Year-end link roundup

Because I always love NTEN’s monthly link roundup, I thought I’d put up a quick list of some links I’ve found interesting, useful, or entertaining this past year.  Enjoy!

• Walking in the park and see a lovely purple flower that makes you go “What is THAT?”  Snap a photo of it, come home, and sleuth out its identity at MyWildflowers.com.  I use this ALL THE TIME in the summer.
• Ditto this website that tells you everything you wanted to know about invasive species.
• Everything starts at home, right?  Charity, conservation, all that good stuff?  Add ecology to that list and check out localecology.org.
• While we can’t guarantee that the first Hockey Night in Pittsburgh took place in 1895, you can actually see an image from such a night in this great history of the short-lived Schenley Casino. 
• This just makes everyone working on the Mellon Square project laugh.
• Awesome magazine #1: when you subscribe to Good, your money goes to charity!  Plus, it’s full of things you should really know.
• Awesome magazine #2: Our Director of Education, Marijke, introduced me to a beautiful magazine, Orion, earlier in the year.  Here’s a sample of one of their thoughtful pieces.  Even better–you can subscribe digitally and never sacrifice a tree while you’re reading about them.
• This First Daffodils blog brings some brilliant spring cheer every year (and they included one of my Schenley Park shots this year, so bonus!).
• 21 amazing photos of trees.
• Several of us visited Central Park the week before their devastating microburst.  Here was their emergency appeal (with a link to some amazing lightning images).
• The Historic Pittsburgh Image Collection is an amazing resource.  Type “Highland Park” into the search box and you practically get a tour of the zoo in the 50s. 
• Speaking of archives, did you know you can check out all our past newsletters in nifty page-flipping Flash format?
• And finally, here’s the #1 most popular link in our office right now, which has nothing to do with anything but Christmas: Elf Yourself.  We guarantee hysterical laughter.

If you have any fun links you think park users would be interested in, leave a comment below and maybe we’ll do more of these periodically.

2009: A Look Back

2010 is almost here, and the staff at the Parks Conservancy is busily putting together plans for the year’s projects, programs, and outreach activities.  We’re expecting a banner year, with lots of exciting work that will continue to elevate our parks toward world standards of excellence.  But we thought before we look into the future, we should take a moment to celebrate all that we’ve accomplished in 2009.

Volunteers Plant Over 500 Trees

This year, 657 volunteers (including those in our dedicated Urban EcoStewards program) contributed more than 2,900 hours to parks restoration.  That includes planting 555 trees in the parks, everywhere from Flagstaff Hill in Schenley Park to the seasonal pools in Highland Park.  We’ll continue to count on volunteers next year, and we need people to help with everything from litter pickup to planting bulbs.  If you’d like to join our volunteer corps, click here.

Parks and Conservancy Win 9 Awards

Our park system is gaining recognition in our own region and around the world. Among the awards we received this year were the Riverview Chapel Shelter’s Historic Preservation Award from the City’s Historic Review Commission and Schenley Plaza’s Silver Award for Environmentally Sustainable Projects from the International Awards for Livable Communities held in Pilsen, Czech Republic.  Take a look at the complete list here.

Parks Conservancy CEO Meg Cheever accepts the Silver LivCom Award in Pilsen.

Special Events Raise Funds

In its eleventh year, the Spring Hat Luncheon dazzled guests with beautiful views of the Pittsburgh skyline from the Schenley Overlook.  The Children’s Carousel Tea transformed Schenley Plaza into a true big top thanks to the Zany Umbrella Circus, and the first-ever Target the Parks was a great success in Ligonier.  (Click the links above to see photo slideshows from each event!)

The 2009 Spring Hat Luncheon at the Schenley Park Overlook

Lecture Series Explores Park Issues

This spring, four of the Parks Conservancy’s staff members gave lunchtime lectures at the Schenley Park Café and Visitor Center on topics ranging from tree care to watershed health.  Then in the fall, we hosted landscape architect Walter Hood, who shared his plans for greening the Hill District.  Another lecture brought Doug Blonsky, Administrator of Central Park, and Tim Fulton, former Director of Operations at the Buffalo Olmsted Parks Conservancy, to town to share how zone management has worked in their parks.  You can see archived materials from that lecture here.

Walter Hood (third from left) poses with the Greenprint project team.

