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Thursday, September 05, 2002

By Donald I. Hammonds, Post-Gazette Staff Writer

It's not always easy for Pittsburgh neighborhoods to carve out an identity for themselves.

Shadyside, South Side, Squirrel Hill and Oakland already are known for their special characteristics and attractions. But creating a public image is still a "work in progress" for many other neighborhoods.

	Artist Mark Mentzer stands in his Butler Street, Lawrenceville, studio, which he has used for eight years. (Bill Wade, Post-Gazette)

Take Lawrenceville, a sprawling mishmash of old factories, warehouses, row houses and neighborhood shops hugging the Allegheny River and catering to an array of trades.

Hoping to pull it all together, the nonprofit economic development organization Lawrenceville Corporation created the 16:62 Design Zone two years ago. It's an area between the 16th Street Bridge in the Strip District and the 62nd Street Bridge that contains more than 100 shops, showrooms, manufacturers, studios and galleries that can provide for office and home needs.

If you're looking for accessories, furniture, arts, crafts, antiques, architectural services, interior design, renovation and construction, chances are you will find it within these borders, neighborhood advocates say.

When it began developing the Design Zone three years ago, Lawrenceville Corp. hoped the cluster of shops, residences and factories would promote a distinct identity for Lawrenceville, draw more businesses to the neighborhood, entice such spinoffs as restaurants and shops, and eventually draw more people to live there.

Its hopes are being fulfilled. In the two years since the nonprofit introduced a booklet listing 78 businesses selling everything from oriental rugs and antiques to cookware and leather goods, at least 19 new companies have opened and 115 jobs have been created within the Design Zone. Meanwhile, new restaurants have opened and more are coming. People are moving in, too.

"Four of my employees have bought houses here," said Joe Kelly, owner of Kelly Custom Furniture and Cabinetry and a Lawrenceville Corp. director. "I just found out today that another one has leased a home in Lawrenceville."

Kelly noted that Artists in the City, a group which turned an old East Liberty car dealership into live/work space for artists, has purchased an old ice house on 43rd Street.

"Now there are woodworkers, photographers and all kinds of different studios there. I think there's even a classical music group that has rehearsal space there," he said. "They wanted to be here because of this whole 16:62 Design Zone campaign."

That's precisely what Lawrence-ville Corp. expected to happen, said Pam Devereux, the organization's business development manager.

"This all fits into what we call a niche marketing strategy -- promoting economic development by focusing on the marketing of a niche industry, in this case, the design business," she said.

In a sense, the strategy calls for the redevelopment of the neighborhood to feed on itself. As the design businesses attract more people, they create a stronger business district. A stronger business district, in turn, attracts more residents.

The result, Devereux said, is "a healthy residential environment. It creates a sense of stability from a public perspective and creates jobs and services for residents that make it easy and convenient to live in the neighborhood."

The idea for the Design Zone was inspired by Portland, Ore.

Kelly and his wife had been in Portland in the Pearl District neighborhood, which shares similar characteristics to Lawrenceville. The Pearl District remade itself into a haven for arts and crafts, furnishings and the like, prompting the Kellys to believe in attempting the same kind of transformation here.

A number of new businesses have been drawn to Lawrenceville by its architecture, with its wealth of Victorian storefronts and residences and an active facade improvement program. It didn't hurt that rental and purchase prices were attractive, particularly when compared with other parts of the city.

What has helped keep them in Lawrenceville is a sense of support and interdependence, Kelly said. "My neighbors are woodworkers, upholsterers and others, and we support each other, not compete with each other," he said.

For the future, the district is "thinking big," Kelly said. Lawrenceville Corp. would like to encourage new development and construction on big, empty lots along Butler Street, he said, particularly around Doughboy Square, at the intersection of Butler and Penn Avenue, and near 52nd Street.

"The bigger showrooms need bigger spaces, and we hope to have larger showroom spaces to make it more attractive for them," he said.

People who are interested in visiting the Design Zone or exploring Lawrenceville may want to attend the Lawrenceville Hospitality House Tour, sponsored by the Lawrenceville Corp., from noon until 5 p.m. Sept. 29.

Tickets are available at many Butler Street shops or by calling 412-681-6200, Ext. 104. Tickets are $10 in advance or $12 on the day of the self-guided tour.

Donald I. Hammonds can be reached at dhammonds@post-gazette.com or 412-263-1538.

Thursday, September 05, 2002