East Liberty becoming a mixed-income success story (Pittsburgh, Plum: leasing, transfer)

[stburr91]

Originally Posted by pman

depends on who is paying. "the best" for whom is another question. in all likelihood, the strip will develop nicely with or without a streetcar....east liberty also has a ton of potential, as does the northside.

You are correct that funding is a major issure. If the funding isn't there, then we'll just have to make do with less expsnsive options, but like Brian said, let's first pursue the best options.

I like the idea of some sort of ROW transit that would connect all of the Riverfront area, as it will allow the whole area to grow together, not just the Strip.

Originally Posted by I_Like_Spam

Not everything can, or should be, a premier neighborhood.

Yes, but the riverfront property in close proximity to downtown can, and should be developed into a premier neighborhood.

Originally Posted by I_Like_Spam

Pittsburgh definitely needs places for light industrial, heavy industrial, warehouses, school bus and taxi garages, parking and other uses.

I agree with you, but just not next to downtown.

Originally Posted by I_Like_Spam

The idea that the Strip ought to be just predominately retail and high end residences is fine I guess. But it still leads to what to do with other necessary functions. Pittsburgh only has a finite number of single professional people who would want to (and can afford to) live in the the Cork Factory and other expensive and close high brow properties, no matter how convenient they are.

Again, I agree with you, and the market will determine the price for the Riverfront area, just like anywhere else.

I believe that if the Riverfront area is developed to it's full potential, it will draw people from outside the metro area that can afford to live in an up scale neighborhood.

[Blackbeauty212]

Can you guys make a separate thread about the Strip and ARF redevelopement....This is suppose to be about East Liberty

[pman]

Originally Posted by stburr91

You are correct that funding is a major issure. If the funding isn't there, then we'll just have to make do with less expsnsive options, but like Brian said, let's first pursue the best options.
I lke the idea of some sort of ROW transit that would connect all of the Riverfront area, as it will allow the whole area to grow together, not just the Strip.

yes, by all means, if someone is willing to pay...
you can kind of look at it as a y, with downtown or even the incline as the base and the branches to upper lawrencville and east liberty (the thread subject) breaking at doughboy. it will do the strip and east liberty good to improve those connections and as brian points out, the busway isn't in the right place so it won't be convenient for the cork factory folks to take it to east liberty or vice versa. east liberty appears to be approaching critical mass (these three developments will probably take it there IMO) and improving the connections to downtown. there's also CHP along the way.
and maybe it's time to kill the penn circle names and restore the street names.

[Drover]

*Sigh* The ex and I had our eye on a 7-bedroom house just up the street from the Sharp that was on the market for $32K back in 1999. Yes it needed work but I can imagine what it would be worth today if we'd snatched it up and rehabbed it.

[BrianTH]

Originally Posted by pman

depends on who is paying.

Perhaps, but you can't get the funding if you don't do the planning first, and as it turns out other people are willing to pay for the planning. So why not use their money to explore the best options, even if it is possible we end up having to settle for something less?

in all likelihood, the strip will develop nicely with or without a streetcar.

I really don't think it can develop properly without a proper transportation plan, and neither do the actual planners, and I really think any proper transportation plan will include local transit with its own ROW, regardless of the technology used.

[BrianTH]

Originally Posted by I_Like_Spam

Pittsburgh definitely needs places for light industrial, heavy industrial, warehouses, school bus and taxi garages, parking and other uses.

That's also part of the Riverfront plan--they are going to relocate such activities, mostly within the Riverfront itself in fact (through land swaps and such), to free up the prime land for other purposes.

Pittsburgh only has a finite number of single professional people who would want to (and can afford to) live in the the Cork Factory and other expensive and close high brow properties, no matter how convenient they are.

Finite but growing. And the present demand has already outstripped the present supply.

[BrianTH]

Originally Posted by pman

yes, by all means, if someone is willing to pay...
you can kind of look at it as a y, with downtown or even the incline as the base and the branches to upper lawrencville and east liberty (the thread subject) breaking at doughboy. it will do the strip and east liberty good to improve those connections

I don't foresee as much of a problem with the Lower Lawrencville to East Liberty corridor specifically, since it won't be overlapping with as many other needs. That said, if the demand is there I would certainly support incorporating that route into something like a Rapid Bus (or gondola!) plan. For example, you could run a Rapid Bus route from East Liberty to Lower Lawrenceville and the Upper Strip, then have it rejoin the East Busway to continue Downtown.

[BrianTH]

Originally Posted by Drover

*Sigh* The ex and I had our eye on a 7-bedroom house just up the street from the Sharp that was on the market for $32K back in 1999. Yes it needed work but I can imagine what it would be worth today if we'd snatched it up and rehabbed it.

Having looked in that area relatively recently--yep, that would have been a good move.

[pman]

Originally Posted by BrianTH

Perhaps, but you can't get the funding if you don't do the planning first, and as it turns out other people are willing to pay for the planning. So why not use their money to explore the best options, even if it is possible we end up having to settle for something less? I really don't think it can develop properly without a proper transportation plan, and neither do the actual planners, and I really think any proper transportation plan will include local transit with its own ROW, regardless of the technology used. I don't foresee as much of a problem with the Lower Lawrencville to East Liberty corridor specifically, since it won't be overlapping with as many other needs. That said, if the demand is there I would certainly support incorporating that route into something like a Rapid Bus (or gondola!) plan. For example, you could run a Rapid Bus route from East Liberty to Lower Lawrenceville and the Upper Strip, then have it rejoin the East Busway to continue Downtown.

for the record, I am not against the planning grant...and of course nobody is against studies that other people are paying for. that isn't to say a streetcar is necessary. anyway, EAST LIBERTY. I'm not arguing for a streetcar, but better service, perhaps cheaper, skip stop, and some transit first technology. I suppose, going back to the Y, it might make sense for the riverfront and this one to share ROW through the strip. that said, the idea is to encourage movement of people by transit for various needs. rather than just using it to get to work, you might use it to go downtown for work, to catch a movie in east liberty, or to have dinner.

[BrianTH]

Originally Posted by pman

anyway, EAST LIBERTY. I'm not arguing for a streetcar, but better service, perhaps cheaper, skip stop, and some transit first technology.

Yep, that falls under the heading of what I called Rapid Bus.

I suppose, going back to the Y, it might make sense for the riverfront and this one to share ROW through the strip.

Maybe, but I don't see that being obvious. If you want to go all the way to Downtown from East Liberty, you can use the Busway. If you want to go to Lower Lawrenceville or the Strip, you might want a new rapid option, but then it doesn't really add much value for it to continue on through the Strip to Downtown.

rather than just using it to get to work, you might use it to go downtown for work, to catch a movie in east liberty, or to have dinner.

I honestly don't understand the primacy you are giving to East Liberty. It is one local node, but people are also going to want to go back and forth between that area and Oakland, or the North Side, or Squirrel Hill, or Millvale, or Highland Park, and so on. Again, I have no inherent problem with a rapid connection to East Liberty, but it is only one of many such connections one could wish for.