Bulldozing history to make way for the future is always a tough call. In the case of Pittsburgh's Strip District, the bustling and popular neighborhood has more than its share of defenders to make sure it's done right.
That's a good thing and it puts the Urban Redevelopment Authority and Buncher Co. on notice that, while the company's plan for building up to 1,000 residential units on 40 acres near the Allegheny River could be a boon to Pittsburgh, the firm must carefully balance preservation with progress.
A concern we've raised before is the demolition of a third of the 1,478-foot produce terminal, owned by the URA, on Smallman Street. On Thursday URA board members voted to let Buncher take down the section of the building it needs to provide access for the development along 17th Street.
The 500 feet of space will be used to construct a grand entrance to the neighborhood and a new building near the 16th Street Bridge. Demolition of part of the terminal won't happen until sometime after this year since the few wholesalers there have leases that run through December.
Arthur Ziegler, president of the Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Foundation, said his organization would have preferred the entire building to stay but that it's willing to accept the demolition of the structure's western, and newer, side, added in 1929. He also is glad that Buncher did not want to cut the five-block terminal into three sections to allow for cross-streets and that the company will retain the terminal's urban flavor and setting.
All of that shows appropriate sensitivity by the URA and Buncher to the character of the neighborhood.
But there's another issue that's just as important: relocating the produce wholesalers that remain in the building. The reason the developer and the URA want to move them is that the heavy truck traffic and nighttime loading integral to the wholesale business could hamper the growth of the new residential neighborhood.
Rob Stephany, executive director of the URA, said one wholesaler has already relocated, while two still use the terminal, along with another that also does some retail sales. Only one will be affected by the demolition and can be easily shifted into another part of the building, he said. All of them can keep operating inside the terminal until it's time for the building to be redeveloped under the proposal.
The URA must make good on its pledge to accommodate the wholesalers. At the same time, the Buncher Co. must act expeditiously on this project.
How they both move ahead will be the test of whether Pittsburgh can balance legitimate competing interests in the Strip. With a long and laudable record on preservation and progress, the city must prove that it still has a strong commitment to both.
First Published: February 11, 2012, 5:00 a.m.
