English Bulldog Puppies for Sale in Pittsburgh, PA

With the weather on its side, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation marked the end of a successful construction season on Tuesday with more than 700 miles of roadway paved and 39 bridges repaired or replaced in the Pittsburgh region.

Much of Southwestern Pennsylvania has been experiencing drought-like conditions for most of the fall and for PennDOT this was a bonus.

“PennDOT does not mind a drought,” Jason Zang, the District 11 Executive said at a news conference Tuesday afternoon. “We can get a lot done and we took advantage of that.”

District 11 handles state-owned roads in Allegheny, Beaver and Lawrence counties.

Because of the dry weather, the department was able to pave later in the year than is normal. As a result, some projects, such as the Interstate 79 improvement project are much closer to being finished than originally expected.

“[Interstate 79] was going to have a good amount of work next spring,” Assistant District Executive for Construction Douglas Thompson said Tuesday. Now, the work to be finished next year on that project is minimal.

Near the I-79 on-ramps at the Steubenville Pike interchange Mr. Zang and Mr. Thompson highlighted some of the department’s achievements for the 2024 construction season, which is winding down this week.

The department has been upgrading sections of the I-79 all the way from the Parkway East interchange through Lawrence County between the Butler County line and the Mercer County line, most of which has been completed.

At the beginning of the construction season, the department had planned to improve or replace 25 bridges. They announced Tuesday that they had worked on 35 bridges, nine of which were in poor condition.

One notable bridge project finished in 2024 was the rehabilitation of the Smithfield Street Bridge. The project included drainage improvements, upgrades to the traffic land control system and new countdown signals for the pedestrian crossings.

The project cost about $8.5 million.

Mr. Zang also pointed to the New Kensington Bridge preservation as one of the department’s major bridge projects.

The project, which included new overlays to the bridge deck and sidewalk and structural steel repairs among other things. The bridge was originally built in 1927 and hadn’t been rehabilitated since 1989.

“Not every bridge project is a replacement,” Mr. Zang said. “Sometimes it’s preservation or rehabilitation. All of that work is critical to ensure the long life of the bridge.”

Despite the good weather this year, some projects are still carrying over into 2025.

On McKnight Road in Ross, “most of the work is done,” Mr. Thompson said, but a few things remain to be finished in the spring, including drain improvements to the right hand lane on the southbound side.

Mr. Thompson said he expects the work to be completed by late-spring or early-summer next year.

Work on the Parkway East between Churchill and Monroeville will also continue next year. Drivers can expect long-term lane restrictions as work continues there.

In total, the state completed about $441 million worth of infrastructure projects between Allegheny, Lawrence and Beaver counties.

First Published: November 26, 2024, 1:44 p.m. Updated: November 26, 2024, 4:33 p.m.

PITTSBURGH, PA — Yinzer Brands again is offering an assortment of uniquely Pittsburgh gifts whose sales will benefit a worthy cause. Yinzer Brands is the brainchild of three well-known Pittsburghers: Comedian Jim Krenn, cartoonist Rob Rogers and KDKA-AM morning radio personality Larry Richert.

“The holidays are a time to create new special memories, so we wanted to make sure everyone’s season is fun in a big way with favorite Pittsburgh-themed items that can be enjoyed all-year-round,” Krenn said.

A portion of the sales of yuletide Yinzer merchandise will go to Band Together Pittsburgh, a Blawnox, PA non-profit that uses music to inspire and enrich the lives of those on the autism spectrum, enabling integration with family, friends and society.

Likely to be among the most popular items sold this holiday season is the Talking Yinzer Elf On A Shelf. The 11-inch plush pokes fun at the popular Christmas tradition where a “scout elf” sits on a shelf or table or another part of a family’s home to observe the children’s behavior as Christmas approaches.

