TOP PITTSBURGH NEWS | Week Ending October 16

Downtown investor gets started on Penn Avenue residential conversion project

Aaron Stauber preempted a common perspective when it comes to what it takes to convert mature office buildings in downtown Pittsburgh into new residential properties.

“If you’re standing on the outside and you’re wondering how come these projects don’t happen, that’s because you’re not inside doing the project,” said Stauber, president and principal of Rugby Realty Co. Inc. “If you were, you would know why some of these projects are not happening like that.”…Read More

Judge orders Gateway Center to foreclosure sale as partnership moves to take ownership

Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas Judge Mary McGinley has issued a ruling expected to result in Gateway Center⁠ shifting over to the ownership of Namdar⁠ Realty Group and Mason Asset Management.

According to court documents, McGinley ordered on October 5 a “judgment in mortgage foreclosure” against owner Hertz Gateway Center LP, an affiliate of California-based Hertz Investment Group, a ruling that continues that “the mortgaged property shall be sold at public auction by the sheriff of Allegheny County in accordance with applicable law.”…Read More

Name tenant of Peoples Center launches search for new office

Peoples Gas, a different company with changed ownership from when it first set up its regional headquarters at Peoples Center on the North Shore about 10 years ago, is considering its options for a future office.

The company, which is the largest natural gas distribution company in Pennsylvania with about 740,000 customers in an 18 county region of western Pennsylvania, confirmed it has started scouting the local office market in Pittsburgh for a new office…Read More

Elizabeth Warren calls on feds to ‘scrutinize’ Kroger’s plans to acquire Giant Eagle

Kroger’s plans to buy Cranberry-based Giant Eagle for $1.65 billion is catching the attention of a senator far from Pennsylvania.

Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren wrote a letter to the Department of Justice and Federal Trade Commission earlier this month, raising concerns over three major grocery deals awaiting approval: Kroger’s proposed acquisition of Giant Eagle, Sysco’s proposed acquisition of Restaurant Depot and McCormick’s proposed acquisition of Unilever’s food business…Read More

North Hills bookstore opens cafe in its new location

Riverstone Books marked an expansion of its new location by opening the Greenhouse Cafe within its store in Pine Creek Center on McKnight Road.

After making the move to the new location this past summer after a nearly nine-year run at McCandless Crossing, Riverstone held a ribbon cutting for the new Greenhouse Cafe that was under construction when the main bookstore opened in August.

Riverstone is partnering with Mechanic Coffee Co., a local coffee roaster, and local bakery One Sweet Cookie to provide pastries and other baked goods. Greenhouse Cafe’s menu offers espresso drinks, drip coffee and assorted teas in a setting inspired by owner Barbara Jeremiah’s interest in gardening…Read More