photo by John Colombo

East Liberty’s iconic fountain sculpture, “Joy of Life,” by Virgil Cantini, has a 40-year history that’s intertwined with the forces that have shaped the neighborhood.  Learn more about this unique work of art at the Pittsburgh Sculpture blog.

Some seven years in the making, the city and developer Mosites Co. have closed on the financing for Target’s proposed East Liberty store, virtually guaranteeing its construction.

The retailer is expected to break ground on the 143,000-square-foot store — one of only a few Targets in the country with two levels — next month.

Construction will take about a year, with the opening scheduled for July 2011. A formal announcement is expected today.

Target will join Home Depot and Whole Foods Market as anchors in a bustling East Liberty commercial corridor that not too long ago was a poster child for inner city blight. Together, they “will change the shopping patterns of many city residents,” said Steven Mosites Jr., Mosites Co. president.

Rob Stephany, city Urban Redevelopment Authority executive director, sees the development as part of the “re-regionalizing” of East Liberty, once one of the largest commercial centers in the state.

“Home Depot, Whole Foods, the restaurants, they are already regional attractors and I think Target will amplify that posture even more,” he said.

Key components of the financing for the $46.8 million project include a $20 million loan from M&T Bank and $12.6 million equity investment by PNC facilitated by new markets tax credits.

Mark Minnerly, Mosites’ director of real estate development and a partner in the project, described the PNC investment as a “gap filler” that enabled the store to proceed.

The URA supplied $14.1 million for site development, including a $10 million U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development loan and a $2 million HUD grant.

Under the arrangement with Target, Mosites was responsible for securing the financing for the store. Target will be liable for the repayments through a 29-year lease.

The fact the developer was able to secure financing for a retail store in a challenging credit environment is a tribute both to Target and East Liberty, Mr. Mosites said. “All in all, I think [lenders] felt really good about Target’s credit and the location,” he said.

Completion of the financing marks a milestone in a journey that began 10 years ago when a master plan designated the five-acre site bordering Penn Avenue, Penn Circle and Broad Street for a department store.

Target became the “focus” of those efforts about seven years ago, Mr. Mosites said. He described the courting as “herculean” given the recession and the decision by Target to re-evaluate all new store openings.

“Getting Target to invest in East Liberty was an intense strategic effort that could not have happened without so many valuable partners who believe in the economic transformation of our city and of East Liberty,” Mayor Luke Ravenstahl said in a statement.

For the rest of the Pittsburgh Post Gazette Article click on the link:

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10166/1065616-53.stm#ixzz0r3GDmCX7

East Liberty is about to experience a big change. Target is coming into town and bringing 240 jobs with it. This Target will be somewhat different from the average suburban Target, as it will have two floors. The first floor will be parking, and a glass entry with escalators or elevators will lead to the second floor retail.

Target will be constructed on Penn Circle East where the vacant Penn Circle High Rise is located. Construction on the Target will begin after the high rise and other two commercial buildings on the lot are demolished. The retail store is scheduled to open the fall of 2010.

Read more about target opening at the Post-Gazette website and the KDKA website!

East Liberty would like to give a huge THANK YOU to the over 150 volunteers who came out to the tree planting this past Saturday, November 1.

Check out some of the Photos, as well as one from the Post Gazette.

This East Liberty greening and beautification project is one example of the community’s efforts to improve the quality of life for everyone living, driving, biking or strolling the neighborhood.

East Liberty’s dining district has been receiving kudos again for its wide array of restaurants and cafes! With a diversity among cultural cuisine, price range and atmosphere, many are looking at East Liberty as the place to enjoy an evening out or a bite before a community meeting.

Read these local reviews from the Post Gazette and the City Paper of Richard Chen’s or Eat UP Cafe. Ranging from the high end Pan-Asian cuisine to the community-based, local-youth-run East UP Cafe at the Union Project, there is room for everyone’s taste!

East Liberty congratulates Emmai Alaquiva of Ya Momz House, LLC on receiving a Mid-Atlantic Emmy Award for music composition and arrangement for the production of the soundtrack for WQED Multimedia’s documentary Fly Boys: Western Pennsylvania’s Tuskegee Airmen.

This is a great accomplishment for Emmai, the entire staff of Ya Momz House, LCC, WQED Multimedia and such performers as Richard Hutchins, Bianca Atterberry and Mt. Ararat’s minister of worship Trini Massie. Fly Boys recounts the journeys of the pioneering men throughout western PA who were among the first African American men to serve as Air Force pilots.

Ya Momz House, LLC was opened in 2001 in the Werner Building in East Liberty, above the Shadow Lounge (where Mr. Alaquiva worked as a doorman for many years.) Emmai was also honored last year as one of Pittsburgh’s 40 under 40. Ya Momz House has also received numerous awards including Telly, Davey and A.I.R Awards.

To read more about the Emmy winner and upcoming events and projects look through their Press Release or
read about them in the City Paper.

“No Pain, No Gain.” is the motto of Jim “Big Weave” Weaver during his high energy, hip-hop aerobics sessions. Big Weave is the owner and instructor of Naka Fitness, located at 124 N. Higland Avenue. He prides himself on bringing in a diverse crowd for his classes and leaving them all exhausted by the end of the hour. Different aerobics classes are available nearly every weekend from 6:30 to 7:30, a schedule is available on their website. Classes are $7 each or $55 for a month pass. Also check out their feature article in the Post Gazette. Those who are very daring should attend one of Big Weave’s boot-camp nights.