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Letters: A few simple ideas, including cleaning up
Sunday, December 31, 2000
Youth our future
Bring on the youth, the future for a city. Get them out of the suburban malls. Locate a Town Square in the middle of Pittsburgh. Saturday is ideal for activities for youth groups to perform -- dance groups, amateur music groups, cheerleading competitions, kids' events. Sundays, open it up for soap box debaters -- that should be lively, much like Hyde Park.
Best of all, for winter season, an outdoor skating rink, like Rockefeller Center. San Antonio has an area that is safe and tourist friendly, through cooperation of citizens groups who want people to visit. Let's copy their plan -- a safe and friendly environment.
DELORES PERSHUN
No big plan needed
Plan C: Do nothing and let the market fix itself.
Growing up in Pittsburgh I remember what it was like to travel to cities like New York, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C. They were full of retail, restaurants, people and excitement nearly 24 hours a day. My first visit to Philly, I wondered how that city, in the same state, could be so lively and exciting while Pittsburgh fades into a dark humanless void each night at 5 p.m. The answer is simple actually. Downtown Pittsburgh can't sustain those things right now.
I left Pittsburgh five years ago and now live in Downtown Washington, D.C., which is undergoing, without government intervention or money, its largest expansion of office and retail since post-World War II. The previous two decades while Washington was in a notorious decline, the government attempted to attract a bunch of sterile department stores in the city's core. That failed. Then they tried to drastically rezone everything in sight to force building owners to change their historical buildings to accommodate retail. That failed too. Sound familiar?
After their failed attempts they did the best possible thing. They gave up, or at least did nothing. Then, as I moved into D.C. a miracle happened: The market picked up. All by itself, without any direct intervention of any government money or policies it became profitable for building owners to develop streetfront real estate for retail and restaurants. It also became necessary for the building owners to compete with a tremendous growth of class A office space in the suburbs. Then, and only then, did it become viable and profitable for building owners to set aside and develop space for the retail and restaurants that would set Downtown apart from the sterile suburbs.
Now, Downtown D.C., with 4 percent office vacancy rates and less than 1 percent residential vacancies, is experiencing tremendous growth and is the second fastest growing urban core in the country, behind Atlanta. Sure, the federal government had to seize the D.C. city government, overthrow the Barry administration, lower taxes and balance the budget, but nobody offered $550 million in incentives. What they did offer was a clean city with improved crime and proof that there weren't financial difficulties constantly looming with an underlying threat of tax increases. The rest can be credited to an amazing concept called capitalism.
Maybe Pittsburgh isn't supposed to be a high-end retail destination. Perhaps the few shops and theaters it has now are already more than the current market can bear. Perhaps the city would be better served by more discount shops such as those found in Grove City. The only way to know is to let the market decide. Besides, my parents still live in Pittsburgh and pay more taxes than I do, so please leave them out of your department store crusade.
TODD MONIOT
Night classes the key
My living room windows frame "the" view of Downtown Pittsburgh, and when I read your request for input about its future, my first reaction was that what makes our center city so visually powerful might make it unlikely that it will ever be the 24-hour hub the mayor and others envision. The hills and rivers have kept our Downtown compact and dense, prompting out-of-towners to call it a mini-Manhattan. Thus, unlike other cities with less defined boundaries to their downtowns, maybe ours should be just the area's 9-to-5 business center, surrounded by thriving, varied residential neighborhoods. I wondered why anyone would venture into town to do what they can do more easily and efficiently elsewhere, or why much of that little triangle of real estate should be used for housing. Why should we sleep in our workshop?
Downtown Pittsburgh has lots of schools. With Duquesne University at the head of a surprisingly long list, educational institutions dot the Golden Triangle from end to end. The idea is simple: Why doesn't the city join with these schools to offer one night class to local residents at dirt-cheap rates (free to city residents, purely to encourage living within the city limits), with free parking? I think amazing things would happen.
People would stay in town at night after work, or drive in from a suburb to try something new or get back to something they left unfinished. They might eat first, or maybe afterward. The schools would have more students. The young people who already attend would have some older, different classmates. The city would have something unique to offer those who need a reason to stay put as the suburbs beckon.
