Downtown Population increased 25% since 2000 (Pittsburgh, York: move to, money, firm)

[AaronPGH]

Originally Posted by pman

$460M RiverParc project in Cultural District still has potential | TribLIVE Mobile
assume they meant 4 not 14 square blocks

OMG. Please! There has never been a better time than now for this thing. Add some more office space in here and this thing is ready.

[Geeo]

Now that the national economy is improving and banks are lending again, this might be a go. Plus the lack of Class A office space and the demand for apartments downtown may mean the time is right. Would love to see this happen.

[greg42]

Originally Posted by pman

$460M RiverParc project in Cultural District still has potential

If the Cultural Trust pulls their heads out of their behinds, yes.

It still boggles my mind. They got cold feet at precisely the time they needed to be continuing to move forward, with the developer still saying go go go. I know that observation could be seen to contain a fair amount of hindsight, but I recall that even at the time they pulled out it didn't make sense to me. The Trust seemed to be citing things that were not actually true in Pittsburgh. And the intervening 5 years has born that out.

I know I bring that up every time, what a stupid decision that was. But it really was bad. For all the good they did in the years where the city could have lost some of the things that the Trust preserved, this was definitely a big mistake on their part.

[pman]

Originally Posted by greg42

If the Cultural Trust pulls their heads out of their behinds, yes.

It still boggles my mind. They got cold feet at precisely the time they needed to be continuing to move forward, with the developer still saying go go go. I know that observation could be seen to contain a fair amount of hindsight, but I recall that even at the time they pulled out it didn't make sense to me. The Trust seemed to be citing things that were not actually true in Pittsburgh. And the intervening 5 years has born that out.

I know I bring that up every time, what a stupid decision that was. But it really was bad. For all the good they did in the years where the city could have lost some of the things that the Trust preserved, this was definitely a big mistake on their part.

I'd say much of the city's power structure seems to be stuck in the past (managing decline, assuming the market is failing, etc). I know I've seen AA complain that things are knocked down and there's little opportunity to acquire them, that kind of strategy makes sense with massive population loss, but with growth, not so much. anyway, seems like a great location for such a development.

[eschaton]

Originally Posted by AaronPGH

OMG. Please! There has never been a better time than now for this thing. Add some more office space in here and this thing is ready.

Was the plan to level all four of those blocks? They're mostly one of the biggest wastes of space downtown, but there are four remaining nice buildings on Penn, and two decent mid-rises on 7th. It would be a shame to see them go.

[AaronPGH]

Originally Posted by greg42

I know I bring that up every time, what a stupid decision that was. But it really was bad. For all the good they did in the years where the city could have lost some of the things that the Trust preserved, this was definitely a big mistake on their part.

They basically walked up to a perfectly baked cake, looked at it, then stepped aside for out of town developers to move in on it. Luckily, there's plenty still left right now if they realize it soon.

[Lobick]

Originally Posted by eschaton

Was the plan to level all four of those blocks? They're mostly one of the biggest wastes of space downtown, but there are four remaining nice buildings on Penn, and two decent mid-rises on 7th. It would be a shame to see them go.

Nope:

No historic buildings will be demolished; the new buildings will be erected around them.

Analysis: RiverParc wins design team title in Cultural Trust bid - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

[ferraris]

About 3,000 people would live or work there

I wonder what the break down is in residents vs. employees. It actually strikes me as a low number.

[JoeP]

It still boggles my mind. They got cold feet at precisely the time they needed to be continuing to move forward, with the developer still saying go go go.

How does it boggle your mind? That the pulled the plug right as the economy fell off the worst cliff since the Depression? ...when banks and other financial institutions were collapsing and others still were going into a bunker mentality...

[pman]

seems like a crime to knock these buildings down
Pittsburgh OKs demolition for Point Park Playhouse project | TribLIVE Mobile