PITTSBURGH — Allegheny Health Network officials presented a proposal for a lot on Pittsburgh’s North Side to City Council on Tuesday.
On one side of the street, there are homes with tree-lined sidewalks, on the other there is an empty lot that Allegheny General Hospital plans to turn into one of three new multistoried towers that will expand their North Side campus.
The newly proposed plan received mixed reviews.
“We as direct neighbors oppose towers being built across the street,” said Randy Smith, a North Side resident.
Smith owns his home on James Street and has invested a lot of money into it. That’s why he and other neighbors are opposing a new plan to expand the hospital’s campus.
“Construction is a huge issue. A nine-story tower will block the natural light that I get in my home,” Smith said.
The institutional master plan would add three new towers: an eight-story building directly across from Smith’s home at the corner of James Street and Hemlock Street.
“We have a great view of the city. Another tower will block our view,” Smith explained.
The other is a nine-story tower at the end of the block at James Street and North Avenue, and the final is a 12-story tower located outside the emergency department on Sandusky Street and North Avenue.
All this is planned over the next ten years.
“That’s ten years of construction that we do not want,” Smith said.
But businesses in the area say it’s a small price to pay.
“It’s the price of progress,” said Karen Ward, an employee of Legend’s Eatery.
Legends Eatery has been located on the corner of James Street and North Avenue for 20 years and said they rely on the hospital for foot traffic.
“We get a lot of business from the hospital, from their employees, especially at lunchtime. I think that other restaurants that are close to ours would get the same amount of people coming in, and if there are more people coming in, it could be good for business,” Ward said.
One equally shared concern is parking.
“My only concern would be parking,” Ward said.
While Smith said, “The plan as it is purposed does not address parking.”
Allegheny General Hospital said they will work to resolve public concerns like noisy traffic and parking.
While Smith said he understands the hospital needs to make improvements, he just wants it not to be done at homeowners’ expense.
“I am not opposed to them fixing this up, but we do not approve of it as it stands,” Smith concluded.
During the city planning meeting, the commission provided a positive recommendation to the city council.
Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts.
Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW