Arena site development vote delayed (Pittsburgh, Robinson Township: sales, lease, neighborhood)

[erieguy]

Originally Posted by Independentthinking83

The Pens are a class organization. It’s great to have FNB. They are a great bank and company started in this region.

I’m surprised a tech company did not expand. According to some on this board. The tech growth is in gangbusters growth mode. I would’ve thought a tech company to jump in and anchor this building adding hundreds of employees making this city the next Silicon Valley. I’m disappointed. I guess banking is still larger than tech.

It’s obvious that many think Mario, Rutherford, Sullivan, etc..., we’re going to be in charge of this project. They also obviously have no idea what Ron Burkle does other than being a part owner.

No surprise here. I’m certainly not expect a giant tech company to come in.

[ForYourLungsOnly]

Very happy with this overall. I do wish the tower was a tad taller though. This whole development will come down to quality design. If designed well and built with good material, this could transform the expansion of downtown and become a highly attractive destination area. If they value-engineer the crap out of everything it could be a disaster. Given the prominence of the site, I'm hoping they make the right choice!

[Independentthinking83]

Originally Posted by ForYourLungsOnly

Very happy with this overall. I do wish the tower was a tad taller though. This whole development will come down to quality design. If designed well and built with good material, this could transform the expansion of downtown and become a highly attractive destination area. If they value-engineer the crap out of everything it could be a disaster. Given the prominence of the site, I'm hoping they make the right choice!

Pittsburgh doesn’t really need anymore high rise buildings. It is having trouble filling the ones it currently has now. The citizens bank building is over 60 percent vacant and the Mellon building is about 40 percent vacant. Not to mention low occupancy rates of class C and B high rise office buildings downtown. Pittsburgh needs more businesses to fill the unused office space it currently has.

I keep hoping the tech industry will help fill this unused space. Unfortunately I don’t think it is as great of a job creator as some folks claim.

[speagles84]

Originally Posted by Independentthinking83

Pittsburgh doesn’t really need anymore high rise buildings. It is having trouble filling the ones it currently has now. The citizens bank building is over 60 percent vacant and the Mellon building is about 40 percent vacant. Not to mention low occupancy rates of class C and B high rise office buildings downtown. Pittsburgh needs more businesses to fill the unused office space it currently has.

I keep hoping the tech industry will help fill this unused space. Unfortunately I don’t think it is as great of a job creator as some folks claim.

Lol okay sure.

That's why a company with billions in assets would just randomly build a new skyscraper... I'm sure FNB is "just falling for the hype" right?

Smdh.

[Independentthinking83]

Originally Posted by speagles84

Lol okay sure.

That's why a company with billions in assets would just randomly build a new skyscraper... I'm sure FNB is "just falling for the hype" right?

Smdh.

Look online at the vacancy rates of those two buildings. There is a few million sq.ft. of vacant office space downtown. The citizens bank building in the heart of downtown is 40 stories and over 60 percent vacant.

I don’t really care what they do as far as high rises. I just responded to the poster the city doesn’t need more high rises because there is a lot of vacant space as it is now. I’d rather see existing buildings go to 100 percent occupancy. You want sustainability and not contributing to more traffic and pollution. Use what you already have.

[SteelCityRising]

Originally Posted by Independentthinking83

I’m surprised a tech company did not expand. According to some on this board. The tech growth is in gangbusters growth mode. I would’ve thought a tech company to jump in and anchor this building adding hundreds of employees making this city the next Silicon Valley. I’m disappointed. I guess banking is still larger than tech.

Tech growth in our city has traditionally been slow to moderate. A new high-rise is being built---speculatively---starting next year in the Strip District when the old Wholey's warehouse building near the 16th Street Bridge will be demolished. Facebook is occupying a new building just across Smallman Street from this site, so I'm assuming the developer is hoping that Facebook might want to someday expand across the street into their new building to create a "campus"-like setting the way we see with Google and Bakery Square or the way Amazon has a "campus" in Seattle.

[Mtl-Cns]

Originally Posted by Independentthinking83

Look online at the vacancy rates of those two buildings. There is a few million sq.ft. of vacant office space downtown. The citizens bank building in the heart of downtown is 40 stories and over 60 percent vacant

That particular building was sold just 3 years ago for $67,650,000 with the intent of completing renovations, similar to what has occupied across the street at the Union Trust.

Before I further engage, can somebody explain to me - is this poster the new/old zman or guy from Wierton? Or similar? I can't keep track of all the "characters" on this board. It's like a comic book with it's heros and villains, and often it's like Russian election hacking with its spread of (dis)information.

[SteelCityRising]

Originally Posted by Mtl-Cns

That particular building was sold just 3 years ago for $67,650,000 with the intent of completing renovations, similar to what has occupied across the street at the Union Trust.

Before I further engage, can somebody explain to me - is this poster the new/old zman or guy from Wierton? Or similar? I can't keep track of all the "characters" on this board. It's like a comic book with it's heros and villains, and often it's like Russian election hacking with its spread of (dis)information.

I don't think we're allowed to discuss other members personally, but, yes, I'm 99.9% confident this poster is a reincarnation of the same poster who has lived in either Columbus and/or Weirton over the years and says they only left Pittsburgh because Pittsburgh's employers don't pay well enough.

Just because someone has a dissenting voice from the "group think", though, doesn't mean they should be silenced. This forum seems to be split roughly half/half now between those leaning pro-Pittsburgh and those leaning anti-Pittsburgh, and I think that helps to keep us balanced.

[ForYourLungsOnly]

Originally Posted by Independentthinking83

Look online at the vacancy rates of those two buildings. There is a few million sq.ft. of vacant office space downtown. The citizens bank building in the heart of downtown is 40 stories and over 60 percent vacant.

I don’t really care what they do as far as high rises. I just responded to the poster the city doesn’t need more high rises because there is a lot of vacant space as it is now. I’d rather see existing buildings go to 100 percent occupancy. You want sustainability and not contributing to more traffic and pollution. Use what you already have.

Originally Posted by speagles84

Lol okay sure.

That's why a company with billions in assets would just randomly build a new skyscraper... I'm sure FNB is "just falling for the hype" right?

Smdh.

Originally Posted by Mtl-Cns

That particular building was sold just 3 years ago for $67,650,000 with the intent of completing renovations, similar to what has occupied across the street at the Union Trust.

Before I further engage, can somebody explain to me - is this poster the new/old zman or guy from Wierton? Or similar? I can't keep track of all the "characters" on this board. It's like a comic book with it's heros and villains, and often it's like Russian election hacking with its spread of (dis)information.

There are a ton of factors that go into vacancy of current buildings. It is not as simple as “look at X building it is mostly vacant why build a new tower!”. This tower already has a committed corporate anchor. Other buildings being vacant or partially vacant downtown has nothing to do with it. With this logic, the tenet should have just partaken in the renovation/redevelopment of the Granite Building (which is planned). Different companies need different things in a space.

[SteelCityRising]

I really wish DICK'S Sporting Goods would move into the city from the suburbs someday. I could definitely see them occupying many floors in a Downtown building or being able to build a new mid-rise commercial building in the Strip or Lower Hill District.

I know IndependentThinker wants to see growth continue to accelerate along the I-376 West/I-79 Corridors to help people in Weirton find better-paying jobs closer to their homes; however, I-376 between the Fort Pitt Tunnels and Robinson Township really can't accommodate too much more vehicular traffic being only four lanes. The more and more employers who site themselves out there, the worse and worse I-376 becomes in subsequent years because 100% of workers in that area need to drive to work whereas only about 50% of Downtown workers drive to work.