Let's steal this idea: Dallas over-freeway park (Pittsburgh: hotels, garages)

[BrianTH]

So here is the link:

The Park

Crosstown Boulevard is essentially begging for a similar treatment, which could be done in conjunction with redeveloping the Mellon Arena site. Of course this isn't a new idea, but I thought people might like to see how Dallas is doing it.

[rugerjitsu]

that's pretty cool!

[Impala26]

Yeah, I can't see why a similar idea wasn't proposed to go over the Crosstown Expressway even long before the redevelopment of the Civic Arena site. For decades it and the sea of parking lots surrounding the arena created a barrier of sorts between Downtown and the Hill District. As we all know this was done when the Hill was already past its prime, but one could argue that to some extent accelerated its blight.

If a similar project is indeed planned for Pittsburgh, I remain adamant that the sea of parking lots has to be reclaimed as well. Do what was done on the North Shore, add some land-space-saving parking GARAGES.

[rugerjitsu]

Originally Posted by Impala26

Do what was done on the North Shore, add some land-space-saving parking GARAGES.

i endorse this statement...parking garages are cool.

[Copanut]

It would be great if they could build underground garages over on the northside. I'm one of about 10 Pirates fans left and I used to love seeing the stadium lit up from the highways around it. Now, there are new garages and hotels blocking the view. I realize that's good for the economy and that area, just miss the view.

[BrianTH]

The number of surface parking lots even in the heart of Downtown constantly irks me. And the huge ones immediately adjacent to Downtown--in the near Strip, around Mellon, on the North Shore and South Shore--are simply tragic.

By the way, if I'm not mistaken, not only did the group proposing to reuse rather than demolish Mellon Arena propose a park over Crosstown Boulevard, but I think something like that might have been in the original plans for the area around the Civic Arena (the original plans were much more grandiose with all sorts of additional venues and such).