Volume 30 No. 7
July 2014
Fountain prepares to be restored
ARDE set to open in fall 2014
By Cristina Holtzer
By Abbey Reighard
A Northside project that dates back to 1966 may finally initiate the beginning stages for one of Pittsburgh city parks. Though it is not yet in the construction phase, Allegheny Commons Park has plans underway to rebuild the northeast fountain to be located at the corner of Cedar and North Avenues. The project was originally proposed in the 1966 Allegheny Commons Initiative master plan, and reexamined again in 2002. According to Allegheny Commons Initiative spokeswoman Erin Tobin the fountain renovations have been in the ACI master plan for the last few years, but there were some problems with the project due to lack of funding in the past. “The construction is not happening any time soon,” Tobin said. “Right now we’re still in the planning stages.” Pashek Associates, a local landscaping firm, drafted designs for the roughly $2.8 million project, and Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy spokesman Chris Fletcher said that the first phase after design will be site preparation. See Fountain, page 10
The restoration of the Garden Theater and Masonic Temple Building is set to be complete this fall – and local business owners are eager to move in. According to Tom Hardy, development consultant for the Allegheny City Central Association and association executive director, construction on the Garden Theater and Masonic Temple Building should be complete by September. Hardy said the ACCA has been working on the “shell” of the Garden Theater Building. Hardy added that the ACCA will turn construction over to Domenic Branduzzi in the next 30 days so Branduzzi can begin working on his new ARDE restaurant. Hardy said that many elements of the original Garden Theater lobby will be reused and developers will try to incorporate some fixtures and elements from the original interior of the theater into the new layout, but Hardy added that the inside of the theater will be completely renovated and the layout and design will be See ARDE, page 21
INSIDE
STORIES, COLUMNS, FEATURES & MORE
Photo by Alyse Horn
Modern Café rejoices in taking the Sandwich Week crown for a second year. The restaurant won by one vote, with Chateau Café & Cakery coming in second place.
Long Live the Sandwich Queen By Alyse Horn On Thursday, June 26 at the Priory Grand Hall, Modern Café reclaimed the Northside Leadership Conference Sandwich Week crown for a second consecutive year. Modern Café’s Irene Zotis said she is “very honored that people have been supporting us and that people like out sandwiches.” Zotis said that one of her employees came up with the sandwich on his own a while ago, but it wasn’t for Sandwich Week or on the menu.
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When trying out different sandwiches to submit for Sandwich Week, she “thought [his] was the only one that was different, that people [would] know and something that nobody else would have.” Up against 13 other restaurants, Modern Café won with its Gyro Melt that consisted of grilled American cheese, onions, tomatoes, hot pepper rings and gyro meat on French white bread. Zotis said the sandwich is not yet on the menu, but will be See Modern, page 12
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