Volume 29 No. 10
October 2013
Spring Garden redesigns community’s gateway By Kelsey Shea
The Community Alliance of Spring Garden and East Deutschtown has re imagined the gateway to the two communities. The drawing above would be the view of the redesigned gateway that motorists coming from the 16th Street Bridge would see. Drawings provided by CASGED and Moore Design.
A plan to improve the safety and aesthetic appeal of the gateway to Spring Garden and East Deutschtown has evolved to a master plan for the two Northside neighborhoods. Consultants from Moore Design and Evoque Architecture and Planning presented the final plan for the revitalization of the area surrounding the intersections of Chestnut Street, East Ohio Street and Troy Hill Road at the monthly Community Alliance of Spring Garden and East Deutschtown meeting. “Not many communities have the land and space for this kind of project,” said Evoque Principal Jeff Wetzel, who said that the open space and landmarks in the area were unique strengths of the project. After months of working with the community, consultants
have identified and prioritized three main objectives for the area – installing crosswalks, widening sidewalks and installing a monument and parklet at the entrance of the two neighborhoods. Other installments like new bus stops, tree streetscapes and new bike lanes are also being discussed as part of the final master plan, but are as not one of the top three priorities. CASGED wants see crosswalks and widened walkways at Troy Hill Road and East Ohio Street where they intersect Chestnut Street to increase pedestrian safety in a high-risk area. CASGED has had two meetings with PennDOT, who they believe have similar objectives for the space and are willing to work with the community group.
See CASGED, page 5
City may complete Riverview Foreland row house saved Soccer Field by end of the month By Lindsay Allen exist. By Kelsey Shea Observatory Hill could have the soccer field it’s been waiting for more than 10 years by the end of this month. The City has evened the ground, installed lights and built a retaining wall and bathrooms at the site of the future Riverview Soccer Field on Mairdale Avenue. If all goes well, the City will have an official ribbon cutting by the end of October. “We really want to make a splash,” said Pittsburgh Director of Operations Duane Ashley, who
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wants to celebrate the completion of the long-awaited project with some style. The project to build a soccer field and recreation center behind Perry High School began in 2003 after a study showed that there were too few soccer fields within City limits. After an official ground breaking ceremony in October 2010, the project faced complications due to industrial waste deposit on the field’s site.
See Soccer, page 7
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Despite the rot, dirt and mold, when New Yorker Sarah Sims Erwin stepped into the row homes at 406 and 408 Foreland Ave., she knew it was the place for her. “When I first walked in, I took two steps into that house, and I loved it. Even with the previous renters’ possessions that had been sitting there rotting… I was like, ‘I love this place,’” said Erwin. Sarah Sims Erwin and her husband Dominick DeGennaro are the couple who Deutschtown preservationists thought did not
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The Foreland row house is likely the oldest home in Historic Deutschtown, but years of neglect and problem landlords left the house in severe disrepair by the time October Development owner Al DePasquale bought it in 2007 along with 17 other dilapidated homes in the neighborhood. Most of the 17 other homes have been renovated and sold by October Development, but the Foreland house was only 13.5 feet wide and full of mold and rotting
See Foreland, page 3
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