A market house? (Pittsburgh, Progress, Liberty: lease, houses, neighborhood)

[raubre]

I noticed a lot of other cities have indoor market houses. I also know that Pittsburgh used to have some (South Side and North Side.) Why doesn't Pittsburgh have one anymore? You would think with the ethnicity in the city there would be one in the Strip District or somewhere else. (I mean an indoor one.)

Maybe there is one that I don't know about?

[greg42]

It would be cool wouldn't it? Ever been to North Market in Columbus? I haven't been inside Cleveland's West Side Market but I gather it it similar.

I guess you could argue that the Strip is already similar, just not in one building like that.

And I think, perhaps, the year-round East Liberty farmer's market is held inside something? Or used to be? This is just once a week and still not the same but good to have a year-round farmer's market in the city.

There is not anything exactly like those market houses here, though.

[creepsinc]

One word: Progress.

People like to tear down the old to build the new. How's that Allegheny Center Mall doing, anyways?

Pike Place Market in Seattle even came very close to being torn down, but some smart people saved it and now it's arguably that city's only worthwhile tourist attraction, except for the Space Needle, which people also probably wanted to tear down.

How's this idea: Save the Igloo and use it for an indoor market.

[fleetiebelle]

There was an article about this earlier in the year: Around Town: The Strip District, only more so -- bring on a Market House

The answer may be taking a sixth of the big, old produce terminal on Smallman Street -- now owned by the Urban Redevelopment Authority and almost strictly a wholesaling complex -- and making it a public market. That would mean putting a bit of the past in Pittsburgh's future.

Indovina Associates Architects has the contract to design the spaces and blend them with the neighborhood. Brian Kaminski, project architect, sees vendors currently taking sidewalk space on Penn floating down the side streets of 17th, 19th and 21st to create a walkable connection with Smallman.

[groar]

i've heard about those plans to start an indoor market in the strip. i think that would be a great idea. i go to philly a lot because my sister lives there, but going to reading terminal is a treat every time. it would be amazing if we had something like that here.

i've heard that there are alternate plans to turn that building into a mall. please god no.

[Hopes]

Originally Posted by creepsinc

People like to tear down the old to build the new. How's that Allegheny Center Mall doing, anyways?

Isn't some company, like Alcoa or PNC, using that for office space?

[greg42]

Originally Posted by Hopes

Isn't some company, like Alcoa or PNC, using that for office space?

PNC (formerly National City formerly Integra Bank when that lease first happened a decade or more ago). That doesn't make Allegheny Center any less of a stupid decision when looking in hindsight.

[BrianTH]

I immediately thought of the Produce Terminal myself--so it must be a good idea!

We really need to get the Strip more plugged into Downtown too, since a markethouse would be a natural tourist draw.

[raubre]

Originally Posted by Hopes

Isn't some company, like Alcoa or PNC, using that for office space?

My co-worker used to work there and she said the building (at the time when she was there) was in bad shape. If that's true, it's beyond me how it's being occupied now.

[raubre]

Thanks to another poster in the Flea Market thread, I found this article....

Pittsburgh Flea