• More honors have been bestowed on Pittsburgh by national organizations. Research firm Sperling's BestPlaces lists Pittsburgh among America's Best Opportunity Cities for 2014. “If I had to vote for one city that is the best combination of Opportunity and Livability, I would probably choose Pittsburgh,” Sperling said. “The Steel City has been able to survive changes so well that it has been suggested as an example to other aging industrial cities as a way to reinvent itself for the future in our new ecomony,” Sperling added. Pittsburgh also is listed as one of the top 50 most popular domestic cities for Americans and its hotels had a 2 percent increase in the nightly room rental during the first half of 2014 at $145 compared to $142 during the first half of 2013.
• RETTEW Associates will relocate from Twin Towers on Steubenville Pike to the newly renovated One Robinson Plaza at the end of the year where it has signed a long-term lease for about 12,500 square feet of office space. Patrick Sentner, founding principal, and Jessica Jarosz, vice president, tenant advisory services, both at Colliers International/Pittsburgh, represented RETTEW while McKnight Realty Partners, building owner, represented itself.
• Forbes Hospital wants to add an addition with elevator to a “non-conforming structure” which also exceeds the height limit of 45 feet, at 2570 Haymaker Rd. Both items will be reviewed by the Monroeville Zoning Hearing Board which has scheduled a meeting Wednesday, starting at 7:30 p.m. in the municipal building, 2700 Monroeville Blvd., Monroeville. Other hearings that evening include GlennSieberer/Brian J. Altmeter and Easley & Rivers Inc. request to permit encroachment into required minimum areas of six parking spaces and a trash enclosure at 207 Townsend Dr.
• CWM Environmental plans to consolidate operations in a new one-story, 10,000-square-foot office and laboratory building in the West Hills Industrial Park, Armstrong County. The new building, opening in June, “will allow us to streamline our operations. Currently our administrative, laboratory and field staff are located in multiple facilities (warehouse and garage on Route 422 and other operations in the Indian Hills Professional Center). With field operations throughout Western Pennsylvania, our new location provides easy access in every direction,” said Dave Kohl, president and owner. The company services municipalities, manufacturing and fabricating plants, engineering firms and environmental consultants. Recently, CWM added a testing facility in Cleveland, Ohio, with its acquisition of Precesion Analytical Inc. There are about 60-plus employees in Armstrong County and about 30 in Cleveland. The Park is owned by Armstrong County Industrial Development Council.
• Waterford Land Partners LP will seek the approval Thursday of the Pittsburgh Zoning Board of Adjustment to build 13 2½-story single family attached housing units with two-car integral garages on Davison Street (Winesap Drive), Lawrenceville. The Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh has two requests before the board, both at 41 Auburn St., corner Larimer Avenue and East Liberty Boulevard, Larimer. One involves construction of a 28-unit apartment with a 24-car parking lot in the rear, and the other involves five multi-family dwellings – one four-family, three 3-family, one two-family – with 16 on site parking spaces. Friendship Community Presbyterian Church wants to add a 468-square-foot addition with a second level deck above and front canopy to the church at 200-02 Robinson St., West Oakland. Included will be landing space with stairway accessory to the existing structure, use of first floor as retail sales and services, and continued use of upper floors as two dwelling units. Also use of existing parking spaces.
• Five-year-old SDC Nutrition has relocated its corporate headquarters into the RIDC West Industrial Park in Findlay Township, where it employs more than 40 “team” members with a forecast of adding more jobs during 2015. “We simply have outgrown our current facility and are thrilled to be moving into the facility in Findlay Township,” said Devenee Schumacher, director of marketing. The move received a $220,000 loan from the Allegheny County Economic Development Administration's revolving loan fund which is used to buy new equipment. The company is a health supplement manufacturer specializing in powdered sports nutrition products.
Sam Spatter is a staff writer for Trib Total Media. He can be reached at 412-320-7843 or sspatter@tribweb.com.
