Monthly Archives: May 2014

Monday: Weighing and Accounting

BREAKING: Judge tentatively approves sale of the Wilson Center facility to the hotel developer for about $9 million. Ten-day and 60-day due diligence clocks start ticking; these ought to expose any stalking horses.

The five-block long, 85-year old Produce Terminal in the Strip District now might evolve into the Colossal Marketplace, the Next Cork Factory, or the Mashup with Portals, or it might still get one-third demolished on its Downtown end.

We bet that Buncher Co. borrows from the best of the new ideas, and Continue reading

Recommendations from On High, for Metros like Us.

You say you want a progressive revolution? Well, you know…

It’s not about brand wars and field operations any more, is it? Not as much directly. It’s got to be about governing, demonstrating. It takes long and hard seasons of growing leadership to yield this climate’s requisite harvests of political allies and adherents. These are the campaigns that need waged.

President Obama and HUD are inviting metropolitan confederations like ourselves to take a close gander at a “New Normal” for employee retirements, deleveraging stocks in favor of certain public bonds to pay pensionsthree benefits to fostering a strong information culture, and cautious optimisms for piecemeal governmental consolidations, mergers in satisfying affordable living demand and many other things.

Bonus, they have a database for obtaining “technical assistance” from all federal agencies.

Apparently, this recent Washington approach draws purchase from Chester, Pa. and Cleveland / Youngstown.

Very high level. Respect that alignment.

 

BONUS RESOURCES FOR THIS WEEKEND AKA MONDAY AKA MEMORIAL DAY: Pittsburgh Mommy Blog, Nadine Champsi

WINNERS: TOM WOLF, HARRY READSHAW, ADAM RAVENSTAHL, AND SAME SEX COUPLES

Peduto’s $60M Deficit claim is Optimistic, not Pessimistic

Imagine hypothetically and arbitrarily that you are 5’7″ tall and weigh 185 lbs. According to the doctor’s chart, you will not be “healthy” until you drop to at least 155 lbs. But since you haven’t been 155 lbs since high school and that was over 20 years ago, you set an interim goal weight of 170 lbs. and plan to reassess once you get there — because the full burden all at once seems too unrealistic, and besides you’re an American.

That’s what happened yesterday.

In a rare appearance before City Council, Peduto said Pittsburgh is facing a $60 million annual structural deficit that includes a $15 million hole in its operating budget. (Trib, Bauder & Daniels)

And yet right away… Continue reading

County Council approves Drilling Lease in Illuminating Spectacle

In a decision that will help define Allegheny County for decades as an exposition, its Council approved an agreement negotiated between the administration of County Executive Rich Fitzgerald and Fort Worth, TX-based Range Resources together with Monroeville-based Huntley & Huntley to drill for natural gas under 1,180 acre Deer Lakes Park.

The County park lies 15 miles northeast of the City of Pittsburgh — which in 2012 enacted its own drilling ban.

We missed viewing this round of public commentary, but we did manage to tune in online to debate among Council members, which commenced finally on Wednesday night around 11:00 PM.

To wit: Continue reading

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Sunday: Terrific content today…

Who is the real Dan Gilman?

Who is the real Dan Gilman?

Sometimes urban landlords exploit refugees. That’s a problem.

Additionally, public water utilities might be better run, assisted or regulated to better maintain public health. It might even be time to mandate water line insurance, jettisoning old arguments and depressing patterns.

Moving on…

The coalition seeking to remake and preserve an August Wilson Centric ownership presence Downtown grows more optimistic. Many are stepping back to achieve perspective.

David Conti celebrates our new options in the Strip. We are curious what exactly is meant by “portals” through the old Produce Terminal. We also hope Buncher can be persuaded to improve its long-term market potential more “our way” in terms of how it now sacrifices riverfront setbacks for surface parking.

Colin McNickle rips the PA Supreme Court for needlessly diluting our rights against unreasonable searches and seizures. It is noted that Democratic justices wrote in righteous dissent, hewing to the PA Constitution’s original intent.

And by the great Sue Kerr: Neighborhood welfare, the Animal Rescue League [and Homewood], and Examples from Manchester.

Way to Marathon it!

Down with the Community! Comet Weekend Warmongering

Surveying our theater of operations:

Mt. Washington is trying to demolish a freshly built dog park because it has taken up space in its newly expanded and enhanced people park. (KDKA, Andy Sheehan).

Troy Hill rejects signage if it includes swine, women who could be prostitutes, or merely if the crowdsourcing of the design has not been thoroughly enough advertised (P-G, Nikki Pena).

And in Homewood Nation, they’re poring over a proposed Animal Rescue League shelter that is controversial because, well, who needs it? Not them, that’s who.

Why do we group these items on the same plate? Continue reading