center, it is because it is a depressed year or low season. They need to be able to fill enough at those cheap rates as well as enough at high rates during conventions or other events and higher occupancy times of year. If you add too much capacity at once, this will not equal out. It's a huge investment to build a new hotel, too much money to get it wrong.

[SteelCityRising]

While we're discussing Baum Boulevard does anyone know what's being built adjacent to Jiffy Lube? A hulking old garage/car showroom there was just torn down. I believe it had been listed on the market for quite some time. Did the owner just tear down the building to better market the cleared parcel to a developer?

[Geeo]

I know that UPMC is building a huge employee garage in the ravine off of Baum near Morewood - perhaps it has something to do with that. They've got plans for that area, but I don't know if it includes the specific building you mentioned.

I also noticed that they're tearing down the building where the car dealership was at Liberty and Baum for the new hotel.

[SteelCityRising]

It wouldn't be associated with the parking garage. The entrance to that garage is supposed to be roughly opposite Grace Robinson's State Farm insurance office (she's my agent, and she wasn't happy, at least initially, with the plans) and Toast Wine Bar. If I remember correctly there's supposed to be a new access road built there with a new traffic light. I would personally propose an additional rear exit of the parking garage onto Gross Street in Bloomfield to help mitigate congestion on this already busy part of Baum, but I don't know if that's planned or not. I have a feeling in the long-term (next decade or so) we'll see Boston Market and Jiffy Lube both razed for more UPMC Shadyside expansion, and they'll probably also build a new infill building atop the site of their current large surface parking lot by the urgent care center. MedExpress is going to be an island unto itself by 2020, as it is joined by Ritter's Diner, the Osceola Street Park, and then nothing but UPMC all around on Baum. I also foresee a developer announcing a new apartment building targeting professionals working at UPMC Shadyside being built on that large surface lot on Baum & Liberty (across from the impending hotel) in the next 2-4 years. The residential demand is certainly there.

[Geeo]

I'm racking my brain trying to remember, because I know I read something about this a long time ago. Is this the former site of the Luna Square project that Kratsa Properties was going to develop a few years back? I'll see if I can find anything in the archives, cause now this is going to drive me crazy.

[CFP]

this huge project that is currently under construction doesn't seem to generate a lot of discussion

$230M mixed-use development planned for Pittsburgh's Baum-Liberty corridor
http://www.pghcitypaper.com/pittsbur...nt?oid=1339991
Hotel, offices, condos planned for Don Allen site - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette


does anyone know anything new about it?
the building that's being built now - is that going to be the hotel?

[doo dah]

Originally Posted by CFP

this huge project that is currently under construction doesn't seem to generate a lot of discussion

$230M mixed-use development planned for Pittsburgh's Baum-Liberty corridor
http://www.pghcitypaper.com/pittsbur...nt?oid=1339991
Hotel, offices, condos planned for Don Allen site - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette


does anyone know anything new about it?
the building that's being built now - is that going to be the hotel?

I mostly avoid walking along Baum as it is so unpleasant, with the cars going so fast, so I haven't seen the progress. I think that unless the expectation is that people will drive to Shadyside Hospital (!!!!) or there is a shuttle, that something will have to be done to calm traffic and/or reconfigure that intersection for pedestrian use. It is horrible.