Submitted by Robin Zoufalik
Hello Allegheny West Neighbors and Members of the AW Civic Council: Happy New Year 2020!
As Chair for the Housing & Planning Committee, here is a message for the coming year of meetings and activities anticipated. Past Chair, Ashley Webb, has briefed me on various items on the agenda for the committee that have been discussed over the last few months and are anticipated for the coming year. Having attended a couple of the meetings the most recent being on Dec 17th, I believe a message to the neighborhood and members of the AWCC is appropriate, at this time, prior to the 1st meeting scheduled for Tuesday, January 21st (3rd Tuesday of the month) starting at 7:30 pm at GoRealty, 848 W North Avenue.
The AWCC Bylaws have the following mandate for the standing committee:
The Housing and Planning Committee shall be responsible for the physical planning and housing conditions in Allegheny West. It should be as representative as possible of residential, business, and institutional sectors of the neighborhood.
Additionally, the committee members are to be chosen as follows:
Standing committee chairmen shall select from between two and ten members for their committees.
Please let me know if you are interest in being a member of the H&P Committee. Everyone is welcome to attend any of the H & P meetings and participate in discussions and votes, whether or not a member of the committee.
Prior to the 1st meeting, I would request all of you to provide input as to any items you would like the committee to address in the coming months that may not be on the current list relayed to me as follows:
- Western Ave Neighborhood Improvement District (WANID)
- Northside Leadership Conference (NSLC) Bridge Committee & Opposition to double-stacked trains
- Code Enforcement Concerns
- Historic District Expansion
- Galveston Ave. Traffic Calming
- Stables Development
- Value Added Properties
- Scrap Yard
- CCAC Workforce Development Center
- Allegheny Commons Master Plan and Noise along Brighton Road
- Light of Life Ridge Ave Facility
- HIP at the Flashlight Factory
The meetings will be conducted in an orderly manner to have productive discussions and allow everyone to actively participate. However, personal attacks by attendees will not be acceptable and non-factual statements will be questioned. We are all neighbors and should have equal opportunities to speak and listen in a respectful manner.
All comments, feedback and suggestions are always welcome!
Either email me at housing-planning@alleghenywest.org or call (412) 216-0207.
Location: Landmarks Preservation Resource Center, 744 Rebecca Avenue
Date: Thursday, September 12th
Time: 6:00 pm – 7:30 pm
Contact: marylu@phlf.org or (412) 471-5808 ext. 527
In this lecture, Mark Houser takes a detailed look at two civil rights struggles that reached their boiling point in Pittsburgh 50 years ago. These struggles saw black activists shut down construction sites at the former Three Rivers Stadium and at the former U.S. Steel Building, while feminists picketed the former Pittsburgh Press newspaper in a battle that went all the way to the Supreme Court. Mark will also discuss other significant and quirky anecdotes about Pittsburgh history. For example: what happened to the person who drove off the Bridge to Nowhere — and survived!
About the Presenter: Mark Houser is a frequent Pittsburgh Magazine contributor who writes and speaks about Pittsburgh’s history. You can find more stories at his website, HouserTalks.com.
This lecture is FREE and open to the public. RSVPs are appreciated: marylu@phlf.org or (412) 471-5808 x 527.
It’s finally happened: We’ve grown beyond just a home & garden tour this year. The Manchester House + Garden Tour is now Showcase Manchester. Please join us Sunday, August 4th from 11:00 am to 5:00 pm to tour Victorian homes, lush gardens and new businesses that are calling Manchester home.
New for 2019 is our Guided Tour option. Neighborhood residents will escort a small group along the tour route and share stories about neighborhood history and highlights along the way. This tour is almost sold out, so grab your tickets today!
You can read about our tour in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette‘s recent story, featuring one renovation project ready for new residents.
Advance Showcase Manchester tickets are $15; tickets will be $20 the day of the tour. Guided tour tickets are $30 each. Tickets are available online at manchesterhousetour.com. Tickets are also available in person at City Books, 908 Galveston Avenue.
Showcase Manchester is sponsored by Manchester Historic Society. All proceeds from the tour help fund work at the Colonel James Anderson House. For more information, please visit mhspittsburgh.org.
