19th Century L'ville church has date with wrecking ball (Pittsburgh: hotels, squatters)

[I_Like_Spam]

Progress continues, I guess the Washington Trade School is next as the buildings have the same owner.

[PreservationPioneer]

[bradjl2009]

That's a shame. I really hope they are at least building something there and not just leaving it to be a grass lot.

[eschaton]

Both buildings are owned by Amrapur Hotels Pittsburgh LP. Methinks they are converting the Trade School into a hotel (which fits the street rumor I've heard) and they're going to use the place the church used to be for parking.

[PreservationPioneer]

Yeah, they tore it down for parking.

[eschaton]

Originally Posted by PreservationPioneer

Yeah, they tore it down for parking.

Looking on the map, I do not see how, given the size of the trade school, that will be enough parking. I'm presuming the ugly one-story buildout on Almond will also be taken out. But unless they build a garage, there's no way that will be enough space, as the square footage would still be less than the building itself. Which raises the specter if there will be more demolitions - even of wings of the building itself.

I hope the section on Eden Way survives. It's significantly older than the rest of the building. Most of it was built in 1936, but it appears to have been built some time between 1900 and 1910.

[Neckbeard89]

that looks photoshopped to me

[grep]

Originally Posted by PreservationPioneer

Yeah, they tore it down for parking.

Gross.

On a related note, can anybody explain why some buildings are torn down and replaced with vacant lawns? How can knocking over a building to create a field of grass be profitable? (Example: the building that was torn down at Libery and Osceola).

[SorryIMovedBack]

Avoid Allegheny County property tax, no longer have to maintain a building, and no need insure a vacant lot? "Tear it down" seems to be the new mantra regarding vacant commercial property in America, unless you can immediately sell it.

[fleetiebelle]

An empty building may be seen as a fire hazard or could attract vermin or squatters, and in some dense neighborhoods the green space isn't a bad thing.