Hill District residents listen to planners of the new U.S. Steel headquarters -- to be built on the former site of the Civic Arena by fall 2017, at the Jeron X. Grayson Community Center. (Below) This artist's rendering released March 2 shows a view of the proposed U.S. Steel headquarters from the southwest. (U.S. Steel)
Planners of the new U.S. Steel headquarters -- to be built on the former site of the Civic Arena by fall 2017 -- Tuesday night faced Hill District residents who expressed concerns ranging from traffic and parking to the building's appearance and security.
Fresh off preliminary approvals last week from the Pittsburgh-Allegheny County Sports & Exhibition Authority and the city's Urban Redevelopment Authority, Christopher P. McKee, president of Clayco Realty Group, spent an hour responding to questions from about 40 people at the Jeron X. Grayson Community Center, blocks away from the proposed site.
Some of the answers, however, were incomplete because the five-story building is still a work in progress.
"Design is like a living creature that keeps evolving," Mr. McKee said. "But now we're really starting to pick up steam."
There have been some tweaks made in response to criticism from Christine Mondor, city planning commission chairwoman, who recently said it looked like a building in a suburban office park. Mr. McKee said the long, smooth face of the building's front will be broken up and the main entrance will be more clearly identified.
"Design of a building is driven by the tenant," said Mr. McKee, who said U.S. Steel wanted a building that was not costly and had large floor planes with wide-open spaces.
"This is not an ostentatious building. It's a very smart, cool, practical building that I believe they think will help them in recruiting."
One resident asked about the building's roof, since it will be visible from viewers in the Hill District, but Mr. McKee said costs were likely to preclude many appealing options.
Mr. McKee said the site plan's traffic analysis showed no negative impact on the street intersections, though one crossing will have a new traffic light.
Residents also questioned the lack of an on-site garage. Planners expect the 800 to 1,000 employees in the building to tap into parking for 3,200 vehicles in neighboring surface lots. Many of these employees, Mr. McKee said, currently work in the U.S. Steel Tower and already park in the lots.
At full build-out, the site is expected to include 1,100 units of housing, 632,000 square feet of office space and 250,000 square feet of commercial space.
"As projects move forward, a garage will have to be built on the site as part of future development," Mr. McKee said. "There's going to be a tipping point at some point."
Hill District resident Leeretta Payne, owner of Legacy Cafe, a catering business on Bedford Avenue, praised the plan and Clayco's work with the community.
"The area has to be revitalized," she said. "My concern is the traffic. As a resident, I have concerns because of the parking that's not available. As a business owner, I welcome the traffic. So I'm on both sides of the fence.
"I think their willingness to meet with us is really key to neighbors and businesses buying into the process."
Another change in the plan could be "a unique artistic piece" involving steel from the famous Eads Bridge, which spans the Mississippi River at St. Louis. The steel, some of the first produced by Andrew Carnegie in Pittsburgh, has been procured by Clayco, which has offices in St. Louis. The art, which is in its earliest stage, would be placed at a corner of the property.
Former city councilman Sala Udin, one of the SEA board members who endorsed the project Thursday, hailed Tuesday night's session for the opportunity it gave residents to get a closer look and voice their concerns. He said he looks forward to a future meeting Mr. McKee promised that will focus on the hiring of minorities and women in the construction phase.
Project managers go before the planning commission again March 24 with SEA final approval tentatively set for June 11. Construction would begin in the fall.
Source: Dan Majors. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.http://www.post-gazette.com/local/city/2015/03/18/Hill-District-resident...