Decked out in black & gold and waving a terrible towel, the Talking Yinzer Elf – in Krenn’s best Yinzer voice – proclaims four friendly Pittsburgh warnings including “I’m the Yinzer Elf. I can see everything from Sto-Rox to Wilmerding,” “I don’t want to be nebby or nothin’ but it’s my job to watch yinz,” “I’m watchin’ yinz closer than the black and gold in a playoff game,” and “don’t be doin’ no shenanigans or be jaggin’ around.”

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The Yinzer holiday collection also includes a deck of Yinzer Playing Cards that feature face cards such as Art Rooney as the king of diamonds, Arnold Palmer as the king of clubs, Andy Warhol as the ace of spades, August Wilson as the ace of clubs, King Friday as the king of hearts and Sophie Masloff as the queen of hearts.

Other items in the 6-foot Yuletide Yinzer store merchandiser are a 2025 calendar featuring Rogers’ favorite illustrations, memorable moments in Pittsburgh history and birthdays of Pittsburgh’s favorite sons and daughters; Yinzer Socks with favorite Pittsburgh expressions like nebby, dahntahn, gumband, and slippy; and two stretch knit caps with Yinzer and Jagoff embroidered on the cuff.

The Talking Yinzer Elf sells for $29.99, Yinzer Playing Cards $9.99, Yinzer Socks $13.99 and the Yinzer Calendar $12.99.

The Pittsburgh gifts and a collection of Yinzer greeting cards are available exclusively at Pittsburgh-area Giant Eagle and Market District stores.

22nd Annual Gingerbread Display and Competition Announces Official List of Winners, opens People’s Choice Award Voting

Pittsburgh, PA – The City of Pittsburgh’s 22nd Annual Gingerbread Display and Competition presented by Clearview, now officially open for the holiday season, is pleased to announce this year’s winners.

Once again in 2024, over 300 entries were received from schools, families, professionals and neighbors for the competition, and a panel of judges has selected their top choices. Favorite children’s movies, coffee houses, and Paris were popular themes this year, with many Pittsburgh infused topics once again making an appearance, including City landmark Randyland, and iconic engineer George Ferris and his Ferris Wheel.

In addition to the 19 category awards, one entry was awarded as the inaugural honoree for the Clearview Choice, selected by the City’s official event partner, and for a second year an additional entry was named the Curator’s Choice, a pick from one of Carnegie Museum of Art’s own curators.

After careful deliberation, Clearview representatives have selected “Page’s Dairy Mart”, entered by students at Moore Elementary School. “Designed by future leaders and creatives at Moore Elementary School, students beautifully captured a Pittsburgh favorite, a beloved ice cream shop that brings people together through delicious treats,” said Amber Deemer, Director of Community Engagement at Clearview Federal Credit Union. “The ‘Page’s Dairy Mart’ gingerbread house was selected as the Clearview Choice Award Winner, celebrating its positive impact on the community. Just as Page’s Dairy Mart creates connection through sweet treats, Clearview is dedicated to empowering our community financially, helping individuals and families build better lives.”

Rachel Delphia, Alan G. and Jane A. Lehman Curator of Decorative Arts and Design at Carnegie Museum of Art, selected an entry from the Spegar Family titled “Hickory Dickory Clock” as the 2024 Curator’s Choice. “On behalf of Carnegie Museum of Art, we’re honored to partner with the City of Pittsburgh on this cherished holiday tradition,” says Delphia, “It’s a joy to connect with individuals and organizations who are enriching the cultural landscape of our region, and when it came to selecting the second annual Curator’s Choice award, there was no doubt that the winner was the Spegar Family’s ‘Hickory Dickory Clock.’ It’s such a whimsical concept—a little fondant mouse breaking into a gingerbread tall case clock.. The clock was beautifully designed and crafted down to the tiniest details, like the time being set to 12:25! We applaud the creativity of Miller Spegar, age 12, and his parents and everyone who participated in the 22nd Annual Gingerbread House Display and Competition.”

