[PRCo] Re: Pen's get new luxury hotel

[Jerry MATT Matsick]

Perhaps the stir of new Center Avenue area Hotel will convince the city to put a new street car line in?









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Video:Â Pens Announce Luxury Hotel DealPenguins' Hotel Deal Near Arena Gets OKReshaping Of Uptown Pittsburgh, Hill District Continues
UPDATED: 7:46 am EST December 17, 2008



PITTSBURGH --Â Plans to build a luxury hotel near the Pittsburgh Penguins' new arena were approved Tuesday by the city's Planning Commission.
The hotel will be built next to Consol Energy Center, which is under construction across the street from Mellon Arena. It's the first major development in the new arena agreement between the Pens and Horizons Property Group.
"We're very excited about it. It's the first step in the arena being a revitalization for the entire region. We're excited that we're moving forward this quickly," Pens president David Morehouse said in October, when the deal was announced.
The Penguins' letter of intent for the project calls for 135 rooms, a full-service restaurant, a barista bar and conference facilities.
"This hotel will create jobs. it's one of the things that we talked about when we were talking to the community and the public officials. This will create jobs, will create an expanded tax base. The next step for us will be the Fifth Avenue retail space that will be built into the arena," said Morehouse.
The team hopes to bring a new look to downtown Pittsburgh along Centre Avenue by the start of the 2010-2011 hockey season.
"It calls for a reconnection of the uptown area with downtown and, doing so, reconnecting the hill with downtown Pittsburgh," Morehouse said.
So far, there's no word on which chain will operate the new hotel.
Joe McGrath, of Visit Pittsburgh, said the city still needs a mega-hotel linked to the David L. Lawrence Convention Center to compete for national conventions.
"A headquarters hotel that matches the size and demand of that convention center -- Pittsburgh still needs that," McGrath said.
Allegheny County Chief Executive Dan Onorato said the city hasn't given up on the idea of a larger hotel near the convention center, and will be seeking a new round of proposals for such a project.

 
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From: Jerry "Matt" Matsick

AGING: Eventually you will reach a point when you 
stop lying about your age and start Bragging 
about it. 
  -------------- Original message from Derrick J Brashear <shadow at dementia.org>: --------------


> On Wed, 17 Dec 2008, John Swindler wrote:
> > p.s.  we only had two empty seats last night on the 38 seat bus assigned to Hershey run.  We were in the mid-20s last year at this time.  We peaked at three standees last summer.  I think Joshua rides PAT.  If so, what has been your 
> experience???  Who else actually rides transit daily??
> 
> He moved east, so you'll have to ask him about SEPTA.
> 
> Current observations from me lack full meaning since Pitt and CMU are now 
> on break; Ridership has been dropping on the lines I ride over the last 
> few weeks because finals have different/fewer demands on students' time on 
> campus
> 
>