Pittsburgh is nothing if not unique, and I believe whatever is done here will only succeed if it incorporates both a determination to conserve that uniqueness and to build on it with creativity, not another town's solution. And wouldn't it be just plain cool to have the world talking about Pittsburgh as the town that not only revived its Downtown, but did it in part by leaving the schoolhouse door open after dark?
JOHN TESSARO
Better parking, transit
Pittsburgh is wonderfully concentrated due to topography. This has made Downtown a great place for pedestrians but a nightmare for commuters. The need for parking is only overshadowed by the need of a countywide rail transit system that would reduce the need of parking and not clog the streets with buses.
We will have to accept the fact that Downtown Pittsburgh is congested, but know that this charm will prove to be its greatest asset. We will have to start relying on a comprehensive "satellite" parking system. We should evaluate what lands lie in walking distance of Downtown but won't necessarily be attractive to private developers or hinder private development around it.
There will be a growing need for parking in the Strip and land will be getting developed, yet we have no plan. Buildings will just start falling there as if dropped from the sky. It's great to see them come, but we must not be arbitrary. Under Veterans Bridge (I-579) is a vast amount of space.
There is a lot also under the Vet Bridge but on the North Shore. It also has the vast space but that is unlikely for private development, being under the bridge.
These types of opportunities lie all around the outskirts of Downtown and we must focus on better connections. Cramming more lots into the fabric of Downtown will detract from the city's fabric, and land is too valuable.
JACK URBANI
Downtown parking bad
I am a 27-year-old professional who lives approximately 20 miles south of the Downtown area. Every day I drive into Station Square, where I park my car and either walk to Gateway Center where I work or take the T across. I know from experience that parking in Downtown is terrible. I leave the house at 6:30 a.m. and get to Station Square anywhere from 7:30 to 8:30, depending on traffic and weather conditions. I then have to usually wait for the T to come. This is another transportation problem. The Port Authority of Allegheny County does not have enough T cars running during rush hour. I usually cannot get onto the first one because it is so crowded. By the time I get to my building, I have added 15 to 20 minutes to my commute. An overhaul of the T system is needed.
The T needs to be extended in the Downtown area. It stops at Gateway Center at one end and the USX Towers at the other. Only one stops is between the two. Why not extend the T to the Civic Arena and the Duquesne University area.
We need more parking hubs. We already have one in the South Hills Village area. Anybody can park their car, hop onto the T, and with a minimum amount of trouble, go all the way to Downtown. Why is this the only area that has this?
JENNIFER SHUSHNAR
Clean up now!
Clean up Downtown. Refurbish, renovate or just clean the facades of the old buildings and pick up the trash blowing along the sidewalks. This may not be a big enough suggestion for the mayor, but until an amicable solution for Fifth and Forbes is arrived at, the city can pressure its store owners, citizens and guests to treat our streets with respect and clean up the garbage.
The best part about this suggestion is that it can be done now at little cost resulting in enormously positive effects! I know I will frequent town more often when there is less trash.
DIANE WALKOWSKI
Beef up police
First and foremost, the beat cop is the answer to all of the problems of Downtown patronage. My earliest recollections of the Downtown were that of a prominent, friendly police presence. I am one who would walk through Downtown at 4 a.m. any day of the week and feel safe. The average citizen does not have that confidence, simply due to the lack of familiarity of Downtown.
Good-natured and well-intentioned police work is key to the success of any downtown area. In addition, we need to incorporate Downtown living with any thoughts of retail development. Nothing keeps an area thriving more than a sense of community that can only happen with the combination of merchants and residents.
STEVEN ROTH
All hail Murphy
The mayor should be credited with bringing attention to the importance of having an improved Downtown. I am new to Pittsburgh. Having grown up 30 minutes outside of New York City, some of my fondest memories include going Christmas shopping in Manhattan. The cold, the crowds and the excitement all made it very special.
I look forward to someday sharing those types of memories with my children. We should give credit where credit is due. Good job Mayor Murphy and your staff for bringing attention to this important issue.
