Trib: Mt. Lebanon delays Washington Road restrictions

Officials in Mt. Lebanon are postponing the planned closure of three lanes of Washington Road due to delays in getting a massive construction crane shipped to the site.

Crews had planned to reduce Washington Road to a single lane alternating between northbound and southbound traffic. The change would have been in effect from 7 p.m. Friday to 11 a.m. Saturday for the arrival and setup of a 160-foot-tall crane at the site of a SpringHill Suites that is under construction near the intersection of Shady Drive.

Read the full article:

• www.triblive.com/news/2282080-74/crane-washington-road-lane-northbound-lebanon-closed-construction-planned-site (Pittsburgh Tribune-Review)

P-G: Lane of Washington Road in Mt. Lebanon to close through September

One northbound lane of Washington Road in Mt. Lebanon will be closed starting 9 a.m. Tuesday through the end of September.

The lane will be closed for about 10 weeks, ending about Sept. 28, so crews can build a crane platform and staging area for the forthcoming SpringHill Suites by Marriott hotel at 611 Washington Road.

Read the full article:

• www.post-gazette.com/stories/local/neighborhoods-south/lane-of-washington-road-in-mt-lebanon-to-close-through-september-645888 (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)

Trib: Work to resume on $15M hotel in Mt. Lebanon after gas find

Construction was expected to resume this week on a $15 million hotel in Mt. Lebanon after contractors discovered an abandoned underground storage tank with what appeared to be gasoline inside.

Contractors from Robinson-based Carl Walker Construction were clearing the Washington Road parcel last week for the construction of a Mariott Springhill Suites when they struck two buried storage tanks, one filled with sand and another with gas. All work had to be halted until the Department of Environmental Protection could test soil samples from around the site to see how much gas may have leaked, said Commercial Districts Manager Eric Milliron.

Read the full article:

• www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/pittsburgh/s_738898.html (Pittsburgh Tribune-Review)

Pop City: Construction starts on $15 million Marriott Springhill Suites in Mt. Lebanon

Construction started last week on the Marriott Springhill Suites on Washington Road in the heart of the main business district in Mt. Lebanon. At seven stories, the hotel will be the area's largest structure. It will feature three levels of on-site parking and in its location in front of the T, have easy access to the light rail.

Kratsa Properties acquired the former North Parking Lot space (adjacent to Howard Hanna Real Estate office) from Mt. Lebanon Parking Authority and proposed the Springhill Suites location. The project will give the South Hills area a welcome addition to its sparse selection of hotels, says Eric Milliron, manager of commercial districts in Mt. Lebanon.

Read the full article:

• www.popcitymedia.com/devnews/mtlebospring051811.aspx (Pop City)

Construction Has Begun On SpringHill Suites

Construction on the new SpringHill Suites hotel has finally begun on Washington Road. As you'll see in the picture, protective fencing has gone up around the entire construction area and the sidewalk is closed between the Howard Hanna offices and the Executive Building. It's great to see new construction on the street, especially something like this that will bring more people to our main street.

Note: While taking the picture, I saw a number of people walking and running along the fence -- which is a lane of traffic. Please be smart and cross the street and use the sidewalk there!

Commissioners Approve Amended Plans For Hotel

Commissioners in Mt. Lebanon approved amended plans for a 108-room, seven story SpringHill Suites hotel located on property owned by the Mt. Lebanon Parking Authority (MLPA).

Commissioners on Feb. 23 approved the developer's plans which include more municipal zoning waivers for parking spaces and landscaping at the site. The property is located between 607 and 615 Washington Road. The proposed building also exceeds the maximum 80 percent lot coverage by 2,039 square feet (10 percent) and exceeds the maximum building coverage by 5,794 square feet (32 percent).

The developer, Mt. Lebanon Hospitality Suites, sharing a partnership with Kratsa Properties of Harmar, went to court to overturn a rejection earlier plans by the Mt. Lebanon Zoning Board. The court sided with the developer.

UPDATE: 5th Ward Commissioner Dan Miller contacted us and asked if we could post this correction:

Mt. Lebanon neighbors-

I think it's great that we in Mt. Lebanon are lucky enough to have a publication like the Almanac that brings us so much local news coverage. I definitely appreciate their coverage on the Washington Road hotel project which I believe will be the cornerstone our main business district needs.

I did want to point out one item in the article that may be confusing- and I will gladly take the fault for the inaccuracy.

The original time frame that I heard for the grand opening of the hotel was for December 2009. However, after my recent discussion with the developer, a more likely opening would be September 2010.

The developer has a great reputation for completing high-quality projects and I believe they have a strong desire to get this project up and running as soon as possible.

Thanks,

Dan Miller

Link: www.thealmanac.net/ALM/Story/02-25-ML-hotel-B