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: Study: Extra Mt. Lebanon real estate would cost $36.4M

It would cost about $36.4 million to create 1.2 acres of prime real estate and four stories of parking seemingly in mid-air within Mt. Lebanon’s Uptown business district, according to an engineering study released this week.

Los Angeles-based AECOM studied cost and feasibility of building a pair of steel and concrete “decks” up above the Port Authority light-rail tracks and station that run behind the Washington Road business district, with the idea that developers could build offices, condominiums and retail on the decks. Company representatives presented their findings to the board of commissioners on July 10.

Read the full article:

• www.triblive.com/neighborhoods/2175696-74/decks-lebanon-business-rail-station-aecom-build-district-authority-cost (Pittsburgh Tribune-Review)

Patch: 'A Really Comfortable Place': New Primanti Bros. Open For Business

The story of Primanti Bros. goes back to the 1930s, when Joe Primanti started pushing a cart around Pittsburgh's Strip District to sell sandwiches.

Around the same time, construction started on a building in Mt. Lebanon, near the Upper St. Clair line, that later served as home to a realty company.

After nearly 80 years, the sandwiches have met the building, which is home to the latest Primanti Bros. restaurant.

Read the full article:

• upperstclair.patch.com/articles/a-really-comfortable-place-new-primanti-bros-opens-for-business (Upper St. Clair Patch)

Trib: Customers can top off their cool treats with more delectables at Betsy's

The ice-cream maker Betsy Miller received for her wedding shower in 2010 led to a shop full of gallons of this cool, refreshing treat.

It was part of the inspiration behind her and husband Ryan's venture into opening an ice-cream store. They made some for a family cookout, and it got such rave reviews, they knew what they were called to do next. They named the place Betsy's. It's in the heart of Mt. Lebanon along Washington Road.

Read the full article:

• www.triblive.com/aande/1886103-74/cream-ice-miller-betsy-says-flavors-ryan-shop-lebanon-love (Pittsburgh Tribune-Review)

Trib: Mt. Lebanon T station development could be 'big'

Developers could create prime real estate in Mt. Lebanon's Uptown business district out of thin air, if engineers' concepts for a deck above the Port Authority light-rail line come to fruition.

Under a contract with the municipality, engineers from Los Angeles-based AECOM have been studying how to utilize air rights Mt. Lebanon owns above the rails, perhaps by building on a deck that would cover the tracks. Mt. Lebanon Parking Authority purchased the air rights from the Port Authority in the 1980s. The rights passed to the municipality when it absorbed the Parking Authority last year.

Read the full article:

• www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/pittsburgh/s_780613.html (Pittsburgh Tribune-Review)

P-G: Irish-style pub Molly Brannigans closes in Mt. Lebanon

Molly Brannigans, the popular Irish-themed pub in Mt. Lebanon, has closed.

Employees received the word on Sunday, the day after the bar's final night of business. The space could soon be occupied by another restaurant, Walnut Grill, which bought the building and the business from Molly Brannigans, according to the pub's CEO, Colm McWilliams.

Read the full article:

• www.post-gazette.com/pg/11348/1196759-100.stm (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)

Aldo Coffee sold, to continue under new owners (updated)

Updated 2011-11-14 09:00: Edits to clarify that it’s more of a transition than a reboot. In particular, service at the shop is expected to continue largely uninterrupted.

Rich and Melanie Westerfield of Aldo Coffee Co. on Washington Road have announced on their blog that they have sold the coffee shop. According to the post, the shop will undergo a metamorphosis but remain open under new but familiar owners:

[C]come 6pm on Tuesday, the era of us owning Aldo Coffee Co. in Mt. Lebanon will come to a close. We think the new owners will open on Wednesday, keep things as is through the weekend and then close for a few days before Thanksgiving to give the place a facelift. They will be open for LightUp Night.

As those close to the story know, the buyer used to work for us. She's a two-time regional barista competition finalist and also competed in the US Barista Championship twice. She is wonderful and you do or will soon love her.

Check the original posting for full details.

Aldo Coffee Co. has been my favorite coffee shop since I learned of it in 2005. I'm sad to see Rich and Melanie move on, but I am grateful for all that they have done to improve the Pittsburgh coffee scene. From competing seriously in regional and national espresso championships to blogging regularly about coffee and where it comes from, they have helped raise Pittsburgh's coffee status nationally. And that we had a shop of Aldo's caliber here in Mt. Lebanon has been a blessing to all of us who love coffee.

From all of us at Blog-Lebo, we wish the best to Rich and Melanie, and to the new owners. We're looking forward to a continued tradition of great coffee on Washington Road.

Trib: Mt. Lebanon mural provides an artful solution

A giant-sized "Welcome to Mt. Lebanon" mural soon will greet southbound travelers entering the municipality on Washington Road, a project that will not only solve a problem but showcase the municipality and its native talent, its developers say.

Ashley Hodder, a muralist and art teacher who grew up in Mt. Lebanon, is painting the postcard-style mural on the north side of the former Dyke Auto Supply Building. The building, owned by John Dyke of Carnegie, hosts Pamela's P&G Diner, Miller Auto Parts and Washington Road Automotive, a repair business. The mural is on the Pamela's side of the building, near St. Bernard Catholic Church.

Read the full article:

• www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/sports/s_754356.html (Pittsburgh Tribune-Review)

WTAE: Evacuation Ordered In Mt. Lebanon After Gas Line Ruptures

Allegheny County 911 dispatchers said a Mt. Lebanon street was evacuated because of a gas leak.

