10/25/2011 - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette - New Park a Grassy Spot in Marshall-Shadeland

Just shy of an acre and ringed by young trees, a lawn of new grass officially became Washburn Square Park in Marshall-Shadeland at a ceremony Monday on Bartold Street.

10/21/2011 - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette - First House Completed in Manchester Development

A 4.3-acre lot of mud and weeds that occupied Manchester's northern portal for five years is now on the way to becoming Columbus Square, a 31-home development whose first model home was opened to the public Thursday during a ceremony on Juniata Street.

 

09/29/2011 - The Northside Chronicle - Renovated Woodland Avenue House Completed

Last week, Brightwood Civic Group cut the ribbon at 1407 Woodland Avenue in Brightwood, marking the first step in the Woodland Avenue Revitalization Project.

09/27/2011 - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review - $523 Million Connector Rolls Closer to Completion

The Port Authority of Allegheny County has started to take its $523.4 million North Shore Connector project for a months-long test drive.

07/26/2011 - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette - Walkabout: One Church Saved, Another Near It Needs Angels' Help

Neighbors across the street from the old German church on Rhine Street in Spring Hill say they have been watching the roof from their porches, wondering how it made it through another winter...   ...Not even a mile away, down at Madison Avenue and Tripoli Street in East Deutschtown, another old German church -- originally Imanuel Evangelist, built in 1859 -- has a happier story.

05/12/2011 - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review - Pittsburgh, Developer Move Forward on Garden Theater Project

The Pittsburgh Urban Redevelopment Authority this afternoon approved moving forward with the sale of a collection of vacant North Side properties that includes the now-closed Garden Theater. Allegheny City Development Group plans to develop the site for retail, office and residential use for $17.5 million. 

04/27/2011 - CNNC-PGH.org - CNNC Announces Northside’s Federal Street Facade Improvements

The Central Northside Neighborhood Council (CNNC) announces that the innovative facade improvements project along Central Northside’s Federal Street can now move forward, thanks to the dedication of CNNC volunteers and the generosity of Duquesne Light and the URA.

04/19/11 - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review - North Side Church's Move Allows 'Rebirth' for Another

Photo courtesy of Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

After nearly 90 years in the North Side, Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church is closing, but its move to new quarters in the North Hills will trigger the rejuvenation of another Pittsburgh congregation.

Some North Side groups will profit from the Rivers Casino without setting foot inside. The Northside Leadership Conference is awarding more than $500,000 for 11 projects designed to improve the area.

02/17/2011 - HotelBusiness.com - Hyatt Place Opens On Pittsburgh's North Shore

A Hyatt Place opened here on the North Shore, the result of a joint venture between RockBridge Capital, LLC and Continental Real Estate Companies.

01/26/11 - Pop City Media - Turn an Empty Deutschtown Lot into an Art Installation and Community Garden

Calling all architects, artists, and otherwise makers! The Children's Museum of Pittsburgh and Team Laminates are seeking design proposals to transform an empty Deutschtown lot into a public art installation and garden beds that will provide vegetables to the community.

12/27/10 - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette - Authority to Study Development Between Stadiums

An option agreement between the Pittsburgh Stadium Authority and the Steelers and Pirates regarding development between the North Shore stadiums will be put on hold for six months pending a study of parking needs, the authority board decided today. 

12/09/10 - The Northside Chronicle - Stage AE to Bring Concerts Big and Small to North Shore

Although it may look like a single large building at first glance, the newly opened Stage AE amphitheater on the North Shore has not one, but three facilities.

12/08/10 - Pop City Media - The Big Red Room Cafe at The Children's Museum of Pittsburgh is Open for Healthy Eating

The Children's Museum of Pittsburgh has been busy revamping their café since October, and the newly completed Big Red Room Café is now open to for lunch with a wider variety of food options and a greater emphasis on healthy eating and efficiency. 

12/07/10 - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette - Development of North Shore Continues to Grow

Next up for the North Shore: A third office building, residences and more entertainment.

11/26/10 - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette - North Shore Connector Said to be on Schedule and Under Budget

As if the challenge of urban subway construction weren't enough, there are a few urban myths for the Port Authority to deal with as North Shore Connector construction advances to the home stretch.

11/18/10 - The Northside Chronicle - New Gym in Fineview Provides Safe Place for Youth

A new gym in Fineview’s Allegheny Dwellings is providing a safe space for the community’s young people, and helping to curb violence in local neighborhoods.

11/12/10 - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette - First National Bank Expanding Pittsburgh Headquarters

Hermitage-based First National Bank of Pennsylvania this morning announced plans to expand its Pittsburgh regional headquarters on the North Shore in July 2011, adding new office space and an unspecified number of additional employees.

11/11/10 - Pittsburgh City Paper - Community Rebuilding

Linda Nelson, chairperson of the Manchester Citizens Council, says the neighborhood has fought hard to overcome decay and perception (Photo by Renee Rosensteel).

For the past four decades, the Manchester neighborhood in Pittsburgh's North Side has had something of an identity crisis.  It became a national historic district in 1975 after community members rallied against developers seeking to remove blight by tearing down the era's distinctive Victorian-era homes. But even after that victory, many vacant structures continued to deteriorate, along with the neighborhood's personality. These days, preservationists have reason to believe the worst is behind them.

11/09/10 - The Northside Chronicle - Once Ugly Underpass to Become Art Gallery

The Federal Street underpass, once an ugly reminder of Pittsburgh’s industrial era, will now function as an art gallery supporting rotating installations and welcoming pedestrians and motorists to the Northside.