This year’s entries will remain on display through January 3, 2025 in the grand lobby of the historic City-County Building. Visitors are able to view the display weekdays from 10:00am-6:00pm, and on weekends from 10:00am-5:00pm. Holiday closures will occur November 28-29 and December 25, 2024 as well as January 1, 2025. Those unable to attend in person can visit http://www.getinvolved.pittsburghpa.gov/gingerbread-house-competition to view the online gallery, where voting is currently taking place for the 2024 People’s Choice Award, a chance for any viewer to vote for their favorite entry of the year. People’s Choice voting will conclude on December 31, with a winner to be announced shortly after the new year. The full official list of category winners can be found at the end of this release.

The Gingerbread House Display and Competition began in 2002 when Downtown Pittsburgh hotels hosted the event to benefit the Children’s Hospital Free Care Fund, and since has attracted thousands of entries and visitors to PPG Place before moving to the City-County Building in 2019. The 2024 Gingerbread House Display and Competition presented by Clearview is produced by the City of Pittsburgh Office of Special Events, with media support provided by KDKA Radio, 100.7 Star, Y108, WAMO 107.3, and 93.7 The Fan.

For more information on this event, please email gingerbread@pittsburghpa.gov or by calling 412-255-2493.

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The full list of 2024 winners, by category, are:

Adult 18+

First Christmas at Hogwarts Colleen Raymond

Second The Elf Takeover Meghan Kokoski

Third Snow Globe City Station L. Joseph

HM North Pole Floristry Allison Sennott

Children 14-17

First Tudor House Juliette Churchill

Second Sparkly Bakery Allegra Synowiec

Third Festive & Frosty Roxie Fink

HM Mojo Dojo Casa House Samantha Reese & Katie Deller

Children 10-13

First Christmas Nightmare Nook Jack Gallacher

Second CinnamonClaw Castle Leah Gasier

Third Raya & Sisu’s Holiday Adventure Alivia & Myka Reeder

HM Gingerbread House Michael Mannion

Children 6-9

First A Minecraft Miracle Finn Gallacher

Second Cat Café Rina Shoemaker

Third The Beach Princess Treasure House Sonya Singh

HM Narwhal Mia Mannion

Children 5 & Under

First Gingerbread Building Henry & Will Boekenhauer

Second Whirling Sweets Jack Coogan

Third A Dragon’s Lair Hunter Coogan

HM Hansel & Gretel’s Candy Cottage Willem Coogan

Non-Profit 18+

First Jungle Bell ROC! Pitt Athletic Training Students

Second Dashing Through the Snow in Jeepney

Bread’ed Sleigh The Filipino American Association of Pittsburgh

Third Candyland Goodwill Aspire Program

HM A Vintage Winter Wonderland Vintage Center for Active Adults

Non-Profit 14-17

First Chapel of the Holy Night Divine Grace Parish LifeTeen

Second The Magical Holiday Hotel AHG Troop PA1273 – Pioneers/Patriots

Third Tis the Season Scout Troop 52418

Non-Profit 10-13

First Elf Hotel AGH Troop PA1273 Explorers

Second Wilderness Lodge Girl Scout Troop 53313

Third Jingle Bell Elf Manor Girl Scout Troop 36796

HM Jr. & Cadettes Troop 52745 Jr. & Cadettes Troop 52745

Family

First Hickory Dickory Clock T The Spegar Family

Second Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree The Brady-Gallacher Family

Third Jack’s Perfect Holiday T The Perry/Sherback Family

HM Coffee Café N’At The Rothermel/Gesk Family

City Neighborhoods

First Barbenheimer at the Manor Band of Buddies(Lawrenceville)

Second Light Up the South Side South Side Community Council

Third My Favorite Things South Side Kids

HM Norbert’s Gingerbread Miracle Norbert Person Care (Carrick)