Dispatchers said a crew working with a backhoe hit a gas line in the 600 block of Washington Road on Friday morning.

However a spokesman for Equitable Gas said crews determined the problem was actually a leaking pipe inside restaurant.

Read the full article (with video):

• www.wtae.com/news/28119190/detail.html (WTAE)

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!

Post Office branch at 714 Washington Road to close

The U.S. Postal Service is closing the branch at 714 Washington Road. The last day of service will be Friday, 11 March, 2011. According to Acting Postmaster Marie T. Posway in a letter published by mtl magazine, the postal service is “in a fiscal crisis and must take action to reduce the size of its retail and delivery network.”

Local mail delivery will not be affected by the closure, Posway said. Retail services will still be provided by neighboring offices.

The letter, as published in mtl, is reprinted below:

This is to advise you of the U.S. Postal Service’s decision to close the branch at 714 Washington Road. Services will end at the close of business on Friday, March 11, 2011.

Because of the drastic decline in mail volume, the postal service is in a fiscal crisis and must take action to reduce the size of its retail and delivery network. By consolidating, streamlining, and adjusting our operations, the postal service becomes a more efficient and effective organization.

I want to ensure you that the community’s input was received and carefully considered before making this decision.

Local mail delivery will not be affected by this move. Full retail services will still be available in neighboring offices, and our customers will continue to receive the same excellent service they always have. They will have the choice of street delivery or to rent a post office box in any of the eight other offices located within a 5-mile radius.

The postal service has developed a number of convenient ways that can save customers a trip to the post office – buy stamps through our website at www.usps.com, by phone at 1-800-STAMPS24, by mail, or at more than 55,000 retail outlets nationwide.

Marie T. Posway
Acting Postmaster
Pittsburgh

Trib: Tuesday Takes

The following blurb appeared in the Tuesday, January 4, 2011 Pittsburgh Tribune-Review:

Say what?: Mt. Lebanon is holding out the carrot of public money to help develop space above its primary trolley stop. Here's a better idea: Let some private developer privately develop a different site -- that prime parcel at the corner of Washington and Bower Hill roads that the municipal government has held for far too long with far too many promises of taxpayer assistance to would-be developers.

Read the full article:

• www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/opinion/s_716152.html (Pittsburgh Tribune-Review)

Trib: Mt. Lebanon envisions development above light rail tracks

With most of the space in Mt. Lebanon's Uptown business district developed, the township's next project is up in the air. Literally.

This fall, the municipality received a $150,000 grant from Allegheny County to do the preliminary engineering for a "lid" that could support development projects over the Port Authority light rail tracks behind the Washington Road business district, said Commercial Districts Manager Eric Milliron.

Read the full article:

• www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/s_715548.html (Pittsburgh Tribune-Review)

We Won't Be Getting A Trader's Joe's...

...but Upper St. Clair is trying to! From the Pittsburgh Business Times:

More than four years after first landing in East Liberty, specialty grocer Trader Joe’s is preparing its second store in the Pittsburgh region on Washington Road in Upper St. Clair.

A proposal for the new store was presented on Monday evening before Upper St. Clair’s board of commissioners, who chose to table the requests until its January meeting for further review.

A company called 1600 Washington Road Associates, led by local developer Tony Ross, sought a conditional use approval for a 12,000-square-foot Trader Joe’s at 1630 Washington Road. The location currently operates as a Pier One Imports store.

Read the full article:

• www.bizjournals.com/pittsburgh/news/2010/12/07/trader-joes-eyes-upper-st-clair.html (Pittsburgh Business Times)

Coming Soon: My Big Fat Greek Gyro

A recent visit to Washington Road brought a smile to my face as I saw this banner in front of the former home of Zipper Blues. My Big Fat Greek Gyro started as a restaurant in Peters Township and has expanded to locations in White Oak, Wexford and Cranberry. Lucky for us, they'll be coming to Mt. Lebanon in the near future!

P-G: Mt. Lebanon police have line on purse snatcher

Mt. Lebanon police have identified a person of interest in an incident last Friday in which a woman was robbed of her purse while she was walking on Washington Road.

Lt. Aaron Lauth described the man as white, in his 20s, 5-foot-8 to 6-feet tall, with a thin build, wearing a blue knit cap, a dark hooded sweatshirt with the hood up and dark pants.

Read the full article:

• www.postgazette.com/pg/10294/1097073-100.stm (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)

Trib: Il Pizzaiolo offers comfy, cozy Italian charm

There's a deliciously secretive feel to the wine bar at Il Pizzaiolo in Mt. Lebanon.

The main dining room is open, expansive and brightly lit with big plate glass windows that make it open to inspection from passers-by on busy Washington Boulevard. It's the sort of place that families, singles and office workers might seek for a quick meal of Southern Italian cuisine.

In contrast, the wine bar is tucked away in a separate structure behind the main building and reached by climbing a staircase and pushing open the anonymous-looking door.

Read the full article:

• www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/lifestyles/fooddrink/s_705287.html (Pittsburgh Tribune-Review)

WTAE: Police: Woman Has Purse Stolen While Walking In Mt. Lebanon

A 50-year-old woman had her purse stolen in Mt. Lebanon Friday night after a man threatened he "had a knife," police said.

Mt. Lebanon police Lt. Aaron Lauth said the woman was walking in the 600 block of Washington Road at 9:29 p.m. when the man came from behind and tried to take her purse from her shoulder.

Police said a struggle ensued and the woman fell to the ground.

Read the full article:

• www.thepittsburghchannel.com/news/25410221/detail.html (The Pittsburgh Channel)