Bidders sought for Hill rebirth

By jcato [at] tribweb.com (Jason Cato)

Published: Wednesday, August 8, 2012, 12:01 a.m.

People interested in the next phase of redevelopment in the Hill District toured properties on Tuesday in the Centre Avenue business district.

The Urban Redevelopment Authority issued a request for bids on Friday, with a deadline of Aug. 27, to submit plans for 72 city- or authority-owned parcels between Dinwiddie and Soho streets.

About a dozen people joined representatives of the URA and the Hill Community Development Corp., hoofing the five blocks containing most of the properties.

Work crews fixed streets, installed underground cables and cleared overgrown brush along the corridor, which has experienced decades of neglect but recently has shown progress in new Carnegie Library and YMCA branches and residential development.

A grocery store and redevelopment of the former Civic Arena site are still to come, as are renovations to the historic New Granada Theater and Crawford Grill.

“The community is definitely poised for a tremendous rebirth, which has already started,” said Daniel Lavelle, the city councilman who represents the neighborhood.

Several developers expressed interest over the past two years as city officials, community groups and neighbors worked to develop a master plan for the Hill District, Lavelle said.

“I think we’re going to get some good responses. I really do,” he said. “I don’t expect it to happen overnight. But by this time next year, hopefully, we will see some new things happening.”

Trey Barbour, project manager for Trek Development Group, and architect Daniel Rothschild participated in the tour to explore development opportunities. This week, they close on plans to build 26 residential units on Dinwiddie Street, bringing the project to 72 in all.

“It’s an exciting time here in the Hill,” Barbour said. “There were a lot of developers in the room, which is a statement in itself.”

Their presence wasn’t lost on Marimba Milliones, executive director of the Hill Community Development Corp.

“This is a premier development opportunity. There is absolutely no question about that,” she said. “I think an unfortunate perception is that the Hill District does not want development. That is very much false.”

Rothschild said the community has grown stronger. He noted the Hill Community group working with the URA.

“If that’s not symbolic, I don’t know what is,” said Rothschild, whose Rothschild Doyno Collaborative firm designed The Legacy Apartments senior housing on Centre Avenue. “It’s no longer a government, top-down process.”

That’s welcome news to LaKeisha Wolf, vice president of Hill District-based Ujamaa Collective. Her organization established an open-air market on Centre Avenue in 2010 and plans to submit a bid for land to build a permanent, multi-use structure to house cooperative businesses and possibly space for light manufacturing.

“We’re definitely interested in seeing neighborhood businesses flourish and people who have a dream get the support they need to come in and thrive,” Wolf said.

Jason Cato is a staff writer with Trib Total Media. He can be reached at 412-320-7936 or jcato [at] tribweb.com.

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