It has been a reoccurring story on Pittsburgh’s
local news channels, and on the front page of all
the Pittsburgh newspapers. Even a ribbon cutting
ceremony was held with Mayor of Pittsburgh, Luke
Ravenstahl, who gave a keynote speech. Hundreds
of people stood outside in the cold damp spring
weather, lining the streets with cameras and video
cameras. Clips appeared on YouTube within hours
of us starting the mass demolition of the once
famed “Edge” Restaurant perched high on
Mt. Washington located at One Grandview.
At first glance, demolishing a 10,000 square foot
restaurant does not appear to be that exciting
of a project, as we more typically engage in
demolishing 100’ smoke stacks, heavy industrial
buildings, parking garages, hospitals and malls.
Rarely, if ever, does a project receive this type of
media coverage. So, why is this small wrecking
job such a “big deal” in Pittsburgh? The answer
is basically two-fold.
The “Edge” Restaurant has sat vacant atop the
historic Mt. Washington since late 1979. For
those unfamiliar with Pittsburgh, Mt. Washington
is the name of the mountain ridge that currently
overlooks downtown Pittsburgh. Historically,
Mt. Washington is the ridge where George
Washington visited as a British emissary in
1754 and realized the strategic value of the
region. He reported back to the British crown,
and urged them to build a military fort at the
confluence of the Allegheny and Monongahela
Rivers. Fort Pitt was constructed 4 years later.
More recently, the tremendous view which was
voted the second best in all of America by USA
Weekend Magazine, was only marred by this
vacant and graffiti laced building. Politicians
and residents called this building an eye sore to
the neighborhood, and worried about the illegal
activity that occurred after the sun went down.
There was a tremendous public outcry to have
the building demolished. For the past few years
there have been several conceptual ideas floating
around for a new use for the property, including a Ritz-Carlton Hotel. None came to fruition until
now For the public, this demolition project was
long over due.
The second reason that this demolition means
so much to Pittsburgh is the more exciting part
for Independence Excavating, as it is the first
stage of a major development project proposed
on the property. Chicago based developer,
Steven Beemsterboer, has quite a master plan
for this piece of property. The proposed 100
million dollar mixed-use development includes
a 110 room, 5-Star rated hotel, 50 condominium
units, spa and fitness center, meeting rooms,
and a fine-dining restaurant. The site will also
feature a grand public terrace that will extend the
Grandview promenade and offer beautiful views
of the three rivers, and downtown Pittsburgh. So
for Pittsburghers, this is a big step towards new
development, job creation, and a state-of-the-art
mixed-use development atop one of its most
prominent geographical features.
Because our demolition team did an amazing
job — from making the initial deal to the
completion of the demolition — we hope that we
put ourselves in a good position to be part of the
future development. This was a very challenging
demolition job as the building sat right at the
edge of the cliff that is Mt. Washington. At the
bottom of the cliff is a busy secondary roadway,
and to the side is the Duquesne Incline. There
was no margin for error. With Mr. Beemsterboer
and many citizens watching the demolition
unfold, our crews performed the work precisely,
efficiently, and most importantly, safely. After
the building is completely down, we will move
a small crusher into the site and recycle the
demolition debris so it can be used for fill further
down the road.
Independence Excavating would like to thank the
Beemsterboer family, and the citizens that live
in the Grandview neighborhood. We are ecstatic
to have been part of this project, and will do our
best to be part of its future.
