I should reiterate that the building would be a new student rec facility. I haven’t paid close enough attention to the plans to give specifics but I’ll look into it.
My annual 'Any news on track complex?' post
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I should reiterate that the building would be a new student rec facility. I haven’t paid close enough attention to the plans to give specifics but I’ll look into it.
BTW, imagine how much more it would be used if Sutherland, Panther, and Irvis Hall, or just the latter two, had entrances at the field level. At minimum, there should be a direct stair route from Irvis down to that and for the life of me I have no idea why there isn't. And there should be a better pedestrian route from the rear of Chevron to it. And Salk and Scaife feel completely cut off from it.
The whole upper campus hillside is just poorly utilized and very poorly thought through, but it could be really nice.
There may be entrances at that level like the cost center. I’ll Have to look into it. And like I also said, plans take a looooong time to turn into reality.
PItt has, and is, buying up lots. But, it's not only unscalable, it's politically untenable, at least at the scale that would make a difference.
Pitt is also a victim of its own, and CMU's, and UPMC's success. Real estate around the university is the most expensive in the city. Pitt continues to be unable to close streets that would have been closed decades ago at similar urban schools, it failed to acquire the PAA, and it still can't force blighted hold out properties to sell that sit in the middle of its Bouquet Gardens housing complex. Somehow people think they can just snap their fingers and buy up large tracks of south Oakland residential housing. They've been at this for 50 years.
It's hard for me to really fault Webb when he doesn't have any facilities, nor even any promiss of facilities, to work with. There is no other power conference school in the country in that situation, and really, probably not another mid major. Pitt is probably right where it should be, all things considered.
Don't know how I missed this thread or I would have responded earlier. I laughed Paco when I saw your comment "Nish not pleased" regarding the tennis team. I also hate to see any team, bwh05, be cut, men or women, whether there are 8 student-athletes involved or 85. It's all about the money and the of interest of our own alumni to donate. Enough has been said about that so I won't comment again. On facilities, I have no inside information but, as Paco has said, there is a master plan that is being developed, that will transform our campus. I've been asked to be on an advisory board to develop this vision and will report here on developments that I'm allowed to convey.
On tennis, in particular, we thought we had the facilities issue solved by partnering with the city to develop an indoor/outdoor facility on the site where the current courts are in Schenley Park. The $15 million price tag mentioned is in the ballpark with the city providing half plus the land. They actually came to us with the proposal and then senior leadership inexplicably pulled the rug out. So now the team practices at the Mellon Bubble up Forbes and plays matches at Oxford where the owners have been fabulous to us.
I'm very impressed with the effort that Lyke has put into the facilities issue. There is no short-term fix so to hear that a transformational plan is being put into place is definitely encouraging. Anxious to see how this plays out.
On tennis, in particular, we thought we had the facilities issue solved by partnering with the city to develop an indoor/outdoor facility on the site where the current courts are in Schenley Park. The $15 million price tag mentioned is in the ballpark with the city providing half plus the land. They actually came to us with the proposal and then senior leadership inexplicably pulled the rug out. So now the team practices at the Mellon Bubble up Forbes and plays matches at Oxford where the owners have been fabulous to us.
I'm very impressed with the effort that Lyke has put into the facilities issue. There is no short-term fix so to hear that a transformational plan is being put into place is definitely encouraging. Anxious to see how this plays out.
Don't understand the plug pulling. Would love to know why that decision was made.
I don't know if you are on a board for just the athletic master plan or the the whole campus, but there are a ton aesthetic things they could do starting with Bigelow Blvd being my long time pet peeve, and looking at the way Washington DC has handled traffic under their circle parks to maintain pedestrian flow.
The Forbes Avenue Corridor plan has some things to improve pedestrian flow
http://www.post-gazette.com/news/tr...nd-to-get-major-overhaul/stories/201803020133
I'm thinking much bigger than that. Ever been to DC and see how the main traffic corridors dive under the traffic circles?
Something more like this:
this was my reference to band-aid and the bubble. Build a student rec facility that can double as an indoor track. How hard is that??
And while they are at it... after the Pete was built they should have gutted... completely gutted and rebuilt the interior of the Field House. This is as much about athletics as it is to provide the students adequate recreation facilities. And just like every other university on the planet... charge a mandatory usage fee every semester.
Pitt charges a $160 student activity feel and a $260 wellness fee. I believe part of the former goes toward subsidizing some of the cost of student athletic tickets. Remember, we are talking about the 2nd most expensive "public" school in the nation. Very total cost of attendance sensitive.
I don't think you realize how overcrowded the Cost Center was. A field for student rec was very much needed. You don't get a field like that in an indoor track. The sports bubble wasn't built as an athletic department facility.
Let's see what the master plan has in store for a track.
I see what you’re saying. I think the plans in the pipeline allowed them to use that space for student rec, which I guess lags behind at Pitt.
Thank you. With Peduto as the mayor, that doesn't come as a surprise.
Oh, I thought you meant Pitt's side. Interesting.
I would guess they didn't have the funding, but who knows.
I've been saying Pete lawn for something for years. Way underutilized. Even the cement space above the Pete- rarely used for anything.
