Q&A with Our Pittsburgh Team
Our marketing department recently sat down with the members of our Pittsburgh office: Roy S. Cohen, John A. Greenhall, Lane F. Kelman, Lisa M. Wampler, Lori Wisniewski Azzara
Q: Can you talk a little about the growth of the office in Pittsburgh?
A: Roy — Pittsburgh is the Firm’s gateway to the west. We now have clients and matters in West Virginia, Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky, Utah, Nevada, Colorado, Wyoming and Texas. We are working with clients in all these states and we see countless opportunities to expand our brand and attract contractors who appreciate our focus on the construction industry. Our experience over the last 26 years representing contractors every day has built a body of work that sells itself. Cohen Seglias is excited about our expansion throughout the west and the new opportunities it brings to the Firm.
Q: In addition to the western expansion of the practice in Pittsburgh, what changes have taken place in the Pittsburgh office itself?
A: John — There has been some big news in the past year. Lisa Wampler was instrumental in our move into a larger space at 525 William Penn Place. Lane and I have significantly increased our presence in Western Pennsylvania. Lori continues to focus on green building and working with the Green Building Alliance in Pittsburgh. This year we brought on new hire Jason Lawrence. Overall, it has been an exciting time for the office and for the City of Pittsburgh as we both grow together.
Q: At the end of July, we learned that 2nd quarter gross domestic product (GDP) rose 4% from April to June — coincidently, construction spending was also up. Is this a trend the Western PA construction community should be looking forward to continuing?
A: Lane — It certainly seems that way when you talk to people on the ground. From the designers to the finish trades, there is guarded optimism. The architects are drafting and projects are going out to bid, and – in a refreshing change to the recent past – these projects are actually getting built. In the last few years, during the economic downturn, projects would go out solely for pricing. Now contracts are being let and ground broken. This is particularly the case in the commercial and multi-family sectors. Educational and hospital construction remain stagnant. Industrial though, has started to pick up and heavy-highway will as well because of the state transportation bill. Margins still have not fully recovered but at least there is work to be had.
Q: Commercial real estate turned out to be one of the hottest segments of the construction market in 2014. What’s it like to be in the middle of the Commercial Real Estate scene in Pittsburgh?
A: Lisa — It’s so exciting to see such a resurgence of developer activity in Downtown Pittsburgh. From my office window, I get to watch live at the Tower at PNC Plaza, the world’s greenest skyscraper, is constructed. Less than a block away, Millcraft Investments is erecting an 18-story office, hotel and retail complex, adding to the recent revitalization of Market Square. In the near future, we will be seeing several new hotels built to service the influx of out-of-towners seeking to visit one of the most livable cities in the continental United States. Just outside the city, to compliment Google’s expansion of its Pittsburgh footprint with additional office space at Bakery Square 2.0, Walnut Capital is adding a residential component with 350 apartments and 52 townhouses for sale. Hopefully, 2015 will be met with a similar flourish!
Q: Over the summer, the Pittsburgh Business Times reported that the Western PA region “has continued to be a leader in green building, as more and more large area projects seek certification for being environmentally friendly.” What are Pittsburgh green building trends you seeing?
A: Lori — Pittsburgh is becoming a national leader in sustainability and green building initiatives. With both renovation and new construction projects, the trend is definitely to either seek LEED certification or incorporate as many sustainable features as possible into the project design. Good examples are the former G.C. Murphy Building, and the University of Pittsburgh and Carnegie Mellon campuses. Even hotels are getting in on the green movement. The Fairmont Pittsburgh, that achieved LEED Gold in 2010, is making great strides in waste management and energy and water conservation.
Pittsburgh also has established one of the nation’s few 2030 Districts, a public-private partnership that works to create high-performance building districts within the downtown area. Recently, Oakland has been added to the Pittsburgh 2030 District, making Pittsburgh the first 2030 District in the county to have two distinct boundaries.
Pittsburgh is becoming the hub of green building and is an area that many people around the country are watching to see what will come next!