City of Greensburg Health Care District Revitalization Plan

The purpose of the City of Greensburg Health Care District is to create a plan that promotes economic prosperity, increases private and public investment, protects the charm of neighborhoods, encourages growth of business, and enhances connectivity between downtown and key institutions.

The community envisions this district as a place for healthy living, personal wellness, scholarship, and neighborhood development to provide an ongoing stream of growth for the region.

Community input is the basis of the revitalization strategy.  In early June, meetings with meetings of residents, businesses, and property owners were held to start the process.  The comments, concerns, and suggestions collected during the meetings are noted on these maps. The remaining timeline for the project goes as follows:

Planning Phase III: Deciding

August               Draft Master Plan Document

September         Review of plan by City, GCDC, & Steering Committee

October 28th     Public Meeting #3 at 6pm, Greensburg Salem Middle School, Board Room

The community has developed the following objectives as a way to frame the planning process of the revitalization.

Health Care District Revitalization Plan Objectives:

• Encourage public and private development

•  Protect the residential character of specific blocks

•  Maximize the potential of under-utilized buildings

• Develop a parking plan for employees, patients, and visitors

•  Enhance the street scape of the Gateway Overlay District

•  Enhance the connectivity with Seton Hill University and Excela Westmoreland

The “Three Dot” exercise was introduced to the residents so that the consulting team could learn the thoughts of the residents and property owners. The participant placed a GREEN colored dot to indicate the “good” aspect of the neighborhood with RED color noting “bad” aspect and BLUE noting “opportunity for improvement”.  A large display of the “Dot Exercise” and some other informational panels are located in the storefront windows of the commercial building at 205 South Pennsylvania Ave.

Residents were given three GREEN dots to place on areas that they enjoyed within the study area. This could be a place for entertainment, a restaurant, the hospital, or even his or her home. After the dots were placed, residents had the chance to discuss their decisions. The most frequent dot locations are compiled below.

What do you like MOST about the area?

•  Long-term, stable residents

• Strong sense of pride in community heritage

• Excela Hospital and surrounding health care facilities

• Walkable and family friendly

•  Close to downtown and cultural institutions, such as the courthouse, library, churches, YMCA, arts, music, and theater

• Strong employment base

• Services such as Mutual Aid Ambulance and No. 6 Firehouse

•  Proximity to LECOM and Seton Hill

• Existing local businesses (yoga, karate, tailor shop, Royal Pizza)

• Good access from major highway along arterial

The same exercise was completed a second time, except this was to target what the residents disliked about the area. They were each given three RED dots to place on undesirable areas of the map. The following were the most abundant targets.

What do you like LEAST about the area?

•  Drug trafficking and illegal activity

• Absentee landlords

•  Poorly maintained and vacant buildings

• Dangerous streets (lack of sidewalks, speeding, one way streets)

•  Confusing access from Route 30

•  Neighborhood services have closed (shops, hotels, restaurants, bars, grocery, bakery)

•   Parking issues

•   Aging housing stock

•   Topography creates accessibility problems

• Railroad disconnects the district from Seton Hill

•    Lack of parks and amenities

·         Approach through industrial district is not welcome

The exercise was performed for a third and final time. The residents were asked to place BLUE dots 

on spaces that held potential to become positive areas in the district. The results are listed below.

What OPPORTUNITIES do you see for this area?

•  Create walkable destinations with neighborhood serving businesses

• Encourage cooperation between “med’s and ed’s” to provide employment and lifetime opportunity

• Grow and expand health services around Excela

• Create more residential choices (for students, active adults, professionals, seniors, and moderate income)

•  Create an urban, walkable neighborhood for all ages

• Stabilize the neighborhood by addressing drugs and vacancies

• Create a 24/7 environment that is vibrant and active

• Address parking and access issues

• Create financial incentives for revitalization

• Break down barriers to improve accessibility and mobility

•  Protect and restore historic houses and properties

• Create inviting streetscapes and gateways

•  Create a connection between Seton Hill and neighborhood

• Create safe parks for walking, biking, and playgrounds.

