Plans to Replace Convenience Store on Hold
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Volume 37, Number 5 MAY 2012 Serving Bloomfield, Friendship, Garfield, East Liberty, Lawrenceville and Stanton Heights Since 1975 Plans to Replace Convenience Store on Hold By Paula Martinac The Bulletin Bloomfield – Nick Redondo, a Bloomfield resident since 1959 and owner of the property at 300 S. Pacific that houses Brian & Cooper Food Mart, has had to temporarily suspend his plans to open a casual eatery in that location. Although Brian & Cooper proprietor Nasir Raess was given a full eight months to find another location and clear out of the building, he has failed to do so, according to Redondo. Redondo told The Bulletin that he has engaged an attorney, who is currently in negotiations with Raess’ lawyer about ABOVE: Jason Sauer of Most Wanted Fine Art is planning an art car exhibit for the fall. Read the full story on page 12. Photo by Jeff Ault vacating the premises. For more than eight years, nearby Conflict Kitchen, Waffle East Liberty – East Liberty will lose two of its most recognizable neighbors have voiced complaints about storefronts this August, when the Waffle Shop will close and Brian & Cooper, including the operation Shop Leaving East End Conflict Kitchen will relocate Downtown. A $25,000 Root Award of a back-room bar and sale of pornog- By Melinda Maloney 3 raphy. Following a series of community The Bulletin See page 3 meetings mediated by the Bloomfield- Garfield Corporation, Redondo said he Garfield – With many abandoned properties, only significant dete- “began paying closer attention to what Abandoned Buildings rioration over time allows outside forces to begin to take effect. was going on there.” on Penn Change Hands This has held true recently for the commercial buildings at 4827, By Rich Engel 11 In July 2011, perceiving that the situa- Bloomfield-Garfield Corp. See page 11 tion was not improving, Redondo said he gave Raess 90 days’ notice. Raess asked for Making Progressive Lawrenceville - The first time Gab Cody participated in the an extension. “Nasir and his family came Lawrenceville progressive dinner, about five years ago, was chaotic. to me crying and asked me not to close the Dinner into Art “We had a 4-month-old child at the time, and it was a sort of comic By Melinda Maloney 13 The Bulletin See page 13 See Convenience Store | page 10 Permit No. 2403 No. Permit A Publication of of Publication A The Bloomfield-Garfield Corporation Corporation Bloomfield-Garfield The PITTSBURGH, PA PITTSBURGH, PAID ABOVE: West Penn Hospital President and CEO Duke Rupert visited the Eastside Neighborhood Em- U.S. POSTAGE U.S. ployment Center on April 12 to discuss the hospital’s role in the community. Also pictured are Aggie NON-PROFIT Brose, board chair of the ENEC, and Gina Grubb, workforce developer. Photo by Paula Martinac 2 | The Bulletin | MAY 2012 Meeting Launches Planning for Eastern Quadrant of Garfield By Paula Martinac The Bulletin Garfield – In 2010, the Garfield commu- to identify problems and opportunities … nity unveiled its community plan, The cup is half full.” “Garfield 2030,” laying out the vision of Although only a handful of residents residents for the direction of the neigh- and one property owner showed up for borhood over the next two decades. this initial planning session, the conversa- Since then, groups of residents and tion was lively and ideas flowed. Resident stakeholders have been working to imple- and homeowner Michelle Massie ment pieces of the plan. For example, expressed interest in projects that would Garfield Glen, a 45-unit rental develop- make Garfield “more desirable to young ment that is a project of the homeowners today.” Bloomfield-Garfield Corporation and S & Geof Becker, who owns several rental A Homes, broke ground in February of properties in the neighborhood and said this year. This development, scattered he would like to acquire more, said he across the western part of Garfield, will supports “rehab as much as possible” over help fulfill the desire expressed by resi- demolition and new construction. He dents for more quality, affordable rental gave the example of Lawrenceville, where housing. the existing housing stock was “brought Now, the BGC is taking a lead in back” for renters and owners. looking at additional chunks of Garfield Some buildings, however, would need that are most in need of planning. One of to be demolished because of their poor these targeted areas is the small section of condition, making way for new housing, eastern Garfield that extends from Broad side yards and community green spaces – Street up to Rosetta, and from North a strategic reduction in housing density. Atlantic Avenue to Graham. This area has Three blighted properties in a row, for a large number of vacant, blighted prop- example, might be replaced with just one erties that some residents worry are at risk or two. Swartz described this effort as for fires and other forms of