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Old 11-06-2015, 02:12 PM
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by PreservationPioneer View Post
The only reason I wouldn't buy in Hays is because it's in a flood zone, and I suspect that is the real reason for its decline (although, to be fair, it actually seems like a pretty decent place).
As I pointed out above, the threat of flooding is indeed the major drawback for Hays. People would love to live in a semi rural, village-like area with a babbling brook running through it, located a few miles from downtown, but no one wants to deal with flooding.
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Old 11-06-2015, 08:47 PM
 
Location: Pittsburgh, PA (Morningside)
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I think it's also worth noting Hays didn't go into decline due to being in a flood zone. Instead, the knot of onramps around the Glenwood Bridge ripped out the heart of the neighborhood. Without this work, it would probably look like a slightly smaller, more rural Spring Garden today.
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Old 11-18-2015, 01:31 PM
112
 
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this thread cracks me up. living in the mon valley is far better then a place like johnstown for example. mckeesport "far from the city?" its like 11 miles. johnstown is 68 miles east with nothing at all surrounding it and the surrounding areas there offer nothing. be grateful u lvie where u live
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Old 11-18-2015, 03:34 PM
 
Location: Pittsburgh
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The Mon Valley was the Silicon Valley of its day, the Pittsburgh region came up with a lot of great innovations in steel, electrical and other technologies.

People get the impression nowadays that the reason why the Carnegies and Fricks became super wealthy was because they worked a lot of people very hard for little money. Everyone did that back in the day but not everyone became wealthy, being a hard nosed employer wasn't the key, the key was innovation, figuring out how to channel and organize the work through new technologies so that enough steel could be made to build railroad bridges and high rises.

The Mon Valley really needs to recapture the spirit of innovation and technology if they are going to rebound. It really isn't very convenient to Pittsburgh to be an effective bedroom community that people would want to live in and ride all the way to town from.
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Old 11-18-2015, 10:20 PM
 
Location: Kittanning
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Quote:
Originally Posted by I_Like_Spam View Post
It really isn't very convenient to Pittsburgh to be an effective bedroom community that people would want to live in and ride all the way to town from.
There are plenty of old towns that aren't bedroom communities to major cities that seem prosperous enough. I could list many. I don't think being close to a major city is a requirement for a town to come back to stability.
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Old 11-18-2015, 10:21 PM
 
Location: Kittanning
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 112 View Post
this thread cracks me up. living in the mon valley is far better then a place like johnstown for example. mckeesport "far from the city?" its like 11 miles. johnstown is 68 miles east with nothing at all surrounding it and the surrounding areas there offer nothing. be grateful u lvie where u live
Exactly, and what people don't realize is that McKeesport, for instance, is surrounded by suburban sprawl (West Mifflin, North Versailles, Waterfront, Monroeville, North Huntingdon, Jefferson Hills, White Oak). Many suburban conveniences (and employment) abound. There are inconvenient places to live in the Mon Valley, but the towns from McKeesport to Pittsburgh are convenient (depending on what side or suburb of the city you work in), especially compared to more isolated or rural towns or smaller cities in the state. If a small fraction of the amenities within the surrounding suburbs relocated to downtown McKeesport, it would be a vibrant city again.

Last edited by PreservationPioneer; 11-18-2015 at 10:30 PM..
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Old 11-19-2015, 07:50 PM
112
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by PreservationPioneer View Post
Exactly, and what people don't realize is that McKeesport, for instance, is surrounded by suburban sprawl (West Mifflin, North Versailles, Waterfront, Monroeville, North Huntingdon, Jefferson Hills, White Oak). Many suburban conveniences (and employment) abound. There are inconvenient places to live in the Mon Valley, but the towns from McKeesport to Pittsburgh are convenient (depending on what side or suburb of the city you work in), especially compared to more isolated or rural towns or smaller cities in the state. If a small fraction of the amenities within the surrounding suburbs relocated to downtown McKeesport, it would be a vibrant city again.
Johnstown cracks me up. i remember one of the locals calling me crazy for living in "the city." what city? im from the east coast i moved there for a cheap COL. i could go on for days about the place its just one of a kind. it was worthi t for a while until i realized pittsburgh was just as inexpensive and theres actually stuff to do. johnstown has entirely abandoned neighborhoods, most notably prospect, i dont even think there is a single business open in prospect i commuted from johnstown to pittsburgh and it was horrendous.... try that for a while and theyll never complain about rt 51, 28, etc. LOL
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Old 11-20-2015, 04:47 PM
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by PreservationPioneer View Post
There are plenty of old towns that aren't bedroom communities to major cities that seem prosperous enough. I could list many. I don't think being close to a major city is a requirement for a town to come back to stability.
Pretty much every stand-alone small town that's doing well for itself has some kind of significant anchor that feeds its prosperity, though. A university, proximity to a major tourist attraction (i.e., a National Park), etc. McKeesport, sadly, lacks any such advantage.


