Fire at Forward and Murray (Pittsburgh, Liberty: 2015, apartment, insurance)

[Moby Hick]

I suppose most people have heard about the fire at Forward and Murray. It's still on my mind because I happened to ride by the site* after smoke was already coming from the building but before the fire fighters had arrived. Somebody had already called it in because a police cruiser was just pulling it.

It's good that nobody got hurt and I hope they get the roads clear for tomorrow, but I'm wondering what this means for developing that corner. Probably nothing as nobody interested in the corner wanted that existing buildings, but still maybe this will move it faster.

Pittsburgh firefighters battle huge blaze at Forward and Murray avenues in Squirrel Hill | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

* While riding a bus, the bus I take home every day.

[RogersParkTransplant]

Yikes. I saw a condo burning in Rogers Park (Chicago) once, and it's a bad, surreal feeling. This is the feeling I was thinking about the other day, when I was trying to say that no matter how much I love preservation, sometimes buildings just have to go. Abandoned buildings are unsafe by nature; ruins may seem romantic but they attract problems.

I hope it moves development faster, yes on this corner, but also everywhere in the city. (Example: I dearly love the North side, but they have to get their act together re: Garden Theater. Someone, please just do something already. Yes, I've read the recent headlines...but I am still anxious at how slow it's all going.)

[szug-bot]

I'd be interested in hearing what caused the fire (notice I didn't use local news lingo: "sparked the fire").

Thankfully, it was vacant (as was reported). So no loss of life, and no detriment to someone running a business in there (as location-challenged as it may be). And likely, the building owner, it is assumed, has insurance on this vacant building...

[gortonator]

Originally Posted by Moby Hick

I suppose most people have heard about the fire at Forward and Murray. It's still on my mind because I happened to ride by the site* after smoke was already coming from the building but before the fire fighters had arrived. Somebody had already called it in because a police cruiser was just pulling it.

* While riding a bus, the bus I take home every day.

It was a monster smoke plume - I was riding along the south Side river trail on way home and it was very visible. Caused some chaos around our streets with traffic and emergency vehicles. Hopefully nearby buildings are ok.

And more opportunities for Bus Talk. I love it

[charisb]

I was walking home right by this location yesterday. The fire was indeed intense and it took about 3 hours to put it out. What was interesting was how it turned into a social event--there were people with their kids and dogs trying to get a good vantage point. If it wasn't for the blazing inferno it could have been a block party.
I guess nice weather brings people out no matter what the circumstances.
FWIW, the police who were chatting with everyone seemed to strongly suspect arson (based on pure speculation).
Apparently the group that was lined up to purchase the buildings was planning to tear it down, so hopefully this will not impede development.

[doo dah]

I smelled smoke as soon as I left work at Pitt, but didn't see anything until we got home.
I explained the history of that corner (Poli's and redevelopment) and said I thought "Hm" .
My husband said, in Germany, that is called a "warm demolition".

[Geeo]

Saw the huge plume of black smoke while walking around the Highland Park reservoir and thought it was coming from East Liberty. As we came home and into Shadyside you could tell it was still way over the hill somewhere in Squirrel Hill. People posting on Faebook were posting pictures from as far away as Neville Island.

This may actually hurry development along since the building is now gone. There was a nonprofit that wanted to build an apartment building there.

[theta_sigma]

I was walking from my office to my car through the Schenley golf course when I saw the smoke. Let it be known that the P-G and WPXI websites we're both useless at telling me why there was a giant smoke plume emanating from the direction my car was parked in. KDKA site finally gave me the low down.

[SolitaryThrush]

I assumed it was a house fire in Greenfield, because the sky behind my house 5+ blocks away was completely gray and the smell of smoke was pretty strong.

This is the best thing to happen to the block in years, honestly, though I'll be sorry if arson played a role. Those two buildings were eyesores, structurally unsafe, and damaged by neglect and obstruction by the property owners. The legacy Poli once had as a popular restaurant a couple generations ago was damaged by the family letting the building sit and rot. Hopefully this hastens redevelopment. I read on city-data a while back that people were interested in preserving the Poli building because it was moderately old and a somewhat popular place a couple generations ago. This should stop that nonsense.

[Moby Hick]

Originally Posted by SolitaryThrush

...though I'll be sorry if arson played a role.

I sort of doubt it was arson of the property-redevelopment sort. I haven't read anything about any insurance and there wasn't any real movement I'm aware of trying to preserve the buildings. (If somebody does want to preserve the Poli building, I don't think it was hurt badly enough to stop them.) Plus, it was in the middle of the day.

My guess is that if it was arson, it was of the hobo not putting out his smokes right sort.