vandalism. “surgical” and “methodical,” rather than a “If we don’t get working on each block, “clean sweep.” events could overtake us,” explained BGC Additional meetings will be held in the executive director Rick Swartz at a near future, giving more residents and community meeting on March 29 at property owners a chance to weigh in on Radiant Life Alliance Church on Kincaid the direction this quadrant should take. Street. He described the gathering as a “Is this the time for [this part of] “feeling-out type of meeting,” designed “to Garfield?” wondered Ms. Massie. “I think try to get something to flower here, like in it is.” other parts of Garfield.” For more about “Garfield 2030” and the The six-month goal, Swartz noted, is to community’s broad vision for the next 20 “come up with a strategy [for develop- years, visit http://bloomfield- ment] that this quadrant can support.” He garfield.org/housing/garfield-2030. Watch made it clear, though, that “the neighbor- The Bulletin and your mailbox for hood needs to plan for itself ... What can announcements of future community be done over the next 10 years?” The planning meetings on this part of the BGC’s deputy director, Aggie Brose, said, neighborhood. t “We need people from the neighborhood BELOW: A tagger hit three buildings on Penn Avenue with graffiti on April 14, including the Persad Center, a nonprofit organization. If you spot graffiti, you can report it by calling 311 or notify the Bloomfield-Garfield Corporation at 412-441-6950 x15. Photo by Rick Flanagan MAY 2012 | The Bulletin | 3 Garfield Glen Goes Up A Publication of Bloomfield-Garfield Corporation Serving Bloomfield, Friendship, Garfield, East Liberty, Lawrenceville and Stanton Heights Since 1975 with the mission of reporting on activities and ideas affecting those communities and offering an opportunity for residents to express opinions and exchange ideas. Volume 37, Number 5 The deadline for the June issue is TUESDAY, MAY 15. Editorial and Advertising Offices • 5149 Penn Avenue • Pittsburgh, PA 15224 412.441.6915 • (Fax) 412.441.6956 • [email protected] Total Circulation • 21,000 Copies • 18,000 Mailed • 3,000 Dropped Staff • Paula Martinac, Editor • Melinda Maloney, Intern • Martin Pochapin, Advertising • Melinda Maloney and Rick Swartz, Proofreading • Mary Anne Stevanus, ABOVE: Garfield Glen, a 45-unit affordable rental development, is being built on scattered sites Bookkeeper • Garfield CISP, Distribution throughout the western end of Garfield. The development is a joint project of the Bloomfield-Garfield Corporation and S & A Homes. The first units will be ready for tenants by June. To apply for Board Meetings are held by the Bloomfield-Garfield Corporation on the Garfield Glen tenancy, contact NDC Real Estate Management at 412-647-7418. second Monday of each month at 7 p.m. at 5321 Penn Avenue. These meetings are open to the public. West Penn’s Fate Rests with The opinions expressed herein are not necessarily those of the publisher. The Bulletin is made possible in part by funding from PNC Bank and the Insurance Commissioner Pittsburgh Partnership for Neighborhood Development. www.bloomfield-garfield.org © 2012 by Bloomfield-Garfield Corporation by Paula Martinac The Bulletin Bloomfield – In early April, the U.S. Depart- WPAHS can move forward with their affil- ment of Justice’s Antitrust Division iation. approved the takeover of West Penn from page 1 “This is a groundbreaking transaction,” Conflict Kitchen Allegheny Health System by insurance giant Consedine told the audience of more than Highmark Inc., bringing the preservation of 100, including union representatives, public WPAHS and with it, Bloomfield’s West officials, staff of other insurance companies, from the Sprout Fund will support Conflict happening in the world. We can provide an Penn Hospital one step closer to reality. But community members and hospital workers. Kitchen’s move. opportunity to look behind the headlines now the future of both West Penn and the “We are very interested in hearing from this Although the East Liberty community and discuss what people within that entire system are in the hands of the Penn- community.” might mourn the loss of Conflict Kitchen, country are thinking and feeling about sylvania state insurance commissioner. a take-out restaurant that serves cuisine what’s going on,” Rubin said. At the morning hearing, Highmark repre- Commissioner Michael Consedine, along from countries with which the United In contrast, Rubin feels that the Waffle sentatives J. Robert Baum, president of the with his deputy commissioner and chief States is in conflict, Jon Rubin, who co- Shop, which he directs, has already fulfilled board and acting CEO, and Deborah Rice, counsel, held two public hearings on April founded the restaurant with Dawn Weleski, its purpose. “It was really great and exper- executive vice president, outlined plans for 17 about the proposed affiliation between believes the move will further its mission.