Hamnett Place Wilkinsburg (Pittsburgh, Franklin: houses, buying, school district)

[BrianTH]

Originally Posted by robrobrob

Clearly, this is going to be a subsidized project and not one built based on market demand. Basically a cost of $370K per unit.

Oh certainly, and I apologize if I was unclear--I just meant the cost of what they intended to do seemed reasonable, not that they were likely to recoup those costs in rents/sales in the short term.

By way of comparison, I believe Phase I of the PHLF's Hamnett Place project cost a little over $1 million, and they sold the four houses for a total of around $325K.

[TRO Z]

I think we will have to agree to disagree on this project BrianTH. I can't justify that amount of money going into a small development, even with let's say 30% help from the Federal Gov't.

I am in total agreement that Wilkinsburg needs and deserves some help from the County, State and Fed...But at what cost to us, as tax paying citizens

[BrianTH]

Originally Posted by TRO Z

I am in total agreement that Wilkinsburg needs and deserves some help from the County, State and Fed...But at what cost to us, as tax paying citizens

I was under the impression they were also getting private grant money. But the bottomline is that I don't really know how the funding breaks down, so I guess I can only withhold judgment on whether I think it is an OK deal for the taxpayers.

[HamnettPlaceResident]

Originally Posted by PennHillsNative80

As for Wilkinsburg being absorbed into Pittsburgh, I have to ask, what would Pittsburgh stand to gain from this? The city has enough financial issues of its own without taking on a complete basketcase like Wilkinsburg.

I think the city of Pittsburgh may be forced to adopt the Wilkinsburg schools as they have notoriously underperformed. There are not that many students in the school district now, and with the school district facing bankruptcy, a merger will most likely be forced upon the municipality. It wouldn't be that major of a school district merger.

A friend of mine lives in Wilkinsburg, and she said that the city of Pittsburgh currently provides most of the services (trash removal, street repair, etc.) because Wilkinsburg cannot afford to provide them itself. If a school merger is forced, the city of Pittsburgh will basically be running Wilkinsburg - which will eventually lead Pittsburgh to annex Wilkinsburg entirely.
[/quote]


I have read all these posts and find a lot of inaccuracies in statements. First, your friend that lives in Wilkinsburg misspoke about the services received by the City of Pittsburgh. Pittsburgh only provides garbage collection at this time. Most municipalities are looking at collaboration to cut down on costs, not to prepare for a merger.

Second regarding taxes: you also must separate the Borough from the School District as they are two distinct taxing bodies that have very different millage. I completely agree taxes are too high - but it is the School District taxes that are the highest. The School District has a bigger problem than the Borough government as they need to "fix" their image and work on getting the children educated. The School District and Borough have both started the necessary steps for a tax forgiveness program - 10 year abatement on both commercial and real estate properties, vacant property re-sale and a willing seller/buyer program.

A merger of the Wilkinsburg and Pittsburgh school districts would be very different than a merger of local governments. School districts and local governments do not have the same set of regulations.

Wilkinsburg had been going down a very wrong path because elected officials let it happen. In the last 4-6 years, there has been a turn-around by newer elected officials who want to see good changes in Wilkinsburg and has been imposing new thoughts and ideas into the Community. Wilkinsburg is currently involved in a very detailed Comprehensive Plan that not only will focus on 10 year planning, but finances and how to remain sustainable. If your friend was interested, she would come out to meetings that happen in the community.

I bought my home in the Hamnett Place neighborhood 5 years ago, based on the PHLF Plan and absolutely love living in this area. The houses they did in Phase I sold very quickly. The money to be invested in the Crescent Building also includes a property called the Wilson House and will be mixed income, not all Section 8. PHLF is working to turn around a neighborhood that will eventually spill over into other neighborhoods in Wilkinsburg. They also plan to do shell re-habs so people can buy a home with good structure/bones and renovate to their liking. Most of the funds for this development are coming from PRIVATE investment with some tax credit dollars involved. Tax credits are what keep development like this going - how do you think Bakery Square (site of the former Nabisco bakery) got up and running?

Brian stated what I feel, you have a lot of neighborhood organizations, grass roots organizations, neighbors that communicate and work well together. As long as people stand up and make sure that local government is doing what they are supposed to do, then Wilkinsburg will continue to move forward. Tell your friend to make sure she learns about who is representing her on Council and that they are doing what she wants them to do. Make sure she is registered to VOTE and not being silent.

[PennHillsNative80]

Here are some interesting articles that I read on the Pittsburgh History and Landmark's Association about their doings in Wilkinsburg - more specifically Hamnett Place. Things sound very promising and exciting!