Pirates Hit Home Runs for Trees

If you attended a Pittsburgh Pirates game at PNC Park this season, you may have seen our logo up on the scoreboard from time to time.  That’s because, thanks to a new partnership, every time the Pirates hit a home run at PNC Park, the Pirates donated a native tree for planting in the parks.  This year’s total was 75 trees!  Now we all have one more good reason to root, root, root for the home team.

Pirates President Frank Coonelly (second from left) and the Pirate Parrot joined a DPW and Parks Conservancy crew to plant a hop hornbeam in Riverview Park.

Schenley Plaza Breaks Attendance Records

In Schenley Plaza’s fourth summer, an average of 1,000 people a day visited the park!  Even more people came out for special events like the WYEP Summer Music Festival, Pogopalooza, the Visionary Arts Festival, and the Pittsburgh Jazz Festival.  We’re planning another season of great programming now, and we expect our one millionth Plaza guest sometime in summer 2010. 

Pogopalooza was a high-flying spectacle that attracted an appreciative crowd.

Hill District Greenprint Takes Shape

The Parks Conservancy has been working with Find the Rivers! to create a plan for green space in the Hill District.  This year, Walter Hood was chosen as the principal landscape architect on the project, which will help to create a network of public green spaces and river overlooks.  The plan is continuing to take shape with input from the community.  Watch this space for updates in 2010.

Volunteers help green the Hill District during Pitt's Make a Difference Day.

Parks Are Free Campaign Encourages People to Get Outdoors

The Parks Conservancy was everywhere this summer thanks to an ad campaign sponsored by UPMC Health Plan that helped to promote the dozens of free events held in the park each week.  The Parks Are Free website provided an at-a-glance look at the day’s events, with a link to a calendar searchable by park, date, and event type.  Parks Are Free will continue to bring you a one-stop source for park events in 2010 and beyond.

This image appeared on billboards throughout the region.

Mellon Square Steps into the Spotlight

This historic downtown park will be a major focus for the Parks Conservancy going forward, as we plan for its restoration and future programming.  This year, we developed a web timeline, a cell phone walking tour, and a video celebrating the park’s historical significance.  Last month, The Cultural Landscape Foundation brought its Pioneers Regional Symposium to Pittsburgh to honor the life and work of Mellon Square’s designer, John O. Simonds.  The momentum from 2009 will continue into 2010, as the park’s new management plan is unveiled and work begins.

Mellon Square on a lovely fall day.

Stars Are Born at Mellon Park Walled Garden

It may not have looked like it this summer when the lawn was under construction, but in 2010 the Mellon Park Walled Garden will be the most beautiful place for stargazing in the city–even if you’re looking at the ground.  Work has concluded for this year, and after a winter for the plants and grass to establish themselves, we’ll have a grand re-opening for this beautiful Shadyside park in the spring.

The grass continues to grow in at Mellon Park.

Park Trails Get a Makeover

After several years of fundraising, engineering, and approvals, our trail and signage project began last week in Schenley Park.  While you’re snuggled inside by the fire this winter, crews will be improving the condition of trails throughout the park system.  The project will improve connectivity in the parks and make it safer for hikers, runners, and cyclists to use the trails.

Trails in Schenley Park are currently under construction.

And that’s only some of what we accomplished!  We also launched a spiffy new website, hired a Director of Education who has already started putting together some awesome programs for students, expanded the Daffodil Project to Highland Park, put up interpretive signage inside the Riverview Chapel Shelter, led 16 more Walks in the Woods, restored the bronze work on the Westinghouse Memorial, welcomed a new Director of Marketing and Membership Development, hosted over 100 (!) people at a time for free yoga at Schenley Plaza, cleaned up after a whale of a June storm, installed giant LED daffodils at the Plaza, and much more.

Thank you to all of our supporters who helped make every bit of this possible.  We will do our best to top this in 2010 with your continued support!

Work begins in Panther Hollow

Today marks the start of trail improvement construction in Schenley Park’s Panther Hollow Valley as part of the $3.02 million project managed by the Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy and the City of Pittsburgh’s Department of Public Works. The trails in the Panther Hollow section of the park are temporarily closed, and park users are asked to avoid closed areas until the work is complete.

The project was planned for winter so that the closures would have the least impact during the times of peak park use. “This project is going to require moving heavy material. The Parks Conservancy and City of Pittsburgh request that park users respect trail closures for their own safety while work is ongoing,” says Parks Conservancy Director of Management and Maintenance Phil Gruszka.

