A Moment of Zen

A new nightclub opened on Friday, August 22nd at Station Square called Zen. The entrance is on the side of the Freight House (125 W. Station Square Drive, Pittsburgh) where the short-lived Palm Bar was previously located. The red, velvet robes, narrow entrance and bouncers at the entrance make the atmosphere seem classy, if a little imposing as you enter the door.


The configuration of the front section is similar to that of Palm Bar before it. A circular bar with multiple levels of drink racks and black-clad bartenders occupy the section immediately past the entrance. A large, open room with ornate pan-Asian themed seating and wall-coverings allows for a large area to sit and socialize, with sections of seating reserved for bottle service. It was described as a prime-porno film set. A second mezzanine level with a small bar and additional seating provides an excellent view of the seating area, bar and a separate room with a dance floor.

The dance area is what really distinguishes Zen from its predecessor. Zen has expanded from Pal Bar's original area and includes a rectangular, lower level dance floor surrounded by a short wall with faux grass around it. The grass is actually a nice touch. The dance room also has a classy atmosphere with comfortable wall seating for wallflowers and a curtain wall with small stones embedded in it.

The main disadvantage to the club is the location, which is not very visible while driving past on Station Square Drive. In addition, the entrance to the club is not highly visible when walking by, because it is tucked into the corner of the Freight House. Overall, the redesign was worth it and the concept is a great one for Pittsburgh.

It Really Grinds My Gears When....

Newspapers will publish oh-woe-is-us statistics from governmental bodies, but refuse to include any context for what they mean. The PPG moaned today that Pittsburgh is the 5th poorest big city, with a measly median household income of $32,363. First, they don't stop to define what a big city is. If Pittsburgh is a "larger city", is Erie also considered big? Is Morgantown? Presumably Cleveland is a big city too, and we're wealthier than them, so at least we have that going for us.

Articles like this never provide any context for this number. For example, according to CNN.com, the top 5 most expensive American cities for renters and their average rental rates were:

1.) New York - $2,553
2.) San Francisco - $1,685
3.) Boston - $1,632
4.) New Haven, CT - $1,485
5.) Orange County, CA - $1,458

According to apartments.com, Pittsburgh's average 2007 rent was $662. This is about 25% of what New York pays for example. New York City is not listed as one of the highest earning places by the study the Post-Gazette cites, however. In fact, the Census bureau indicates that New York's median household income in 2004 (the latest number I could find) was $45,343. This is only 40% higher. So while New Yorker's pay over three and half times more for rent, they only make about 40% more.

Framing the article around facts such as these might have made Pittsburgher's appreciate their relatively low cost of living. But instead the Post-Gazette took it as an opportunity to make us feel poor, and that's what really grinds my gears. Oh, and here's the study.

Northern Allegheny County on a Tear

Most of the growth in Allegheny County in recent years has happened near the northern border of the county. The area benefits from the overflowing economy and excellent infrastructure of the Cranberry Township / southern Butler County region. Of course, Perry Highway and I-79 are shared resources that do not belong to either Allegheny County or Butler County, but they do serve to boost investment in new businesses and development has concentrated along these roads for years.

The center of new development in this slice of Allegheny County is Pine Township. Development there ranges from smaller freestanding buildings like the Walnut Grove restaurant, to the Village at Pine, a multi-phase townhouse development with a major retail component. The development is influenced by new urbanism, which seeks to strategically places residential, retail and office components with the same location. With the first phase of 197 townhouses nearly complete, the number could grow to as many as 500. That's approximately the number the zoning office has approved for Gigliotti Holdings, the developer. In addition, there will be a Giant Eagle and additional inline retail stores. Even a casual observer of real estate will notice the success of the area, especially the Village. There are barely any town homes available to buy!

While some of this new development has brought some problems in tow, such as a year-long controversy over the Cabana Bar in the Oxford Athletic Club, Pine Township is a great example of success in terms of population growth and new development that has really made the area vibrant. It would be great if county and state officials began to understand the ingredients for success in Pine and began to apply them elsewhere.

