North Shore gets a lift from The Bus

Jerome Bettis, left, and the Pirates' Kevin McClatchy, right, listen to Frank Kass, chairman of Continental Real Estate, talk about the "Jerome Bettis Grille 36" restaurant yesterday on the North Shore.


Former Steeler Bettis' restaurant, opening in May, is part of a surge of development expected around the stadiums this year

Saturday, January 27, 2007

By Mark Belko, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

The Bus is stopping on the North Shore once again and his arrival could signal a big year for development between Heinz Field and PNC Park.

Jerome Bettis Grille 36, named after the retired Steelers running back, could be one of many advances in 2007, including a possible deal on another office building and the start of a long-awaited amphitheater project.

An upscale Hyatt Place hotel also could be part of the mix.

Mr. Bettis' restaurant, on the ground floor of the Del Monte Center near Heinz Field, is scheduled to open in May and could be a milestone in the North Shore's ongoing development, Steelers President Art Rooney II said.

"I think it will bring the kind of excitement we've been hoping for as part of the North Shore project. So I think it's a tremendous step forward and I think we'll just be able to build on this as we go forward," he said.

The Steelers are hoping to close on a deal soon with Cordish Co. of Baltimore for the development of North Shore Live, a proposed entertainment district near Heinz Field whose centerpiece would be an amphitheater with up to 5,000 seats and a glass top.

Other features could include restaurants, shops, nightclubs and an outdoor performance plaza.

"I'm not going to put an exact time frame on it but I think we're close enough that our goal, our hope, would be that it's something we can break ground on at the end of this year and possibly have at least parts of it open in '08," Mr. Rooney said.

Frank Kass, chairman of Continental Real Estate Cos., the Columbus firm hired by the Steelers and Pirates to develop the land between the stadiums, said the amphitheater would be boxed by nightclubs, providing for a year-round concert venue. An agreement could come soon, pending an application to the state for help with infrastructure improvements.

Mr. Kass said he also is closing in on a deal to build a "very nice, upscale, urban" Hyatt Place hotel between the stadiums. He hopes to make a formal announcement in March. He said he is negotiating with the city Stadium Authority for the land and parking needed for the hotel.

The hotel would be the third between the stadiums.

A 198-room Marriott SpringHill Suites hotel opened in 2005 near PNC Park and construction is expected to start next month on an 180-room Residence Inn at Mazeroski Way and General Robinson Street. Both hotels are separate from the Continental development.

Continental also hopes to be in position by late spring to announce construction of another office building to supplement Del Monte Center and the Equitable Resources headquarters.

Mr. Kass said he has had talks with Equitable about adding a building and consolidating operations on the North Shore if its purchase of Dominion Peoples wins regulatory approval. He said he is talking to several other potential tenants.

Mr. Bettis' restaurant will be the third to open on the North Shore this spring. McFadden's Restaurant and Saloon in the Equitable building will debut March 17. Calico Jacks Cantina is expected to open in the Del Monte building about a month later. Fox Sports Network Pittsburgh will move its studios to that building next month.

The $3 million Jerome Bettis Grille 36 will feature 8,500 square feet, more than 40 high-definition TVs and an outdoor patio area.

Mr. Bettis and his partner, Howard Shiller of Celebrity Ventures Inc. of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., stressed it will be a "sports-themed restaurant," not a sports bar.

"It's going to be a crowning jewel in this area," Mr. Bettis said. "I'm proud to have my name on it."

The restaurant will be mid-priced, offering such fare as steaks, burgers, hoagies, chicken, ahi tuna and salads. It hopes to attract families, North Shore office workers and, of course, Steelers fans.

Over the last five years, Continental has invested about $100 million in the North Shore development, Mr. Kass estimated. He said he expects that to reach $200 million to $250 million by full build-out.

Mr. Rooney said he is "satisfied" with the progress, particularly after so many years of no development with Three Rivers Stadium, which was demolished to make way for Heinz Field and PNC Park.

"I think we have turned the corner and I think having Jerome's restaurant here is just going to be a tremendous landmark that will bring more and more people to the North Shore," he said.

Mr. Rooney said he remains concerned about the impact of the new Majestic Star casino, which will be built near Heinz Field between the Carnegie Science Center and the West End Bridge.

"I'm hopeful we'll work those out," he added. "It does present traffic and parking issues that we're going to have to work through."

Businessman Don Barden, owner of Majestic Star, has pledged to work with the team to address concerns.



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(Mark Belko can be reached at mbelko@post-gazette.com or 412-263-1262. )