City Neighborhood of the Week: Allegheny Center (Pittsburgh, Washington: apartment, hotel)

[eschaton]

One of Pittsburgh's most famous (or is it infamous?) cases of urban renewal. I figure many will have an opinion here - have at it!

[UKyank]

While I think that allegheny center (the building) was a terrible mistake (even if the intentions at the time were good) it's here now so hopefully the tech plans for it come to fruition. Any 'new' news on that?

I personally think that Allegheny Commons park, while small, is Pittsburgh's best park from an aesthetic point of view.

It should be published more to tourists that the park has a big hunk of the Battleship Maine sitting there which has to be unique for history people.

[SteelCityRising]

I recently learned that La Prima Espresso opened a satellite location inside of Nova Place (the rebranded Allegheny Center Mall). That's a plus at least! I'm a Starbucks mocha frappuccino type of guy; however, the flavor and texture of a latte at La Prima is just hard to beat!

[guy2073]

Is the entire park in Allegheny center or just the part by the swimming pool?

[xdv8]

From July 22, 2016: http://www.bizjournals.com/pittsburg...-projects.html

The $150 million Nova Place renovation is highlighted in a Dodge Data & Analytics report on residential and commercial construction, and is the second-largest in the nation beyond the $172 million work at Fannie Mae headquarters in Washington, D.C., in June and equal to an Army project at Fort Belvoir near Washington, D.C. Overall, office construction in the U.S. is up 19 percent, and nonresidential building, which includes hotel construction, was up 6 percent for the first increase in three months.

[wpipkins2]

I have fond childhood memories of the mall portion. I agree with most that is an eyesore;however, I love mid century architecture. I like the office and apartment blocks. The mix of historic and modern makes it unique. I wish the road surrounding the complex could get reconfigured. Can the lower portions of the mall complex have street level additions added? Or can we narrow the street to allow for street facing additions around the complex? Hmmmm

[tyovan4]

Was the Commons always there from the time of Allegheny City's founding - or was a neighborhood razed at some point to create the Commons?

[ferraris]

Originally Posted by UKyank

While I think that allegheny center (the building) was a terrible mistake (even if the intentions at the time were good) it's here now so hopefully the tech plans for it come to fruition. Any 'new' news on that?

The only "tech" news I know of is that there is a coworking space there called Alloy 26. In non-tech news Dollar Bank and Cool Beans have been removed and there is a new coffee shop (La Prima) and some sort of hot dog stand. Also a gym, Union Fitness, is opening this Fall. The courtyard also hosts a rotating roster of food trucks on Wednesdays and Fridays.

Originally Posted by UKyank

It should be published more to tourists that the park has a big hunk of the Battleship Maine sitting there which has to be unique for history people.

That is definitely an interesting thing to just stumble across. Last time I was there it was "decorated" by a few empty bottles of cheap vodka and cigarette butts.

Originally Posted by wpipkins2

I wish the road surrounding the complex could get reconfigured. Can the lower portions of the mall complex have street level additions added? Or can we narrow the street to allow for street facing additions around the complex? Hmmmm

I wish they could just chop the building down the middle and reconnect Federal street, but I know that won't happen.

The street level is mostly parking garage, so it could definitely be converted to storefronts if the new owners wanted to, though the ceilings would be low. Allegheny Center's 4 lanes are long over due for a reconfiguration. I think the North Side Bike/Ped committee has been working with the city on how to go about doing it.

[Merge]

I believe that the building at the corner of NW commons (N Commons side) is one of the ugliest buildings in all of Pittsburgh. It is certainly one among my very least favorite buildings anywhere.

[Merge]

Originally Posted by tyovan4

Was the Commons always there from the time of Allegheny City's founding - or was a neighborhood razed at some point to create the Commons?

"Pittsburgh's oldest park, Allegheny Commons, dates to 1867 when it was designed to provide "breathing places" for the citizens of what was then the sooty city of Allegheny. The name derives from its previous use as public grazing land, or "common." "

Allegheny Commons