Volume 32 No. 6
June 2016
Charter school for dyslexic to open in Aug.
Nova Place launches coworking space
By Alyse Horn
By Neil Strebig
By the end of June, the old North Catholic High School in Troy Hill will begin its transformation in becoming Provident Charter School — the first school in the city “dedicated to serving the needs of students with dyslexia and other language-based learning differences,” according to a press release. The school will be open for the 2016-2017 school year, and preenrollment applications are being accepted now until June 15 for students entering 3rd and 4th grade. There will be two 3rd grade classes and two 4th grade classes with 24 students in each and four teachers to each class, totaling 96 students and 48 in each grade level. The school will continue to “add one additional grade level per year to include students between the 2nd and 8th grades by the 2021-2022 academic year,” according to the press release. Provident Charter School Principal and CEO Brett T. Marcoux said when the sale closes in June, renovations on the building can begin. Marcoux has spent a large portion of his career dedicated toward teaching students with dyslexia, and said the reading disorder tends to fly under par-
ed on the first floor of the building. Keyser is the proprietor of Casellula Wine & Cheese Cafe in Manhattan, and the new location in the Masonic Building will be its second location outside of New York. Reese said the bookshelves on the first floor will be on tracks, so they can be moved out of the way and open up the 9,000 square foot space to be utilized for meetings or private functions of up to 225 people. Mayor Bill Peduto spoke at the event and said the completion of Alphabet City brings
A flora memorial glimmers in the sunlight boldly declaring, “This is exactly where you should be.” It’s the unofficial motto of Alloy 26 — Western Pennsylvania’s largest co-working space. “It is the heartbeat of innovation,” said Faros Properties manager partner Jeremy Leventhal. Alloy 26 replaces the once derelict, vacant halls of the Allegheny Center Mall’s former Woolworth location; a space that has been filled with shadows and ghosts of patrons past for far too long. “[It’s been a] labor of love. To see something that has sat dormant for largely 20 to 32 years, and turn into something that will be a resource. It is incredibly fulfilling,” said Alloy 26 Director of Operations Mike Woycheck. This Thursday officially marked the launch of Alloy 26; Faros Properties third chapter of their Nova Place renovations. The world-class office space uses the scenic downtown Pittsburgh skyline as a backdrop, efficiently using that natural light to stir up a vibrant melting pot of creative ingenuity. The communal space is deco-
See Alphabet City, Page 8
See Alloy 26, Page 6
See Provident, Page 22
Photo by Alyse Horn
Attendees on the hard hat tour get a preview of what will be the second and third floor apartments.
Masonic Building nears September completion
By Alyse Horn On Tuesday, May 10, the City of Asylum led a hard hat tour of the Masonic Building, located on the Garden Theater block, debuting what will become Alphabet City upon completion in September. The first floor of the building will house the City of Asylum Bookstore, which will be home to the largest number of translated books in the United States, said Henry Reese, co-founder and president of City of Asylum. Casellula, a restaurant run by Brian Keyser, will also be locat-