Quote:
Originally Posted by PreservationPioneer View Post
If a small fraction of the amenities within the surrounding suburbs relocated to downtown McKeesport, it would be a vibrant city again.
But what incentive is there for those businesses to do that? Especially since they're most likely drawing from a wider population base as they're located now.

Believe me, I'd love it if McKeesport became a healthy, thriving community again, but my fear is that there just really isn't much of an avenue for it to come back.
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Old 01-06-2016, 11:48 PM
 
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A Revitalization Plan

The History

In its heyday, McKeesport was a city of almost 55,000 people. It was a
bustling city whose growth was such that it was expected to rival the city of
Pittsburgh in size, scope, reach and potential. Marc Connelly wrote, “I could not
boast that McKeesport, Pennsylvania, the Home of the National Tube Works,
outstripped the rest of the world in the production of iron pipe, was the fastest
growing city in the Monongahela Valley, and might one day be as big as Pittsburgh,
fifteen miles away. . . . By my standards, McKeesport was a metropolis unlimited in
area and population.” This explosive growth was due in large part to the industrial
boom that was taking place in cities all over the United States and especially in the
Mon Valley. With company’s like U S Steel’s National Tube Works in
McKeesport, Ft. Pitt Steel Casting in McKeesport, other U S Steel plants
throughout the valley, and other companies such as Westinghouse Electric,
WABCO, Fisher Body, Irvin Works, Glassport’s Bucyrus-Erie, West Mifflin’s
Continental Can, West Homestead’s Mesta Machinery and Hazelwood’s J&L Steel
in the surrounding area, the city was on a mercurial ascent that was unrivaled
throughout the entire country.
But then it happened! The industrial bust! The collapse of the steel industry,
along with the outsourcing of many of the industrial jobs on which this region so
heavily relied upon, had a devastating effect on not only this country as a whole, but
especially on McKeesport and the surrounding area. Its effect was far reaching,
creating many problems of which the city of McKeesport is still trying to work its
way out from under thirty odd years later. From lack of jobs, to declining
population, to drug infestation, to violence, to urban blight, the fall out from the loss
of so many of these community stabilizing jobs has left such a calamitous void that
it has drained the city of almost everything, save for its pride. And it’s this pride
which must take hold and must stand up and fight for the “New McKeesport.”

Down, Not Out

“Although McKeesporters have been beaten up, they haven’t given up. The
legacy of the city’s great past includes historic landmarks and institutions such as
the Carnegie Library and Renziehausen Park and its rose garden, the second-largest
in Pennsylvania. McKeesport has its own community theater, symphony orchestra
and art group, along with vibrant sports leagues with teams for adults and kids . . .
The McKees Point Marina has revived the ‘port’ that the McKees founded more
than 200 years ago. And visitors from around the world now pass through
McKeesport on the Great Allegheny Passage bike trail between Pittsburgh and the
East Coast . . . The McKeesport area and McKeesporters have done a lot to build
America, and they still have a lot more to offer.”

The Problems

Blight

The issue of blight must be addressed in a comprehensive manner. Because
there continues to be an over abundance of blight throughout the city, with new
abandonments added almost daily, the best approach to address this problem is to
go aggressively after a one time large dollar windfall by way of grant funding to rid
the city of one of the biggest obstacles to turning McKeesport around. This will
allow the city to aggressively attack the problem of blight which, when eliminated,
will allow the administration to market a “shovel ready” city to potential investors,
builders, corporations, companies and entrepreneurs.

Lack of Jobs

“For the average steelworker, life in the Mon Valley meant trading
socioeconomic advancement opportunities for what was perceived as a stable and
secure way of life in the steel mills. The steel industry beaconed forth Pittsburgh
youth, where their part-time summers gradually evolved into full-time years, broken
up by the occasional strike or temporary layoff. Steelworkers understandably felt a
sense of permanence at the mills, for whom such periodic setbacks were offset by
the successes of good times with high wages. Even for one steelworker who put
himself through college and earned a master’s degree in mathematics, the steel mills
offered a better living after many years of labor than his University of Pittsburgh
diploma. For average union men like he, deindustrialization was almost impossible
to predict, and even harder to combat once it stuck.”
This anecdotal story epitomizes the good and the bad, the highs and the lows
that went with the industrial boom and eventual bust that devastated both
McKeesport and the Mon Valley. This was the reality of the 1980's McKeesport
and its surrounding communities. Furthermore, this loss of jobs did not only take
place within the U S Steel plants throughout the valley, but the other many
companies listed which have either, all together disappeared or now operate at a
severely diminished rate and capacity. This de-industrialization and its resultant,
heavily felt economic collapse has left McKeesport and the surrounding area
destitute of meaningful jobs.