After considering the input of the community, the consulting team came up with proposed revitalization strategies for each of the five districts within the plan. The following recommendations/improvements are expected for each area:

Point District:

• Increase commercial redevelopment

• Install and improve gateway signage and landscaping

• Install pedestrian lights and trees and improve sidewalks along Pittsburgh and Otterman Streets

Arts District:

• Asset- Palace Theater

• Asset- SHU Performing Arts Center

• Asset- SHU Dance and Visual Arts Center

•  Promote new student housing opportunities

•  Recruit art galleries and restaurants

Neighborhood Preservation District:

•  Improve parks

•  Target high crime areas

•  Increase building code enforcement

• Organize façade renovation programs

• Target problem rental properties address traffic issues

• Attract commercial uses in key areas to serve the neighborhoods

Depot District:

•  Encourage student housing

• Add mixed income housing to balance population

• Secure senior housing

• Create pedestrian and bike bridge connection to Seton Hill

• Add office space for future tenants

• Create a new neighborhood commercial center

•  Develop a neighborhood square

Health Care District:

•  Consolidate parking to free up land for new facilities

• Improve sidewalks and crossings for pedestrians

• Provide amenities that are accessible to the community

• Improve streetscapes, landscapes and signage

• Recruit health related businesses

The funding for the Health Care District Revitalization Strategy has been provided by the following companies, foundations and institutions.  We are very appreciative of their support and commitment to our community.

PNC Foundation

Excela Health System

Anonymous Donor

People’s Natural Gas

City of Greensburg

Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine

Greensburg Community Development Corporation

PA Department of Community and Economic Development

Community Foundation of Westmoreland County- Westmoreland Now & Forever Fund

The next public meeting will occur on October 28th at 6pm. Residents of Greensburg are encouraged to attend, review the maps, and listen to a formal presentation from the consulting team. A location for the event has yet to be determined. Those interested in updates about the project and the meeting location should call City Hall Planning Department at (724) 838-4335 or email gcdc@thinkgreensburg.com to receive an invitation.

Please leave your own questions, comments, or ideas on the ThinkGreensburg Facebook page, as a comment at the end of this blog post, or on www.thinkgreensburg.com under the contact section of the website.

White Rabbit Cafe Moves in on Main Street

The White Rabbit Café & Patisserie will soon be added to the list of restaurants and businesses for residents to enjoy in downtown Greensburg. Located at 111 North Main Street, it is expected to be open sometime in August, just in time for back to school.

111 N. Main Prior to renovations.

Amber Kunselman, along with her business partner, Tommy Medley chose the City of Greensburg for their café for a number of reasons. Primarily, the high pedestrian and vehicle traffic along Main Street is essential to their marketing strategy.  PennDOT notes a daily traffic count of 11,000 cars passing the Courthouse on North Main Street.

“It is important that our business be accessible by walking traffic and visible to people driving through town. So a place filled with shopping plazas would not fit,” said Amber. 

Amber also noted that the architecture of the City, its central downtown, and its ability to stay small while being successful were all attractive attributes of Greensburg. 

Amber has added some color to the storefront.

The interior of the building needed to be transformed from a photography studio into a bakery and coffee shop.

“The building was previously Skysight Photography, but before that it was Lee’s Restaurant.   So, most of the storefront area was still designed for a café setting.  Building out the kitchen was the largest part of the project.” said Amber. 

Bright greens and pastel and creamy yellows will help to create the comfortable atmosphere that Amber envisions for the café. There will be a number of tables to relax at, along with a few lounging areas with couches. The café will also be a Wi-Fi hotspot, so students can enjoy the space as a different area to complete their studies. 

The renovations catch your eye from the street.

Amber, who completed the pastry program at Indiana University of Pennsylvania and spent a few years as a pastry chef at hotels such as the Marriott and the Ritz Carlton, is expected to serve some delectable goodies at the White Rabbit Café. Tommy will be the in house barista, serving up specialty brews.

Business Profile: TJZ Creations

Tiffany Jackson

Tiffany Jackson, owner of TJZ Creations, has enjoyed photography for many years. She remembers taking pictures as a child with old 35mm film cameras given by her family.  Tiffany’s passion began to develop when she took a photography class at St. Vincent College as a senior in high school.Before even graduating high school, Tiffany had secured an internship with Keith Lewis Photography. 

Tiffany decided to pursue her newly found passion by attending college for photography and graphic design, and eventually by opening the business in 2008. She earned a certificate in photography from Westmoreland County Community College in 2010. Tiffany is currently continuing her photography education through advanced training at the Triangle Tech Institute of Professional Photography.

