Category: Responsible Growth

Lawrenceville Nomination to the National Register of Historic Places

by Darrell Kinsel

The Pennsylvania State Historic Preservation Office, the Pittsburgh Department of City Planning and the Urban Redevelopment Authority have been working with the Lawrenceville community to see the neighborhood added to the National Register of Historic Places.  These groups recently held a meeting regarding updates around Lawrenceville’s nomination to the National Register of Historic Places.

Please click the link(s) for more information regarding this process:   

THE ECONOMIC BENEFITS OF HISTORIC PRESERVATION ACTIVITIES IN PENNSYLVANIA

The National Register of Historic Places: Lawrenceville Historic District

Lawrenceville Historic District National Registration Nomination Public Information Meeting

Community Meeting on Nomination to the National Register of Historic Places Meeting Notes

National Historic designation does not restrict property owners in any way or provide any additional restrictions or oversights. National Register designation creates exceptional marketing and promotional opportunities and is a way to raise public awareness about a community’s history.

Information about the National Register of Historic Places may be found on the State Historic Preservation Office’s website here: https://buff.ly/2rCdFSd; and on the National Park Service’s website: https://buff.ly/2Gewu81.

 

Questions? Contact your neighborhood planner, Andrea Lavin Kossis, at Andrea.LavinKossis@pittsburghpa.gov, or 412.255.2223.

 

 

Support “Housing for All”: a call to action for inclusionary zoning

by David Breingan

Lawrenceville United, Lawrenceville Corporation, Councilwoman Deb Gross, and the Department of City Planning co-hosted three “Housing For All” community meetings between September and November to discuss the state of housing and displacement in Lawrenceville and discuss a possible inclusionary zoning policy in Lawrenceville. Meeting notes are available here.

Now it’s time to make “housing for all” a reality! 

To support housing opportunities for all as the Lawrenceville neighborhood grows, please join us by:

  • Signing the petition to show your support for inclusionary zoning in Lawrenceville, and sharing with your neighbors: https://goo.gl/pzQqFf
  • Speaking at City Council on 11/27, 12/5, 12/11, or 12/19. All public comment periods are at 10 a.m. at City Council chambers on the 5th floor in the City County Building (414 Grant Street). To let us know you’ll be attending or help with preparing your comments, contact 412-802-7220 or info@LUnited.org.

Recap from Housing For All: Community Feedback & Call to Action

by David Breingan

Lawrenceville United, Lawrenceville Corporation, Councilwoman Deb Gross, and the Department of City Planning held the third and final “Housing For All” community meeting on Monday, November 5th from 6-8 p.m. at Goodwill of Southwestern PA’s Workforce Development Center. The meeting focused on the proposed Interim Planning Overlay District (IPOD) for Lawrenceville that would implement inclusionary zoning across the neighborhood. Please see below for materials and notes from the meeting:

Please follow the links below for recaps of the previous two meetings:

Next steps:

  • Sign the petition to support the Lawrenceville Inclusionary Zoning IPOD and share it with your neighbors!
  • Speak at an upcoming City Council standing meeting on 11/27, 12/5, 12/11, or 12/19 (all at 10 a.m. at City Council chambers) to voice your support for inclusionary zoning! Contact info@LUnited.org or 412-802-7220 for more information.

Recap from Housing For All: Inclusionary Zoning as a Tool to Preserve Affordability

by David Breingan

The second of three “Housing For All” community meetings was held on Wednesday, October 17th at 6 p.m. at Goodwill of Southwestern PA’s Workforce Development Center. The meeting focused on Inclusionary Zoning as a tool to preserve affordability. Please see below for materials and notes from the meeting:

  • Presentation from Lawrenceville United & Lawrenceville Corporation
  • Video introducing Inclusionary Housing
  • Presentation from Department of City Planning
  • Meeting notes from Q&A + break-out groups
  • Follow up questions that were submitted are currently being answered and will be posted here when complete.