Declining Population

The decline in jobs has had a far reaching impact. The decline in jobs was
inextricably tied to the population decline which has continued unchecked even unto
the current days. With declining population comes a declining tax base which can
cause nightmares for any city budget as well as the upkeep and maintenance of that
city. And yet, with this decline in population comes a ray of sunshine. With the
population at a very manageable 19,800 plus people, McKeesport is in an ideal
position to be reshaped and remolded into the “New McKeesport.” McKeesport is
now the ideal size for a “Bedroom Community.” The new McKeesport can begin to
be reshaped with this in mind without the natural worries that would come with
trying to downsize a city with a larger population base into a smaller one.

Drugs

This is the story of a young man named Rico, run on Salon.com. “Rico works
a full-time job and only deals as much [drugs] as he can reasonably use or hide. . ..
'I’m not trying to be some rich guy. I’m just trying to get money to enjoy myself.'
Real-world jobs don’t allow people to do that. I think that’s why a lot of people sell
Rose Erin, The true lives of low-level drug dealers: “What’s the point of surviving if you
can’t live?”, Rico says. His ‘real-world job’ pays a few bucks more than minimum wage.
He says that it’s just enough to pay bills and occasionally go out. ‘You don’t make
enough money to do anything: Travel, get your car fixed up. Naw.’ He explains that
when an hour’s work at minimum wage buys you two gallons of gas, and you spend
a gallon each day getting to work, the choice becomes pretty clear. ‘It’s almost like
you work to go to work,’ Rico says. ‘I wanted something else.’”
The decline of gainful employment, especially for those who have no appetite
for the world of collegiate academia, has pushed many, otherwise, potentially
productive young people down the path of drug use, drug abuse and drug peddling.
“The United Nations estimates that the drug trade generates $600 billion per year. If
the drug trade were its own country, this would put its GDP somewhere between
Saudi Arabia and Switzerland.” Where the steel mills and other industrial plants
once offered meaningful jobs and good paying gainful employment for those who
had no aspirations of going to college, they, as Rico can attest, are now left to be
enticed by the allure of the lucrative payoff of drug peddling to do the same.

Violence

Drugs have a direct or indirect negative effect on development, peace,
security and human rights. Drugs have the ability to destroy a community by
systemically bringing down all the socioeconomic mechanisms that help to bolster a
thriving community. Drugs also play a major role in the perpetuation of gang-related
crimes and other illicit activities, as they often go hand in hand. With drug use, drug
abuse and drug peddling comes the inevitable gun violence, killing and community
unrest. This unwanted violence, oftentimes, ends with the innocent as collateral
damage. Safety becomes a major issue and a major concern and with it, fear and
intimidation. Thus, we see that drugs, and the crime it breeds, drastically undermine
and stymies economic development by eroding social and human capital and
degrades quality of life. Unfortunately, this has become the “new normal” in
McKeesport and its surrounding communities and it cries out desperately for help.

Lack of Youth Activity

One of the major problems as McKeesport and the surrounding communities
try to combat the drugs, the violence, and the gang activities that have gripped it
with an unrelenting stranglehold, is the lack of positive outlets for the youth to
engage themselves in. While organizations like Youth CAST, the Boys and Girls
Club, the YMCA, the YWCA and others of their type, the local recreation centers
and the local churches do a yeoman’s job of trying to adequately engage our youth,
it has proven to not be enough. More must be done.