Yea it just sits there. It would be nice if they figured out ways to get more out of it.
1. Build a direct access stairwell to it from Irvis Hall.
2. When the weather clears, put up volleyball nets. Have volleyballs, badminton, whiffle ball, frisbees, slam can, corn hole, beach towels available to take out to the lawn from the Baierl Rec Center.
3. Have the university, student groups (PPC), and RAs of surrounding dorms actively program and promote activities and contests on the lawn. Not just physical activities, but also things like movie nights.
4. Improved landscaping, including a water feature cascading down one of the slope walls.
The concrete plaza adjacent to the Pete is a lost cause. They should just build on that.
Pitt is not the only major university in an urban area. Maybe the only one who can't get a grip on its political realities. As far as the MAC comments goes... Toledo, Akron... those are urban areas. Ohio State is situated in an urban area. And trust me... Ohio politicians are just as corrupt as any from western PA. Granted... OSU has a BOT full of political appointees and those w/ political connections and I'm sure it wasn't a coincidence when the largest campus slumlord was indicted for corruption and sent to prison.
The "Campus Partners" group created by the university to spearhead the "revitalization of the urban neighborhoods" around its campus which is legalize for partner with the city to invoke eminent domain on any blighted property adjacent to its campus. And when you can throw around crime statistics - the feds become involved. No one wants to see their son/daughter murdered 1 block away from university property due to "blighted, crime/riddled neighborhoods".
In other words... its been done before. This is not anything new. This is not anything unique to Pitt.
There's nothing remotely similar to Pitt's situation and Ohio State's. It is nothing near the political pull in the state, nor does it dominate that city like OSU does. The last, and only time, eminent domain was invoked for Pitt, by the state GSA in 1967 right after it became state-related, for two measily decrepit blocks adjacent to Forbes Field, all hell broke lose and the reverberations are still being felt. It is never going to happen again. Pitt doesn't have that type of pull to even attempt to influence the state or city to confiscate property. Heck, it has had to pay for the salary of housing inspectors even to get the city to enforce the building codes in Oakland. It has been a mostly hostile relationship with the city since 1966. After 60 years of trying, it still can't even close one block of Bigelow Blvd. It has had to slowly and quietly buy pieces of property in a piecemeal fashion, and there are plenty of community activest groups waiting to push back with any encroachment of the university into the residential streets. It is very difficult and slow slog to expand the perimeters of campus.
The "urbaness" of Pitt's 140 acre, street-grided campus, which is located in the third most dense urban area and one of the highest value per square foot real estate in the state, is not remotely similar to 1,800 acres of Ohio State's campus, nor for that matter Toledo's...in Toledo, as if that is anything remotely comparable. Apples to oranges. Not all urban universities are the same.
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From what I've seen in the preliminary master plan and with a Major donor I do work with, the Outdoor Track will be built sooner rather than latter. Then a new Trees Facility (which I guess would be the student rec center which would be able to use DGS funding unlike a sports only facility). Where Trees is now is not really clear what would go there.
I'm more interested in the joint effort by Pitt and CMU to put a 4 to 8MW Co-Gen down at the Bellifield plant.
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I'm more interested in the joint effort by Pitt and CMU to put a 4 to 8MW Co-Gen down at the Bellifield plant.
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Where are the possible locations for the track?
Co-Gens aren't sexy, but I would think that is a fairly necessary project.
I beg to differ. Co-Gens make tons of sense for a plant like Bellefield or even Carrillo. They need to make steam 24/7 365 days a year for the Labs and Hospitals. A waste steam turbine means you can run your boilers at their most efficient all that time and generate electricity at the same time. PSU is preparing to install their 6th, Duquesne is planning upgrades.
You can also install absorption chillers and use excess steam to make cooling. I mean if you have to generate steam anyway, might as well get biggest bang for buck. And solar and wind can't do it all.
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Still down at the old baseball/softball complex. Drawings have been done for 2/3 years. Budgets put in. I think mokney is the only issue.
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I said they weren't sexy, not that it wasn't necessary. Not sexy, as in you aren't going to harvest many donations from alumni by talking up co-gen plans.
Bellefield, CMU and Pitt have been floating putting in a Co-Gen to make electricity and more steam. I don't know if it was 1, 2 or all 3 floating the idea. I do know once UPMC Presby puts in its new tower either Bellefield or Carrillo will have to add more capacity because CMU has eaten up all the excess left after Children's was demo'd with their new buildings. Bellefield makes the most sense. And Bellefield is the one that would like to start generating electricity.
Other option is UPMC Building another central plant in Oakland to tie into the existing systems to feed their new tower. That option being on top of WPIC parking deck which isn't optimal.
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Doubt it. I would guess if they put in a REC center/new trees. Something would go at Trees. Cost just got a pretty expensive cooling upgrade so can't see that going. I guess Fitz could go and demo the pool section of Trees.
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I’ve heard from a reliable source that they’re building a replacement for the field house where the OC lot is and tearing down the field house and putting a parking garage there. Not sure about track/tennis etc. This would be a volleyball/wrestling/gymnastics facility. Is it possible this would include an indoor track?
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