6—The Daily Collegian Thursday, March 8, 1979 olitics figure in Oxford land development battles By JIM WILIIELM Daily Collegian Staff Writer The Oxford Development Co. has won one battle, but it may soon find itself fighting a two-front war. The Monroeville-based firm was recently awarded the right to negotiate a sales agreement with Allegheny County to develop the proposed $lOO million Grant Street skyscraper complex in downtown Pittsburgh• a keystone project in the city's Renaissance II program. Analysis Oxford got the nod on a controversial 2-1 vote by Allegheny County com missioners over the • competing Grant Land Co. Grant Land, a subsidiary of the Hillman Co., has vowed to fight the decision in court a move that could tie up the project for months. It is not the only court hassle facing oxford. Oxford also is the developer of the proposed Ferguson Mall on N. Atherton Street in Ferguson Township. Citizens' groups opposed to the con struction of the mall on the 150-acre I)reihelbis farm tract have successfully received a preliminary injunction to halt a zoning change Oxford needs to con struct the mall. The injunction by Judge Richard M. Sharp forbids the Ferguson Township supervisors from acting on Oxford's request to rezone 100 acres of the farm from residential to commercial DAFFODILS '',l $.99 `p) 6 A bunch Cash & Carry 1 6 114949 flower shop 145 S. Allen St. 4 , Samurai Photographer! until the citizens' groups have their say at a public hearing Tuesday. Oxford now finds itself in the unen viable position of fighting a two-front war in the courts to get their proposed projects off the drawing boards and under construction. The decision by the Allegheny County commissioners to - award the Grant Street project to Oxford is highly political in nature. The two com missioners voting in favor of Oxford Jim Flaherty and Tom Foerster are Democrats. Curiously enough, Edward Lewis, owner of Oxford development, was a chief contributor to the un successful gubernatorial campaign of Jim's brother Pete Flaherty. Voting against Oxford and in favor of Hillman's Grant Land was Com missioner Robert Peirce. Although Peirce claims he voted against Oxford because Grant Land has offered more money for the 1.8 acres of prime real estate in the city, there could be and undoubtedly is another motive for his vote. Peirce is the lone Republican com missioner. The Hillman Co. is owned by the husband of Elsie Hillman, a national GOP committeewoman and Peirce's political patron. When all things are considered, it becomes quite obvious the decision to give the Grant Street project to Oxford was political. 'The Allegheny County Planning Commission reviewed volumes of information on both firms' proposals and decided the Grant project was the better both financially and in overall Photo by MI Norton The Dreibelbis farm, located off N. Atherton Street zoned from residential to commercial so construction can (Route 322) in Ferguson Township, is the site for Oxford begin. Shown here are part of the 23 acres of the former Development's proposed $lO-$l2 million Ferguson Mall. dairy outlet that are already zoned commercial. The A group of Ferguson Township residents has opposed at- Nittany Mountains are in the background. tempts by Oxford to get almost 100 acres of the farm re- construction Oxford is worth about $65 million. The Hillman Co. is valued at almost $llO million. Hillman has a definite tenant for occupying at least half of one of the two towers. Allegheny Ludlum Industries has said they would rent space in one of y y .mb a thummer vacation. Britßail through Britain without a hitch. You'll see more of the Britain you want to see. For full information send the coupon for our free booklet. Note: you can't buy a Britßail Youth Pass in Britain. You must buy it here before you go. (And you must be under 23.) Get it from your Travel Agent, and get set for the summer of yoUr life. _ Britßail 'gavel R• 034 0: BRITRAIL THROUGH BRITAIN FOR $65 WITHOUT A HITCH. j i wul A ,u i uuuLwu,ai i ihU the towers if the project had been awarded to Grant Land. Oxford has no such commitment for tenants and their competitior is willing to up the sale price for the land. Meanwhile, in Centre County, Ox ford's mall has become the target of I=lll I===zi wrath from many Ferguson Township residents. Most Ferguson residents aren't actually opposed to the mall's construction in fact, they favor development in their community. Their biggest complaint is the location of the mall. Ei.)-(!) USG and the Student' Employment Center Summer Job Program Information is available in the Student Employment Office in 105 Boucke C') = c.~ i====al (e) —t. I====, are sponsoring a (..) -,... (.) thPass for one full week of train travel for 0n1y.565. for $95. Three for $l2O. Four r Youth Pass you'll make the and money—whatever the me and money you've got. On our trains you can go to every nook and cranny of . lain from the green wooded les to the legendary moors and :otland. Criss-crossing the land sses—or meandering through lovable locals. It's a great way r . isms oasis Es= am= MEM SIM I3RITRAIL TRAVEL INTERNATIONAL IBox S, Dept, 192-722, Staten Island, NY 10305 Please send me my free copy of "Easy Guide to Britßail" for full details. Name l Address City all MIMI REM Mal ERIE BIM Ml= Oxford's proposal to locate the malt along heavily-traveled N. Athertoti Street (Route 322), near a large, , residential area and adjacent to an,• elementary school, just doesn't sit wep with property owners in the area., Fearing a drop in their property values and a traffic mess rivaling a 1:25 p.m. arrival to a Penn State home football, game, the residents of Park Hills arid' other surrounding housing plans have taken up arms against Oxford. A group of them has even formed an organization to collect funds for legal battles against Oxford and to work for responsible development in the com munity. Known as ACORD (A Com munity Organization for Responsible, Development), they've collected, numerous signatures on petitions for, presentation to Ferguson supervisors pi Tuesday's meeting. How Oxford will fare in the local battle : remains to be seen. The possibility of. another lengthy court battle to gain land, - for development could leave Oxford with, no choice but to shelve its plans for development in Ferguson Township,: After all, nobody relishes the idea pfli‘ fighting court battles all over the state. , A decision by Oxford to forget coll.:, struction plans in Ferguson Township could set a dangerous precedent. Other, developers interested in Centre Region, land might develop the attitude thp,t, trying to accomplish something in thisf area isn't worth the effort or the high cost in legal fees. „ That's a battle Centre Region residents can't afford to lose. (..) (!) I=l o=towi t 3 I====a O or=toig Il===lll v p
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