HARRISON S. FLAKKER
Something unique
Why does everyone think that what the Downtown needs is another department store? I can shop anywhere. I don't care to shop in town because it is too inconvenient. We should use the natural beauty of the area to create an attraction that would truly be one-of-a-kind for the city. Once you can attract people to the area, then you need restaurants and entertainment. For instance, people can't wait to get out of town after a Penguins game. There is no reason to stay. Leave the shopping to the malls and create something unique.
GARY MARTIN
Fix the sidewalks!
I think it would be wonderful if Downtown Pittsburgh had nice, even sidewalks to walk on. It would improve the appearance of Downtown significantly.
Why can't we have a Wal-Mart or a Kmart or a Target or a Best Buy Downtown? We need a store that would appeal to folks of all types. Why do we need four or five Eckerd Drugs and CVSes Downtown? Why do we need three Dress Barn stores?
And what's up with the Wood Street T station? It's been under construction for a year!
Downtown needs to be more user-friendly.
JAN LININGER NAME
West Palm Beach is nice
Before you make any plans for Forbes and Fifth, please take a trip to West Palm Beach, Fla., to their newly opened City Place! I don't have the numbers on the restoration of this downtown area, but I would move there in a minute if my husband would retire.
However, no matter what is done to revitalize Pittsburgh's Downtown area, you have got to offer free parking or they won't come. When I shop at Nordstrom in Gaithersburg, Md., I park in an extremely well lighted parking garage adjacent to the store, and it is free. Free parking is the key to any plan you decide upon. Remember that suburbanites have free parking now, and they won't return to parking fees other than for a token visit.
JANET MARBURGER
Clean up II
Getting people to patronize the Fifth & Forbes corridors will take some major undertakings as well as some small ones. The small ones could go into effect right away, and I think that you would see a change of attitude immediately. These would include physically cleaning the area of litter and debris on a constant basis, removing all graffiti, and replacing lighting fixtures with more attractive and brighter types of street lights.
Furthermore, I truly tire of seeing multiple trash bags, bundled newspapers and empty boxes on the sidewalks at 5 p.m. in front of businesses which have already closed for the day. It creates a very unsightly image, and makes one want to vacate the area as quickly as possible. Businesses should not be afraid to stay open longer. Every business on both streets should be redesigned to look more inviting and welcoming. The visual aesthetics of both streets are deplorable and an assault on the eyes.
Finally, at the risk of offending someone, the homeless vagrants should not be hanging out all over the city. Unfortunately, this seems to be a problem with no easily identifiable solution. However, why would people want to stroll these streets after dark knowing that at any time they may be harassed verbally or physically? The homeless population of this town desperately needs to be reduced. In my opinion, both Fifth and Forbes (along with quite a few other streets in the city) are an eyesore in every way possible, and doing virtually anything would be an improvement.
PAUL KEMP
Clean up III
I think the city of Pittsburgh has been negligent by not enforcing existing building codes and ordinances with landlords, both local and absentee. Surely there must be expected standards to prevent building faces to become so ugly by chipped and faded paint, cracked windows and cheaply made signs. Is it not the responsibility of the building owners to maintain their sidewalks, including sweeping their entrances?
In this regard, many Pittsburghers show little respect for themselves or their fellow citizens by dropping trash wherever they want. How about some littering laws? The city could help too by placing trash cans outside of every "fast-food" establishment in the Downtown area.
I suggest a team of city officials be formed to visit Charleston, S.C., to see what a city can do to enhance their center city shopping areas. One drive down "Rainbow Row" would convince them of what can be done. Indianapolis is another example of how a city changed its tarnished image by mixing large department stores with small "main street" type shops. There is room for a Handel's produce store, for example, to exist with Lazarus and Kaufmann's. The "Market Center" in Seattle brings local flavor and is a tourist attraction much like our "Strip" is.
Many people, in particular our senior population, have a fear of coming to the center city when they read of "panhandlers and loiterers." A show of police force would be helpful to curtail that fear.
I know we live in a different world than we did 50 years ago, but the city will never accomplish getting suburbanites to come, shop and enjoy the city with its status quo. Changes must be made.
RICHARD KRAFT
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