Half of one of the WPA bridges has crumbled.

The Parks Conservancy hired local firm Allison Park Contractors to begin the project. Crews will begin by rebuilding the wall that supports the Lower Panther Hollow Trail located below the Schenley Park Café and Visitor Center. Work will move down to the Phipps Run area beneath the tufa bridge, where the current trail runs for a few yards before becoming impassable. A major focus will be on the WPA-era bridges along the Lower Panther Hollow Trail. These historic park features are cracked and crumbling, and the trail they normally support isn’t safe for walking.

Trail surfaces will be repaired while inlets are cleaned and drainage pipes cleaned, repaired or replaced. The contractor is mobilizing on-site with a construction trailer located at the Anderson Playground.

If you have any questions about the work you see being done in the parks, give us a call at 412-682-7275!

Artist's rendering of the WPA bridges following restoration

Trails project update

We had a really good comment on our trails and signage blog this morning that raised some questions I thought we should address in a more prominent way than in the comments section.  Here are Andrea’s questions and our answers.

Is the WPA Bridge restoration project the reason why a bunch of PDPW workers were out installing a construction trailer next to Anderson Playground in Schenley Park this morning? None of the crew were able to even hazard a guess what the trailer was for, they were just following orders to park it there. Seems a bit early to be installing there for work that isn’t supposed to begin til Spring…?

Yes, the trailer near Anderson Playground is the contractors’ construction trailer for the entirety of the trails restoration project.  It was deemed the most suitable and efficient location for the contractors to set up because it’s pretty centrally located to all four parks where the work will take place, and there was no need to tear up or clear anything out to make room for it here.  Plus, it’s likely to be there only until around June, and the Anderson Playground is less frequently used in winter than when it’s nice out.

Work is actually set to begin in early December, so you’ll be seeing the contractors and their crews sooner rather than later!

Also – why was the WPA Bridge restoration considered of greater urgency than the re-design/dredging/repair of the Panther Hollow Lake (and perhaps also the destroyed boathouse)? The bridges all seem to be among the most solid pieces of construction that the parks have to offer. Whereas, of course, runoff from the Golf Course still makes huge algae blooms in the pond after every heavy rain, etc. I had also heard somewhere that the Parks Conservancy had an interest in restoring the Panther Hollow Boathouse as part of a larger effort to create another “entrance” and attraction on the south end of Schenley Park – ?

The short answer is that the bridges are considered part of the trail system, so they are included in the scope of the trails project.  Our federal funding is for transportation and wayfinding, and the bridges fit nicely into that.  Plus, they’re a part of the park’s history that is rapidly deteriorating, so we want to prevent further damage and welcome people back into that section of the park.

Sediment and algae mar the shape and surface of Panther Hollow Lake.

The bigger picture is that Panther Hollow Lake is the last piece of the puzzle in a complete restoration of the Panther Hollow Watershed.  The bridges and trails are a piece that has to be completed first.  The lake is silted to a third of its original depth, partly due to sediment that is flowing from the hillsides and trails because of their poor condition.  If we don’t fix these problems first, we would be dredging the lake only to have it refill with sediment all over again.  The Parks Conservancy been working for the better part of the last decade along with City crews and volunteers to do things like cross-slope trenching, which places fallen trees in positions that help to stabilize hillsides and slow down erosion. 

As Andrea mentioned, another problem with the lake is pollution.  The algae blooms are caused not just by the golf course but by everyone living in the watershed (which includes Oakland and Squirrel Hill).  (Here’s a great article City Paper wrote on the subject this summer.)  Whenever we do things like failing to pick up after our dogs or over-fertilizing soil without testing it to see how much it actually needs, we’re contributing to the problem.  Panther Hollow Lake is at the bottom of a deep valley, and it’s the point to which all the water in this watershed flows, so figuring out what all the sources of pollution are–much less how to stop them–is a lengthy task.

Fortunately, Panther Hollow Lake has attracted the attention of the scientific community in Pittsburgh, and the problems are actively being studied.  The monitoring committee includes professors, students, and researchers from Carnegie Mellon, Pitt, Duquesne, Chatham, and ALCOSAN, among others.  As they continue to watch levels of E.Coli in Panther Hollow Lake to determine the major source of pollutants, we’ll be able to know when those levels have dropped low enough that the lake meets fishable-swimmable standards set by the EPA.