The Vision

We must create the “New McKeesport.” While it would be great to recreate
the old McKeesport, with today’s trend toward technology and away from industry
it would be truly improbable and mostly impossible to recreate McKeesport in its
former image. The industrial town of yesteryear is a thing of the past. But this
presents a very unique opportunity for the city of McKeesport. McKeesport now has
an opportunity to create itself anew, with a new image, new focus and untold new
possibilities. Yet, with this said, McKeesport also has the opportunity to recreate
itself, in its old image and become “the hub” of the Mon Valley once again.
As we stated in the history portion of our plan, McKeesport was once a city
of 55,000 people and growing which in large part was bolstered by the multiplicity
of industrial jobs within easy commuting distance. But with the scarcity of these
types of jobs in and around the city in particular, and the Mon Valley in general,
McKeesport must turn its attention to other new, more realistic possibilities.
With the continued systemic downsizing of the once prevalent and plenteous
industrial jobs and the continued systemic downsizing of the population through
attrition, McKeesport has a unique opportunity to recast itself in the mold of many
successful cities of the modern era, “The Bedroom Community.”

The Bedroom Community

While there is still a need for the bustling, lively metropolises of the world,
many people are now looking back to the future to a time when life was lived more
simplistically. Thus, there is a segment of today’s population that wants to work in
the city and retreat to their quiet suburban life of peace, tranquility and safety, where
community pride, neighborhood investment, neighborly love and family
entertainment are what rules the day. This is the place where they can walk the dog
without fear, go for an evening run, eat ice cream while enjoying the downtown city
scape, shop at the latest fashion boutiques, go for a stroll while enjoying a scenic
river walk view, have a family picnic in the local park or take their children on a
nice family outing. This is also the place where they can be certain that their
children are engaged not just adequately, but superiorly academically, culturally,
athletically and spiritually. A place where their minds, their bodies, their souls and
their spirits are engaged and challenged to assure that they become the best they can
be as they embark on a life of their own as the next generation of “achievers.” And
McKeesport has had the opportunity thrown on its doorstep to present such a place.
Interestingly, Pittsburgh has established itself as a technology hub with such
companies as Google, Apple, Intel and RAND establishing campuses in the city.
The Pittsburgh Technology Center, Pittsburgh Supercomputing Center and
Pittsburgh LAN Coalition also develop major innovations. Companies such as
Petrosoft, Modcloth, Guru.com, Songwhale and others have global headquarters in
the city. And it is the very people who are fortunate to work at such wonderful
companies that will be looking for wholesome, well established, quality
communities to live. With McKeesport being situated just 11 miles and a thirty minute drive from
Pittsburgh, it is the idea place to present itself as such a community.

A Destination Point

In the “golden era” of McKeesport it was once a thriving destination point
where people regularly came to town from all over the Mon Valley and even from
as far away as Pittsburgh. With its bustling downtown shopping district, its many
movie theaters, its wonderful “Renzie Park,” to name just a few attractions,
McKeesport was the hub of the valley. It was indeed the place to be and the place to
go. And while it is no longer the city that attracts outsiders, McKeesport is once
again in a very unique time and place in its existence.
McKeesport with some innovative thinking, and a willingness to change, has
a unique opportunity to recreate itself, looking back, once again, to the future and
making itself the destination point that it used to be. With its water ways and its
expansive land mass, for a city of its size, McKeesport can begin to create
attractions that bring people to and through the city without necessarily having to
live here. This will go a long way in fixing the declining tax base issue that comes
with a declining population.
Some will say that this cannot be done. But to them I say, “All things are
possible to him who believes.” Some will say that it’s just too much of a struggle
to make it happen. But to them I say, “If there is no struggle, there is no progress.”
Some will say we are not the ones and now is not the time. But to them I say, “If not
us, who? If not now, when?” “We have come too far, we have sacrificed too much,
to disdain the future now.” Lastly, John Kennedy said, “The time to repair the roof
is when the sun is shining.” In spite of what others might believe, in spite of what
the statistics might say, in spite of what the conditions look like, the future is now
and the sun of opportunity is, right now, shining on McKeesport. So where do we
begin.