City Departments & Authorities

First Inside Out Allegheny County CYF-CSEC Team

Second Nar-Candy Land City of Pittsburgh Office of Community Health & Safety

Third Charmed in the Cold Paulson Recreation Center

HM Christmas at Gail’s Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh

High School

First Pittsburgh’s Own – George Ferris &

His Ferris Wheel Blackhawk High School

Second I’ve A Feeling We’re Not in

Kansas Anymore Blackhawk Food Science

Third Coraline House National Art Honor Society- Fox Chapel

HM Christmas Ski Resort Mercer High School

Middle School

First Cozy Log Cabin Freeport Middle Art 8 – Olaf Outlaws

Second Randyland Moon Area MS Life Skills- Finn & Hilpert

Third Up House… Reflown Beaver Area Middle School

HM Moana – Te Fiti The Pathfinder School

Elementary School

First Page’s Dairy Mart Moore Elementary School – 5th Grade Sciulli

Second The Frosty Pine Treehouse YIMS YALE

Third Providence Heights Alpha School Providence Heights Alpha School

HM Wild Wild WES Washington Elementary Life Skills Class

Preschool & Kindergarten

First Holly Jolly Rancher Ranch Allie Alligator Learning Center

Second Christmas Camping The Explorer Classroom

Third Holiday House Allie Alligator Learning Center

HM Alphabet Blocks Mrs. R’s Preschool 4’s

Professional

First Irish Cottage Heather Farren McKelvey & Sheila Lucas

Second The Point frosting & crumbs – Mary Jo Dowling

Third Stellar Gnomeville Stellar Support Services

Culinary School

First Olaf’s Lake Escape Springdale Jr.-Sr. High School

Second Nighty Night Santa Sleep Tight Karen Marie Lindow

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A late Thanksgiving this year means less time to set up and enjoy a live Christmas tree.

But tree farmers don’t seem to be worried about the shorter season. There are plenty of trees to go around, and prices should be about the same as last year.

“The growers are saying the outlook is as good, if not better, than last year as we continue to trend toward more trees being harvested,” said Aaron Grau, executive director of the Pennsylvania Christmas Tree Growers Association, which has 94 members across the state.

Whether you head north, south, east or west of Pittsburgh, you will be able to find a tree farm within an hour or less offering the quintessential, Norman Rockwell-style scene with rustic barns, tractor rides, wreaths and warm drinks.

Acres of spruce, pine and fir trees await those wanting to cut their own or choose from fresh-cut ones.

Despite a drier than normal growing season, tree farmers Jack Grupp, of Harmony, and Brandon Mytrysak, of Indiana, Pa., are ready for the post-Thanksgiving rush.

Mr. Grupp’s family has been farming in Butler County for half a century, growing and selling Christmas trees for the past 42 years. Starting out with 5,000 saplings in 1982, Grupp’s Christmas Trees’ prices currently start at $10 to $13 per foot, depending on the species.

“We never know if people want big or small trees each year, so we just focus on providing them with as many choices as we can,” Mr. Grupp said.

Over the years, he has learned to deal with disease, insects and fungi, things both domestic and foreign that present real dangers to his annual crop.

“A lot of the spruce trees had been impacted by a fungus,” he said. “We hardly use any chemicals here at the farm, so what we did was quit growing the trees that were susceptible to that.”

Though the region received less than usual rainfall in the summer and fall, the well-established trees were unfazed, he said.

“The older trees have a nice, secure root system, so they were not affected by the drought conditions,” said Mr. Grupp. “It did affect some of the younger trees, but it wasn’t devastating.”

Eleven Western Pennsylvania counties, including Indiana and Butler, remain under a drought watch, according to an update Friday from the state Department of Environmental Protection.

Mr. Grau, of the tree growers association, said the dry conditions did not pose a big problem anywhere in the state.

“While the drought was of some concern, it has not become an issue,” he said. “Certainly nothing that required my attention as far as programming or anything like that.”

