Construction Update

Our contractor, FRANJO Construction Corp., is in the building (that's our superintendent, Frank, in the picture above) and working away. First order is to level the floors. Since the building was previously home to the Otto Milk Company, and before that the Phoenix Brewery, most of the floors are sloped towards a drain in the middle of the room. To keep your wheeled furniture from rolling across the room our contractor is pouring new, level floors.

Another project that is underway is the replacement of the old staircases with new, safer options that will make it easier for us to take buyers into the building to see their space. We know many of you are anxious to get in so I hope to have good news for you sometime soon.

One last exciting development is that the #15 units will likely have a brick side wall. That wall was covered with tile but behind it we found the units may have nice brick. If you are looking for that feature, one of these units may be for you.

NITS Spirit of the Strip Event

Neighbors in the Strip will be hosting an exhibit of photographs from the Spirit of the Strip - Behind the Strip PhotoWalk for friends of the Strip District to find out which photo will be selected to represent the "Spirit of the Strip" for 2009. The event will be held from 5:30 - 7:30 p.m. at Guardian Storage Solutions, 2839 Liberty Avenue, entertainment will be provided by John Vento and the Nieds Hotel Bank and some of your favorite Strip merchants will be providing refreshments.  Your $10 donation will support the work of Neighbors in the Strip. For more info, visit www.neighborsinthestrip.com.  To RSVP, e-mail cynthiahelffrich@yahoo.com or call 412-201-4774.

New plans online

We recently got updated plans from the architect that show better detail of the common areas and the basement including location of the fitness center and owner storage. You can also take a look at the back and side elevations of the building. In addition, we are constantly updating our Flickr photos to show you what is happening inside the building. Get all the scoop at our website.

Otto Q&A Scheduled for June

We don't have an exact date yet but we will be notifying all our buyers and potential buyers of our upcoming Q&A event to be held in late June. You are all invited to come and meet with Otto's team - Solara Ventures Developer Jack Benoff, Indovina Associates Architects Rob Indovina and Brian Kaminski and FRANJO General Contractor Joe Leonello. This will be an opportunity to ask them any questions you may have about the project and make suggestions of things you would like to see.

Profile: Ryan Indovina

As one of the architects working on Otto, Ryan Indovina would be fascinating enough, but when he decided to become a buyer we knew we wanted to find out more. So, we asked Ryan to tell us a bit more about himself and his work on Otto.

You grew up in Pittsburgh but have lived in Houston, Los Angeles and New York. So what brought you back to the city?

I frequently joke that I would only need to live in Chicago to complete the suite of major US cities. Many ask me why I would return to Pittsburgh after living in these big name cities, and I frequently respond that Pittsburgh is easily the finest city out of all of these. It is a comfortable city that affords the bulk of the benefits with few of the drawbacks. So after working and living in Manhattan for three years, the quality of life, the beauty of the city, the opportunities for architectural growth, and a new and exciting position in my family’s architectural firm brought me back to Pittsburgh.

Tell me a bit about your work with the Otto Milk Building?

The Otto Milk building is a quintessential illustration of the benefits of the restoration of old industrial buildings in conjunction with a modern infill. The beauty of the brickwork, the proportions of the façade, the elegance of the building’s massing contrasted with the simplicity and refinement of the modern material palette presents a uniform whole and a demonstration of the success of keeping such buildings and updating them for modern living. I participated in the early design schemes for the layouts of the individual units as well as being involved in the design of the building lobby and the exterior façade.

You are a LEED certified architect, can you tell me what attracts you to building “green”?

The building industry accounts for a massive amount of energy and material waste. The economies of scale almost guaranty an oversupply of materials as well as a focus on low cost materials, resulting in poorly constructed buildings with limited life spans. This is especially evident when contrasted with buildings like Otto Milk, which despite decades of neglect, is still structurally sound. The green movement is an attempt to eliminate the current prevailing notion of quick construction and low cost materials, and return to a more sustainable palette. Transitions to renewable sources and the reuse of existing materials and structures, as is being done at Otto Milk, allows less waste and higher quality.

Why did you decide to buy at Otto Milk and make the move to the Strip District?

Having recently moved from the urbanity of New York, the Strip District presents much the same environment without the drawbacks. The industrial character of the area, its proximity to downtown and to local neighborhoods such as Lawrenceville and Bloomfield, and its growing infrastructure make it an exciting place to live. It is also an opportunity to get involved in an up and coming neighborhood, much like the Tribeca and Soho neighborhoods in Manhattan once were, and hopefully see it grow over time into a fantastic part of the Pittsburgh urban fabric.

Do you have any big plans for your unit?

My goal with my unit is to develop a space in keeping with the character of the building while investigating opportunities for greater efficiency, greater simplicity, and of course, greater beauty. This may be accomplished with the inclusion of more sustainable materials, more built in elements, and spaces defined more by elements than walls. In essence, my unit presents an architect’s greatest opportunity, the possibility for experimentation.

Otto Reaches 50% Sold

Reaching the halfway mark is a big benchmark for us and we just want to say "Thanks!" to all of you and be sure to tell your friends.