How historic preservation rebuilt a Pittsburgh neighborhood
Brick house by brick house, the award-winning effort to restore Hamnett Place offers a roadmap for creating affordable housing A working-class community located on the eastern outskirts of Pittsburgh, Wilkinsburg looked similar to many other Rust Belt cities. A decade ago, faded brick bungalows, and the occasional blighted old building or abandoned property, remnants of the steel industry crash, obscured the solid foundations of turn-of-the-century neighborhoods such as Hamnett Place.
Today, taking a walk through the neighborhood tells a different story. Due to a long-term project undertaken by the nonprofit Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Foundation (PHLF) and its for-profit development arm, Landmark Development Corporation (LDC), the area has blossomed, with nearly 70 units of restored housing, a new neighborhood center, and ongoing preservation and restoration projects in the works. A recipient of the Richard H. Driehaus Foundation National Preservation award, the effort showcases how classic architecture can become the foundation for affordable housing. ?Historic buildings that have been around for a century or longer provide context for a neighborhood,? says Michael Sriprasert, president of LDC. ?If you start with a vacant lot, you don?t have that history or story to tell.?
Rob Larson Photo
The recent renovation of Hamnett Place?s historic housing stock started in 2005. When the city announced plans to demolish many of the area?s old bri...
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