RUNNER-UP, LARGE PROJECT CATEGORY

Al DePasquale is used to high expectations. After all, he's the son of the late Eugene "Jeep" DePasquale, who rose from head of the ushers union at Forbes Field to president of Pittsburgh City Council. But his plan for an old townhouse couldn't meet the standards of restoration purist Nick Kyriazi, vice president of the East Allegheny Community Council.

"He was tough," Mr. DePasquale said. "He wanted me to restore every inch of the woodwork. I had to say, 'Nick, I just can't afford to do that!' "

But the developer did restore an ornate three-story balustrade, several slate fireplace mantels and lots of original inlaid oak flooring. His efforts have earned him a runner-up award in the PG's Renovation Inspiration Contest.

Mr. DePasquale, 58, of Lawrenceville won in the large category ($50,000 or more) for his work on 914 Cedar Ave., a mid-19th-century brick townhouse in the North Side's Deutschtown neighborhood. It's one of 16 old houses he has bought in the neighborhood since 2006.

He also renovated 916 James St., another finalist in the contest run by the Post-Gazette and the Community Design Center of Pittsburgh. That tiny rowhouse is now for sale for $189,500 and the Cedar Avenue townhouse for $449,000 -- big price tags for a neighborhood where big, unrestored townhouses sell for about $100,000. In fact, that's what Mr. DePasquale and his company, October Development, paid in 2006 for this 3,800-square-foot building.

Some readers might question whether it's fair to let a developer compete against homeowners in a restoration contest. Professionals have always been welcome to enter, with homeowners' approval, but few have in the first two years of the contest. The fact that Mr. DePasquale's two entries were both finalists illustrates why he won: He's not your typical developer.

For 24 years, he was in the bar business, running an Oakland tavern, the Panther Hollow Inn, with his brother, Eugene. He got his start in 2004 when he renovated six houses in Lawrenceville. He looked next Downtown but ended up in the North Side, drawn by the many available properties and their affordability. He worked closely with the Urban Redevelopment Authority, which recently approved his plans to build three new townhouses and rehab two others in the neighborhood.

The 1861 brick building on Cedar, which had been divided into five shabby apartments, is now a wide-open, light-filled series of spaces where original slate mantels and inlaid oak floors play nicely with exposed brick, recessed lighting and other loft-y elements. The most dramatic room is the first one a visitor sees. Tall reproduction wood windows with sills wide enough to seat three couples reach almost to the 12-foot ceilings. An indentation in a wall between two identical fireplaces indicates where Mr. DePasquale removed a wall between two formal parlors.

An arched opening leads to a spacious modern kitchen, where traditional white-painted cabinetry works with stainless steel and Ubatuba black granite. The custom-built woodwork, which combines built-up crown molding with narrow rope molding, was designed and installed by Erin Martier of Oread Kitchen Design in Vandergrift.

Walking up new stairs with the original walnut balustrade, visitors tend to run their hands across the exposed brick wall, which was repointed on the second floor but only cleaned and polyurathaned on the first floor, leaving the original mortar and beam ends intact. A huge heating/air conditioning ceiling duct runs the length of the second floor hallway, which is lined with new closets faced with reused paneled doors.

The master bedroom -- one of five -- is at the front of the house, overlooking East Park. Linking it and a rear bedroom/sitting room is a huge modern bath with granite floors, marble counters and dark cherry cabinetry. Altogether, the house has 2 1/2 baths.

Mr. DePasquale is planning to move to Deutschtown and live in one of his buildings.

"I'm sold on the neighborhood," he said.

Despite the attention he lavished on 914 Cedar, he said he could never live there. It's much too big and grand for his tastes. He imagines a doctor who works at nearby Allegheny General Hospital living there.

"It would have to be someone who likes to entertain. It's perfect for parties!" he said.

October Development will hold an open house from 1 to 4 p.m. tomorrow at 914 Cedar Ave., North Side. Information: 412-969-7971.