Pittsburgh Area Development - Request for Info & Updates (Allentown: transfer to, costs)

[SteelCityRising]

Originally Posted by eschaton

I could see this argument if the city was selling off a parcel it owned, but it's been in private hands by the Irish Center of Pittsburgh since 1966, if not even earlier.

Are you saying that most of the amenity value of the apartment building is access to the public park, which the city owns? I guess I can understand that, but the city gets back tax revenue in return which is far greater than what it would get out of the space being undeveloped.

Agreed.

Again, though, I'm about as YIMBY as they come because I feel like the only way to preserve housing affordability in Pittsburgh is to increase residential supply as much as humanly possible.

[Moby Hick]

I'm saying that buildable land adjacent a park in Squirrel Hill is worth way more than park land. The city doesn't own the land, but it owns the right to build there. I think the city should get much of that extra value or they should sell to someone who will build another public-ish thing.

[eschaton]

Originally Posted by Moby Hick

I'm saying that buildable land adjacent a park in Squirrel Hill is worth way more than park land. The city doesn't own the land, but it owns the right to build there. I think the city should get much of that extra value or they should sell to someone who will build another public-ish thing.

So you're objection then is basically that someone is going to be making money off of developing multifamily?

I mean, I'm a socialist. I'd strongly prefer if housing was treated as a human need in our culture, rather than an asset. But as long as we have capitalism, there are at least some incidental benefits that incur from private development (higher tax revenue for the city, lowered residential demand elsewhere leading to a marginal drop in rental prices, etc.).

I could get onboard with the idea that, as a park-facing building, the developer should be required to develop amenities open to visitors to Frick Park as well. Like, a small retail establishment fronting on the trail selling snacks and drinks would do well I think in the warm months. But I'm not sure what could be done beyond that. Are you looking for some sort of community benefits agreement like what they have had in Oakland and the Hill District to provide direct payments to the local community organization.

I dunno, I just don't see stopping a rich person from making money as an end unto itself. It's a means towards an end, absolutely, but there needs to be some alternate goal in mind which tangibly benefits people.

[Moby Hick]

I don't want to stop rich people from making money. I want to stop them from being given public money.

[thedirtypirate]

Awesome photo from Flickr of the FNB topped out. Looking forward to seeing the glass rise on it:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/198222...8/52917651726/

[Reggiezz]

If the Mayor and our county administrator had any brains, they would be advertising Pittsburgh to Florida's now alienated gay community. They would never move here you say? Why not? Where will they go? Somewhere else in the South? I don't think so. Texas? Why? Only drug addicts move to CA these days.

Why not Pittsburgh? They might even get some to move downtown.

[eschaton]

Pittsburgh just secured $150 million in funding for the Downtown-to-Oakland BRT project from federal sources.

The project is now slated to begin construction this fall.

[Reggiezz]

Originally Posted by eschaton

Pittsburgh just secured $150 million in funding for the Downtown-to-Oakland BRT project from federal sources.

The project is now slated to begin construction this fall.

Maybe we're now in some time warp and it's 1999 when a Downtown to Oakland BRT was actually needed. Maybe tomorrow we'll learn they're getting a grant to build a large domed structure to host concerts and sporting events.

[svband76]

Originally Posted by Reggiezz

Maybe we're now in some time warp and it's 1999 when a Downtown to Oakland BRT was actually needed. Maybe tomorrow we'll learn they're getting a grant to build a large domed structure to host concerts and sporting events.

Would love to still have the Arena around. A crying shame that it was demoed. And I agree - the majority of people who'll use that busway will be the homeless. So they can expand their territory from downtown in Oakland area. This city's leadership is just mind boggling. It never ends.

[Moby Hick]

The homeless people can't get to Oakland now because the 61s and 71s are too slow for them?