11/05/10 - Pittsburgh Business Times - SMARTSolution Technologies Owners to Redevelop Buildings on Pittsburgh's North Side

Elaine Stone and her husband, Mitchell Schwartz, are buying five North Side buildings on West North Avenue. They plan to create a new home for Schwartz’s company, a loft for the couple and lofts to rent.  As Mitchell Schwartz tells it, the crack in the wall he found in his company’s Carrick neighborhood office was evidence that SMARTSolution Technologies was “busting at the seams.”

11/02/10 - The Northside Chronicle - Additional Access Point Lets Kayakers Hit the Water

Water-loving Northsiders now have an easy way to put their canoes and kayaks on Pittsburgh’s rivers.  A non-motorized access point to the Three Rivers Water Trail opened officially on Oct. 23 at Westhall Street in the Brightwood/Brighton Heights area, and already has turned at least one Northsider into a kayak lover.

10/22/10 - The Northside Chronicle - Ground Broken on New Soccer Field in Riverview Park

 

(Photo/Kelly Thomas)

Officials from the City of Pittsburgh and a local sports group broke ground Oct. 21 on a long-awaited, state-of-the-art soccer field on Mairdale Avenue in Riverview Park that many on the Northside had felt was an empty promise.

10/21/10 - The Northside Chronicle - Garden Theater Block Developer Secured

With less than a half hour of discussion, the Urban Redevelopment Authority board of directors unanimously voted to grant Zukin Development Corporation and Collaborative Ventures an exclusive negotiation agreement for development of the Garden Theater Block for up to 90 days.

10/13/10 - Pop City Media - Stage AE will rock December with Girl Talk, Wiz Khalifa, and George Clinton lineup

Pittsburgh's newest entertainment venue, Stage AE, is scheduled to open around Thanksgiving weekend, and what's more, three great concerts have been scheduled for December. Who, you beseech? 

09/29/10 - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review - Planners Approve Northview Accelerated Learning Academy Overhaul
  
Northview Accelerated Learning Academy will become the "crown jewel" of the Pittsburgh Public Schools once its $14 million overhaul is completed, district officials told the city Planning Commission on Tuesday.

09/29/10 - Pop City Media - Total Transformation of Allegheny Public Square Moves Forward with Completion of Final Design Phase

The City of Pittsburgh, in partnership with The Children's Museum of Pittsburgh, community members, and Andrea Cochran Landscape Architecture, have completed the second major phase of design for the revitalization of the Northside's Allegheny Public Square Park.

09/28/10 - The Northside Chronicle - Combination Cafe and Laundromat in Brighton Heights Offers One-stop Convenience

The grand opening of the Brighton Cafe and Trey's Laundromat featured free hotdogs. (Photo/Matthew Cichowicz)

The Brighton Cafe and Trey’s Laundromat opened its doors Sept. 18 in Brighton Heights. The combination of the cafe and laundromat is new to Brighton Heights and may be the first of its kind on the Northside.

09/17/10 - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review - Peoples Gas Plans North Shore Complex

The new Peoples Natural Gas Co. said Thursday day it plans to create a corporate headquarters and customer service center with about 200 employees at the Del Monte Center on the North Shore.

09/02/10 - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review - 7 Homebuyers Sold on Manchester Vision
 
For the first time in years, Anthony Clark sees a reason to invest in his North Side neighborhood.  "Manchester is really starting to get going, and after 15 years of renting, I think it's a good time," said Clark, 44. "I think we're about to see some really great things."

08/25/10 - Pop City - Critical Missing Piece of the Heritage Trail Along Route 28 to be Completed in September

The Heritage Trail, which spans 21 miles along both sides of the Allegheny, Monongahela, and Ohio rivers, will receive a vital missing piece, between the 31st Street Bridge and Millvale, by the end of September.

08/25/10 - Pop City - $18.5 Million National Aviary Expansion to Open Labor Day Weekend

The National Aviary is currently undergoing an $18.5 million expansion and renovation project known as Project Phoenix, which will add 25,000 square feet, target Silver LEED certification, introduce a more seamless environment, and provide more bird-friendly facilities.

08/24/10 - The Northside Chronicle - Fundraising Resumes for Charm Bracelet-Sponsored Park in Allegheny Center

A concept drawing of a proposed green park that would replace the sunken concrete park in Allegheny Center. The park's centerpiece will be a ball of mist created by nozzels on poles. (Photo courtesy the Children's Museum)

With the Children’s Museum, New Hazlett Theater, apartment buildings and plenty of office space, Allegheny Center sees its fair share of foot traffic. Walking past the sunken concrete park in front of the Children’s Museum, though, a visitor might think the complex has been more or less forgotten.

08/16/10 - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review - Children's Museum of Pittsburgh Plans Meadow-Like Park with Fog Sculpture

The Children's Museum of Pittsburgh plans to undo years of failed urban redevelopment and neglect by converting a drab concrete pit into a verdant park highlighted by a globe of mist where children can play.

08/12/10 - Pittsburgh City Paper - Pedaling North

On a given day, as many as 800 bicyclists ride on the North Side's river trails. But according to a neighborhood group, only a small fraction of those cyclists will ever venture into the actual communities above the waterfront.  The group, the North Side Bike/Ped Committee, hopes to change that.

08/04/10 - Pop City - Columbus Square Update: Fourth River Development Accepting Bids for Public Infrastructure

08/03/10 - The Northside Chronicle - Central Northside Plans to Revitalize the Neighborhood by 2015

A drawing of S&A Homes' proposal for the Northside.  (Image courtesy S&A Homes)

Sometimes it takes a seemingly impossible goal to bring about great change.  That’s one of the reasons the Central Northside Neighborhood Council added a year to its vision statement: “By the end of 2015 CNNC will transform all our neighborhood’s vacant lots and empty storefronts by filling them with thriving individuals, commerce and families of all kinds.”  In five years, CNNC hopes to fill more than 100 vacant lots and empty storefronts.