East Liberty Snags Patron Mexican Grill

Great news for foodies out there, East Liberty is gaining a new restaurant: Patron Mexican Grill. Get your appetite ready!

Walnut Capital Partners is leasing a 6,000-square-foot space in the first floor of its Highland Building redevelopment in East Liberty to Patron Mexican Grill.

With established locations in Wexford, O’Hara Township and Monroeville, Patron expects to establish a larger restaurant with ample seating both indoor and outdoor in warmer months, a larger bar to serve a more urban clientele of singles and young couples while serving the same variety of traditional Mexican dishes and drinks as its other restaurants.

Martin Bolanos, owner of Patron along with other restaurants in the Chattanooga, Tenn., area, said he expects to open the new Patron in East Liberty by next summer when the building’s construction is completed after more than 25 years of sitting empty.

“We’re going to go there because we want some presence in the city of Pittsburgh,” said Bolanos. “We think it can be a good area for us.”

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Pittsburgh's Housing Market Booms

Pittsburgh's residential real estate market continued at a torrid pace in November.

There were 2,646 homes placed under sales agreement in the Pittsburgh region, a 9.11 percent increase compared to November 2011, according to data released Wednesday by West Penn Multi-List. Average home sale prices up are up 7.8 percent to $157,050 compared to a year ago and homes are on the market five days fewer -- 89 days -- than they were in November 2011. Home listings are down 1.1 percent to 1,123. 

That's continued a trend for all of 2012, where homes placed under agreement are up 10.8 percent and average home price is up 5.7 percent to $166,012. 

"Buyers are taking advantage of more than appealing interest rates, and sellers are benefiting from the active market, smaller than normal inventory of homes for sale and increasing average sale prices," Barbara Kohl, executive vice president of the West Penn Multi-List Inc, said in a prepared statement. "With fewer homes listed for sale, buyers are moving quickly to make offers on homes that are priced right."

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Featured Apartment: Bellefonte!

5500 and 5508 Elmer Street
Bellefonte, Shadyside

Beautiful courtyard apartment building just two blocks off Walnut Street, featuring lovely hardwood floors, with convenient on-street parking. You'll enjoy Walnut Street's collection of local shops and national retailers, as well as restaurants, fine jewelers, music stores, and more. Williams Sonoma, Pottery Barn, Starbucks, the Gap and more are all just blocks from your door.

Located on public transportation lines, minutes from Chatham, CMU, Pitt, Shadyside Hospital and the many other schools and medical centers of Pittsburgh. Just four short miles from downtown.

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TechShop Coming to Bakery Square

It looks like TechShop might open in Bakery Square, a major win for techies in the Burgh! They're not positive when people will be able to sign up for membership, but reports say it will not be long.

Information about the Pittsburgh’s TechShop seems to be coming in at a trickle, but, judging by emails I have received inquiring about it ‘burgh techies, geeks and makers are very excited.

The latest news appears to be that the space will be opening in Bakery Square sometime in the first quarter of 2013.

J.R. Yoccco, a retail broker and leasing manager for Grant Street Associates the group that represents retail space at Bakery Square, told our real estate reporter Tim Schooley the TechShop has officially leased 16,000 square feet and the target to open is early next year.

“The enthusiasm from the local community is just off the charts with this one,” Yocco said. “Googlers are very happy about it because it gives them the change to work on some personal projects.”

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New Hotel in the Strip District

Walnut Capital Partners plans to develop 1400 Smallman St into a new hotel for the Strip District, and will soon be choosing the right hotel brand to run it. The $20 million project hopes to carve out a much needed space for visitors to the city of Pittsburgh.

Celebrity chef Lidia Bastianich may soon have a new place to stay when she visits her Lidia’s Pittsburgh restaurant in the Strip District. 

Walnut Capital Partners is moving forward with a plan to redevelop the 1400 Smallman St. property, an entertainment complex it first opened in 2001 and the location for Lidia’s Pittsburgh, into a new hotel project. 

Todd Reidbord, president of Walnut Capital, said his firm is working with Concord Hospitality on choosing the right hotel brand, and he hopes to begin construction on what he estimates will be a $20 million-plus project shortly after the new year.

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Apartment of the Week: the Noodle Factory

The Walnut Capital apartment of the week is the Noodle Factory, Friendships very own deluxe apartment complex! Call today at (412) 683-3810, or swing by at 4646 Friendship Ave!

Enjoy contemporary, upscale apartment and loft living in a recently converted 1903 noodle factory! Modern kitchens and baths and new appliances; plus the high ceilings, exposed wooden beams and original brick that contribute to the authentic "industrial" look, all in a family-oriented urban neighborhood. Close to the vibrant eateries, taverns and shops of Liberty Avenue in Bloomfield.

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Happy Halloween, Pittsburgh!

Happy Halloween! We hope you have a wonderful holiday full of costumes, pumpkins, scary stories, and best of all, candy! This year when you go to your favorite Squirrel Hill areas, make sure you are going on the right day. The city's Trick-or-Treat night has moved to Saturday in the wake of Hurricane Sandy. Have a great time this year, and stay safe!

While Pittsburgh city operations are continuing as normal — including, for now, scheduled trash pickups — emergency personnel are preparing to respond to days of high winds, flash flooding and power outages, Mayor Luke Ravenstahl said today at an afternoon conference with the city's press. 

The city's Halloween Trick-or-Treat night has been rescheduled from Wednesday evening to 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 3. 

Otherwise, "we're planning to conduct business as usual," he said. "We're not changing our daily routine."

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