Historic Pittsburgh buildings to be torn down, bocce ball courts being built

PITTSBURGH — It’s out with the old and in with the new.

In just a few short months several historic buildings will be torn down and bocce ball courts will be moving in. The developer calling it a compromise. While local preservation groups said it’s anything but and want the buildings to stay.

“I don’t care whether they tear them down and put the bocce courts in or whether or not they rehab them,” said Al Zangrilli, who works near the site downtown.

The big question was demo or repair, but earlier this week city planning unanimously decided the buildings would come down.

The buildings are located along First Avenue and Market Street, and each is registered as a historic landmark.

So, for nearly five years the city, preservationists, and developer Michael Troiani who also owns Papa J’s in the Strip District have gone back and forth over what he can and cannot do to the historic properties.

“City planning requested that I come back to them with a plan of the whole site and that caused a tremendous delay,” he explained.

Troiani said he proposed several plans the first leveled lots, then an elaborate mixed-use building that would have included housing and a restaurant. Now bocce ball and pickle courts.

“Really what I offered the city now is the lowest common denominator,” Troiani, said.

But local preservationists said the new plan is a disaster; replacing historic buildings with a public nuisance they said will destroy the city’s skyline.

“It’s a crying shame what they have allowed to happen here,” said Karamagi Rujumba with the Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Foundation.

Troiani pushed back and told Channel 11 News the buildings were in disrepair when he purchased them, and even after investing money into the properties they are still unsafe.

“It’s been my priority from the beginning to make that safe,” Troiani said.

Rujumba countered, “The only reason that they had to claim that it’s a safety risk is because they have allowed them to become the deteriorated buildings that they are.”

We asked Troiani if this was the final plan for the site or if he would try again for a larger development project down the line, he had this to say:

“I don’t have a crystal ball about the future the current markets don’t facilitate the highest and best use of the land at this time,” he explained.

There is a 30-day appeal process, and to approve the demolitions Troiani will first need to get approval from zoning officials for the bocce court redevelopment.

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