Look at what little old Dormont is doing. Developer negotiating to build apartments, parking garage near Dormont light rail stop
We have been fooling around with the hotel, waiting decades for Zamagias to develop property across from St. Bernard's, and nothing but talk when it comes to the TRID (Transit Revitalization Investment Districts) now being called something else, which I can't recall at the moment. Air rights?
Communities are passing us by, Folks. Just keep on thinking that we are number one on everything. I have been criticized for looking at Upper St. Clair. Now, I hope we can keep up with Dormont.
33 comments:
But Elaine, we'll have two new pools, new trash cans, new turf and a lot of bonds to pay.
Oh and plastic camels on peoples' lawns.
Elaine is completely correct. Development is taking place all around Mt Lebanon, but outside of a few homes being built we are not seeing the urban renewal that we need so badly.
Maybe the way to frame this important need is to relate to the community like this,....
"If we revamp the old buildings and build new buildings then property values will rise and that means more money for our big fat lazy teachers! Oh the teachers, yes, for the teachers!"
What about Raja? Why isn't his company located in Mt Lebanon?
Plastic camels?? Where do buy those? I want some.
No.. not me..schools are horrible, tons of rentals and now there is a sex toy shop called Adam and Eve on West Liberty near Potomac..
7:15 PM, does it always have to be "big fat lazy teachers?" We're talking about the municipality. Please stop.
Plastic camels is from this article on lebomag.com
http://lebomag.com/15425/guess-what-day-it-is/#comments
The ESB (the same folks who are counting our garbage cans) are in a contest with our high school students competing against other communities for a $1000 grant from PA American Water.
"When residents implement a water or energy saving strategy in their home or business, they will receive a “herd” of energy camels on their front lawns, similar to the flamingo “flocking” that we regularly see in our community."
I dare not suggest to vote because the last time I did that, I got all kinds of hell from the PIO and my commissioner. So vote and pretend I didn't tell you to do that.
Elaine
I installed a low flow shower head and a programmable thermostat, does that count for those plastic camels that will eventually (about 8 years or so) get dumped in a landfill, along with the worn out Middle/Wildcat artificial turf.
Rediculous!
Will the plastic camels keep Canadian geese off the turf, too, or do we need plastic coyotes?
Dormont has a mayor.
Dormont will also be adding a 500 car parking lot if their proposed plan goes through.
500 more cars that will be using Washington Road.
Lovely.
Looks like there's another proposal for building the lot across from St. Bernards
http://triblive.com/neighborhoods/alleghenyneighborhoods/alleghenyneighborhoodsmore/4936020-74/townhouses-zamagias-lebanon#axzz2l8LqKOdy
The Dormont residents will have to pay the cost of the Tax-Increment Financing and admit their community is blighted.
Hey! if Mount Lebanon can make an abortion out of the Tax-Increment Financing law, why not Dormont? Moving there sounds good.
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The now correct term is Transit Oriented Development (TOD)- Transit Redevelopment Investment District (TRID)is now used to describe the geographic boundaries of a TOD project and the financing associated with it.
Note that 25% of the Dormont TOD project will come from Tax Increment Financing (TIF), a diversion of property taxes, to build the 500 space garage. TIF funds are supposed to be used for infrastructure items like streets, electric service, sewers, gas lines, etc., not for revenue producing structures like garages.
Wait till you see what the Lebo TOD proposal will entail (require) in TIF and government grant funding. You ain't seen nothin' yet !
Thank you! I couldn't remember TOD. There is that nasty three letter word again, TIF. I guess it is everywhere.
Whatever the case, the TOD was a high priority with the commissioners, recognizing that it was revenue generating. During the budget retreat, revenue generating was identified as number one. Somehow, all the money is now being funneled into an artificial turf project. I guess, in the commission's eyes, an artificial turf project is revenue generating, hoping to get that $500 sign.
Elaine
Last time I looked, a developer was building a new 7 story hotel on Washington Road.
And when was that supposed to be ready originally, 7:28 AM? You might want to look.
Elaine
7:28 AM, it only took you fourteen minutes to deflect after I mentioned turf.
Elaine
My comment had nothing to do with turf or TOD or TIF. I simply made a statement that Mt. Lebanon was actually building a new hotel uptown. Your post suggested moving to Dormont might be a good idea, based on a "proposed" development. Meanwhile, back in Lebo, an actual development is being built!!!
If you really think Dormont is passing us by, please don't let the door hit you in the ass on the way out.
Yes,7:52 AM, they have been building a new hotel uptown for YEARS. Thank you for your words of caution.
Elaine
7:18 who the heck is Raja? A commissioner elected to one term in 2007? What does that have to do with anything. Leave the man alone.
Speaking of 2007, the Commission has known for at least that long that they have the air rights over the T. I hear some commissioners just don't want to develop it because it may change the look of downtown.
To them I say, HAVE YOU SEEN THE LOOK OF DOWNTOWN LATELY??? I have been here for more than 10 years and it ain't getting any cleaner, greener, nor is it attracting the type of tenants I think most of the people in this town expect. A change needs to happen.
Desperately.
The hotel completion on Washington Rd. has apparently been rescheduled once again to now Easter, 2014. The original schedule was March, 2013, then June, August, November. The project has been jinxed from the get-go, every step along the way.
The problem with Uptown is that there is very little reason to go there other than restaurants. This is a town of strip malls and standalone stores with parking lots (ala CVS).
When we moved here from New England, our realtor touted "Mt. Lebanon's downtown area" as she called it. What we quickly figured out is that your errands are not done in Uptown but everywhere else. Granted, we still go to Uptown to try to support the businesses there (Uptown Coffee every once in a while, Rolliers when I need something from a hardware store) but overall it's really a big nothing in terms of my day to day life. And don't get me wrong...I WANT to have it be core to our needs...it just isn't...and hasn't been for the 10 years we've been here.
10:39 am. There was a fear when SHV was built that no one would shop or visit Uptown. What do you think it needs?
9:51, 10:39 absolutely.
'Downtown' Mt. Lebanon is basically a 50s-60s era strip mall with inconvenient and relatively expensive parking.
There are some great attractions like Rolliers, Little Tokyo, La Pomp, and a few others, but nothing that attracts window shoppers and spenders on a regular basis.
Hopefully, once the Denis (we can thx Raja for that one at least) and the hotel is finished we might see it become a real mecca like Shadyside was in the 60s and 70s, or a Newtown Square, PA or Geneva, IL.
But I'm not sure its in our collective pysche to support.
I am sure that as our local officials suck every available discretionary dollar out of familys' wallets for recreation, parking fees and public employee payrolls and pensions, it'll never happen.
I'm open to reading others opinions.
This might be the perfect time to remind everyone to "Shop Small" on Shop Small Saturday, the day after Black Friday. This is the time to support all the shops in Mt. Lebanon. I support those businesses throughout the year, but every year, I make a special effort to shop in uptown Mt. Lebanon on Shop Small Saturday. Last year, I was one of a handful of sales for these shop keepers. Please support our local businesses.
Elaine
I'll support Uptown when you support our Superintendent.
I can give you 170,000 reasons as to how we support Timmy.
Sorry this is off topic but... Today I was returning from a doctor's appointment Uptown and near the old Pub & Pizza was the strangest looking vehicle I ever saw. It had "Police" on it but it was worn and hard to read but it also had a weird looking "arm" in the front that looked as if it was some kind of battering ram. What in the world is this?
1:21 - That's where officer Gregory lives.
For those new to Mt. Lebanon, the police used to use a mannequin dressed as a police officer seated in an empty, parked police car to slow down speeders. Then Officer Gregory, as he was known, was stolen. There are quite a few articles in Google news about Officer Gregory. Maybe he got fed up with Lebo and moved to Dormont too.
Elaine
Bring back Officer Gregory.
I guess it is doubtful that you will be supporting Dress 4 Work, 9:16 PM. December 2, 2013 is the last day for Dress 4 Work 2013, Folks. Thanks to all who have donated so far.
Elaine
1:31 you seem to have some latent resentment toward the schools that educate our children, how sad.
Dear November 21, 2013 at 9:51 AM
His appointment to the PAT Board aside, aren't you familar with this?
http://gallery.mailchimp.com/f81ebba6a5835bb0a6f463884/files/Raja_Port_Authority_Plan.pdf
That's Raja's link to this matter.
Why isn't Raja supporting our redevelopment efforts by locating his company in Mt Lebanon?
What is Raja's interest in PAT? Does Raja want to provide cheap foreign labor to drive our trains and busses?
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