Demolition of Former "Edge Restaurant" Brings Vibrancy to Mt. Washington

It has been a reoccurring story on Pittsburgh's local news channels, and on the front page of all the Pittsburgh newspapers. Even a ribbon cutting ceremony was held with Mayor of Pittsburgh, Luke Ravenstahl, who gave a keynote speech. Hundreds of people stood outside in the cold damp spring weather, lining the streets with cameras and video cameras. Clips appeared on YouTube within hours of us starting the mass demolition of the once famed "Edge" Restaurant perched high on Mt. Washington located at One Grandview.

At first glance, demolishing a 10,000 square foot restaurant does not appear to be that exciting of a project, as we more typically engage in demolishing 100' smoke stacks, heavy industrial buildings, parking garages, hospitals and malls. Rarely, if ever, does a project receive this type of media coverage. So, why is this small wrecking job such a "big deal" in Pittsburgh? The answer is basically two-fold.

The "Edge" Restaurant has sat vacant atop the historic Mt. Washington since late 1979. For those unfamiliar with Pittsburgh, Mt. Washington is the name of the mountain ridge that currently overlooks downtown Pittsburgh. Historically, Mt. Washington is the ridge where George Washington visited as a British emissary in 1754 and realized the strategic value of the region. He reported back to the British crown, and urged them to build a military fort at the confluence of the Allegheny and Monongahela Rivers. Fort Pitt was constructed 4 years later. More recently, the tremendous view which was voted the second best in all of America by USA Weekend Magazine, was only marred by this vacant and graffiti laced building. Politicians and residents called this building an eye sore to the neighborhood, and worried about the illegal activity that occurred after the sun went down. There was a tremendous public outcry to have the building demolished. For the past few years there have been several conceptual ideas floating around for a new use for the property, including a Ritz-Carlton Hotel. None came to fruition until now For the public, this demolition project was long over due.

The second reason that this demolition means so much to Pittsburgh is the more exciting part for Independence Excavating, as it is the first stage of a major development project proposed on the property. Chicago based developer, Steven Beemsterboer, has quite a master plan for this piece of property. The proposed 100 million dollar mixed-use development includes a 110 room, 5-Star rated hotel, 50 condominium units, spa and fitness center, meeting rooms, and a fine-dining restaurant. The site will also feature a grand public terrace that will extend the Grandview promenade and offer beautiful views of the three rivers, and downtown Pittsburgh. So for Pittsburghers, this is a big step towards new development, job creation, and a state-of-the-art mixed-use development atop one of its most prominent geographical features.

Because our demolition team did an amazing job - from making the initial deal to the completion of the demolition - we hope that we put ourselves in a good position to be part of the future development. This was a very challenging demolition job as the building sat right at the edge of the cliff that is Mt. Washington. At the bottom of the cliff is a busy secondary roadway, and to the side is the Duquesne Incline. There was no margin for error. With Mr. Beemsterboer and many citizens watching the demolition unfold, our crews performed the work precisely, efficiently, and most importantly, safely. After the building is completely down, we will move a small crusher into the site and recycle the demolition debris so it can be used for fill further down the road.

Independence Excavating would like to thank the Beemsterboer family, and the citizens that live in the Grandview neighborhood. We are ecstatic to have been part of this project, and will do our best to be part of its future.