Location: Landmarks Preservation Resource Center, 744 Rebecca Avenue
Date: Tuesday, July 9th
Time: 6:00 pm – 7:30 pm
Contact: marylu@phlf.org or (412) 471-5808 ext. 527
Stories from the Monongahela River Valley and Revitalization through Placemaking
This lecture highlights historic sites, communities, and events in the Monongahela River valley to help explain the resilience of the region in the context of industrial loss. We consider how various cultural resources and tools of historic preservation have been or could be used to spark economic rejuvenation in Mon Valley communities. Through consideration of the history of places like the Carrie Furnace, McKeesport International Village, or Elizabeth’s Plum Street, this lecture will gauge traditional and unconventional solutions to promoting and improving reinvestment opportunities in communities with limited resources or capacity to change the perception of “down and out” places in the Mon Valley and beyond.
About the Presenter: William (Will) Prince is the Main Street Manager of the Washington Business District Authority of Washington County. A graduate of the University of Pittsburgh, Will completed a two-year stint of national service through AmeriCorps and the Student Conservation Association. He also managed and helped expand the nation’s first Trail Town Program at The Progress Fund connecting outdoor recreation and small-town revitalization. A former board member and president of the Young Preservationists Association of Pittsburgh, Will is a graduate of the Master of Preservation Studies program at Tulane University. A native of the Mon Valley town of Elizabeth, Will continues to volunteer for his hometown’s Area Development Corporation.
This lecture is FREE and open to the public. RSVPs are appreciated: marylu@phlf.org or (412) 471-5808 x 527.
Location: Landmarks Preservation Resource Center, 744 Rebecca Avenue
Date: Thursday, June 25th
Time: 6:00 pm – 7:30 pm
Contact: marylu@phlf.org or (412) 471-5808 ext. 527
Join author and photographer Matthew Christopher for an exploration of ruins across our cities and countryside, as he shares a hauntingly beautiful portrait of the abandoned America around us. From steel mills and industrial sites to schools, churches, prisons, homes and more, Matthew’s work provides a glimpse into lost worlds that few get to visit firsthand.
With his travels broadening to ancient sites in Romania, Greece and India, we’ll learn more about the phenomenon of abandoned sites across the globe and discuss why preservation of our heritage is a concern everywhere, not just in our own communities.
About the Presenter: Matthew Christopher has had an interest in abandoned sites since he was a child, but started documenting them a decade ago while researching the decline of the state hospital system. His two books, Abandoned America: Dismantling the Dream and Abandoned America: The Age of Consequences and his website, also titled Abandoned America, have chronicled the stories of modern ruins across the United States and gained international attention. He recently expanded his scope to document abandoned locations across the globe. Matthew has an MFA in Fine Art Photography from Rochester Institute of Technology and has taught photography at a college level and now teaches photography workshops.
This lecture is FREE and open to the public. RSVPs are appreciated: marylu@phlf.org or (412) 471-5808 x 527.
Submitted by Doris Short
What an evening! What a fantastic crowd!
We would like to extend a very heartfelt thank you to everyone that came to The Allegheny West Timeline Exhibition Opening Reception on Friday, May 17th. We are extremely grateful to have so many wonderful neighbors and friends. A big thank you again to our generous sponsors, donations, supporters and volunteers.
The Allegheny West Timeline Exhibition will be on display till June 20th.
Opening Hours (May): Monday-Friday 9:00 am – 9:00 pm
Opening Hours (June): Monday-Thursday 9:00 am – 9:00 pm
Northside historian John Canning and long-time Northside resident Larry Ehrlich will present an informal and insightful program focusing on the early decades of Allegheny West, recounting the the struggles and success stories of this small but significant Northside neighborhood. They will highlight the role of key community issues, passionate residents, and developmental programs that contributed to the evolution of the Allegheny West community that exists today. The program is in conjunction with the Allegheny West Timeline Exhibition currently on display, which can be viewed prior to the beginning of the program.
Wednesday, June 12, 2019
6:30 pm to 8:00 pm
CCAC Gallery at West Hall, Allegheny Campus
826 Ridge Avenue
The program is in conjunction with the Allegheny West Timeline Exhibition currently on display at CCAC Gallery at West Hall. This program is FREE to the public. RSVPs are appreciated: dorisshort.aiga@gmail.com or (412) 916-0007.
About the Presenters
John Canning is the vice-president of the Allegheny City Society, which is dedicated to preserving the history of the Northside prior to its annexation to Pittsburgh. John is a life-long resident of the Northside and writes a monthly column about its history and current Northside traditions. He currently lives in the Central Northside.
Larry Ehrlich was a long time Allegheny West resident and community activist. Unofficial photographer of many of the early AW events.
