An artist’s rendering of a proposed Chase Bank branch that would replace the CVS Pharmacy in East Liberty, as presented to the City Planning Commission in January 2022.
The City Planning Commission’s votes clear the way for a Chase Bank in East Liberty and send a historic nomination to Pittsburgh City Council with mixed reviews.
by Rich Lord, PublicSource
A divided City Planning Commission approved the development of a one-story bank in the heart of East Liberty despite concerns that the design wasn’t consistent with the neighborhood’s increasing density of development.
JP Morgan Chase bought the former CVS store at 6100 Penn Avenue for $3.2 million in July. The bank wants to demolish it and build a smaller, 3,300-square-foot building with 11 parking spaces and some 20 trees in the back.
To make it more consistent with area buildings, Chase plans to add a false second floor, bringing the height close to 25 feet.
Representatives of both the East Liberty Chamber of Commerce and East Liberty Development Inc. spoke in favor of the proposal.
“It’s going to be terrific and we’re all excited,” said Lori Moran, president of the chamber’s board.
Bruce Chan, an urban designer involved with several civic organizations, decried the “suburban-like development” which he said was at odds with East Liberty’s increasing density and the city’s overall drive for more vibrant business districts. “A one-story building with a fake second story and built on less than half of the parcel is inconsistent with that vision,” he said.
Ties to brewing and Negro Leagues baseball sway commission
The commission united to recommend the historic nomination of a 138-year-old house and adjacent garage in Uptown, despite the vehement opposition of the owners and the disapproval of the Historic Review Commission.
The house at 1817 Fifth Avenue and the garage at 1818 Colwell Street were the home of the family of Joseph Tito, who was a noted Prohibition-era bootlegger and numbers operator.
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