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WEBVTT EXPRESSEDSOME CONCERNS.BOB.BOB: ALSO, IN THE PAST HOUR, WEGOT A CALL BACK FROM THE MAN WHOOWNS THE COMPANY THAT ISREDEVELOPING THE OLD KAUFMAN'SAND MACY'S BUILDING.NOW WE WILL SHOW YOU THE PUBLIC'S CONCERN AND THE OWNERSRESPONSE.THE LANDMARK KAUFMANN'S MACY'SBUILDING STILL STANDS TALL WITHITS HISTORIC CLOCK AT THE CORNEROF FIFTH AND SMITHFIELD.BUT THE CLOSER YOU LOOK, THESADDER THE SHAPE OF THE OUTSIDEMAINTENANCE OF THIS GHOSTLYSELL IS WHAT YOU SEE.>> I MEAN, IT'S A SIMPLEMAINTENANCE ISSUE OF A CRITICALINTERSECTION OF DOWNTOWNPITTSBURGH.BOB: FADED CHRISTMAS DECORATIONSIN JULY BEHIND UGLY PARTIALLYBOARDED-UP DIRTY WINDOWS ANDDOORS THAT USED TO DRAW CROWDS.AS A PITTSBURGHER WHO REMEMBERSTHE GLORY DAYS, WHAT DO YOUTHINK OF THE WAY THIS LOOKS NOW?>> OH, IT'S HIDEOUS.I MISS THIS STORE, TOO, ITSELF,KAUFMANN'S AND MACY'S.BOB: A PHILADELPHIA-BASEDCOMPANY CALLED CORE REALTY HASGRAND PLANS FOR RENOVATIONS --RETAIL, RESTAURANTS, APARTMENTS,A HOTEL.>> NUMBER ONE, IT'S BEHINDSCHEDULE OF WHAT WE WERE TOLDTHEY WOULD BE DOING.BOB: PARTS OF WHAT YOU CAN SEEHERE ARE CRUMBLING, DIRTY ANDFADING.>> THERE'S BEEN QUESTIONSWE'VE HAD SAFETY CONCERNS ANDBUILDING INSPECTION IN THERE ONSEVERAL DIFFERENT OCCASIONS.BOB: MAYOR PEDUTO HOPES THEDEVELOPER WILL MAKE GOOD ONBRINGING BACK ACTIVITY, BIGSTOREFRONTS, BIG WINDOWS TOREVITALIZED DOWNTOWN LIVING.>> AND THIS IS THE ANCHOR TOMAKE IT HAPPEN, BUT IT'S ALSO ANANCHOR THAT CAN DRAW IT DOWN.AND AS WE LOOK AT DELAYS, WEWANT TO SEE ACTION.>> I THINK THAT IT JUST TAKESAWAY FROM A LOT OF THE OLDMEMORIES THAT I HAD AS A CHILD.IT TAKES AWAY FROM THE LIFE OFTHE BUILDING. BOB: THE OWNER TELLS US HISCOMPANY BELIEVES IN THE PRODUCTAND THE CITY.HE SAYS HE WILL BE WORKING WITHOTHER SCHOOLS TO REVITALIZE ANDHAVE A BETTER PRESENCE ON THESTREET WHILE THEY CONTINUE TOWORK ON THE REDEVELOPMENTINSIDE.IT BELIEVES APARTMENTS WILL BEOPENING IN THE BUILDING BY THEEND OF THE YEAR AND HE HOPES THEPLANS FOR A HOTEL, RESTAURANTSAND RETAIL STORES WILL COME TOLIFE IN THE NEW YEAR.

Advertisement Status of former Kaufmann's/Macy's building in downtown Pittsburgh is a concern for Mayor Peduto; developer promises to address issues The mayor said the fate of the building could influence other revitalization efforts downtown. Share Shares Copy Link Copy

The building that once housed a Kaufmann's department store and, later, Macy's in downtown Pittsburgh still stands tall as a historic landmark at the corner of Fifth and Smithfield, but the closer you look, the poorer the condition of what seems a ghostly shell is what you can see.In a Pittsburgh's Action News 4 interview, Mayor Bill Peduto expressed concerns about both the status of planned redevelopment by the building's owner and the current condition of the exterior. Later in the day, the CEO of Core Realty, the owner of the building, gave assurances the concerns would be addressed and that development plans are on track."There's a lot of concerns regarding the development of the old Kaufmann's building," Peduto said Thursday morning. "Number one, it's behind schedule of what we were told they would be doing. Number two, there have been questions, we've had safety concerns and building inspection in there on several different occasions. And number three, we haven't been getting any return calls when we've been asking about what the vision is for what is going to be there."Faded Christmas decorations still hang incongruously in the former department store windows in July's heat, behind ugly, partially boarded-up dirty windows and doors that used to draw crowds of shoppers."Oh, it's hideous. I miss this store, too, itself, Kaufmann's and Macy's," said passerby Diane Rice, of Bethel Park."There's nowhere to shop here. That's what upsets me.""I think that it just takes away from a lot of the old memories that I had as a child. It takes away from the life of the building," said Caroljean Lacy, of Wilkinsburg. "Right now, you look at it, it's like it's dead. So the life is gone. And when you look here, there is no life.""What we want to see are three corners, not just on Smithfield Street, but on both intersections as well, that have 18-hours-type-of-activity," said Peduto. "Big storefronts, big windows, opportunities to see an active part of the downtown, move towards Grant Street and then eventually up towards the new arena."The mayor said the fate of the building could influence other revitalization efforts downtown."This is the anchor to make it happen. But it's also an anchor that can draw it down. And as we look at delays, we want to see action," Peduto told Pittsburgh's Action News 4. "We haven't had detailed answers back from the developer for a while, and it's not from not asking. There has been no indication that they've walked away from any of the original ideas. What they haven't been able to provide is a timeline. And we need a timeline, and at a minimum,, we need that corner to be spruced up while the building is being redesigned."A Philadelphia-based company called Core Realty has grand plans for renovations --- retail stores, restaurants, apartments, a hotel -- but parts of what you can see on the outside are crumbling, dirty and fading."It's all negative," Peduto said. "I mean, it's not just the simple ability to reopen those window fronts and having a streetscape that's inviting , but it's (that) the windows are not even being cleaned. I mean, it's a simple maintenance issue of a critical intersection of downtown Pittsburgh."Late Thursday afternoon, the CEO of Core Realty, Michael Samschick, responded by phone to a Pittsburgh's Action News 4 request for comment.Samschick said Core Realty believes in the project and in the city. He said the company will work with local artists and schools to bring new displays to the street-level display windows, while redevelopment work continues inside the building.Samschick told Pittsburgh's Action News 4 that he believes apartments will be open in the building by the end of this year, and that a hotel, restaurants and retail stores will open there next year.Earlier Thursday, Peduto said of Core Realty, "They're looking to potentially partner with the Penguins on developing part of the 28 acres (of the former Civic Arena site). We want to make sure that that does not then take precedent over this critical intersection of downtown Pittsburgh."