Then the lake can be dredged, the area around it can be restored, and we can finally work on rebuilding the boathouse and turning Panther Hollow Lake into a safe and fun place for recreation.

Historic postcard of Panther Hollow Lake

A garden glows in Mellon Park

If you’ve walked by the Walled Garden in Shadyside’s Mellon Park recently, you’ve probably noticed that it’s beginning to look like a garden again.  The Management and Maintenance staff at the Parks Conservancy has spent a lot of the last four months in Mellon Park, working alongside Department of Public Works crews and contractors to restore this beloved space in memory of one who left it too soon. 

The project had to balance several things: it honors the life of Ann Katharine Seamans through an art installation that mimics the pattern of the stars in the night sky over Pittsburgh on Annie’s birthday.  It also returns several historical elements from the garden’s 1929 design by Alden and Harlow for the Richard B. Mellon estate.  And finally, the garden had to be a welcoming space for today’s visitors, with plenty of seating, well-maintained plantings, and a beautiful, open design.

With work just about finished for this year, we wanted to give you a look back at how the project has progressed since our groundbreaking in July.  We’re planning on a June 2010 re-opening when the new trees are in full bloom and the grass has had a chance to grow into the lawn.

Before we get to the photos, Phil wants me to pass on something very important: if you’re using Mellon Park between now and June, please keep your dogs out of the fenced area!  The new grass needs time to grow in, and some larger dogs are leaping over the fencing and tearing up patches of lawn.  We’ll be working on some of the lawn area in front of the garden too, so you’ll see more fencing in the months to come, but we ask for your patience in helping us make the park better for everyone. 

And now for the pics!

In July, crews began removing the plant material in the garden borders so that work could begin.

In August, the whole lawn was dug up to prepare for the installation of the stars.  Meanwhile, Eagle Scout Jake Meyer assembled a crew at Schenley Plaza to assemble the stars out of PVC piping.

The garden’s signature fountain received a new water supply, and an underground vault was built that will serve as a mechanical room when a full restoration of the fountain can be undertaken.  (That portion of the project has not been funded to date.)  The fountain is once again able to flow but needs a little tweaking to do so properly.  New pipes were run from the vault to the fountain–the water supply and a return line that will allow the water to recirculate.

Electrical conduits were laid to power the fiber optics that make the stars glow.  Then fill was added to the lawn that covered the stars up to their fiber optic tip.  A nighttime lighting test allowed the garden to glow for the first time.  The effect is unique and surprising, and as Phil says, “If you look closely, they wink at you.”

 

Each star’s name and a short saying is affixed to a granite disc that covers up all but the tip of the fiber optic line.  So not only will you be able to sit on the lawn without running into a bunch of poky lights, but you’ll get to learn a fun star fact whenever you visit!

October was a time for planting.  A great crew of volunteers came out to help install shrubs, bulbs, perennials, and finally trees on the garden’s borders.

The restoration includes two plaques, one honoring Ann Katharine Seamans and the other recalling Vitale and Geiffert’s work.

The original design had an octagonal planting bed leading up to the lawn, so this element is being brought back.  The garden’s much-loved frog has hopped over to a nearby pad but is still part of the garden.  Its original location was at a pond in another part of the park, and it will likely return there if a restoration of the pond is ever undertaken.  The two lions on either side of the steps are currently in storage.  Historically, there were urns where they sat, so that’s what you’ll be seeing when the garden re-opens.  The lions are likely to turn up somewhere in another park to be determined.

The distinctive iron gates by Samuel Yellin were partially restored as part of the project.  Although a test revealed no lead paint on the gates, they are over 100 years old, so to be on the safe side they were sandblasted and repainted with lead-free, environmentally friendly coatings.  (Don’t worry, we didn’t turn them white–this is how they looked between blasting and painting!)

And this is where we stand today.  You can see that wooden park benches have been added, replacing some of the stone benches.  The idea there was to add to the garden’s airy feel by installing benches that weren’t completely solid, allowing the other elements to show through to a degree. 

You can also see that a stepped terrace has been added near the front of the garden with another planting bed and a circular bench.  This allows for a new and elevated perspective on the garden below.

So come next June, this is what you should see: an attractive space that’s lively yet intimate, bringing together an innovative new art installation with a stunning historical design and sustainable plantings. We can’t wait to open this back up and see it filled with people again!

