Apt's at Federal Cold Storage in Strip (Pittsburgh, McDonald: 2014, to buy) - Pennsylvania (PA) - Page 8 - City-Data Forum

Goodjules · 05-04-2013, 10:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sealie

So far as the comparison to Shadyside goes, I challenge anyone to find a luxury Shadyside apartment that doesn't have parking. I took a quick look online and I can't do it. Valet, in some cases. Two spaces, in most cases. So Hopes is right, having no parking is like having Formica countertops at this price point.

I'm all for the environment but we have to be realistic about the kind of development that will succeed. i agree that the target market expects parking. The trick is for the region to develop a decent transit infrastructure that will make it easy for people to leave their cars in the garage and walk, bike, or use public transit more often. Pittsburgh could be a leader in the rust belt as an innovator in this respect given that the economy here is better than Detroit and other cities.

pman · 05-04-2013, 02:11 PM

this isnt shadyside by a long shot nor are there any hills between it and downtown or pennmac. transit is lacking but its mlre about density. transit lacks partly because there arent enough people or destinations thoigh thats changing. the car worship destroyed a lot of neighborhoods that now have excessively large highways slashing through them. downtown parking is subsidized and streets have too many traffic lanes. for all the bluster the parking obsession from the 50's on hasnt done well for the city.
hopes isnt going to live there, i dont like lofts , etc. it was a minor quibble that touched off a nerve for some who dont want the car lifestyle threatened. id be just as happy to see them carve out a space for a retail tenant or two which cam be done after the fact as well.

Hopes · 05-04-2013, 04:38 PM

Quit trying to make this all about me. My nerves weren't "touched off." I'd love to live in a Strip or downtown loft if both areas weren't ghost towns. You're not going to attract density via building units that don't have parking. You'll get the opposite. It would have been nice if there was retail and parking. It doesn't have to be all or nothing on either point.

pman · 05-04-2013, 04:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hopes

Quit trying to make this all about me. My nerves weren't "touched off." I'd love to live in a Strip or downtown loft if both areas weren't ghost towns. You're not going to attract density via building units that don't have parking. You'll get the opposite. It would have been nice if there was retail and parking. It doesn't have to be all or nothing on either point.

it was never all or nothing. when i suggested retail it would be in place of SOME of the parking since theres only so much space but there would be parking nonetheless but it seems the mere suggestion of less parking invites an onslaught. this project would add significant density if it happens and i hope it does...i dont see why it wouldnt. things are leasing up like crazy. the thing about cities is as people move into them they get more desirable.

eschaton · 05-04-2013, 06:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hopes

Downtown condominiums have ample parking. Gateway Towers, for example, has a large underground parking garage.

Gateway Towers was one of the first large condos built downtown, so I don't think it's a major indication of anything. AFAIK, the smaller condo/apartment buildings in the Cultural District don't have integral parking.

It also might be overkill, because Gateway Towers has a lot of retirees who don't drive.

Quote:

Originally Posted by UKyank

And they aren't, so I guess the market can't handle them.

In this case, that's true. But in Lawrenceville, a local developer has been attempting to convert an empty church into apartments. Locals were concerned about parking, and forced him to shave two additional stories off the planned expansion, and make room for more parking spaces.

Quote:

Originally Posted by markson33

I agree that Pittsburgh simply does not have the mass transit in place to allow for developments without ample parking. We are still a city that is reliant on cars and I think it only makes sense that the developers of the Wholey building would provide the parking that their tenants want.

As long as it's done like this (floors inside a building) or through underground garages, I'm fine with it. The only bad effect is it might increase traffic downtown, but I'd guess a fair number of tenants, even if they have cars, will seldom use them, so probably not as much as one would think.

But I do agree with Pman that we need less lots clogging up "Greater Downtown" in general. It's a waste of space so close to the core. We admittedly have less surface parking than many cities downtown, but things like the "Goodyear block" should be redeveloped to have class A office space or condos.