Housing

New, modern housing is a high priority for McKeesport, as much of the
current housing stock dates back to the early 1900s. From modern single family
homes, to condos to, townhouses [some of it subsidized], McKeesport is, once
again, in a very unique and advantageous situation to replace most of its old housing
stock without it having much of a negative impact on the current populace. The
housing stock could be downsized, without the need to build as much new housing,
going forward. This could be strategically done in certain areas such as the lower
Tenth Ward which could be revitalized into a gated community with upscale
housing to take advantage of those who want to live on the waterfront, and other
strategically located plans on the outskirts of the new McKeesport (see the Upper
Tenth Ward, the Park Street Plan, the Peterson Plan, the Fawcett Plan, the Renzie
Plan, the Christy Park Plan, the Haler Heights plan). This would allow other areas
of the city to grow back into their natural habitats.
Additionally, with the need for less housing, some of the unused land could
be strategically sold off to current homeowners, expanding their lots from the now
normal 25 by 100 lots to more roomy and desirable, quarter acre, half acre, one acre
and even two acre lots. The seventh ward would be the ideal location for such a
plan. This would effectively reduce the cluttered housing by as much as three
quarters of its current levels, while at the same time, getting rid of much of the old,
outdated housing stock and urban blight it creates.
This plan would also help to alleviate the housing density problem that plays
a major role in many unsolved crimes. While many reports link high density housing
to higher crime rates based on socioeconomic and other factors, which I am in total
agreement with, this is a more simplistic assertion that over saturated housing allows
more hiding places for the criminal. The over saturation of the current housing stock
in McKeesport, much of it abandoned, grants cover for many of the culprits of
crimes that seem to have proliferated in the seventh ward. Thinning out the current
housing stock would provide less cover for the perpetrators of the violence and
crimes taking place in this area of the city.
Additionally, this plan would allow beautifying greenery to be added to the
largest corridor of the city, the currently overcrowded, overpopulated seventh ward.
Demolition of current housing could be done in a more strategic manner to
accomplish this goal. This may call for relocation of some current homeowners, but
with so much extra housing in the city an innovative acquisition/buy back and
relocation plan could be put in place to accommodate such a move. With additional
land ownership, increased taxes would not only become more palatable, but even
acceptable. Again, because of the need for less housing stock, new housing
developments would institute this same philosophy of building lots to the more
suitable, and modern, quarter acre, half acre, one acre and two acre sizes. With the
implementation of these ideas, we would begin to see a greener, more beautiful
McKeesport, with the downsized housing stock taking care of itself, by attrition.
But any serious plan to address the housing problems of McKeesport cannot
take place without addressing the issues that exist not only in the seventh ward, but
two other areas of the city. Approximately fifteen years ago, the administration of
McKeesport commissioned a study conducted by the Allegheny County Sheriff’s
Department aimed at identifying and combating the growing problems of violent
crimes, drugs and gang activity. On the very night while another senseless murder
was being committed only a mile or so away from the meeting, the conclusion of the
study identified three major hot spots for these nefarious activities: Crawford
Village, Harrison Village and Bailey Avenue, in the heart of the seventh ward. What
is known, based on its own reporting, is that any serious plan to eradicate the
problems of gun violence, drug and gang related activities in McKeesport, must start
with addressing these problems, especially in the aforementioned hot spots,
Crawford Village, Harrison Village and Bailey Avenue and the surrounding seventh
ward. So what is one to do?
With the onslaught of single family parenting caused by various twenty-first
century circumstances, there is a need for low and moderate income housing. What
cannot be ignored is that both Crawford Village and Harrison Village serve such a
purpose in the city of McKeesport. But while this need is genuine, there is no reason
for the situation that now exists in both housing complexes. With a narrow view of
“the projects,” we have come to accept these housing complexes as places of
inferiority, in, both, the type of housing it presents and in psychological deprecation.
“While public housing is often the best option for individuals or families who
require housing assistance, tenants can come to be seen as second-class citizens
because of their need . . . Housing structure and municipal policies can affect
tenants in a host of ways psychologically, many of which can leave them at a further
disadvantage . . . Crime is higher in public housing facilities--especially in major
cities--than in many other residential neighborhoods . . . Depression, [low self
esteem] and anxiety are often more prevalent among public housing residents than
those in private housing. A study released by the National Center for Health in
Public Housing about public housing residents in Boston showed that instances of
poor mental health and excessive anxiety were substantially higher in public housing
tenants than in other residents.” These are the realities that exist in public housing
or as we have come to call them in some cities, “the projects.”
If a new McKeesport is going to be birthed, a sincere effort must be mustered
to change these bastions of self deprecating, high density, over saturated housing,
where gun violence, drug abuse and other nefarious behaviors have become the
norm, and push its tenants/residents from a place of accepted subsidized existence
to a place of self-sufficient expectancy. Public housing was never intended to be a
place of permanent residency, but was, instead, intended to be a place of temporary,
transitional housing. For these housing complexes to flourish in the twenty-first
century, those who manage them must adopt a serious “advocacy program” that
grabs their tenants and assists them from the inception of their residency and does
not let go of them until they graduate to a place of self sufficiency. This would be
accomplished through a serious program that not only requires a “graduation plan”
for each new tenant who ends up in need of the subsidized, low income housing
that these complexes offer, but aggressively assists, and advocates, for them by way
of activism, guidance, counsel, consultation, encouragement and exhortation, until
they graduate to self sufficient, independent living.
With this advocacy program tenants would be held accountable, become
more hopeful and live with a sense of pride as they progress through the trials of life
that landed them in “the projects.” The public housing projects would then become
the “transitional housing” they were always intended to be, a place where one could
live with a sense of pride as they work their way out of life’s difficult circumstances.