Thanks to Carlos Peterson for the sketch and Joe Seamans for the lighting photo!

VIDEO – Mellon Square: A Modern Masterpiece

Had a great time last night at our reception for the opening of Marvels of Modernism and the tribute to John O. Simonds, who designed Mellon Square. We premiered a brand-new video celebrating Mellon Square’s importance to Pittsburgh and the many innovative elements of its design. Check it out below!

Marveling at Mellon Square

My husband and I are about to duck out of Pittsburgh for a long weekend and head to Los Angeles to visit some friends.  While I’m definitely excited for warm, sunny days, I’m also interested in visiting Pershing Square Park.  It is a park on top of a parking garage just like our own Mellon Square. 

One of Mellon Square's purposes was to provide contrast with the tall office buildings surrounding it.

As Pittsburghers, we’re fortunate to have a bit of history on our hands.  Did you know that in 1949 Mayor David Lawrence was inspired by the successful operation of another parking garage-with-a-park-on-top?  He heard about Union Square (underground) Garage in San Francisco and asked members of the Pittsburgh Parking Authority to consider building similar parking facilities where Mellon Square now sits.  Now we are lucky enough to have Mellon Square and its historical legacy.

I will, unfortunately, be missing The Cultural Landscape Foundation’s Pioneers Regional Symposium this Friday and Saturday at the Warhol Museum.  The symposium will celebrate the life and work of John O. Simonds who envisioned Mellon Square.  I will also miss a great opportunity to learn more about the restoration of Mellon Square during a reception for the opening of the Marvels of Modernism exhibit at the Warhol on Thursday evening.    

But there’s still time for you to register!  We’re now offering special rates for Friday’s symposium.  Students can register for $25 and educators for $75, a savings from the standard cost of $125.  Parks Conservancy members also receive a special rate of $100.  And if you can’t miss work on Friday, Saturday morning’s walking tour will be full of fascinating history, and it’s only $25!

For a list of this week’s events, visit our website.  Or you can go ahead and sign up for any or all of them here.

And if you still need convincing, check out Pop City’s article on the symposium here.

Mellon Square Trees

We got an interesting question about Mellon Square last week from @bobf_vstpgh via Twitter and thought we’d share the answer here as well. 

Q: Did you know that each of the trees in Mellon Square are on top of the garage’s columns?  Where do the roots go?

A: All loads on the park surface are carried by columns through the entire structure to the footings spaced out on the floor of a prehistoric stream bed 60 feet below.  Each major tree is centered squarely on a prelocated column cap.  The trees are set in steel boxes to prevent roots from penetrating the roof surface below.

If you ever have a question about something you’ve noticed in one of the parks, post it here and we’ll answer it for you!

Be There or Be Square

A historic photo of Mellon Square shows its careful design.

If you’re like me, you’ve probably parked at the Mellon Square garage downtown dozens of times without ever realizing the significance of the park above it.  But the next time you’re winding your way underground, you might stop to appreciate the fact that Mellon Square is a nationally renowned landscape that was part of Pittsburgh’s 1950s Renaissance.  The Parks Conservancy is getting ready to kick off a weekend of celebrations surrounding Mellon Square and the landscape architect who envisioned it, John Ormsbee Simonds.

For starters, we’ve got a new slideshow up on our website that takes you through the planning, construction, and life of the Square since its opening in 1955.  You’ll see how a gift from the Mellon family enabled Pittsburgh to create what Mayor David Lawrence called ”a downtown breathing space and beauty spot” that broke up the congestion of buildings and traffic in the Golden Triangle.  Inspired by the success of San Francisco’s Union Square, Pittsburgh leaders recognized that the need for public space downtown was just as urgent as the need for parking, and that Mellon Square could be a solution to both issues.

Building a park over a parking garage; Mellon Square under construction

We’ve also implemented a new audio walking tour in Mellon Square, which you can access on your mobile phone.  With Tour Anytime, we’ve created a self-guided tour that you can access on your own schedule.  Grab your lunch and head to Mellon Square to enjoy the last of the beautiful fall weather and learn about the significance of your lunch spot.

But we’re most excited to be partnering with The Cultural Landscape Foundation to bring the Pioneers Regional Symposia series to Pittsburgh with a focus on John O. Simonds.  Next week, three days of events will highlight Simonds’ contribution to landscape architecture, including tours of his local masterpieces in Mellon Square and Allegheny Commons.

