Rehabs in Marshall-Shadeland return solid housing stock to market
How much would you pay for a five-bedroom, 2½-bath, solid-brick house on the North Side? $260,000?
Knock off $100,000 and you could buy 1136 Woodland Ave. in Marshall-Shadeland.
The renovated, nearly 90-yearold house is the first of five that will be rehabbed in phase 2 of Brightwood Civic Group’s Woodland Avenue Revitalization Project. The group will hold an open house from 1-4 p.m. Sunday at 1136 Woodland and a homebuyer workshop and lunch from noon-1:30 p.m. at Cafe on the Corner, 2700 Shadeland Ave.
The kitchen and bathrooms may not be finished, but there’s plenty that’s done, including original pine floors, 9-foot ceilings on the first floor and lots of original woodwork, including pocket doors, a window seat and four mantels on decorative fireplaces in the living room, dining room and two bedrooms.
It also has a new roof, front porch, vinyl windows and electrical and heating systems. The kitchen will have granite counter tops and the bathrooms subway and octagonal tile.
“We tried to keep as much original character as possible with some newer features,” said agent Angel Winters of Northwood Realty Services (412-367-3200 ext. 5073 or www.northwood.com).
On Tuesday, she picked up a $30 light fixture for the foyer at Construction Junction in North Point Breeze. The nonprofit retailer of architectural salvage and building
supplies was also the source of five balusters to replace missing ones on the original staircase railing. They cost $15 each.
“That saved us hundreds of dollars,” said Nancy Noszka, a community development consultant for the Brightwood Civic Group.
She and Ms. Winters called Marshall-Shadeland an upand-coming neighborhood.
“It has such diverse housing stock and the price is fantastic,” Ms. Noszka said.
She noted the neighborhood’s proximity to Riverview Park, the Ohio Riverfront Trail, a Kuhn’s Market, Carnegie Library on Woods Run, Carnegie Science Center, National Aviary, Buhl Planetarium, New Hazlett Theater and Pittsburgh Children's Museum.
In 2007, three houses were rehabbed on Woodland in phase 1 of the project, which is supported by the city’s Urban Redevelopment Authority, the mayor’s office, Councilwoman Darlene Harris and Northside Leadership Conference with financing by WesBanco. Pittsburgh Restoration is the general contractor and Vince Finizio of VAF Architecture the architect.
The other four houses, which are older and slightly smaller, will range in price from $144,900 to $159,900, the price of 1136 Woodland. The properties — two more on Woodland and two on Brighton Road — will be sold with a 10-year abatement on city and school taxes, which means that the buyer of 1136 Woodland will be taxed on its current assessment of $36,500 for 10 years. Special financing is also available with income restrictions.
For more information or to register for the homebuyer workshop, email brightwoodcivic@verizon.net or contact Ms. Winters.