The third community meeting, Housing For All: Community Feedback and Call to Action, will take place on Monday, November 5th from 6-8 p.m. at Goodwill’s Workforce Development Center (118 52nd Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15201). The building is fully accessible. Dinner provided. Childcare available by advance request to LU at 412-802-7220.

For a recap of the first meeting held on 9/28/2018, Housing For All: The State of Housing & Displacement in Lawrenceville, please click here.

Recap from Housing for All: The State of Housing in Lawrenceville

by Darrell Kinsel

Many thanks to the Office of Councilwoman Deb Gross, Lawrenceville Corporation and the Department of City Planning for partnering on this effort.  The hosting partners provided updates on the state of housing in Lawrenceville, displacement, and what’s being done about it. Thank you to all of the attendees who shared their stories and experiences.

Be sure to check out Lawrenceville United’s Presentation here: The State of Housing in Lawrenceville

We also have the notes that reflect the stories and experiences shared by the session attendees: Housing for All Group Notes

The next event in the Housing for All series happens on October 17, 2018 from 6-8 p.m. at Goodwill’s Workforce Development Center at 118 52nd Street – Inclusionary Zoning: a tool to preserve affordability  

Joint Statement Regarding Holy Family Site

by David Breingan

June 20, 2018

Joint Statement Regarding Holy Family Site

Lawrenceville United and Lawrenceville Corporation are pleased that 44th and Summit Development LLC has voluntarily withdrawn the demolition permit application for the Holy Family church, filed on May 29, 2018. Completed in 1940 to serve the growing Polish immigrant population in the Lawrenceville area, the church is a contributing building to Lawrenceville’s current nomination to the National Registry of Historic Places and one of the neighborhood’s most iconic buildings.

Lawrenceville United’s (LU) mission is to improve and protect the quality of life for all Lawrenceville residents. Lawrenceville Corporation (LC) serves as the catalyst and conduit for responsible growth and reinvestment in the Lawrenceville community. Together, LU and LC steward development in the neighborhood, ensuring that individual projects comport with neighborhood plans and values, and contribute to the authenticity of the neighborhood. As a part of this effort, our organizations created a community process that provides a forum where new development projects can be discussed, vetted, and measured against community plans and priorities.

Several years ago, LU and LC worked with the property owners on a robust community process for their proposed redevelopment of the former Holy Family Church and School for residential housing. This community process included large community meetings as well as smaller focus-group sessions with residents from different impact areas. Hundreds of residents participated in the process. In response to articulated concerns, the owners revised their plans to reduce the overall unit count while increasing the parking. Notably, the adaptive re-use of the historic church structure was central to the plans. LU and LC publicly supported these revised plans. Documents from this community process are available on LU’s website at www.LUnited.org.

Our organizations were hit unexpectedly with the recent demolition permit application without advance notice, and we viewed the proposed demolition as a serious deviation from the agreements and commitments made by the property owner. In response, the LC and LU co-submitted a nomination to the City’s Historic Review Commission for historic listing of the Holy Family Church.  Prepared by Preservation Pittsburgh with support from the Lawrenceville Historic Society, the nomination ensures that—for the near term—any and all proposed exterior alterations of the church must be reviewed and approved by the Historic Review Commission before they take place.

44th and Summit Development LLC withdrew their demolition application on Friday, June 16th and released a statement indicating that they are committed to working with the community to formulate a new path forward. LU and LC appreciate this orientation and remain fully supportive of responsible redevelopment on the property that aligns with community priorities.  The continued dilapidation of a vacant and blighted 1.5-acre site in the heart of Central Lawrenceville is not beneficial to neighbors or the community at-large. We look forward to working in good faith and in earnest with 44th and Summit Development and other partners on a community-supported plan for redevelopment of the site that includes the preservation of the sanctuary.

We thank Mayor William Peduto, Councilwoman Deb Gross, Preservation Pittsburgh, Lawrenceville Historical Society, and Pittsburgh History and Landmarks Foundation for their support in preserving this historic church.