Realtor team suggests courthouse-centered revitalization for downtown Greensburg

The Westmoreland County Courthouse is the focal point of downtown Greensburg, and an outside group suggested redeveloping a cluster of buildings around the courthouse to create a sense of place there.

“It would be an excellent branding initiative to give the downtown an identity,” Greensburg resident Tracy Miscik said of the courthouse-centered concept suggested by a team from the Counselors of Real Estate.

The team visited Greensburg in July and suggested in a report presented this past week to city council that town leaders aim to “create a sense of place in downtown Greensburg centered around the courthouse and intersection of Main and Pittsburgh (streets).”

Miscik is president of the Realtors Association of Westmoreland, Indiana and Mon Valley, which partnered with city and county officials and obtained funding for the team’s effort through the National Association of Realtors.

“I think we can all agree that our courthouse building is definitely marvelous,” she said. “Clustering development activity in a central location instead of spreading it out will create momentum.”

The Counselors of Real Estate (CRE) report lists potential development ideas for buildings near the courthouse:

• First Commonwealth Bank building, 111 S. Main St — Combination of Airbnb and apartment units, adding housing to the center of town while providing overnight extended stay options for tourists and parents of Seton Hill University students.

• Barclay’s Bank building, 1 N. Main St. — Event space that could complement a proposed Airbnb across the street as well as events such as the popular monthly Night Market on nearby Pennsylvania Avenue.

• PNC Bank building, 125 S. Main St. — Shared office co-working space that might be used as needed by courthouse visitors or Seton Hill students.

• Former Royer’s department store, 114 S. Main St. — Suggested options include conversion to multifamily housing and partial or full demolition to provide space for a parklet or potential site for new construction.

Miscik noted the importance of redeveloping the imposing seven-story First Commonwealth building, which is owned by the Westmoreland County Housing Authority and is occupied by a bank branch on the first and second floors.

“It’s the cornerstone of economic development for the downtown,” she said. “Focusing on the biggest challenge first will raise property values and rent, leading to fewer funding gaps for future (development) projects.”

All told, the CRE team visited 11 downtown buildings and interviewed more than 70 local stakeholders in order to develop both short-term and long-term recommendations for Greensburg leaders.

“There are things we need to work on,” Miscik said, while indicating some of the recommended actions already are underway.

“Downtown is definitely changing because of the optimism of the people. The community leadership is energized at a level we haven’t seen before,” she said.

Once a plan is in place for marketing the city, the CRE recommended Greensburg take steps to attract new residents, create a memorable image of the city and reorganize downtown parking.

While a recent study commissioned by the city indicated there are sufficient parking spaces to handle demand in downtown Greensburg, the CRE noted parking concerns frequently were voiced during interviews with stakeholders.

The CRE report recommends: “Regular, all-day parking for downtown workers should be consolidated within a few blocks of active destinations but should never be allowed on the street. The same is true for high-density residential projects, which could share parking with daily office users.

“On-street parking should be short-term and inexpensive or free, with ticketing and education for violators. … Event parking should be thoughtfully coordinated.”

During interviews, stakeholders also cited the need for more downtown availability of general merchandise, groceries and family-friendly attractions such as a game center. They suggested greater coordination of area arts activities and increased collaboration with Seton Hill.

“We need to go through the (CRE) report and start making a list, step by step, of what we need to do,” Councilman Gregory Mertz said. “It might take a little bit of time to identify the priorities.”

He said the city planning commission over the coming months will be reviewing Greensburg’s subdivision and land development ordinance.

“Part of the discussion is what we can do to standardize some things to make it easier for development in downtown Greensburg,” he said.