North Side Hotel

==North Shore hotel development delayed==
: By Jeremy Boren, March 14, 2008
The Pittsburgh Stadium Authority voted to give Continental Real Estate Co. 45 days to meet with North Side labor union and social services groups before it would be willing to approve construction of a $27.5 million, 178-room Hyatt hotel.
The limited service L-shaped hotel on North Shore Drive is proposed to sit on two parcels of land in the area between PNC Park and Heinz Field, which Continental has the exclusive rights to develop.
Barry Ford, Continental's president of development, agreed to "have a dialogue" with the union-backed group North Side UNITED, which is seeking a community benefits agreement with the private developer that includes support for youth education programs, environmentally friendly design and jobs.
"I was hoping to get the hotel approved today, but I think the process they laid out today is reasonable, and we'll further engage the community in some discussion about the project," Ford said.
He was uncertain how the developer, which has agreed to pay the Stadium Authority a market-rate price of $1.3 million for the land, might answer some of the labor group's requests.
City Councilman Bill Peduto, a member of the authority board, called for the 45-day waiting period before selling the land to Continental. It was approved unanimously.
He said the area between the stadiums is the most valuable in Western Pennsylvania. He considers Continental's exclusive right to develop it a form of public subsidy.
"It's not just about the hotel development, it's about the future development that occurs between the stadiums as well and making sure that it connects back into the neighborhood," Peduto said.
:Jeremy Boren can be reached at jboren@tribweb.com or 412-765-2312.
==Links==
* North Side
* Contenential
category:news coverage