Hill District Benefits Agreement Signed

Today the benefits deal is done and signed by the One Hill Neighborhood Coalition. The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports some of the details of the plan, which includes money towards the development of the grocery store, creation of a "master plan" and the introduction of a resource center that will somehow connect residents of the Hill District with jobs. The details in this article are pretty skimpy. In a previous post I discussed that the grocery store, which will be located at Centre Avenue and Heldman Street was narrowed down to Save-A-Lot and Kuhn's. More importantly, the Post-Gazette article leaves out the critical difference between the two. The Save-A-Lot is intended as a freestanding grocery store and the Kuhn's proposal is part of a 100,000 square foot complex! I have noticed that in general, reporting on developments in Hill District tends to be given short shrift and isn't exactly late-breaking. This isn't limited to the Post-Gazette and that paper has given the area some good attention in recent weeks as this deal neared closure. Personally though, any neighborhood that is on the verge of being re-energized deserves attention.

In this case the ne'er do wells at the Tribune Review have far superior reporting in the article they published here. It basically explains that a deal has been agreed to, but a lot of the details have yet to be fleshed out. Some highlights of the detail include:

1.) Hill residents will get first crack at some job openings at the new arena.

2.) YMCA community center for the Hill

3.) $3 million over 5 years from new casino ownership for development projects

4.) Money for a grocery store, which is TBA.

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The Foundry

When The Foundry in South Strabane was planned, it was billed as a major addition to the commercial corridor in northern Washington County. The plan called for a 575,000 square foot retail center, with the eventual development of several outparcels. However, since opening in the spring of 2007, all the major tenants including J.C. Penney, Ross Dress for Less and Bed, Bath and Beyond have closed their doors due to settling soil. While the settling wasn't as dramatic as the "shifting" of soil in Kilbuck Township at the formerly proposed Wal-Mart development it has caused concern that the retaining wall near Route 19 isn't going to hold. By the way, the extent of the "shifting" in Kilbuck is pictured below:


To make matters worse, the developer of the site has declared bankruptcy. Christopher White, the head of Premier, has had criminal charges filed against him, detailed here in the Pittsburgh Business Times. To develop a successful retail center in the Pittsburgh region you need a keen understanding of the region's topography as well as good business sense. Chris White seems to have had neither.

Non-Ethnic Grocery Store Opening in Oakland

Friday will see the first opening of a traditional grocery store in Oakland in a decade. This IGA will open in The Strand Building at 11 am this Friday. It will be small, at only 4,000 square feet. I have previously ridiculed tiny grocery stores, so it is interesting that a new one is opening just two days after that post. Well at least I have been served a message that I do not have the most influential blog in Pittsburgh.



According to the Allegheny County Assessment Office, the property was purchased in January of 2005 for $2 million. There is also an apartment component to the building with 60 residential tenants. The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette article about the store is here.

Grocery Store in Hill District

Today the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported on the two grocery store proposals for the planned grocery store in the Hill District at the corner of Centre Avenue and Heldman Street. The Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) will approve one of two plans in as short as the next couple of weeks. The two options for the Hill District are a standalone Save-A-Lot and a larger complex called Centre City Square which would be anchored by a Kuhn's grocery store. Centre City Square would also have a pharmacy and an outdoor plaza, as well as additional retail space. The total retail space in Centre City Square would be approximately 100,000 square feet, with 50,000 going to Kuhn's.

The bizarre aspect of the article is that the Post-Gazette reported that the Save-A-Lot store would be 1,200 square feet! There's no way that's right. I know the Hill District has gone without a grocery store for a long time, but I think people out there are going to know they come in bigger sizes. A July 3rd article in the Pittsburgh Business Times stated the Save-A-Lot would be 16,800 s.f. That's pretty small, but at 1,200 square feet, they'd only be able to carry about 3 products a day. So maybe on Monday people in the Hill District could buy bread, Tuesday they would be permitted to purchase one or two vegetables, maybe Wednesday they could put out a couple pieces of meat.

It seems like the population of the Hill District could definitely support more than a 1,200-16,800 square foot grocery store, and for the amount of time they have gone without one, it seems like something more should be in the works. However, the Centre City Square idea seems very ambitious for an area that hasn't seen largescale retail development in a long time. Given that taxpayer funding is going to be required no matter what the scale of the project, I hope a good impact study has determined how large a project can succeed so that taxpayers don't have to foot another, bigger bill if the project flops.