Public Officials Design Institute

October 23, 2003

Manchester Citizens Corporation

Hosted by Sustainable Pittsburgh, Community Design Center of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Foundation

The Public Officials Design Institute was held at the Manchester Community Center on Thursday, October 23, 2003. Pittsburgh City Council members and representatives, community development professionals, business and property owners, developers, and residents were in attendance. Participants were divided into four working groups, each assisted by a team of urban designers, architects, and development experts to identify approaches, solutions, and resources to four different community issues - Walnut Street Corridor, Shady Side - Continuing Physical and Cultural Transformation; Woods House, Hazelwood - Reuses for an Historically Significant Structure; East Liberty - Connecting Retail and Housing to Neighborhoods; and West End Park Overlook - Community Management of Public Space.

Project Synopsis

Shadyside - Walnut Street Corridor, Continuing Physical and Cultural Transformation

Project:

Identify strategies to improve, manage, promote, and coordinate assets including access for both cars and pedestrians, improving traffic circulation, identifying marketing strategies, and maintenance. Presented by Shadyside Chamber of Commerce, Shadyide Action Coalition, Walnut Street Business Association

Issues:

Shadyside needs to pull together as a community. All of the stakeholders have the same goals, but can’t agree on how to get there. The area is going through a transformation from accommodating small unique businesses to recruiting big-box/franchise type businesses. It was also realized that Shadyside actually has five business districts. They include Walnut Ave, Centre Ave, Ellsworth Ave, S. Highland Ave, and Shady Ave. The goal of all three groups was to maintain Shadyside’s unique, authentic and eclectic character, preserving relationships and respect for residents, tenants, large and small businesses, and property owners.

Solutions:

Create a common vision
Establish zoning guidelines for new development
Research special zoning districts
Increase activity to balance security and crime
Conduct district wide market study
Develop fund raising strategy
Purchase common and uniformed services: lighting, safety, trash
Establish Design Standards/Guidelines (It was suggested that they look at the “Main Street Guidelines”)
Research other organizational structures/models
Research BIDS or other assessment tools

East Liberty - Connecting Retail and Housing to Neighborhoods

Project:

Identify strategies to attract developers, maintain existing housing and small business stock, relationships with banks and others to finance leading development.

Presented by East Liberty Development, Inc.

Issues:

Overcoming urban renewal problems, determining what is a coordinated financial system for change and trying to reposition buildings for the next 30 – 50 years. How do we get landlords of blighted or disconnected buildings to invest and reconnect to add to the street? Other issues were parking and zoning, destination housing and safety. Pedestrian experience, role of street merchandise vendors, service quality. Finally, how do we get banks and others to finance leading development?

Solutions:

Create new markets and strengthen and support existing new markets
Coordinated financial proposals to:
Private Banks
Foundations
Developers
Risk/reward balance
Identify longer investment horizon to attract financing/ developers
Embrace diversity: racial, economic (comfort zones are different)
Develop financial, social and environmental indicators

Woods House, Hazelwood - Reuses for an Historically Significant Structure

Project:

Identify possible sophisticated uses for an historic building toward the important goal of overall community benefit.

Presented by Hazelwood Community Development Corporation

Issues:

The 210 year-old, boarded up and condemned home of John Woods brings national attention to Hazelwood as perhaps the oldest residence in the city. Banked into a Hazelwood bluff, where it overlooks the Monongahela River, the Wood house is significant because Stephen Foster composed famous melodies on a piano there, and owner and resident, John Woods, was one of the surveyors who laid out Pittsburgh in 1784. The house was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in the early 1990s. The house needs to be restored, connected to the community and the region possible using the Stephen Foster connection.

Solutions:

Stabilize the building and gain control of the surrounding property so that the group can work at a less hasty pace to put the fundraising components in place.
Obtain restoration funding and several possible uses:
On-site tenants
Artist in residence (exploring programs like: “Artists in Cities” and Lilly Foundation).
Recreating the Apple Orchard and perhaps setting up a stage for outdoor concerts
Museum/Cafe
Create fundraising strategies:
Grass Roots
Create a “Friends of the Woods House” organization
Conduct an archeological dig on the site

West End Park Overlook - Community Management of Public Space

Project:

City of Pittsburgh is negotiating with West End Partnership for the lease of the West End Overlook Park. The team’s charge was to identify strategies to afford the operating and maintenance cost of the public building, programming of the building and grounds, and maintenance of the grounds.

Presented by the West End Partnership

Issues:

The building has a wonderful observation deck and the park-like grounds are underutilized except by year-round tour buses and pedestrians during Pittsburgh’s biggest outdoor event evenings – July 4, Light Up Night, Christmas. The building has two spaces available for retail tenants. Maintenance of the building, grounds, and operating costs are currently prohibited if the West End Partnership leases the property from the city.

Solutions:

Create a marketing plan to identify best uses for retail
Develop programming so that the park a year-round destination for public and private events:
Arts and crafts venues
Musical venues
Outdoor recreation events
Senior events
Nature and biology tours in conjunction with schools
Create a business plan to identify operating costs- revenue and expenses
Identify alternative sources of funding from foundations, county, organization fund raising
Market the space in partnership with the visitors and convention bureau, tour companies, retailers, other community groups
Build skilled volunteer base
Connect the site with main street as a destination
Attract a large-scale restaurant