Location: Landmarks Preservation Resource Center, 744 Rebecca Avenue
Date: Thursday, June 6th
Time: 6:00 pm – 7:30 pm
Contact: marylu@phlf.org or (412) 471-5808 ext. 527
Have you ever wondered about what it means—or what it would take—to get your house or a building listed in the National Register of Historic Places? Do you know the potential benefits of National Register listing? Are you interested in pursuing National Register designation for your house, but are unsure of the procedural requirements?
Join us for this lecture and learn about the history of the National Register Program; the criteria for listing a property, and learn the basic components of a National Register Form. This lecture will also touch on tips for conducting research on your property, the procedural requirements for completing a nomination, and the benefits of listing a property in the National Register.
About the Presenter: Jesse Belfast is an architectural historian at Michael Baker International, where he is involved in numerous aspects of historic preservation through National Register-designation of buildings and management of mitigation processes around real estate projects involving historic buildings.
Based in Michael Baker’s Moon Township office since 2003, his work revolves around Section 106 compliance, historic context studies, National Register of Historic Places nominations, historic architecture surveys, state inventory form preparation, criteria of effects evaluations, and other aspects of compliance regarding historic buildings and resources. Some of his prominent projects include National Register nominations for the Strip Historic District and the Lawrenceville Historic District, Historic American Engineering Record documentation for the Civic Arena, and historic architectural inventories for seven Pittsburgh neighborhoods.
A native of San Diego, Mr. Belfast holds a Bachelor’s Degree in English from Duke University and a Master of Arts degree in History from Carnegie Mellon University.
This lecture is FREE and open to the public. RSVPs are appreciated: marylu@phlf.org or (412) 471-5808 x 527.
Historic tax credits and Keystone grants are vital tools in revitalizing older buildings, neighborhoods, and communities. These financial incentives encourage private investment, create jobs, and return abandoned or underutilized properties to active service. Successful projects balance the building’s and neighborhood’s historic character with the property’s new or continued use by using the National Park Service’s Standards for Rehabilitation as guidance.
May 24th from 1:00 – 4:00 pm
Rodef Shalom Synagogue
Registration is requested by Friday, May 17th
How can architects, design professionals, communities and property owners take advantage of these programs? Join Preservation Pittsburgh and the Pennsylvania State Historic Preservation Office (PA SHPO) for this workshop to learn more about these important state and federal incentive programs.
Agenda includes:
- Understanding and applying the National Park Service’s Standards for Rehabilitation to historic properties;
- Overview of the federal and state historic tax credit programs including program eligibility, the application & review process, and a best practices case study;
- and introduction to Pennsylvania’s Keystone Historic Preservation Grant program.
Learn More and Register
For more information, please contact Bill Callahan, PA SHPO’s Western Region Community Preservation Coordinator
at wcallahan@pa.gov or (412) 565-3575.
Submitted by Carole Malakoff
The Allegheny West Civic Council along with The Allegheny West Local Review Committee announce the 11th Annual Allegheny West Preservation Awards. These awards are presented to property owners in Allegheny West who have completed projects over the past year, retaining or restoring appropriate elements of historic character and adhering to the neighborhood guidelines. The success of these projects was attained by doing research, creating well thought-out plans, following neighborhood historic guidelines and working with the neighborhood LRC and the City HRC to seek advice on the application process and guidelines.
The 2019 award recipients are:
828 West North Avenue
Owner, Q Development
This structure was built in 1902 as a warp and weavers supply business with carpet cleaning on the second floor. In 1925 it became the Katsafanas Coffee Co. It was purchased by Q Development in 2016 for their offices. The brick was cleaned. Parapets were restored. The 1925 limestone “Katsafanas Coffee Co.” sign on the main façade was restored. Limestone sills were gently cleaned. Windows were restored to match the existing. The one-story hand painted sign on the west façade was restored.
847 Western Avenue
Owner, Keane George
Keane and his architect, John Francona, worked with the LRC to select missing façade elements on this building, formerly a laundromat. After much discussion and on-site visits, the final selection of tiles was appropriate in color and material to reflect the existing.
The Visual Arts Center
Owner, Community College of Allegheny County
These three projects greatly add to the historic ambience of the neighborhood streets, contribute to the economic development of our neighborhood, and enhance the quality of life in Allegheny West. To celebrate Preservation Month, the awards will be presented at the this month’s membership meeting.
