New apartment building planned for Oakland (Pittsburgh, Lawrenceville: 2015, apartment complex, neighborhood)

[_Buster]

There hasn't been much development discussion here lately, here is one bit of news. Plans for a 13 story apt building, apparently it's mostly student oriented housing though. It will have ground level retail.

Texas company eyes Oakland for apartment complex with student focus | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

[doo dah]

Originally Posted by _Buster

There hasn't been much development discussion here lately, here is one bit of news. Plans for a 13 story apt building, apparently it's mostly student oriented housing though. It will have ground level retail.

Texas company eyes Oakland for apartment complex with student focus | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Oakland news

[fleetiebelle]

Bumping an old thread rather than creating a new one--it looks like someone is actually going to do something with that old car dealership on Boulevard of the Allies: Commission clears way for demolition of former dealership in Oakland | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Of course, the neighbors are complaining, but I have to believe that a new development is better for the neighborhood in general than a huge hulking empty building for many more years.

[MountainDewGuy]

What's the point of zoning variances if special exemptions are granted?

[WhoIsStanwix?]

Originally Posted by MountainDewGuy

What's the point of zoning variances if special exemptions are granted?

What's the point of requiring 15 ft setbacks in a densely populated area?

It seems like the concerns are, surprise, all about parking. They need to make the area 24 hour permit parking and not allow residents of the new building to be eligible for street parking. That should solve the issue as best it can while still preserving progress.

[SteelCityRising]

"One resident told the zoning board the size of the project is out of character with the Oakcliffe neighborhood..."

Ugh! "I live in the middle of a big city but hate density---WAHHHHHH!!!" I'm so sick of these NIMBY's holding up much-needed progress throughout the city. If you hate density so much, then move to Cranberry Township. As it stands you moved to Oakland, the state's third-largest CBD, and you're up in arms that desperately-needed apartments with UNDERGROUND PARKING are being built on the site of a hulking mess?

Coupled with the "WAHHHH" types opposing the Garden Theater block project; the "WAHHHH" types who scuttled that vacant church building conversion to apartments in Lawrenceville; and those who didn't want a new high-rise built on Penn by the Savoy in the Strip because "it would affect views" I'm starting to feel like I live back in horrible suburban Northern Virginia where everyone opposed everything "city-like". The problem? WE LIVE IN A CITY!!!

[Lost_In_Translation]

Originally Posted by MountainDewGuy

What's the point of zoning variances if special exemptions are granted?

How is a zoning variance not a special exemption? Maybe I don't understand the terminology. Either you build to zoning code or you get a variance (exempting you from that part of the zoning code based upon your design)?

[airwave09]

Originally Posted by MountainDewGuy

What's the point of zoning variances if special exemptions are granted?

What's the point of upholding zoning variances that don't mesh with the built environment of the neighborhood, and were probably brought into being with studies that have long been outdated?

[eschaton]

Since the original project was proposed, it's morphed into a 10-story building which will encompass the entire north side of Forbes from Halket to Coltart. This project is actually the smallest of the mega-apartment buildings going up in Oakland now - significantly smaller than the already under construction SkyVue and the soon to be constructed Empire/Park 7 building at the corner of Centre and Craig.

[zipman]

Originally Posted by eschaton

the soon to be constructed Empire/Park 7 building at the corner of Centre and Craig.

Any idea on when this construction is expected to start? That would be a pretty big change for that area and I would expect lead to other significant development across the street.