Tiffany has received both personal and professional awards since opening TJZ Creations. She was selected for WHIRL Magazine’s 13 Individuals Under 30 Leading the Way, the 2013 The YWCA Rising Star Award, and Gold Award from the Tribune Review’s Reader’s Choice as Best Photographer.

TJZ Creations specializes in wedding photography, but Tiffany does much more than take photographs on the wedding day. She strives to create the perfect bridal experience for her clients; even helping to plan the wedding, choosing a venue, dress shopping, and much more.

Starting with the initial consultation, Tiffany enjoys developing a relationship with the bride and groom during every step of the planning process.  “I guess you could say that our motto here is that a fantastic relationship equals fantastic photos,” said Tiffany.

“I want the bride and groom to have their wedding be an experience. As their photographer, I want them to have special treatment,” said Tiffany.

Tiffany also enjoys shooting everything from senior portraits to newborn portraits. “I choose quality of my services over the number of clients I take on. I like to form a long lasting relationship with a client so that we can photograph them throughout the many milestones in their lives. Sometimes a wedding client turns into a client who asks me to photograph their newborn, which turns into their first year photos, and so on,” said Tiffany.

Tiffany shoots all of the photography and calls upon her husband, Aaron, for larger shoots. She believes that doing all of the photography herself is important because it is an art. Only she knows the client so personally.

To contact Tiffany visit TJZCreations.com or call (724)552-6751.
All of the photos accompanying this article are courtesy of TJZ Creations.

Seton Hill University: Dance & Visual Arts Center

Seton Hill University (SHU) is proud to announce the plans for the Dance & Visual Arts Center. The building which is set to be completed by fall 2014, will house classrooms, galleries, and workspace for students studying various visual arts and dance. Groundbreaking for the project will occur later this summer.

The new building will be located on the corner of West Otterman and College Ave, just one block from SHU’s Performing Arts Center. The Dance & Visual Arts Center is being designed by designLAB Architects of Boston, Massachusetts and Balog, Steins, Hendricks & Manchester Architects of Youngstown, Ohio. The general contractor for the project is Wesex Corp, located in West Middlesex, Pennsylvania. 

The 46,000 square foot Dance & Visual Arts Center will also be open to the public for student dance performances and student artwork installations along with guest artists. Many areas of the building will be dedicated to gallery and performance space where both the SHU and Greensburg communities can experience the work of the students. 

"The Dance and Visual Arts Center that Seton Hill University is building in Greensburg's cultural district is a major commitment by the University to current and future students, to the community and to our region.  The Center will provide students with an opportunity to showcase better their talents while bringing to the public a lively artistic place,” said Mary Ann Gawelek, Provost and Dean of Faculty at SHU.

In an interview with the Tribune Review, Robert Miklos, lead architect from designLAB said, ““This is a phenomenal thing: to have this much arts- and community-oriented facilities right in the town of Greensburg.  I have to compliment Seton Hill, because this is really on the cutting edge of what institutions are doing nationally.”

The architects have taken great care to design a space that is very conducive to student learning, community involvement, and aesthetic beauty. The classrooms within the space will be equipped with top of the line technologies for disciplines such as graphic design, pottery, sculpting, wood working, and metal working. The layout of the building will also include an “Art Yard”. This outdoor space will allow students to work in an inspiring environment while simultaneously providing a space for outdoor community events. 

The building itself will take on an industrial-like feel, featuring light-gray metal siding and large windows that will allow those passing by the ability to watch dance students in motion. Some of the building design was inspired by the neighboring Otterbein Methodist Church.

The need for a new building became apparent when students studying dance and visual arts were scattered across the SHU campus and downtown. The new Dance & Visual Arts Center will allow both faculty and students the opportunity to study in one concentrated area. Another goal of the building is to create a strong artistic push within the community of Greensburg.

In addition to dance and visual arts majors, the facility will also be welcoming to all SHU students. “All students are required to take an artistic expression elective as a part of the Liberal Arts curriculum. The new building will create a great space that will make this requirement even more fun. Even though I have already fulfilled the artistic expression credits, I might take a class there anyway,” said Desiree DeClaudio, a junior at SHU.