South Park Fairgrounds Master Plan - Allegheny Places

1 Prepared for: County of Allegheny Allegheny County Courthouse Pittsburgh, PA 15219. South park Fairgrounds Master plan Allegheny County, PA. March 2011. Prepared by: GAI Consultants, Inc. 385 East Waterfront Drive Homestead, PA 15120-5005. Prepared for: County of Allegheny Allegheny County Courthouse Pittsburgh, PA 15219. South park Fairgrounds Master plan Allegheny County, PA. March 2011. Prepared by: GAI Consultants, Inc. 385 East Waterfront Drive Homestead, PA 15120-5005. South park Fairgrounds Master plan Allegheny County, Pennsylvania | 1. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. PROJECT FUNDING FOCUS GROUP PARTICIPANTS. County of Allegheny Allegheny County Heinz Endowments Parks Department Richard King Mellon Foundation Public Works Department Sustainability Program PROJECT STEERING GROUP Allegheny County Parks Foundation Andy Baechle Allegheny County Parks Special Projects Guy Costa Allegheny County Parks Foundation Planning Group Christine Fulton Allegheny County Parks Foundation County Council Clarence Hopson Allegheny County Parks County Police Joseph Olczak Allegheny County Public Works Jeaneen Zappa Allegheny County Sustainability Program Government & Community Bethel park Township PROJECT TEAM South park Township Dave Buckewicz South park Township PA Senator Pippy Ryan Cheberenchick Civil & Environmental Consultants PA Representatives Levdansky.

2 Maher & Smith Joan Cleary Allegheny County Council US Senators Casey & Specter Darla Cravotta Allegheny County US Representative Murphy Richard Daniels Allegheny County Parks John Doyle Allegheny County Parks Design, Planning & Sustainability Jerry Duke Bethel park Township Allegheny Land Trust Jamie Eberl Allegheny County American Institute of Architects Karen Fosbaugh South park Township CMU School of Architecture Nick Futules Allegheny County Council Community Design Center of Pittsburgh Vince Gasteb Allegheny County Council Jefferson Hills Environmental Quality Board Chris Goswick Allegheny County Planning Group Montour Trail Council Dennis Lynn Allegheny County Public Works Peters Creek Watershed Association Clifford Morton Bethel park Township Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Foundation Kay Pierce Allegheny County Planning Group Pittsburgh Trail Advocacy Group James Reardon Allegheny County Public Works South park Historical Society Tim Schumann Peters Creek Watershed Association West Jefferson Hills Historical Society Ed Snee South park Township Western Pennsylvania Conservancy Tom Sterling Allegheny County Parks Foundation John

3 Stibrik Allegheny County Parks park Users Sam Taylor Allegheny County Bethel park Junior Football Lisa Kunst Vavro The Penn State Center Friends of the Montour Trail Judy Wagner Western Pennsylvania Conservancy park News Ned Williams Montour Trail Council Rib Festival South park Nature Center CONSULTANTS South park Youth Football GAI Consultants Todd Brant, Jayson Livingston, Jeff Parobek, John Coyne, Hannah Dye Brean Associates Karen Brean Sci-Tek Consultants Gary Van Balen, Kevin Clark, Jamille Ford i | South park Fairgrounds Master plan Allegheny County, Pennsylvania Table of Contents Introduction ..1. Site Analysis ..3. Public Involvement ..8. plan Options ..10. Recommended plan ..13. Summary ..17. Appendix ..separate document South park Fairgrounds Master plan Allegheny County, Pennsylvania | ii INTRODUCTION. HISTORY. South park was developed between 1927 through 1931 to preserve rural lands in the midst of rapid urbanization of the Greater Pittsburgh area.

4 The lands were reforested and further developed under the direction of Paul B. Riis who had helped develop Yellowstone National park . Much of the work in the park was completed by the youth conservation corps and the Civilian Conservation Corps. Starting in the 1930's, South park was used as the site of the Allegheny County Fair. At the time, the county had many farms to support the Fair but by the late 1960's farming had been dramatically reduced, and eventually the Fair could not be supported. Much of the Fairgrounds buildings and land- scape remain in place to this day. historic image of the Museum Building, clad in wood siding, at the time of the Allegheny County Fair (credit 1, see page 16). VISION APPROACH. County Executive Dan Onorato proposed studying the Fair- The planning methodology was divided into four main work grounds areas as part of the County Parks Action plan , which tasks: is transforming and enhancing recreational opportunities in Phase I: Data Collection & Analysis - to collect and the County's nine regional parks.

5 Analyze existing relevant data, prepare base mapping, The main purpose in preparing this Master plan for the Fair- conduct an initial public meeting, and facilitate focus grounds is to create a blueprint for sound decision-making group sessions and redevelopment of the area in the years to come. The Phase II: Developing Proof of Concept - conduct a goals of the plan are to: design charrette (workshop) and develop concept plan transform the Fairgrounds into a facility that reflects alternatives the needs of today's park users Phase III: Develop Recommendations - prepare draft create a sustainable development plan that makes the recommendations and plans, and conduct a final public most of this significant public asset meeting engage the public in a multi-stage stakeholder input Wrap-Up: Final Deliverables - prepare final reports and process to build consensus throughout the process presentations present day view of Museum Building from bleachers 1 | South park Fairgrounds Master plan Allegheny County, Pennsylvania INTRODUCTION.

