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PHLF News Publication Protecting the Places that Make Pittsburgh Home Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Foundation Nonprofit Org. 100 West Station Square Drive, Suite 450 U. S. Postage Pittsburgh, PA 15219-1134 PAID www.phlf.org Pittsburgh, PA Address Service Requested Permit No. 598 PPublishedH for the membersL of the PittsburghF HistoryN & Landmarksews Foundation No. 172 April 2007 In this issue: 3 Four Getty Campus Heritage Reports Completed 5 PHLF Awards $87,245 to 22 Historic Religious Properties 10 Ready for Sale: Four PHLF-Restored Houses in Wilkinsburg 20 Membership Events: 2007 Market at Fifth, LP, is a downtown revitalization project of the Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Foundation using “green”-building principles. Seven rental apartments and one commercial unit in three historic buildings at Market Street and Fifth Avenue are expected to be ready for occupancy this fall. Interested? Call: 412-471-5808, ext. 511; [email protected] PHLF Begins Work on Three Downtown Properties After eight years of controversy and buildings at Market Street and Fifth Environmental Design” (LEED) rating The Urban Redevelopment Authority misguided policies, redevelopment of Avenue, downtown, into residential based on more than 26 green features. of Pittsburgh was instrumental in facili- the Fifth/Forbes corridor downtown is and commercial space. “This is a major Sterling Contracting LLC is serving as tating Landmarks’ acquisition of these moving ahead, and several key projects restoration project that Landmarks general contractor; Landmarks Design buildings. According to Eugene Matta, are incorporating preservation and is undertaking to help spark the revital- Associates is project architect; and director of real estate and special “green”-building principles. ization of architecturally significant evolve is the green-building consultant. development programs at Landmarks, “Green” buildings are purposely historic buildings in the Fifth/Forbes The space within the three historic “The URA was exceptional in working designed to preserve the natural environ- corridor,” said Landmarks president buildings is being reconfigured to with us to acquire these buildings, and ment as much as possible and to provide Arthur Ziegler. “We are raising money function together and will contain their hard work has helped us get the healthy, productive places for people. to help fund the ‘green’ aspects of the seven upper-floor apartments and a project moving quickly.” Because of the quality building materials restoration and to subsidize the apart- commercial first-floor tenant, most In contrast to the Murphy administra- used in historic structures and large ments so they can be more affordable.” likely a restaurant. The residential units tion’s approach of trying to attract one windows and well-proportioned spaces, On January 9, Landmarks purchased have spacious layouts and exceptional master developer from out-of-town to the “greenest” developments are often 439 and 441 Market Street and designs. “Our two top units will feature revitalize the Fifth/Forbes corridor, those that reuse historic structures. 130 Fifth Avenue from the Urban a dual-floor layout with private decks Mayor Luke Ravenstahl is following After co-sponsoring the “Greening of Redevelopment Authority for $257,000. overlooking a ‘green’ rooftop garden,” the approach set by the late Mayor Bob Historic Properties National Summit” “Unfortunately, these buildings were said Michael Sriprasert, Landmarks’ O’Connor in allowing local private on October 30, 2006, the Pittsburgh permitted to deteriorate severely under assistant for real estate programs. developers to tackle the redevelopment History & Landmarks Foundation is the former Mayor Tom Murphy’s The purpose of the green roof is to of many City-owned buildings. According putting many of the recommendations administration,” said Arthur. One, the absorb moisture and reduce water to Michael, who led a team of Heinz discussed that day into practice as it former home of Alexander Graham Bell run-off. Rents will range from about School students to study the housing transforms three endangered historic Café, suffered a fire; then the adminis- $1,100 for a one-bedroom/one-bath market in downtown Pittsburgh in tration did not repair the roof and it unit to about $1,900 for a two-bedroom/ 2005, “This approach leads to more eventually two-bath unit. “Having a development creative and sustainable solutions fell into the project in the center of an emerging because those developers who are locally basement, housing market is very exciting,” said based have a better grasp of the local taking three Michael, “and it’s our goal to have these market, are used to dealing with the floors with it. units leased soon after they’re completed intricacies of the local political system, Market this fall, if not before.” and are invested in the Pittsburgh at Fifth is Plans are still in the works for the region.” Millcraft Industries, Inc. of seeking a commercial space, but the concept is Washington County and PNC Financial “Leadership for a restaurant that will