This would be the nicest building on campus..
You make Cathy sad.
But you are right, the exterior of the PAA at least, is right up there.
I'd go with Heinz Chapel 1st though.
OT: Why Doesn't Pitt Buy PAA?
- Thread starter SVPanther
- Start date
You make Cathy sad.
But you are right, the exterior of the PAA at least, is right up there.
I'd go with Heinz Chapel 1st though.
I actually did a last minute overnight there 2 years ago. Sadly the place is very rundown and I did not enjoy my stay. I kept looking past the accommodations with glances outside my window with the glorious sight lines of the C of L. The location is fantastic and I cant imagine Pitt passing up on this buying opportunity.
Come on guys its all about location, location, location!!!!
Come on guys its all about location, location, location!!!!
It is a beautiful building. Quite magnificent inside too (at least it was many years ago).
The last time I was in there was about 10 years ago- you could see it needed a lot of work even then. I'd love to see it restored to the way it looked 30+ years ago.
The last time I was in there was about 10 years ago- you could see it needed a lot of work even then. I'd love to see it restored to the way it looked 30+ years ago.
I don't know about the current administration being more or less friendly than the previous administration?
However, I can tell you that in the fall, I was at a dinner with the mayor's Chief of Staff and he was pissing and moaning about how much taxable revenue they lose out on in Oakland. We are not friends and I am not an important person. It was just kind of a mutual acquaintance type of thing led to a dinner.
I was sitting 6 feet from him when he said it. Politely, I talked about the other benefits having all of those world-class hospitals and universities in the area give to our entire city, but he was not buying that argument. I believe that the combination of University of Pittsburgh and Carnegie Mellon University, along with some other factors – like our investment in medicine – contributed mightily to Pittsburgh avoiding the same fate that befell many other Rust Belt cities that did not have two academic powerhouses to help study their cities' respective economies during the tough times.
Again, he wasn't interested in hearing that. He basically said, "That's all well and good but now it's time for them to pay their fair share."
As I said, it was a dinner and I wasn't interested in arguing with him even though I think his mentality is insanely shortsighted. Also, if I'm being honest, I didn't particularly care for him. He seems like an arrogant jerk.
However, I DEFINITELY did not get the sense that he just loved working with the University of Pittsburgh or was interested in advocating on our behalf.
However, I can tell you that in the fall, I was at a dinner with the mayor's Chief of Staff and he was pissing and moaning about how much taxable revenue they lose out on in Oakland. We are not friends and I am not an important person. It was just kind of a mutual acquaintance type of thing led to a dinner.
I was sitting 6 feet from him when he said it. Politely, I talked about the other benefits having all of those world-class hospitals and universities in the area give to our entire city, but he was not buying that argument. I believe that the combination of University of Pittsburgh and Carnegie Mellon University, along with some other factors – like our investment in medicine – contributed mightily to Pittsburgh avoiding the same fate that befell many other Rust Belt cities that did not have two academic powerhouses to help study their cities' respective economies during the tough times.
Again, he wasn't interested in hearing that. He basically said, "That's all well and good but now it's time for them to pay their fair share."
As I said, it was a dinner and I wasn't interested in arguing with him even though I think his mentality is insanely shortsighted. Also, if I'm being honest, I didn't particularly care for him. He seems like an arrogant jerk.
However, I DEFINITELY did not get the sense that he just loved working with the University of Pittsburgh or was interested in advocating on our behalf.
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I think the Mayor's position is reconcilable. As Pittsburgh's tax base has shrunk, you need to have someone pay the freight for city services. If anyone was in his position, I imagine that's what they would advocate. But that's just a bandage.
Given falling birth rates, deaths exceeding births by the largest in the U.S., Pittsburgh needs to encourage every immigrant and refugee (documented or otherwise) to settle in Pittsburgh. That's the only hope.
On occasion, a property is worth more to buy A than Buyer B...all things considered, given where the PAA is located, don't you think it's worth a little more to Pitt than the average buyer given that it's smack dab in the middle of Pitt's campus and Pitt is so space constrained?
The prior administration was downright hostile. As way of easiest examples, remember the whole tax the students initiatives and suing UPMC over its non-profit status.