Here’s what to expect:

Thursday, November 5:
We’ll celebrate the Pittsburgh opening of the Marvels of Modernism photographic exhibition (featuring Simonds’ Lake Elizabeth) with a dinner and reception at the Andy Warhol Museum.  The program will also include the unveiling of the Parks Conservancy’s restoration plans for Mellon Square.

John Simonds

Friday, November 6:
An all-day symposium, The Hunter and the Philosopher: John O. Simonds, Pioneer Landscape Architect, highlights Simonds’ work with leading historians, designers, and practitioners.

Saturday, November 7:
A morning walking tour will visit Mellon Square and Allegheny Commons’ Lake Elizabeth.  Patricia O’Donnell and Marion Pressley, the landscape architects who researched and planned the restoration of these spaces, will lead the tour.

Tickets for any (or all!) of these events are available here.  We hope you’ll be able to join us for this celebration of an underappreciated piece of Pittsburgh’s heritage.

Ground breaks on systemwide improvements

The Parks Conservancy would like to invite fellow park lovers to a groundbreaking ceremony on Monday, October 26 at 9:30am to celebrate the beginning of a comprehensive trail and signage improvement project in the parks.  We’ll meet up in the Lower Frick parking lot off Lancaster Avenue in Regent Square and be joined by representatives from the offices of Senators Bob Casey and Arlen Specter and Representative Mike Doyle.  Rep. Doyle and Sen. Specter were instrumental in securing the $3.1 million federal grant that has made the project possible.

Trails in lower Frick Park will soon get some TLC.

The support of our donors has also helped move the project forward substantially.  In order to release the federal funds, the Parks Conservancy needed to raise a percentage of matching funds from the community.  Foundations, individuals, and the corporate community helped us raise over $498,000, releasing nearly $2 million in federal funds!

Construction crews will begin work shortly on trails in lower Frick Park.  Other projects will begin along Butler Street on the north end of Highland Park and on the Bob Harvey and Mairdale Trails in Riverview Park.  Work on Schenley Park, including the restoration of the Works Progress Administration-era bridges in Panther Hollow, begins next spring.

Schenley Plaza already features signs in the new style.

Shortly after the trail work begins, crews will also begin installing about 100 new signs throughout the four regional parks to improve wayfinding and educate users about the parks.  In addition to directional signage, interpretive signs will provide information about park history, wildlife, and restoration projects that have improved the parks.

Once work begins, the trail and signage project should take about 10 months to complete.  The Conservancy’s Department of Management and Maintenance and the City of Pittsburgh Department of Public Works will pay increased attention to these newly restored landscapes, monitoring them for maintenance issues and assigning Urban EcoStewards to care for them.

We’d love to see you at the groundbreaking on the 26th if you’d like to learn more about this exciting project!

A look at the sign family that will soon appear in the parks.

Schenley Plaza wins international award

Schenley Plaza won the Silver Award in the Environmentally Sustainable Project category at the 2009 International Awards for Livable Communities (LivCom Awards) held October 8-12 in the Czech Republic city of Pilsen. Meg Cheever, President and CEO of the Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy presented the project to a panel of judges and an audience representing 15 countries.

Meg Cheever is congratulated by Alan Smith, Chief Executive of the LivCom Awards.

The purpose of the LivCom Awards is to encourage best practices, innovation, and leadership in sustainable development.  The LivCom Awards is the world’s only competition for local communities that focuses on environmental management and the creation of livable communities.

Judging criteria included enhancement of the landscape, heritage management, environmentally sensitive practices, community sustainability, healthy lifestyles, and planning for the future.  The Pittsburgh project competed with projects from Australia, Austria, China, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Poland, England, Germany, Japan, Saudi Arabia, and Ukraine.

“It has been wonderful to see Schenley Plaza grow and develop over the past four years, and we are thrilled that it has received international recognition,” Cheever says.  “As first-time competitors in the LivCom event, we are proud to be able to bring home the Silver Award to Pittsburgh.  Schenley Plaza’s conversion from parking lot to vital, green gathering place has improved the quality of life in Oakland.  We are gratified to see our efforts validated by an international panel of judges at this year’s LivCom competition.”

The $12 million Plaza was the product of a community-wide effort.  It was completed in 2006 and expects its millionth visitor in 2010.

Click the viewer below to see the presentation that was given at the awards ceremony.