Entertainment Corridor

From Kane Regional Hospital down toward the mill site, entertainment
venues, including a very scenic and enjoyable “river walk” could be incorporated to
take advantage of the water ways for family type activities. A second “river walk”
(or a continuation of the Youghiogheny river walk) would fit nicely along the
Monongahela River as an added attraction to the now possible commercial and
residential development for the former mill site. With this, the focus of the lower
mill site would be changed to become a family oriented entertainment/amusement
sector, with activities that are not offered at Kennywood Park or Sand Castle, its
nearest competitors. A golf dome would serve the area well, as a revenue generator
that would take advantage of the golf boom, and the myriad of golfers, in the Mon
Valley and surrounding area, that cannot hone their skills during the cold weather
months. Not only would this golf dome provide the ability to play and practice golf,
but it would also offer a full scale river front restaurant (something sorely needed in
McKeesport), miniature golf, paddle boating and a fishing cove.
All these projects are very doable and relatively inexpensive. This could be
the hub of other types of family entertainment businesses, such as go-karts and
bumper cars (see Andretti racing/ Funtrackers/Mountasia Family Entertainment
Center), laser tag and paint ball, modern family arcades, full scale roller skating,
with an indoor rink and outdoor skating park, and an ice-skating rink. All this would
fit nicely with the new “Bike Trail” that passes through this area.
A new open air amphitheater and state of the art “performing art’s center”
could be strategically located in this new family entertainment corridor and would
become home to both the McKeesport Symphony and the McKeesport Little
Theater. An “I Max” theater and museum (see Fernbank in Atlanta) that caters to
family education and entertainment type movies would also serve the city and out
lying area well, with little to no competition, as there is none in the immediate area.
As for the theater, it could also contract with the surrounding school districts of the
Mon Valley to have their students attend for special showings of various movies,
whether educational or entertainment.
Lastly, with so many family entertainment venues in place, McKeesport
should top it all off with the ability to provide weekend and holiday boat rides by
either contracting with the Gateway Clipper Fleet or starting a fleet service of its
own, taking full advantage of its wonderfully and uniquely situated water ways. This
added attraction of scenic boat rides, along with, not one but, two scenic “river
walks” (see San Antonio) and McKeesport would begin to make major strides in
taking full advantage of it’s two greatest assets, the point and the rivers which
border it.
The possibilities are endless as to what types of family entertainment facilities
could be brought into McKeesport. However, no matter what they are, all would be
revenue generators. With these kinds of activities, McKeesoport could, and would,
have need for a new hotel (or two) to accommodate the constant traffic drawn to,
and through, the city (ie, the revitalization of the “New” Penn McKee). Yes, even
the once proud Penn McKee could possibly be refurbished or, if not, a new one
could be built. The beauty of such a plan is that it will create a constant and
continual flow of people into McKeesport, thus creating a new, bountiful and sorely
needed revenue stream, without the need for them to reside within the city.

The Downtown Corridor

Along with these changes, a new downtown, with targeted specialized retail
shops, could be constructed along the current Fifth Avenue, from Sinclair Street
down to Market Street. An emphasis would need to be placed on bringing multiple
businesses into a new downtown as a collective group of one. With this plan, all
medical facilities could and should be relocated into another corridor, the new
Medical Corridor, that would run along Fifth Avenue, from Coursin Street out to the
current McKeesport Hospital location.

The Upper Mill Site Corridor

With the recent announcement that the redevelopment authority is now
willing to consider a mixed use development of retail and housing on the mill site
property it makes the execution of such a plan even more attractive as this type of
development is an even better fit for the two corridors that would house the
entertainment and downtown sectors. This type of development on the former mill
site would flow seamlessly into and fit nicely with both sectors. With the closest
“outlet shops,” a very popular modern day shopping option, being more than 25
miles away in Washington Pa (Tanger Outlets) or more than 40 miles away in Grove
City (Grove City Premium Outlets), this could be a very attractive alternative to the
shopping malls of Monroeville, West Mifflin and South Hills, as a retail anchor for
the mill site.