6 D and Woods Trails CONTEXT. The Fairgounds is situated at the southern end of South park D E F G H I J K. BR at the intersection of Corrigan Drive and Brownsville Road. O. DR. UG. At 2,013 acres, South park is the second largest of the nine RA ND. HT. ON. E. 1. SU. R D. parks that serve Allegheny County. The 77-acre Fairgrounds RD. N. VIEW. SA. LIS. HO site lies entirely within South park Township. WI L. FAR. LLY. FRE LYN. Areas of South park north and west of the Fairgrounds are NE. MS PL. DE R DR 2. ICK. G. R. AD. RE. comprised of open lawn and wooded areas and are reserved R. ED. EN. E. W. SN. for general park use. A restaurant lies to the South at the O. LE. O. D. AR. Brownsville Road-McCorkle Road intersection, and residen- DR. 3. V. E DR. IE. W. FOR. tial areas are situated to the west. N. DR. EST. DR. ED ACR. LOC AVE. US T. ONE HU. AVE. 4. Catfish Run flows South under Corrigan Drive north of the HUNDR. EL. S T. Round Barn into a stone channel west of The Oval, and into N.

7 Z. HA. a culvert at the southern edge of the Fairgrounds . DRE D A. Allegheny County parks system with South park outlined in red (credit EDITH AVE. 2, see page 16) 5. CRE DR. CO. RR. IG. AN. DR. RD. TW K DR 6. PAR. park . IN IA DR. HI. LL. South park SYLVAN. S. EAST. DRGolf Course E DR. RD. STO NE MANCE. Y. G VAL. 7. AL LE. AY. EW. SPRIN. D RIV. DR Co AL. E 8 rrig LD an IL Dr AP. MCCO H. N KEY R. R. MA D. IL. RD WILSON. LN. EY P LE RD. ONK. RD. MCC DR. 9. Buffalo Dr Brownsville Rd E. OP. SL. DR. KING. NY. IVE. Co N. SU. WA. T. RIDG. rrig S CT. 10. an Y. E RD. rD. DRIVEWAY. PA. TR. IC. WAY. RD. KP 11. L r wD. NY. ho RI. DRIVE. DR. rm S. DG. N. AT Fa SU. E. RD. IP. RD. R. MA SE. LE. S. Rd QU 12. ORK. BUFFALO DR. I DR. DR. kle L. MC C. HE. or C. SL. RA. cC. EE. O. P. RD. M. LD. Y. 13. HO. LE. PO. LL. RK. Y ST. O. O. R. W. CC. D. RD. W EA. M. M ES G. AU TC LE. RE HE PR. EN ST ID. 14. DR ER E. RD LN. Model Fairgrounds Airplane Amphitheater DR.

8 Field R IAR. EW. AY ENB 15. D RIV GRE. WA South park map with Fairgrounds outlined in red (credit 3, see page 16) aerial image of the Fairgrounds area with 77-acre study area outlined Y. IVE. DR 16 in red PA. RK. FO. 17. SHELLEY DR. RD. E. R South park Fairgrounds Master plan Allegheny County, Pennsylvania | 2. SO. AV. LD. DR. IL. U. KH. IS. TH. OA. ND. HO. W. UT. A. EL. RD 18. BR. LD. R. R. SITE ANALYSIS. Museum Building Schoonmaker Hall Exhibit Buildings Amphitheater Basketball Courts Home Economics Building 3 | South park Fairgrounds Master plan Allegheny County, Pennsylvania SITE ANALYSIS. PROJECT COMPONENTS. 1. Commissioner's Cottage (rental). 2. Cabin (concession stand & bathrooms). 3. Museum Building (rental). 4. Schoonmaker Hall (storage). 13 5. Agricultural Hall (rental). 6. Exhibit Buildings (rental). 7. Entrance Area M 10 8. Amphitheater (rental). cC 9. Overflow Parking 12 or Far kle 10. Horse Show Ring 11. Black Ashes Pavilion (rental).

9 MS. 14 Ro ad 12. Sand Volleyball Court 11. how 13. Black Ashes Ball Field 09 14. Basketball Courts (6). 15. Driv 15. Tennis Courts (6). 20 16 08 16. Home Economics Building (rental). e 21 19 17. Nature Center 18. Administration Building ( park & Police offices). Buffalo Drive 17 19. Buffalo Inn (rental). 18 20. Restrooms Brownsville Road 06 21. South park Theater (leased). 22. Children's Playground 07 23. Round Barn (County Police horses). 22 24 05 24. Concession Stand 25 04 25. Bleachers 26. Oval (Ball Field 1, Ball Field 2, Softball Field). 03 02. ve 26. Dri an rrig Co 01. South park Fairgrounds Master plan Allegheny County, Pennsylvania | 4. SITE ANALYSIS. Nature Center Buffalo Inn Children's Playground The Oval Oval Parking Lot Catfish Run South park Fairgrounds Master plan Allegheny County, Pennsylvania | 5. SITE ANALYSIS. BUILDINGS & INFRASTRUCTURE. Buildings comprise acres, or , of the total site: lease/rental (orange). park administration (red).

10 Farm Show Dr Mc entertainment (blue). Co Buf 3 recreation (green). rkl f Bro alo Dr eR. wns ville 4 The condition of the buildings throughout the Fairgrounds is d Rd Dr generally poor. The ranking of building use based on rental n 7. ri ga 6 statistics are represented by the numbers shown. or C 2 In general, the existing utility infrastructure reflects the poor 5 physical conditions of the overall facilities. Many services are 1 not functional or function at substandard levels. It is recom- mended that all of the utilities should be replaced as part of buildings available for public use shown in orange and green with park any future redevelopment of the Fairgrounds . administration buildings shown in red RECREATION. Recreation facilities comprises acres, or , of the 4 total site: ball fields (green). Farm Show Dr Mc equestrian (purple). Co Buf court sports (blue). rkl f Bro alo Dr eR. wns ville walking and running track (orange).