provide a Services Group––both headquartered in in Energy and comfortable space for both the business the Pittsburgh region––are making executive and the casual diner. Market significant investments in the Fifth/ at Fifth is located within the Market Forbes corridor, thus proving the logic Square Historic District and will face a of a local development strategy. new park being developed by PNC across the street on Fifth Avenue. Page 2 PHLF News • April 2007 Pittsburgh Hosted “One of the Best Ever”: 2,404 Attended National Preservation Conference 2006 It was worth the work. The National Trust for Concluding reflection Historic Preservation’s annual conference, held in Pittsburgh 47. The point which continually struck me during the week was from October 31 through November 5, 2006, was a success, about the base of support for preservation. In the UK the main thanks to our corporate sponsors, led by Sy Holzer of PNC base is a control system of long standing, imposed at national Bank; public officials, including State Senator Jim Ferlo, level and to some extent administered at national level, and Mayor Luke Ravenstahl, and County Executive Dan Onorato; the main sources of funding are from national public bodies. Cathedral of Saint Paul, Minnesota community, preservation, and cultural organizations, including In some ways this is a narrow base which is quite remote from the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust; and our trustees, members, ordinary people, although some of them get heavily involved and volunteers. The conference, “Making Preservation Work!,” in individual controversial cases. In the USA the control system The National Trust drew the third highest attendance (with Savannah in 1998 and is much more recent, and much of it depends on decisions at Goes to St. Paul: Boston in 1994 taking first and second places, respectively). more local level[s]. Because the main source of funding at Pittsburgh’s historic neighborhoods and outlying communi- [the] national level is a tax credit it is not discretionary, and a We Recommend ties provided fertile ground for 30 field sessions; more than much wider variety of private sources of funding are involved. 50 educational sessions were held downtown. Bill Strickland, Volunteers may or may not be relatively more numerous the Trip president and CEO of the Manchester Craftsmen’s Guild and in the sector in the USA, but they are almost certainly more Bidwell Training Center, David McCullough, Pulitzer-prize influential. The base of support for preservation therefore Arthur P. Ziegler, Jr. winning historian, and Arthur Ziegler, president of Landmarks, seems broader and more local, which seems in some ways The great domed Cathedral of Saint Paul spoke eloquently about the importance of place and local healthier. In an area like Pittsburgh, where there is a lot of still reigns over this remarkable northern history in renewing peoples’ spirits. One Pittsburgh place— enthusiasm, the results were very impressive. In other parts city. While neighboring Minneapolis the Children’s Museum—received one of 14 coveted National of the USA, where there is not the same enthusiasm, the lack has sprouted high-rise after high-rise Preservation Honor Awards for showing that “progressive of central imposition presumably means that important places (many of interesting contemporary design can coexist with preservation” and infuse new life are at greater risk. into a community. design) and has lifted its people above Pat Murphy, executive director of Oberlin Heritage Center, the winter streets with its lengthy and summed up many people’s comments by writing: elaborate skywalk system, St. Paul still What Conference Attendees Said feels like a traditional mid-size American Dear PHLF staff and volunteers: Many thanks for rolling out John S. Graham, chief executive of Historic Scotland and one the red carpet for preservationists from near and far––a fabulous city with its historic buildings composing of six international conference scholarship recipients, e-mailed time was had by all. You are an inspiration to us and we so a substantial part of the architectural an 11-page summary of notes to Arthur Ziegler in January appreciate and admire all fabric of the town. New buildings have 2007. Insightful excerpts from you do…. arisen—not always of inspired contem- his 47 points include the porary design—but they tend not to be following: high-rise towers, rather mid-rise struc- 25. Charitable funding is clearly tures that are imbedded in an historic Update: more important to preserva- architectural community. tion work in the USA than Greening The Cathedral, sited on the high in the UK. Pittsburgh of Historic ground of the Summit Street area, seemed to have a lot of looks out over the city and has the wealthy foundations––a Properties supremacy of height long enjoyed by legacy of its rich past. National Summit the Philadelphia City Hall. Designed by A source of funding we The solutions developed during Emmanuel Masqueray and built between do not have in the UK is the “Greening of Historic 1906 and 1915 as the modern Roman easements….
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