The current administration at least came in and reconciled somewhat with the overtly hostile positions, because frankly, the city couldn't win those anyway. But it still consumes resources to battle those things and that is no way to try partner on things like PILOTs or other programs that need partnerships like, for instance, the BRT. This current attitude isn't overly surprising, and Pittsburgh is hardly the only city targeting non-profits, but it is extremely disappointing in that it lacks an awareness of what and whom its major institutions are competing against and how their success in those competitions is important to the city. I also love when people want a piece of something someone else has, and have no legal basis to obtain it, and resort to the trendy buzzword term of "fare share" in order to justify it. Any PILOTs Pitt pays should be tied to things like getting Bigelow Blvd, etc.
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Politicians are always looking for more tax money to spend.....it's what they do! Pgh should annex Willinsburg, Mt Oliver and any contiguous area available and let PITT grow and increase wage taxes for the city.
It's worth what people are willing to pay. Same with anything. I think the point of the Nordenberg administration, and probably the current one, is that they're not going to be price gouged because someone figures out the university is the one expressing interest in their property, nor are they going to get into a crazy bidding war. Look at the hold out properties in the middle of Bouquet Gardens. Pitt just said, yeah right, we'll just building around you.
The city will do everything it can to prevent Pitt from increasing its holdings for precisely the reason the guy above posted.
It seems suspicious indeed the current owners are able to continue possessing the property despite paying no taxes, no utilities, etc.
Looks like the city is letting them string this along as long as possible to try to give time for the hotel to be constructed that might 'save' the day, i.e., keep it in anyone's hands but Pitt's.
So I share the doubt that Pitt will have this property anytime soon, or later, for that matter.
It seems suspicious indeed the current owners are able to continue possessing the property despite paying no taxes, no utilities, etc.
Looks like the city is letting them string this along as long as possible to try to give time for the hotel to be constructed that might 'save' the day, i.e., keep it in anyone's hands but Pitt's.
So I share the doubt that Pitt will have this property anytime soon, or later, for that matter.
If Pitt ends up buying it down the line, what would they do to it / with it? I always thought it'd be cool if they turned it into a Pitt athletics HOF with a lot of memorabilia and interactive areas along with history of sports in the Oakland neighborhood, and then maybe a restaurant or too. Not sure that'd be too popular since it'd probably require changing a lot of the interior.
There is a Pittsburgh income tax which every employee in Oakland pays - or doesn't the idiot know that or chooses to ignore it since it is a paltry 1%. Since they can basically push an increase via edict I am shocked the money grubbers haven't gone for it.
I'm down with that so long as HOF means "Hall of Frustration. Celebrating 150 years of Pitt Athletic Futility"!
Just think of the opportunities!
- The Nasir Robinson Room.
- Interactive feature where you can make the coin toss call - a la "Fast" Freddy Jacobs.
- What was I thinking display. Gordon Jones spiking the ball at the ND one.
- Nicholas Grigsby on-side kick memorial for botching two onsides kicks against Houston.
- Pitt band drummer doing face plant coming out of the hole on national TV.
- To salute opposing players, Barry Goheen.
Lines to get in and wail in agony for miles!
There isn't a building on the PITT campus called Cathy.You make Cathy sad.
But you are right, the exterior of the PAA at least, is right up there.
I'd go with Heinz Chapel 1st though.
Its the Cathedral Of Learning!
I don't get too hung up on nicknames but I kind of agree with that. That is an incredibly distinguished looking academic building and that is not a very distinguished nickname.
I'm not offended by it or anything like that, but I don't think it does it justice. It's just cute for the sake of being cute.
I'm not offended by it or anything like that, but I don't think it does it justice. It's just cute for the sake of being cute.
As Pittsburgh's tax base has shrunk Pittsburgh's need for services has shrunk as well. But what sort of politician would they be if they said hey, you know, there aren't nearly as many of us as their used to be so maybe we don't quite need the same level of services that we used to have?
Uhh....maybe costs (especially medical) have increased faster than savings realizied from the number of people who no longer need them? Think it through.
If you think that's what's happened then it's clear that living so far away from Pittsburgh has you completely out of touch with the Pittsburgh political scene.