Mr. Mytrysak of Mytrysak Family Tree Farm agreed.

“Our mature trees were able to maintain moisture because of the roots, and their growing season was earlier,” he said. “But we had some trouble with the trees we planted this year.”

On average it takes six to 10 years to grow a 6- or 7-foot conifer.

Indiana County has called itself the Christmas Tree Capital of the World since 1956.

“Indiana got that name years ago when there was a dispute, I think with the state of Washington. It was proven we had more Christmas tree farms,” said Mr. Mytrysak, a third-generation tree farmer.

“Now we don’t have as many tree farms, but we were the first.”

Mr. Mytrysak said he has had to raise the price of his trees a bit because his costs have increased, even with the help of his wife, Stacey, and their three daughters. They maintain nearly 80 acres, totaling between 80,000 and 90,000 trees of various ages.

“Our trees start at about $13 or $14 a foot this year,” he said.

They allow two weeks after Thanksgiving for those who want to cut a tree. After that, it is just fresh-cut trees for sale.

While there are many varieties of trees available, most people are choosing firs, Mr. Grupp said.

“Trends change. Years ago it was the pine tree, but the one we specialize in is the Canaan fir tree,” now their most popular.

“The Canaan has a short, soft needle and a great scent,” he said. “It is a very hardy, healthy plant that grows good in our soil, our rainfall, our environment.”

It is similar to the Fraser fir, which is a favorite Christmas tree due to its soft needles, fresh scent and long life indoors.

Bigger trees cost more per foot, Mr. Grupp said, explaining, “It takes a lot longer to grow the big ones, which means fertilizer and shearing and so forth.”

Mr. Mytrysak and Mr. Grau both anticipate brisk sales this year.

“I am pretty confident this is going to be another good year for tree sales, “ said Mr. Mytrysak.

“I know our guys sell out every year and what they don’t sell they are donating ahead of time to Pennsylvania Trees for Troops or the National Trees for Troops Campaign,” Mr. Grau said.

“Live tree demand is very strong.”

First Published: November 23, 2024, 2:30 a.m. Updated: November 25, 2024, 6:41 a.m.

The prominent California real estate investment company that owns One Oxford Centre on Grant Street has been struggling to maintain its empire in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic.

And the distinctive Downtown skyscraper built during Pittsburgh’s second renaissance is now being impacted by those woes.

One Oxford Centre’s lender, the German commercial bank Helaba, has retained the Jones Lang LaSalle real estate firm to sell the outstanding loan on the 45-story office tower. The move could set up the eventual transfer of the building to new ownership.

JLL confirmed the hiring Thursday afternoon.

“We’re excited to represent the lenders in the sale of this loan as this will be a generational opportunity to reinvent a trophy Class A office building at a significant discount to replacement cost,” Mark Popovich, head of JLL’s Pittsburgh capital markets team, said in a statement.

Shorenstein Properties, one of the nation’s oldest and prestigious real estate firms, bought One Oxford Centre at 301 Grant St. for $148.7 million in January 2016.

Since the purchase, it has invested more than $50 million into the property, making extensive renovations to the lobby and common areas, installing a food hall, upgrading office floors, and adding more conference space.

But like many office towers in Pittsburgh and elsewhere, One Oxford Centre has had its share of struggles resulting from the pandemic.

It is currently 73% leased, according to the Newmark real estate firm, although it is still considered one of Downtown’s top office properties and has managed to land new tenants like the CBRE real estate firm and the Federal Home Loan Bank.

But owner Shorenstein still has an outstanding loan on the property estimated at $71 million to $100 million, as the financial woes facing the company continue to pile up.

Bisnow, a commercial real estate news site, has reported that the company has defaulted or is at risk of doing so on $822 million in debt.

At the same time, Metropolitan Life Insurance has taken ownership of Capella Tower in Minneapolis, Minn., after Shorenstein failed to find a buyer.

