Are there any plans to build more skyscrapers..... (Pittsburgh, Penn: house, neighborhoods)

[dugdogmaster]

Originally Posted by Hopes

He's an out-of-towner. We can't be sure what he meant.

Regardless, they can't touch The Point, it's a National Historic Landmark.

[Hopes]

Originally Posted by dugdogmaster

Regardless, they can't touch The Point, it's a National Historic Landmark.

We're in agreement again!

[alleghenyangel]

Why is the point a national historic landmark? There's nothing historic there besides the tiny block house.

[nuwaver88]

Originally Posted by alleghenyangel

Why is the point a national historic landmark? There's nothing historic there besides the tiny block house.

It is a state park. It is off limits for development other than use as a park. There just happens to be an historical structure there.

[tijlover]

Originally Posted by dugdogmaster

Holy heck Batman, how does that thing even stand!?!?! And it moves!!!

Where have I seen plans for a supertall that moves, is it Chicago?

Yep, it's Chicago.

The Milwaukee Art Museum actually moves. Those metal wings fold down over the fuilding with hydraulic pumps, and raise back up again, at certain times of the day.

The Spire for Chicago, also designed by Calatrava, is now on hold and who knows if they'll ever resume construction on this 2000 foot high condo building which looks like a twisty ice cream cone. There's one, smaller, already built in Malvo, Sweden, called the Twisting Torso, a 50+ story apartment building.

You can check it out on Emporis.com.

No, I wasn't aware the most triangular point was a national park. Oops!

But, at any rate, a low-rise WOW-er could also make do at some vacant parking lot space in downtown, or along one side of either river.

I really don't think any city is going to see any big skyscrapers going up anytime soon. Here in Las Vegas we have 4 projects where they've stopped construction on and the future for this city is going to be low rise attractions.

Harrah's just announced a low-scale project that will include a 500 foot high ferris wheel. And down the street furthur a developer is going to build a one-story project with a 100 foot tall neon light show.

[Hopes]

Originally Posted by alleghenyangel

Why is the point a national historic landmark? There's nothing historic there besides the tiny block house.

Originally Posted by nuwaver88

It is a state park. It is off limits for development other than use as a park. There just happens to be an historical structure there.

It was the location of Fort Duquesne and Fort Pitt!

Fort Duquesne - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Pitt_(Pennsylvania)

The exterior walls for both forts are outlined with stone ---- one on each side of the underpass. Until recently, the actual walls of Fort Pitt were a below ground maze.

Building there would be like building a skyscraper in Gettysburg.

[dugdogmaster]

Originally Posted by alleghenyangel

Why is the point a national historic landmark? There's nothing historic there besides the tiny block house.

You're walking on hallowed ground every time you step foot there.

[BrianTH]

Originally Posted by alleghenyangel

I don't necessarily think downtown needs more skyscrapers. There are already so many. Downtown has a nice mix of historic and modern, I wouldn't want the city to lean more towards modern than it already does.

Well, you have to think about these things long term: today's modern skyscrapers are tomorrow's historic buildings, and at a pace of one modest-sized skyscraper every 20 years or so we are not exactly in danger of filling up the whole Golden Triangle yet. I do support trying to preserve the remaining historic buildings, but that still leaves plenty of possible sites.

So much of the city's charm is based in its historic low-rise buildings. I agree with the poster who said give downtown more of a European feel rather than trying to make it cheap and gaudy like Miami.

I think there is a third possible approach to downtown development which is organic, respectful of history, and yet distinctly American, and I think Downtown Pittsburgh is already a good example of how that can work. Again, I'd like to err even a little more on the side of preserving historic buildings than we have done in the past, but that still leaves room for the continued evolution of Downtown along that third path.

[BrianTH]

Originally Posted by tijlover

But, at any rate, a low-rise WOW-er could also make do at some vacant parking lot space in downtown, or along one side of either river.

The North Shore is the most obvious place for something like that, particularly with the new subway extension from Downtown. But personally, I would love to see a spectacular tourist-destination low-rise structure go into the underutilized riverfront spaces in the near Strip District, currently used for surface parking. In fact, probably the biggest problem with that plan is that any such new project would have to be harmonized with the Convention Center, which is arguably along those lines already.

I really don't think any city is going to see any big skyscrapers going up anytime soon. Here in Las Vegas we have 4 projects where they've stopped construction on and the future for this city is going to be low rise attractions.

As I believe I noted above, Downtown Pittsburgh may buck this trend because it has been experiencing relatively low vacancy rates even during the recession. Of course we have just had a lot less building over the last few decades than most places, let alone Las Vegas.

[alleghenyangel]

I don't understand how some can be so respectful of sites where historic buildings USED to stand, and yet condemn standing historic buildings to demolition for more skyscrapers. It's not as if the whole point area wasn't covered with dense urban structures half a century ago. I don't like how 1/4 of Pittsburgh's downtown was razed for a boring suburban-like park with highways running through it. The motivation to level everything in the point was not based on historic preservation of anything. Buildings over 100 years old even in 1950 were razed. It had more to do with post-war attitudes towards cities, which were negative.

Originally Posted by Hopes

It was the location of Fort Duquesne and Fort Pitt!

Fort Duquesne - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Pitt_(Pennsylvania)

The exterior walls for both forts are outlined with stone ---- one on each side of the underpass. Until recently, the actual walls of Fort Pitt were a below ground maze.

Building there would be like building a skyscraper in Gettysburg.