Crescent Apartments Receives Financing From State

by Michael Sriprasert
PHLF News
August 5, 2009

Crescent Apartments Conceptual Rendering
The Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency recently awarded PHLF tax credits for the Crescent Apartments project, a 27-unit restoration development of two historic structures in the Hamnett Place neighborhood of Wilkinsburg. This $9 million dollar project will be the largest to date in Wilkinsburg, and will have a transformative effect on Hamnett Place, which is soon to be listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Crescent and Wilson House will have a community room, a computer facility, and all units will be hard wired for high speed internet. Social services will be provided by Hosanna House both on and off-site.
The Crescent Apartments is adjacent to the Housing Resource Center (HRC) and the housing restoration work ongoing in the area, all of which are PHLF initiatives. It will also contain a field office for LCCC.
The HRC and housing restoration, in addition to the Crescent, will bring PHLF’s investment to over $11 million dollars in Wilkinsburg. Sota Construction is the general contractor of the Crescent project, Landmarks Design Associates is the architect, and NDC Real Estate Management is the management agent.







Landmarks completes detailed GIS maps of Wilkinsburg


GIS Map Example
By Michael Sriprasert
PHLF News
August 5, 2009 Landmarks recently completed a comprehensive list of GIS (geographic information system) maps depicting a number of important data sets in Wilkinsburg.
These data sets include: the level of tax delinquency of properties, abandoned structures, vacant tax delinquent land, foreclosures, section 8 rental units, available vacant parcels for a side-lot program, property sales, and crime statistics.
All maps give an overall picture of the Borough in addition to depiction the information by ward.
These maps will be an important source of information regarding development efforts in Wilkinsburg, and will be available shortly through the PHLF website.









Heinz School students from CMU to work with PHLF on housing in Wilkinsburg

by Michael Sriprasert
PHLF News
August 5, 2009
Starting this Fall, students from the Heinz School will be working with PHLF to refine its strategy for housing developments in Hamnett Place.
Their analysis will include determining the target market segment and their value drivers for both fully restored homes and shell/rehab properties, a new product PHLF is proposing which conveys to new property owners stabilized and secured homes ready for custom build-out.

[PennHillsNative80]

I do hope that this renewed interest in Wilkinsburg will be a catalyst to help turn the municipality around. I recently was running errands in Pittsburgh, and drove through Wilkinsburg several times. It was horrifying to see how slummy and abandoned everything has become. Every other house on Franklin, Rebecca, South, Ross, Hill, and North looked abandoned. These are beautiful old homes too with a lot of character. Even the municipal building on Ross looked in bad shape!

[BrianTH]

I'm really looking forward to those GIS maps being posted (so far I haven't been able to find them).

I also think it is great the PHLF is basically getting a lot of free consulting work done for Wilkinsburg by coordinating with the Heinz School.

[PennHillsNative80]

Here's an article about Wilkinsburg in the Sunday's Tribune Review about Hamnett Place.
Wilkinsburg officials, residents work to revitalize borough

Buzz up!
By Sam Spatter, FOR THE TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Sunday, August 23, 2009
Photos
click to enlarge
Agye Ipala, Mireille Bebe Zuamzi and kids
Justin Merriman/Tribune-Review
click to enlarge


Roots back to 1871
Forces are at work to turn Wilkinsburg into a revitalized and stronger community, borough officials and leaders say.Wilkinsburg got its name from William Wilkins, secretary of War under President John Tyler. It became a borough in 1871 when it separated from the city of Pittsburgh. According to James Kelly, a borough leader, the separation was made to maintain the religious integrity of the community, which was known during that time by many as the Holy City or the city of churches.
Moderator cut: shortened, copyright protection. Please provide a link to the original source.


Here's an article that appeared in the Post Gazette last week:

Wilkinsburg neighborhood considered for historic designation
Thursday, August 20, 2009
By Deborah M. Todd, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Barbara Austin, 69, of Holland Street in Wilkinsburg, said her neighborhood has gotten better over the past nine years.
There are fewer drug dealers and problem tenants than when she moved into the home almost a decade ago. A vacant lot across the street has been transformed to an urban farming space. And even though her street isn't part of a proposed historic district that could experience major renovations in the near future, she said she hoped residents on her street could benefit from the changes.
Moderator cut: shortened, copyright protection. Please provide a link to the original source.

[BrianTH]

To address the issue raised in the P-G article, I realize it may be frustrating for residents and representatives of some other parts of Wilkinsburg to see millions being poured into this one corner of the municipality, but expanding redevelopment in relatively concentrated stages from existing successful areas, as opposed to a shotgun approach, is a well-proven model. In this case, Hamnett Place is just across the Busway from Wilkinsburg's most successful corner (the Regent Square/Whitney Park area), just north of a more stable municipality (Edgewood), and is very conveniently located for the Busway (since the Hamnett Station is in the neighborhood).

So it really does make long term sense to start like this and then work outward, at least as far as residential spaces are concerned. But the commercial area also needs direct attention, which fortunately is well in progress it appears.

[groar]

i agree with you, Brian.

there is a real split in borough council, and it's illustrated very clearly in that article. unfortunately the more progressive (in my eyes) faction lost the majority in the last election, to cronies of the corrupt former mayor. it's strange living in a small borough where there's not much media attention paid to elections though; i have no idea why people voted against the current council members when things have been getting so much better directly because of them.