The Lower Walnut Street Corridor

Also, under this new plan, the lower Walnut Street Corridor would be the
home to a new government administrative complex that would serve the city well.
This corridor would run from 10 Street th to 15th Street going east and west, and from
Market Street to Locust Street going north and south. This plan would relocate the
city administrative offices along with the police department, fire department and
public works department to this corridor. Along with the city government offices
being centrally located here, the city should renew its efforts to bring a regional
county courthouse to this corridor. The natural outgrowth of these offices being in
this corridor would be the attraction of law offices and other ancillary businesses
that would serve both the courthouse and surrounding city administrative offices.
Again, this would be another revenue generator for the city as well as an
avenue to create cost savings for both the city and the surrounding communities that
would make use of this courthouse facility. This corridor could be augmented with
beautifying greenery (sitting parks), throughout the landscape, which, in turn, would
add a touch of scenic charm to the city landscape. If no land is needed above Locust
Street for this project, this land would be allowed to grow back into its natural
habitat (while at the same time being available for possible expansion), once again
adding beautifying greenery to the city landscape.

The Youth Educational/Activity Corridor

Next, change the focus of the city from what it used to be to what it can
become. As one council person mentioned, the idea of Weed and Seed, and what it
isn't doing for the youth of the city, as it relates to violence, is a huge problem that
doesn't seem to go away. Weed and seed, while it may have good intentions, has not
made a significant difference in curbing youth violence that has run amuck, and out
of control, in the city. But, because of this failure there is a golden opportunity to
turn McKeesport into the hub of the Mon Valley and County of Allegheny, by
focusing on youth activities beyond the family activities mentioned earlier.
McKeesport can, and should, build a youth sports, academic and cultural
academy (it could be housed in a dome of the same type as the golf dome). This
would be a multi-use facility that would engage the youth in specialized sports
training, targeted academic and technical training and enriching cultural training. As
an outgrowth of the many academic, cultural and recreational facilities and activities
already in place and, or, taking place in the Renzie Park, McKeesport High School
and Penn State-Greater Allegheny corridor, this facility could be built on the land
that was once in consideration to be the home for the new McKeesport middle
school. Utilizing this land would provide more than enough space, thus making it
suitable to house the Academy.
This complex could be used to teach the nuances of playing various sports,
something that the youth of the Mon Valley are sorely lacking when they take their
games to the collegiate level, if they make it at all. With the emphasis that the
government has put on math, science and new innovation, this academy could lead
the way by bringing extra focus and training to these areas of study beyond what the
schools currently offer. Additionally, this facility could also offer specialized
technical training for those who desire to migrate directly into the work force
instead of pursuing a collegiate degree. With one eye on the government and the
other eye on the future, this type of proactive approach to training will put our
children at the front of the line of the new wave of innovation that is sure to take
root in the 21st century.
This would bring a newfound pride to McKeesport and the Mon Valley, in a
way that we've never seen before. This academy would serve the youth of not only
McKeesport, but those of the entire Mon Valley and would be the home of a fullfledged
AAU program, something that is noticeably lacking and sorely needed in the
area. Furthermore, to further engage the youth of not only McKeesport, but of the
valley and the county, McKeesport, through this academy, could and should start a
yearly youth festival that brings together the youth of the valley and the county to
compete in athletics, academics and cultural events. This event could take advantage
of not only the academy, but the natural resources already in place. McKeesport
would become the home of not only intercity athletics, but, through this festival
done by way of tournament style competition, would begin to expand its reach
across the entire Mon Valley (if not the entire county).
Utilizing the Renzie Park facilities, the McKeesport High School facilities,
the Penn State-Greater Allegheny facilities and the Auberle facilities, as well as the
academy facilities, this festival could be the start of a great new thing in
McKeesport. This festival would culminate with a big celebration in the park with
music, games, food and fireworks, after the medal ceremony. This academy and
festival would begin to build bridges between youth of the various communities and
stem violence in a way that no police effort ever could. It would also instill a pride
in the youth and the overall community of McKeesport, something we haven't seen
since the 1960's and 1970's.
With these simple and very doable changes, McKeesport can grow into a nice
bedroom community, with its primary focus being on family and youth, with
multiple activities for both, which is what compels people to want to live in certain
communities over others.
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Old 01-07-2016, 04:55 PM
 
Location: Kittanning
4,692 posts, read 8,986,882 times
Reputation: 3668
Who wrote this awful plan? It is one of the most laughable things I have ever read. McKeesport will never be poised to become an appealing "bedroom community" to Pittsburgh, because there are too many more pleasant (and closer) options. This vision of the city is not just wrong, but delusional.


