Renovation of 1317 East Carson Street

What's going on at 1317 East Carson Street? We are in the planning process to update the building and are working towards creative occupancy by the end of this 2011 calendar year. We're having a party on January 1, 2012 to celebrate our Transition Town project!

Unity Through Creativity's Door Project image of Tree Woman with Dove, Owl and Butterfly, and Architects Tony Albrecht and Carrie DiFiore's depiction of rooftop garden potential at 1317 East Carson 

If you know anybody that reads through this blog from the first entry who wants to occupy the building with their creative spirit, wants to be part of the buzz, and whose vision is parallel to ours, have them contact us! We are working slowly and methodically. We have a short term and long term goals. Our architectural feasibility study is in hand, and a site plan is being formed as I type this update. Inquiries? Feel free to contact me, at ElisaBeck@aol.com.

Our freight elevator passed the five year inspection to allow 5,000 pounds. Here's the view from the top!

Great Lakes Urban Exchange

Go to this link to learn about this fabulous conference happening in the 'burgh Thursday, September 15 through Saturday, September 17, 2011.


 http://www.gluespace.org/node/3952

Gift Circles

What is a gift circle? Join us for a gift circle to find out! Go to www.sustainablemonroeville.com for details. You might be asking yourself, why would I carpool out to the suburbs from my walkable South Side community to learn about and participate in a gift circle? Well, we are working to reconnect ourselves to our communities, urban and suburban, and cross pollinate ideas and innovations from the suburbs of our town and the city. Tonight you can meet city and suburban folks who have initiated a permaculture design influenced food garden outside of the Monroeville Public Library. Come absorb design ideas and reflect a nice gift back to your community...

http://www.realitysandwich.com/circle_gifts

http://trustcurrency.blogspot.com/2010/10/how-to-start-gift-circle....

http://2020climatecampaign.org/content/practice-and-theory-gift-cir...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vnCSFUB3B6U&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aUPZvU1y_v0&feature=related

(photo via George Eastman House Collection)

Your Environmental Road Trip (YERT) Premiere in Pittsburgh, PA at Chatham's Eddy Theatre 9/20/11

JOIN THIS AMAZING ADVENTURE THAT STARTS AND ENDS IN THE 'BURGH! THIS WILL BE AN EXCELLENT EVENT AND I HOPE TO SEE YOU THERE! Meet Mark Dixon and Ben Evans, the filmakers...1317 East CArson Street IS ONE OF THE SPONSORS SO COME ON OUT AND SHOW YOUR SUPPORT! ELISA BECK

50 States. 1 Year. Zero Garbage? Called to action by a planet in peril, three friends hit the road - traveling America with hope, humor…and all of their garbage - to explore the good, the bad, and the weird across every state in search of the extraordinary innovators and courageous citizens who are tackling humanity's greatest environmental crises. As the YERT team layers outlandish eco-challenges onto their year-long quest, an unexpected turn of events throws the project for a loop in this award-winning docu-comedy. Featuring Bill McKibben, Wes Jackson, Will Allen, Janine Benyus, Joel Salatin, David Orr, and music by Ben Sollee, Daniel Martin Moore, Mark Geary and more.

Please join us for the Pittsburgh Premiere of the feature documentary "YERT: Your Environmental Road Trip" on Sept. 20th. Doors open and light refreshments begin at 6:30pm, with screening at 7pm at Chatham University's Eddy Theater, hosted by the Rachel Carson Institute in the School of Sustainability and the Environment at Chatham University. The screening will be followed by Q&A with filmmakers Ben Evans and Mark Dixon. This event is generously hosted by the Rachel Carson Institute in the School of Sustainability and the Environment at Chatham University. This event is sponsored in part by Parkhurst Dining and also by Citizens for Pennsylvania’s Future (PennFuture) and their Black and Gold City Goes Green, Three Rivers Solar Source, andBreathe Easy, Stay Healthy campaigns. Additional sponsors include the Allegheny Group of the Sierra Club, Tree Pittsburgh, the Green Building Alliance, Venture Outdoors, Grow Pittsburgh, 3RiversBioneers, Transition Pittsburgh, Sust-Enable, Pittsburgh Student Environmental Coalition (PSEC), Peaceful Gathering of Hands (P.G.H.), Sustainable Monroeville, 1317 East Carson/Schwartz Market, and Evolver Pittsburgh. Ticket reservations are essential-- get yours at http://yertreservation.questionpro.com. Learn more at YERT.com.

Global Peace Day: August 14, 2011 in Pittsburgh, PA and beyond

The Peaceful Gathering of Hands is a free and collaborative event to unite diverse groups and individuals who are working for a peaceful and healthy Pittsburgh and Planet. The project at 1317 East Carson Street and the Schwartz Market project will be there along with Sustainable Monroeville and many other individuals and groups. Join Us!

The 2nd Peaceful Gathering of Hands - Global Peace DayAugust 14, 2011 from 2pm - 7pm
Schenley Oval Meadow, next to the Skating Rink
1 Overlook Drive (best to approach from Blvd of the Allies, exit beside Schenley Swimming Pool)

• A giant circle of holding hands every-hour-on-the-hour

• Bring instruments, outdoor games, food to share, items to share, a blanket or tent, eating implements, plus your talents and your visions for Peace (open mic!)

• Groups encouraged to bring their information for networking

• At least 500+ at the last event. Come join us!

https://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/event.php?eid=141362629280192

Link to the Youtube movie trailer on Facebook: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fsDBby2QOFI

Schwartz Market is open!

