VOICES
Is there a substantial policy or change that would accelerate a recovery in the Central Business District?
Kelsey Kanspedos, R.L.A, ASLA Development Manager RIDC “The primary challenge with downtown at the moment is the lack of demand
Rachel Rzymek Sweetland Business Development
Plan Act, however, this fund solely seeks to convert office buildings into residential spaces. In my opinion, transformational mixed used developments will go above and beyond simply providing housing. Pittsburgh lacks a variety of abundant uses within the golden triangle and series of mixed-use developments may actually activate the Central Business District into a more active and vibrant piece of the city after the 9-to-5 business hours.”
Associate AE Works
“For a thriving CBD, there are three things I believe need to be
as a result of COVID and remote work. Many retail, food and beverage-oriented properties are shifting to offering experiential opportunities as a way of attracting people to the city. But we also should be preparing now to enable a market turnaround as soon as possible, by improving permitting, reducing overall business regulation, and removing barriers to new business demand.”
in play: places to live, work, and access to the right amenities. Even before the pandemic, our downtown would empty out quickly after business hours. I do believe we are moving in the right direction with more multi-family. However, we still have some work to do. We need more affordable parking and everyday services such as grocery stores and doctors’ offices so that people do not have to leave downtown to get the resources they need throughout the week. For our business district to thrive, we need reasons for people to stay in the city. To accelerate this recovery, I believe we need to continue the growth of multi-family while making it easier and encouraging retail operators to come into the CBD.”
Amy Broadhurst Vice President CBRE Advisory and Transaction Services “The office market has changed due to the flight to quality, and it may get worse
Tom Frank Designer Desmone Architects NAIOP Pittsburgh DevelopingLeaders Representative
for downtown if some of the big-name tenants in the market – like Citizens and K&L Gates – leave. If these large tenants leave, it will put financial pressure on buildings with lower occupancy levels. This might naturally happen for some of the class B and C buildings sooner rather than later. Statistically, visitor activity has increased, and residential and multi-family demand is there. To support that we need a clean and safe environment, along with retail growth through ownership incentives. We can start fostering the environment that makes employees want to live/work in the CBD again.”.
“Pittsburgh would benefit from a program similar to the
Transformational Mixed Used Development Program (TMUD) which was implemented in Ohio. This program provides tax credits against development costs for mixed use developments that may include residential, retail, structured parking, office, recreation and more. Most developers in Pittsburgh are aware of the potential $2.1 million Mayor Ed Gainey has sought to unlock for Pittsburgh through the American Rescue
53
www.developingpittsburgh.com
Made with FlippingBook Digital Publishing Software