Quote:
Originally Posted by eugene terry View Post
A Revitalization Plan

The Bedroom Community

While there is still a need for the bustling, lively metropolises of the world,
many people are now looking back to the future to a time when life was lived more
simplistically. Thus, there is a segment of today’s population that wants to work in
the city and retreat to their quiet suburban life of peace, tranquility and safety, where
community pride, neighborhood investment, neighborly love and family
entertainment are what rules the day. This is the place where they can walk the dog
without fear, go for an evening run, eat ice cream while enjoying the downtown city
scape, shop at the latest fashion boutiques, go for a stroll while enjoying a scenic
river walk view, have a family picnic in the local park or take their children on a
nice family outing. This is also the place where they can be certain that their
children are engaged not just adequately, but superiorly academically, culturally,
athletically and spiritually. A place where their minds, their bodies, their souls and
their spirits are engaged and challenged to assure that they become the best they can
be as they embark on a life of their own as the next generation of “achievers.” And
McKeesport has had the opportunity thrown on its doorstep to present such a place.
Interestingly, Pittsburgh has established itself as a technology hub with such
companies as Google, Apple, Intel and RAND establishing campuses in the city.
The Pittsburgh Technology Center, Pittsburgh Supercomputing Center and
Pittsburgh LAN Coalition also develop major innovations. Companies such as
Petrosoft, Modcloth, Guru.com, Songwhale and others have global headquarters in
the city. And it is the very people who are fortunate to work at such wonderful
companies that will be looking for wholesome, well established, quality
communities to live. With McKeesport being situated just 11 miles and a thirty minute drive from Pittsburgh, it is the idea place to present itself as such a community.


Are you kidding me? McKeesport will never be desirable for people looking for a pleasant suburb. That is nonsense.

Quote:
Housing

New, modern housing is a high priority for McKeesport, as much of the
current housing stock dates back to the early 1900s. From modern single family
homes, to condos to, townhouses [some of it subsidized], McKeesport is, once
again, in a very unique and advantageous situation to replace most of its old housing
stock without it having much of a negative impact on the current populace. The
housing stock could be downsized, without the need to build as much new housing,
going forward. This could be strategically done in certain areas such as the lower
Tenth Ward which could be revitalized into a gated community with upscale
housing to take advantage of those who want to live on the waterfront, and other
strategically located plans on the outskirts of the new McKeesport (see the Upper
Tenth Ward, the Park Street Plan, the Peterson Plan, the Fawcett Plan, the Renzie
Plan, the Christy Park Plan, the Haler Heights plan). This would allow other areas
of the city to grow back into their natural habitats.
Additionally, with the need for less housing, some of the unused land could
be strategically sold off to current homeowners, expanding their lots from the now
normal 25 by 100 lots to more roomy and desirable, quarter acre, half acre, one acre
and even two acre lots. The seventh ward would be the ideal location for such a
plan. This would effectively reduce the cluttered housing by as much as three
quarters of its current levels, while at the same time, getting rid of much of the old,
outdated housing stock and urban blight it creates.
This plan would also help to alleviate the housing density problem that plays
a major role in many unsolved crimes. While many reports link high density housing
to higher crime rates based on socioeconomic and other factors, which I am in total
agreement with, this is a more simplistic assertion that over saturated housing allows
more hiding places for the criminal. The over saturation of the current housing stock
in McKeesport, much of it abandoned, grants cover for many of the culprits of
crimes that seem to have proliferated in the seventh ward. Thinning out the current
housing stock would provide less cover for the perpetrators of the violence and
crimes taking place in this area of the city.
Additionally, this plan would allow beautifying greenery to be added to the
largest corridor of the city, the currently overcrowded, overpopulated seventh ward.
Demolition of current housing could be done in a more strategic manner to
accomplish this goal. This may call for relocation of some current homeowners, but
with so much extra housing in the city an innovative acquisition/buy back and
relocation plan could be put in place to accommodate such a move. With additional
land ownership, increased taxes would not only become more palatable, but even
acceptable. Again, because of the need for less housing stock, new housing
developments would institute this same philosophy of building lots to the more
suitable, and modern, quarter acre, half acre, one acre and two acre sizes. With the
implementation of these ideas, we would begin to see a greener, more beautiful
McKeesport, with the downsized housing stock taking care of itself, by attrition.
But any serious plan to address the housing problems of McKeesport cannot
take place without addressing the issues that exist not only in the seventh ward, but
two other areas of the city.


We need more progressive people, with some out-of-the-box ideas and imagination running this city. This plan would have been considered old-fashioned in the 1970s.
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