A letter to Tom Smith, South Pittsburgh Reporter, and the South Side Community:

 

Mr. Smith, As you know through the ads we've been placing, Schwartz Market was open for the last two Saturdays in April and is open every Saturday in May, 2011, from 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM while we  plan  the renovation of the building as a living building renovation of an existing historic structure (we are registered with the International Living Buidling Institute, ilbi.org), and plan for the future occupancy of the entire building with sustainable healthy businesses. We presented to the South Side Forum about our plans at the April, 2011 meeting and were well received.

 

There have been some interesting occurances around the project at 1317 East Carson Street recently.

 

1)  The loading dock signs on Bingham Street between the back entrance and our parking lot were removed without our knowledge and we want them back. We were not made aware of this beforehand. I immediately left a message for Bruce Kraus's office to ask about this, but have not yet heard back from them.

 

 On another topic Mr. Kraus's office did contact me recently to ask if we would be interested in pursuing Right By Nature to re-locate at 1317 East Carson Street and we said we are absolutely interested in pursuing this.

 

2) A neighbor who lives in the flats told me yesterday she received a campaign flyer in the mail from Jeff Koch who is running for Bruce Kraus's seat in Pittsburgh council. It included a photo of Schwartz Market and the Market House, both with CLOSED signs and with the verbage : "Bruce Kraus thinks you don't pay enough taxes."

 

For the record, Bruce Kraus has been supportive of the Schwartz Market project we are pursuing and the 1317 East Carson Street renovation project as a whole. Mr. Kraus appeared and spoke at our eighth event on December 8, 2010 attended by 80 people, mostly South Siders, on the development of the market and the whole property. The market is open! I am writing to clarify the record.  The business was sold by the Schwartz family in 1986 to two families, the Stantons and the Dorfners. They cleared out their equipment and turned the business back to us on March 5, 2011. The business Schwartz Market is open, but in a different way than people are used to. We are working towards developing the building in a way that the collective businesses will eventually be community run. We're offering independent business owners, those that would like to hatch green businesses, and artists tremendous opportunity for collaboration and engagement in this process of Transition. Note this is a capital "T" intentionally)(See TransitionPgh.org for details)

 

I know that what we are doing is out of the ordinary, very grass roots, and not familiar to most of the population. It is organic and changes often. We are keeping plans totally open to the many local organizations in the South Side and to the local government. Does the community truly want to continue to see the wholesome development of a true community market and commercial/community kitchen? How are they willing to help this process? In our humble way, this is what the development of this type of project looks like. It is careful and slow. Slow development. For some, it will take courage to walk through the doors in this transitional time when it seems like not much is going on . Please understand that there is a lot going on. You will start to understand when you take time to come in and talk with us. Everyone is welcome !

 

These Saturday openings have been totally fascinating, and I highly recommend stopping by one Saturday if you are able. Each week there is a new surprise! The Saturday before last, Joe Liotta, the man who has been painting the signs since 1938, and continues to paint the signs for us, came by totally unannounced, and told stories about the history of the Schwartz Markets over all of the years he worked there, first as a stock boy and up through the ranks to manager.

 

We now have two photographers, and one sculptor that uses completely recycled materials, displaying their work in the space. We're also selling food items that are either locally sourced, organic, and/ or healing foods. Peace Garden will be donating all of the fresh vegetables they produce on the South Side this summer to the market to go towards the overall project at 1317 East Carson Street. We educate every person that walks through the door on some level about something to do with our food system. We have been working with multiple non-profits on many levels, and several filmakers to document this process.

 

Please go to http://1317eastcarson.blogspot.com/, the Schwartz Market facebook page, and http://www.transitionpgh.org/  for updates and to learn how to get involved in this amazing process!

 

It is apparent to me that Mr. Koch is not aware of any of this activity that has been going on at 1317 East Carson Street for the past two years.

 

With Great Intentions,

 

Elisa Beck

Schwartz Market

http://www.transitionpgh.org/

http://1317eastcarson.blogspot.com/

Join Schwartz Market and TransitionPgh on facebook!

 

Thanks!

Eric and Kate 

17th Street Cafe Salad Dressing

Love Street Living Foods Chocolate Sauce.. Mmmm!

Thanks to everyone who helped out so much for our opening of Schwartz Market on Saturday, April 23, 2011.  Thank you Russell, my brother. for helping with doors.  Thanks Tara for planning efforts. Thanks Brad Hochberg, David Erzen, SJ and Anthony for their efforts with clean up. Thanks Josh Zorich, Sarah Joe and Anthony for being there. Thanks Anthony for hanging the Peace Garden poster in the front window to help educate folks about permaculture in our urban neighborhoods and for displaying your photographs. Thanks Cornelius; Nathan of Clarion River Organics, Red Dog Kombucha, Building New Hope, Matt, Kate, 17th Street Cafe, and so many others for supporting this effort with your heart and soul.

Petar, Josh and SJ

We will be open this coming Saturday, April 30, 2011 again from 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM selling Building New Hope Coffee, locally made kombucha, Love Street Living Foods Chocolate spreads from Equador and Indonesia, 17th Street Cafe Salad Dressing and some other surprises. We'll present a 20 minute power point update of the project at 10:30 AM. Enter the market on E. Carson Street. Feel free to park in the lot behind the building on Bingham and walk around the block to the front entrance.

Thanks also to the mini- climate bicyclists who took the time to stop by, shop, and learn about how this project we're working on at 1317 East Carson Street has three parts: 1) the building renovation as a Living Building, zero net energy and zero net water in the early planning phase, 2) keeping the Schwartz Market business open and viable as we plan, and 3) planning what will be happening in the entire building as we complete the renovation.

What are you pointing to?  What's Next?

After touring CCI and Schwartz Market: Bicyclists launching onto Bingham Street!