A $61 million loan on Washington Square, another Minneapolis office complex troubled by high vacancies, has ended up in special servicing after it matured in December. Shorenstein has won an extension until next month as it tries to find tenants, according to Bisnow.

And in Philadelphia, the company also is staring at special servicing on two office buildings on Market Street after an $188 million loan on one matured in February and a $223 million loan on the other did so in March, Bisnow reported.

Shorenstein had no comment on the JLL hiring, a spokeswoman said in an email.

In the JLL announcement Thursday, John Pelusi, an executive managing director for the firm who is working with Mr. Popovich to market the loan, stated that the sale would be an attractive investment relative to other Class A properties Downtown like PPG Place, Fifth Avenue Place, and 625 Liberty Avenue.

He added that it could provide the new owner with the opportunity “to offer the most competitive rates in the market” since the loan likely would be sold at a discount.

Even with the potential sale of the loan, Mamadou Balde, managing director for the CBRE real estate firm that leases One Oxford Centre, said, “Everything is business as usual. Nothing has changed at all” in terms of recruiting tenants.

David Koch, a Newmark executive managing director, said selling the loan “could be a strategic decision” by Helaba to manage its portfolio risk or liquidity.

“It would be important to know if this will impact the terms for the current borrower or if this is just a routine transaction,” he said. “Keeping an eye on how this might influence market dynamics in the commercial real estate sector could be insightful.”

One Oxford Centre is the latest Downtown property facing uncertainty in the aftermath of the pandemic.

Last month, Wells Fargo Bank filed a foreclosure action involving the four-building Gateway Center complex, built during the city’s first renaissance in the 1950s. In a lawsuit, Wells Fargo claimed that borrower Hertz Gateway Center LP defaulted on an $84.3 million mortgage loan by not paying some operating expenses and not taking care of four liens placed against the property.

At the time, Timothy McCarthey, executive vice president of development for owner Hertz Investment Group, described the foreclosure action as “mandatory for a lender to appoint a receiver in Allegheny County.” He stressed that Hertz was committed to the property, consented to the appointment of a receiver, and was continuing to work on a loan modification.

In January, a lender moved to foreclose against McKnight Realty Partners, owner of the historic Grant Building on Grant Street, after claiming it defaulted on a $38 million loan in part because it had failed to extend or renew the lease of key tenant Huntington National Bank, which is moving to the Strip District.

That action is still pending in Common Pleas Court.

Also in January, Common Pleas Judge John T. McVay Jr. signed an order entering a judgment in a mortgage foreclosure totaling $58.9 million against One Oliver Associates Limited Partnership, owner of the 37-story K&L Gates Center at 210 Sixth Ave.

In a stipulation and consent motion filed days before the order, lender Pacific Life Insurance stated that the owner had "agreed to cooperate with plaintiff with respect to the foreclosure and subsequent foreclosure sale" of the property "without admitting any of the factual" assertions of the case.

However, according to county real estate records, the property still remains in the hands of One Oliver Associates.

Earlier this year, a study prepared by CBRE estimated that more than two dozen Downtown buildings were either approaching foreclosure or at the risk of foreclosure in the aftermath of the pandemic. It also predicted that the office vacancy rate Downtown could soar as high as 46% by 2028.

Many buildings are facing high vacancy rates because of hybrid work policies at the same time loans are due to be paid off.

When Shorenstein bought One Oxford Centre in 2016, the Downtown office market was so strong that it was attracting interest from large institutional investors across the country. Eight years later, the office struggles have spawned a nearly $600 million rescue plan announced last month by Gov. Josh Shapiro aimed in part at converting six office buildings to residential. It would also preserve units in another apartment building.

The hope is that as buildings are turned into apartments, it will tighten the office supply, lower vacancy rates and boost demand.

First Published: November 21, 2024, 1:28 p.m. Updated: November 22, 2024, 2:41 a.m.